Disclosed is a fingerboard protector for stringed musical instruments which demonstrates a novel solution to the problem of fingerboard wear caused by the players fingers making contact with the fingerboard. This physical contact in addition to the natural acidity of the players fingers can wear down the fingerboard creating indentations as well as contaminating the fingerboard with tarnish and grime. In the case of a fretless instrument, the strings are pushed directly into the fingerboard causing wear to occur at a much faster rate. My present invention sets out to solve this problem by creating a fingerboard protector safeguarding it from undesirable wear during normal playing of the instrument. The ease of installation and removal will appeal to musicians who want to protect their instrument as well as give it a new and unique look.

Systems and methods are provided performing autonomous tuning of a stringed instrument. Images of the stringed instrument are acquired by at least two cameras and processed to identify the location of a peg. A robotic peg actuator is then engaged to actuate rotation of a peg in order to rotate the peg to a tuned angular orientation, guided by feedback generated by processing acoustic signals recorded by an acoustic transducer while a string associated with the peg is agitated. In some example implementations, the cameras and peg actuator are rigidly mounted to a frame that is configured to support the stringed instrument during peg imaging and actuation. A robotic string actuator may be provided to facilitate vibration of the string during the tuning process. Multiple robotic peg actuators may be included for per-peg rotational actuation and/or a given peg actuator may be robotically translatable to actuate more than one peg.

Systems and methods are provided performing autonomous tuning of a stringed instrument. Images of the stringed instrument are acquired by at least two cameras and processed to identify the location of a peg. A robotic peg actuator is then engaged to actuate rotation of a peg in order to rotate the peg to a tuned angular orientation, guided by feedback generated by processing acoustic signals recorded by an acoustic transducer while a string associated with the peg is agitated. In some example implementations, the cameras and peg actuator are rigidly mounted to a frame that is configured to support the stringed instrument during peg imaging and actuation. A robotic string actuator may be provided to facilitate vibration of the string during the tuning process. Multiple robotic peg actuators may be included for per-peg rotational actuation and/or a given peg actuator may be robotically translatable to actuate more than one peg.

A method of producing and assembling carbon composite based stringed musical instruments. The assembled stringed musical instrument is relatively inexpensive, extremely sturdy, light weight and simulates tones as deep and resonant as obtained by any other wood based instruments. The method also provides for manufacturing geometrically identical stringed musical instruments and the method being adaptable for producing and assembling any stringed musical instrument.

The present invention relates to a musical instrument for producing a harmonious scale of musical notes. The instrument includes nine separate sound actuators each of which is configured to cause the musical instrument to generate a different frequency selected from the group of frequencies comprising 174 Hz, 285 Hz, 396 Hz, 417 Hz, 528 Hz, 639 Hz, 741 Hz, 852 Hz and 963 Hz, the musical instrument being configured such that physically manipulating the sound actuators causes the musical instrument to generate the frequency corresponding to the sound actuator manipulated. The invention is also directed at a system for—writing music to be played with a musical instrument incorporating the harmonious scale of musical notes as described above. The notation system includes a staff of five parallel and horizontal lines separated by four spaces, the first line indicating a first note of 174 Hz, the space immediately above the first line indicating a second note of 285 Hz, the second line indicating a third note of 396 Hz, the space immediately above the second line indicating a fourth note of 417 Hz, the third line indicating a fifth note of 528 Hz, the space immediately above the third line indicating a sixth note of 639 Hz, the fourth line indicating a seventh note of 741 Hz, the space immediately above the fourth line indicating an eighth of 852 Hz and the fifth line, indicating a ninth note of 963 Hz.

A string tensioner module for a stringed musical instrument is configured to apply a constant or near-constant tension to the musical strings of the instrument. The module is divided into a plurality of string tensioners, one string tensioner for each musical string. Each string tensioner employs a primary spring that apply the primary force coaxial with the string. Each string tensioner also employs a secondary spring that applies a secondary force in a direction crossing the axis of the string, and thus applying an axial force component that changes as the angle of the secondary spring changes. The primary and secondary springs are selected so that the change in the axial force component of the secondary spring as the string changes in length approximates the change in force applied by the primary spring so that the axial force applied to the string remains generally constant even as the string changes in length.

Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed to a device for shaping and/or adjusting the shape and/or height of a guitar saddle. The present invention allows for the radius and/or height of the guitar saddle to be shaped and adjusted accurately using dial indicators coupled to mechanical positioning apparatus that provide for positioning of a saddle or saddle material for removal of a prescribed amount of material from the top of the guitar saddle while maintaining the radius.

A Bohemian Instrument may be a musical instrument, acoustic or electric, with a metallic semi-hollow or hollow body. The Bohemian Instrument may comprise a neck extending from the body. In various embodiments, the Bohemian Instrument may comprise, but not be limited to, for example, a through-body neck, extending from the head of the neck into the body of the instrument. Within the body, the Bohemian Instrument may comprise a frame reinforcing at least one inner-edge of the body. In various embodiments, the frame within the body may be comprised of wood and be connected to, or comprise a part of, the through-body neck. By reinforcing the body, the frame also serves to improve a resonation quality of the hollow or semi-hollow metallic body. In turn, the Bohemian Instrument's unique and distinct sound is further articulated.

Method for making light and stiff panels and structures using natural fiber composites. An improved composite material utilized in musical instruments. Bio-based industrial fiber such as flax, cellulose, hemp, bamboo, and jute combined with a core material such as foam, aramid honeycomb, carbon fiber or balsa wood, and a resin, serves as a replacement to traditional tone wood. In another embodiment, the bio-based composite has no core material but simply layers of fabric with resin. Another embodiment finds layers of the woven bio-composite as the core between outside layers of carbon fiber or aramid. In the case of a string instrument, bio-composites can be used to make a substantially hollow unitary body, neck and head as well as soundboard. Another usage is for the bracing material of the soundboard. In fact in its various forms, bio-composite can effectively replace all the old growth wood currently used.

A mechanical device is described, integrated in a fret board of a cord-type music instrument as replacement of a fret adapted to cross the fret board from the front surface to the rear surface of the fret board; the mechanical device comprises: a bridge element arranged on the rear surface of the fret board; a rider means, adapted to vertically cross the fret board of the cord-type music instrument and to be connected with the bridge element; an elastic means, equipped with a first end connected to the bridge element, and with a second end strictly connected to at least one room obtained in the fret board.