A stringed instrument, for example an electric guitar, comprises a neck and a body defining a neck and body joint. The neck and body joint includes a neck having a tapered tenon, and a body having a complementary tapered mortise surrounding the tapered tenon. The tapered tenon may be held within the tapered mortise with a tensioning device without the use of adhesives between surfaces of the tapered tenon and surfaces of the tapered mortise.

A musical instrument includes a softwood core and an opening formed in the softwood core. The softwood core is formed by combining a plurality of softwood boards. A hardwood plug is disposed in the opening of the softwood core. A first hardwood plate is disposed over a first surface of the softwood core. A second hardwood plate is disposed over a second surface of the softwood core. The hardwood plug extends from the first hardwood plate to the second hardwood plate. The softwood core, first hardwood plate, and second hardwood plate are cut into an instrument body. An instrument neck is attached to the instrument body. A bridge is attached to the hardwood plug using a screw or other fastener extending through the bridge and into the hardwood plug. An opening is formed through the hardwood plug. A string is disposed through the opening of the hardwood plug.

A file for use in forming a groove in a nut or bridge of a string musical instrument. The file includes a filing edge that is rounded to the same radius as the string to be fitted in the groove it forms in the nut and bridge. A spine or rib is formed along the upper edge of the file to provide stiffening and permitting the file to not bow or flex when being used.

A hybrid-material construction for string instruments may include providing an internal lattice framework structure encased in a composite material to produce a final form of a string instrument. The framework structure may provide a lightweight structural support system within a finished instrument to reduce overall weight while maintaining strength of the instrument.

A hybrid-material construction for string instruments may include providing an internal lattice framework structure encased in a composite material to produce a final form of a string instrument. The framework structure may provide a lightweight structural support system within a finished instrument to reduce overall weight while maintaining strength of the instrument.

A hybrid-material construction for string instruments may include providing an internal lattice framework structure encased in a composite material to produce a final form of a string instrument. The framework structure may provide a lightweight structural support system within a finished instrument to reduce overall weight while maintaining strength of the instrument.

A hybrid-material construction for string instruments may include providing an internal lattice framework structure encased in a composite material to produce a final form of a string instrument. The framework structure may provide a lightweight structural support system within a finished instrument to reduce overall weight while maintaining strength of the instrument.

An aesthetically-enhanced structure is formed by fusing a translucent layer with an aesthetic-enhancing layer. The translucent layer includes natural fibers impregnated by a thermoplastic. The translucent layer or the aesthetic-enhancing layer provide one or more aesthetic properties visible through the translucent layer, for example, a pattern, a color, a texture, a pigment, a dye, a design, an image or a relief.

The Spring Bracing System invention is disclosed for optimizing the musical voice of a stringed musical instrument by improving the transfer of musical string vibration energy and adding structural support and spring quality to targeted locations on the instrument's sound board. The Spring Bracing System, comprising a spring brace frame, a tensioning system, a fulcrum lever system, sound posts and sound braces, operates as a simple machine in transferring vibration energy generated when the instrument's strings are in motion. The adjustability of the system allows the musician to customize, optimize, and improve the musical voice of the instrument to his preference. On most steel string guitars, the Spring Bracing System can be installed without modification to the instrument. It can be installed in other types of stringed musical instruments, such as classical guitars, cellos and double basses, with minor modifications.

A double-bar violin family without sound post, including a resonance box, with a front plate, back plate and sidewalls, wherein: two upper bars are parallel on the front plate inner wall; two lower bars are parallel on the back plate inner wall; an upper cross groove sits on the front plate inner wall, and forms an upper cross sound tunnel on the front plate inner wall; a lower cross groove sits on the back plate inner wall, and the lower cross groove forms a lower cross sound tunnel on the back plate inner wall. This breaks the shackles of the traditional bass bar and sound post design in resonance box, eliminates sound post in resonance box, and proposes a new improved design, wherein treble register is not bright, and bass register is not sonorous and mellow enough, so the resonance box produces treble, alto, and bass registers with good timbre.