The present invention is directed to a Contoured Banjo Bridge with a flat upper surface for making contact with and securing the strings present on a stringed instrument and one or more convex overall lower surfaces which makes contact with the head of said stringed instrument, to maintain a uniform pressure with the banjo head surface when the strings are tightened, whereby the convex lower portion of the banjo bridge has a curved lower surface to compensate for the stress applied onto the head of the stringed instrument when the strings are tightened. The Contoured Banjo Bridge may be constructed with one or more openings to achieve the intended purpose of this application.

A banjo acoustic-chamber cushion is an apparatus that is used to minimize the discomfort caused by the sharp edges and brackets found around the perimeter of the acoustic chamber of a banjo. The apparatus may include a circular padded backing and an annular padded rim. The circular padded backing serves as a shield between the player's body and the back of a banjo acoustic chamber without obstructing the playing of the banjo. The circular padded backing also protects the back of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches or dents. The annular padded rim serves as a shield between the player's body and the rim of the banjo acoustic chamber. The annular padded rim also secures the apparatus to the banjo acoustic chamber. Further, the annular padded rim protects the outer lateral surfaces of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches and dents.

A banjo acoustic-chamber cushion is an apparatus that is used to minimize the discomfort caused by the sharp edges and brackets found around the perimeter of the acoustic chamber of a banjo. The apparatus may include a circular padded backing and an annular padded rim. The circular padded backing serves as a shield between the player's body and the back of a banjo acoustic chamber without obstructing the playing of the banjo. The circular padded backing also protects the back of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches or dents. The annular padded rim serves as a shield between the player's body and the rim of the banjo acoustic chamber. The annular padded rim also secures the apparatus to the banjo acoustic chamber. Further, the annular padded rim protects the outer lateral surfaces of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches and dents.

A guitar positioning device, including a strip of resilient or flexible material, such as formed or molded from rubber, or polymer, can be adhered to the lower or lateral edges of the guitar, or banjo, in which it is used, while the exposed surface of the device will frictionally engage upon the legs of the musician, so as to prevent slippage of the instrument during its usage and application. The positioning device can be adhered by integral suction cups, at least two in number, or by an adhesive, a double sided tape, or even hook and pile fastening means, or rivet, in order to secure the positioning device to the exposed edge of the instrument that rests upon the legs of the musician, during a performance.

The invention is generally directed to a tool formed from a single material including an engagement portion to contact or engage a target material or item; a handle portion; and one or more openings such that a user may maintain skin-to-skin contact between the user's fingers, thumb, and/or hand. In accordance with some embodiments, the invention is directed to a tool that may also include: a pinch portion between the handle portion and the engagement portion, to be gripped or pinched by a user, the pinch portion comprising one or more openings or orifices such that skin-to-skin contact is maintained during use; and one or more protrusions, indents, textures, ridges, or other surface features on the pinch portion or handle portion to assist with a user's grip of the tool.

A banjo acoustic-chamber cushion is an apparatus that is used to minimize the discomfort caused by the sharp edges and brackets found around the perimeter of the acoustic chamber of a banjo. The apparatus may include a circular padded backing and an annular padded rim. The circular padded backing serves as a shield between the player's body and the back of a banjo acoustic chamber without obstructing the playing of the banjo. The circular padded backing also protects the back of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches or dents. The annular padded rim serves as a shield between the player's body and the rim of the banjo acoustic chamber. The annular padded rim also secures the apparatus to the banjo acoustic chamber. Further, the annular padded rim protects the outer lateral surfaces of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches and dents.

A banjo acoustic-chamber cushion is an apparatus that is used to minimize the discomfort caused by the sharp edges and brackets found around the perimeter of the acoustic chamber of a banjo. The apparatus may include a circular padded backing and an annular padded rim. The circular padded backing serves as a shield between the player's body and the back of a banjo acoustic chamber without obstructing the playing of the banjo. The circular padded backing also protects the back of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches or dents. The annular padded rim serves as a shield between the player's body and the rim of the banjo acoustic chamber. The annular padded rim also secures the apparatus to the banjo acoustic chamber. Further, the annular padded rim protects the outer lateral surfaces of the banjo acoustic chamber from physical damage such as scratches and dents.

The invention is generally directed to a tool formed from a single material including an engagement portion to contact or engage a target material or item; a handle portion; and one or more openings such that a user may maintain skin-to-skin contact between the user's fingers, thumb, and/or hand. In accordance with some embodiments, the invention is directed to a tool that may also include: a pinch portion between the handle portion and the engagement portion, to be gripped or pinched by a user, the pinch portion comprising one or more openings or orifices such that skin-to-skin contact is maintained during use; and one or more protrusions, indents, textures, ridges, or other surface features on the pinch portion or handle portion to assist with a user's grip of the tool.

A guitar positioning device, including a strip of resilient or flexible material, such as formed or molded from rubber, or polymer, can be adhered to the lower or lateral edges of the guitar, or banjo, in which it is used, while the exposed surface of the device will frictionally engage upon the legs of the musician, so as to prevent slippage of the instrument during its usage and application. The positioning device can be adhered by integral suction cups, at least two in number, or by an adhesive, a double sided tape, or even hook and pile fastening means, or rivet, in order to secure the positioning device to the exposed edge of the instrument that rests upon the legs of the musician, during a performance.

Method for fabricating a string, in particular a string for a bowed musical instrument, said string having a core with at least one winding strand helically wound thereon, thereby forming a string with at least one core and at least one winding layer, the method comprising: placing a core axially along a path, spinning the core about its central axis and helically winding at least one winding strand around the string, preferably without overlaps between adjacent windings and/or large gaps between adjacent windings, of more than about 12% of the width of the individual winding strand, between adjacent windings, wherein for increasing compactness of the string a friction force is applied to the at least one winding strand by a compactness increasing module at a spinning point, said spinning point being defined as the point where the at least one winding strand is being wound on to the string, consisting of at least one core, and a compression force is applied to the at least one winding strand and the string by the compactness increasing module, when helically winding the at least one winding strand around the string.