A stringed musical instrument saddle containing a plurality of electrically independent transducers and associated electrical conditioning components where each transducer is located within the saddle such that it is sensitive to the vibratory energy of a corresponding string or course and senses the vibratory energy in both vertical and horizontal modes. The saddle contains at least one multi-conductor connector which connects to a removable multi-conductor cable to convey the transducer signals out of the saddle to external receiving electronics. The saddle is constructed of workable materials such that its top and bottom can be fit to a particular instrument by a technician.

A musical instrument includes: an acoustic portion that makes sound in response to vibration; an exciter that includes an exciter body and a vibrating portion vibrating with respect to the exciter body, and excites the acoustic portion; and a support portion that is attached to the acoustic portion and supports the exciter body such that the vibration is transmitted from the vibrating portion to the acoustic portion. The support portion supports the exciter body such that the exciter body is elastically displaced with respect to the acoustic portion. A resonance frequency of a vibration system including the exciter body and the support portion is lower than the lowest resonance frequency of the acoustic portion.

Systems and methods for onboard, real-time pickup blending for electric guitars/basses may utilize every possible tonal combination that double coil pickups can offer. The industry standard pickup toggle switch may be removed from electric guitar/bass instruments. Instead of a user being limited to only using one pickup at a time to be selected, the user may mix in any combination of the pickups (top, bottom, or both) at any time. Accordingly, multiple pickups can be on at the same time and/or the user may blend in (or out) any percentage of any of the pickups that the user wishes to create a large combination of tones.

A system includes an electric stringed instrument with a remotely controllable electronic configuration. A system includes a remote control for configuring the electronics of an electric stringed instrument. A system includes a remotely controllable electric stringed instrument, a remote control for configuring the instrument, a MIDI controller, and cords interconnecting the system.

A simple yet effective sustainer for electronic stringed instruments having a bridge pickup and a neck pickup. A driver assembly, disposed adjacent the neck pickup of the instrument, includes a plurality of electromagnetic transducers operative to induce vibrations in the strings. A battery-operated electronic amplifier has an input adapted for connection to the bridge pickup, and an output connected to the driver assembly, such that, when the instrument is played, string vibrations sensed by the bridge pickup are amplified by the electronic amplifier and used to drive the driver assembly, thereby sustaining the played string vibrations. The driver assembly may be disposed in a ring that surrounds the neck pickup of the instrument. The ring may include an ON/OFF switch that routes power from the battery to the electronic amplifier and simultaneously deactivates the bridge pickup in the ON position. The ring may further include a phase reversal switch.

Electroacoustic bouzouki with perforated vessel, for exercise as well as for concerts having a neck (1) which reaches until tailpiece (2), head (3), tuning keys for fastening strings (4), electromagnet (5) and bridge (6) on the front part (7) over which the strings pass (4), preamplifier (9) and amplifier (10) in its body, output (12), electric signal and battery (16), bearing, a rear part called vessel (13). The vessel carries on its surface at least one user-defined opening of any shape and is mounted on the front part (7) of the body by gluing or screwing. The best use of the electroacoustic bouzouki with perforated vessel takes place when the number of openings ranges from 2 to 6.

A keyboard with strum string apparatus for creating accurate guitar sounds with an electronic keyboard includes a microcontroller is coupled within a keyboard body. A power source, a pair of speakers, a plurality of control buttons, and a plurality of piano keys are coupled to the keyboard body and are in operational communication with the microcontroller. A plurality of piano keys is coupled to the keyboard body. A strum board is coupled to the keyboard body. The strum board has a strum base coupled to the keyboard body, a pair of bridges coupled to the strum base, a plurality of strings extending between the pair of bridges, and a pickup coupled to the strum base. The pickup is in operational communication with the microcontroller.

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.

A single axis position transducer uses an elongate permanent three pole magnet having a radial magnetic field at a spot along the magnet in which the magnetic field has radial field lines that decay as 1/R. R is the distance from the center of the magnet along a radial field line perpendicular to the axis of the magnet. The spot has a first pole of one polarity, and the magnet has poles of the opposite polarity spaced along the magnet on opposite sides of the first pole of the radial magnetic field located at the spot. At least one magnetic field sensor is positioned proximal to the spot along the elongate member that detects the motion of the spot and electrically amplifies the sensor output.