An integrated transducer-processor unit for use with a stringed instrument having one or more strings. When the instrument is played, the unit produces electrical output signals for conversion into musical sounds. A transducer converts mechanical vibrations of each of the strings into corresponding electrical signals, and a processor processes the electrical signals to produce selected analog or digital output signals for conversion into musical sounds. The unit processor is integrated with the transducer into a pickup, for mounting on the instrument in proximity to the strings without modification of the instrument. In addition, a gesture pad-processor system provides an interface for a user to send control signals to a device to control at least one function of the device. A touch pad receives positional and pressure inputs entered by the user making a selected predefined manual gesture for conversion into a control signal by the system processor.

Apparatus and methods for securing a string to an acoustic, stringed instrument are disclosed. Example apparatus include string anchors secured to a bridge of the stringed instrument. The apparatus provide components enabling selective tensioning of the string. A seat arrangement provided by string anchors receives an anchor end of string and the string passes from the seat arrangement through a base arrangement and towards a headstock of the acoustic instrument.

A stringed instrument comprises a substantially hollow body that includes a front soundboard, a rear diaphragm, and a side wall, all defining an internal volume therein that has a first curved interface between the side wall and the front soundboard and a second curved interface between the side wall and the rear diaphragm, such that when the front soundboard vibrates in reaction to the strings being strummed, struck, or picked the rear diaphragm is driven by the side walls and the first and second curved interface. The stringed instrument may take the form of a guitar that includes a primary sound aperture in the front soundboard, a neck having a fretboard with a plurality of frets, a heel fixed at a proximal end thereof, and a string nut at a distal end thereof. A tuning head projects away from the string nut and includes a plurality of tuning mechanisms.

Bowing platforms are disclosed for use in playing a bowed musical instrument without reliance on strings. A bowing platform includes a support and a track that replace the strings, bridge, and tailpiece on a conventional bowed instrument, to provide an alternative vibrational bowing surface. The bowing platform can be attached to a conventional fingerboard or to the body of the instrument. In one aspect, the bowing platform is useful as a bow guide to improve bow technique by restricting the player's bow angle to be within a desirable range, while still allowing for natural arm movement. The bowing platform can be further equipped with piezoelectric sensors to sense bowing motion and to create sound electronically in response to the sensed motion. A stringless bowed instrument includes a bowing platform, bowing sensors, and pitch sensors that sense finger placement along the fingerboard.

An accessory for modifying sound output of a musical instrument. The body of the instrument has a soundboard. The accessory includes a sound sensor, an actuator, a fastener, and a controller. The sound sensor engages the body and senses vibration of the body representing the sound output of the musical instrument. The actuator engages the soundboard and deforms the soundboard of the musical instrument so as to modify the sound output of the musical instrument. The sound sensor is preferably arranged distally to the actuator. The fastener engages the accessory to the musical instrument, to locate the actuator against the soundboard of the musical instrument. The controller is connected to the actuator and the sound sensor for receiving and analysing the sound output sensed by the sound sensor, and controlling the actuator in dependence on the sound output sensed by the sound sensor.

A saddle for a stringed musical instrument comprising a body having at least one member with a first and second section. The first section, in cross section has opposite ends, and a geometry conforming to the geometry of a slot in a bridge plate and a width approximately equal in dimension to the width of the slot so the opposite ends of the first section tightly fit into the slot when the first section is inserted therein. The second section having a width substantially wider than the width of the first section and having two lateral sides, in cross section, extending from the opposite ends of the first section to form, in combination with the first section, a right-side up T fitting such that the saddle possesses a substantially higher resistance to bending forces from tension in the strings in the musical instrument as compared conventional saddle structures.

An accessory for modifying sound output of a musical instrument. The body of the instrument has a soundboard. The accessory includes a sound sensor, an actuator, a fastener, and a controller. The sound sensor engages the body and senses vibration of the body representing the sound output of the musical instrument. The actuator engages the soundboard and deforms the soundboard of the musical instrument so as to modify the sound output of the musical instrument. The sound sensor is preferably arranged distally to the actuator. The fastener engages the accessory to the musical instrument, to locate the actuator against the soundboard of the musical instrument. The controller is connected to the actuator and the sound sensor for receiving and analysing the sound output sensed by the sound sensor, and controlling the actuator in dependence on the sound output sensed by the sound sensor.

An onboard electronic system and associated method enables a player of an acoustic stringed instrument to control an electronic signal for modifying and amplifying sound while playing an instrument. The onboard electronic system is embedded in the tailpiece and/or the chinrest portions and/or shoulder-rest portion of the stringed instrument, and includes at least one pickup, a battery-powered amplification unit and at least one controller. The method includes steps for controlling sound amplification and tonal modification onboard an acoustic stringed instrument. The steps include sensing vibration from strings with a pickup, generating an electrical signal and transmitting the electrical signal to an amplification unit via an input cable, and modifying the electrical signal in response to one or more controllers located onboard the instrument.

A saddle for a stringed musical instrument comprising a body having at least one member with a first and second section. The first section, in cross section has opposite ends, and a geometry conforming to the geometry of a slot in a bridge plate and a width approximately equal in dimension to the width of the slot so the opposite ends of the first section tightly fit into the slot when the first section is inserted therein. The second section having a width substantially wider than the width of the first section and having two lateral sides, in cross section, extending from the opposite ends of the first section to form, in combination with the first section, a right-side up T fitting such that the saddle possesses a substantially higher resistance to bending forces from tension in the strings in the musical instrument as compared conventional saddle structures.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to acoustic-electric sensor system including a main acoustic sensor operably coupled to detect string vibrations of an acoustic-electric instrument and a feedback suppression acoustic sensor configured to primarily detect sound board vibrations of the acoustic-electric stringed instrument at a location with a substantially attenuated string vibration signal relative to its sound board vibration signal. In an illustrative example, a mixing circuit may at least partially cancel out sound board vibration signatures output by the main and feedback suppression acoustic sensors with one another to produce a mixed output signal. The feedback suppression acoustic sensor may be spaced outside of an ellipse substantially centered around a sound board string coupling point. The main acoustic sensor may be arranged in close proximity to receive the string vibration signal. The mixed output signal may substantially reject audio feedback disturbances while retaining the unique characteristic sound of the instrument.