A sound post assembly for a musical instrument, comprising two or more mechanically movable parts that allow for a length adjustment of the sound post assembly and one or more electrical components. In an example embodiment, the electrical components are configured to electrically measure the force exerted by the sound post on the upper and lower walls of the instrument's sound box. In some embodiments, the electrical components may operate to mechanically change the length of the sound post assembly through an electrical actuator, such as a piezo-electric actuator or an electro-magnetic motor. Also disclosed are example safety mechanisms and methods of wiring and interfacing said sound post assembly with a control unit.

The wearable support article contains a clamping mechanism, an orienting mechanism, and a support mechanism. These components are combined to support an instrument, such as a viola or violin, when is it being played by a musician. The clamping mechanism attaches the article to the instrument. The orienting mechanism attaches to the clamping mechanism, providing an orientation support platform upon which the clamping mechanism and thus the instrument will be held. The support mechanism of the entire wearable support article provides a loop that is worn by the musician while playing the instrument, and a peg or sleeve attached to the loop allows the instrument to be put up or down at will by the player during a performance.

The wearable support article contains a clamping mechanism, an orienting mechanism, and a support mechanism. These components are combined to support an instrument, such as a viola or violin, when is it being played by a musician. The clamping mechanism attaches the article to the instrument. The orienting mechanism attaches to the clamping mechanism, providing an orientation support platform upon which the clamping mechanism and thus the instrument will be held. The support mechanism of the entire wearable support article provides a loop that is worn by the musician while playing the instrument, and a peg or sleeve attached to the loop allows the instrument to be put up or down at will by the player during a performance.

A string instrument has a neck attached to a body and extending outwardly therefrom. The body has a top plate joined to a bottom plate by a continuous rib forming an interior volume therebetween. A tailpiece is joined to the body. The tailpiece has tubular string bores. Each string bore has an entrance for receiving a string therein and an exit from which the string emerges and extends to the neck. At least one the exits has a cross-sectional shape in which a length of a major axis of the cross-sectional shape is greater than a length of a minor axis of the cross-sectional shape.

A string instrument has a body and a neck. The body has a top plate joined to a bottom plate forming an interior volume therebetween. The neck is attached to the body and extends outwardly therefrom. A tailpiece is joined to the body. A first soundpost is located within the interior volume of the body and joins the top plate with the bottom plate. A second soundpost is also located within the interior volume and also joins the top plate with the bottom plate.

A string instrument has a body and a neck. The body has a top plate joined to a bottom plate forming an interior volume therebetween. The neck is attached to the body and extends outwardly therefrom. A tailpiece is joined to the body. A first soundpost is located within the interior volume of the body and joins the top plate with the bottom plate. A second soundpost is also located within the interior volume and also joins the top plate with the bottom plate.

Multiple accessory assemblies for a string instrument are disclosed. The accessory assembly is a set of an accessory, made of a material of Young's modulus greater than 12 GPa, and at least one sound purifier, made of a material of Young's modulus roughly equal to or less than 3.5 GPa. A string instrument that includes at least one accessory assembly is also discussed.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is an electric violin comprising a sound bar having a first tang and a second tang. The central portion of the sound bar rests on a top plate of the violin, separated by a separator pad, and the first and second tangs protrude to an inner cavity of the violin through a first and a second plate hole of the top plate. A pickup assembly includes a first and a second pickup, where each of the pickups comprise a bobbin made of two plates separated by a plurality of magnetic polepieces and surrounded by a coil wire. Each of the pickups includes a compression mechanism including a height adjustment screw that holds the compression mechanism at a firm tension while the distance between the plurality of the magnetic polepieces of the pickup and the corresponding tang satisfies a tolerance gap.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is an electric violin comprising a sound bar having a first tang and a second tang. The central portion of the sound bar rests on a top plate of the violin, separated by a separator pad, and the first and second tangs protrude to an inner cavity of the violin through a first and a second plate hole of the top plate. A pickup assembly includes a first and a second pickup, where each of the pickups comprise a bobbin made of two plates separated by a plurality of magnetic polepieces and surrounded by a coil wire. Each of the pickups includes a compression mechanism including a height adjustment screw that holds the compression mechanism at a firm tension while the distance between the plurality of the magnetic polepieces of the pickup and the corresponding tang satisfies a tolerance gap.

A shoulder rest for a violin or viola comprises a bridge beam having a first end and a second end and a shoulder-engaging pad mounted to a block having a beam-engaging portion that is shaped to slide over the bridge beam. The shoulder rest includes a first foot disposed at the first end for gripping the violin or viola and a second foot disposed at the second end for gripping the violin or viola. In another implementation, the shoulder rest includes a first shoulder-engaging pad mounted to a first arm that is connected to an arm carriage disposed within a groove in the bridge beam and a second shoulder-engaging pad mounted to a second arm that is connected to the arm carriage.