Stringed musical instrument vibrato apparatus featuring selective string pitch control
US6087570A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 11, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 11, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG10D3/153
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A vibrato apparatus for a stringed instrument, the instrument having a body and a neck extending from the body, the apparatus comprising, tuning elements on the neck and a bridge member on the body to demarcate a string plane and a vibrating portion of the strings which extend in a longitudinal direction in the string plane. A vibrato member is secured on and is pivotal about a pivot axis which is essentially parallel to but distanced from the string plane and transversely oriented in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of vertically pivoting rocker arms each securing the body end of a respective string and operably secured to a lever which is resistibly secured to a spring and to the vibrato member. A slug tuning element allows for vertical adjustments of the plurality of rocker arms so that by varying a lever moment of the lever the plurality of rocker arms are each selectively moved thereby altering the tuning of the strings. A bus bar is operably linked to the lever by a switch linkage which allows for independent control of tuning and pitch for each string by selective pivoting of the vibrato member. A saddle unit may be integrated with the vibrato apparatus and a remote a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.