Floating soundboard acoustic guitar

Abstract

This invention is an acoustic guitar with a floating soundboard. The soundboard is attached to the body with shoulder bolts, rubber grommets, washers, and nuts (no adhesive). This allows the soundboard to float, due to the rubber grommets that will provide a great amount of movement. This results in dramatically greater volume, and improved tone (due to less force required on the guitar strings). The material for the body is Rock Maple, and the other materials are Sitka Spruce, Rosewood and Mahogany.

Claims

1. An acoustic guitar, comprising: a back, a side, an internal ledge that is machined perpendicular to said side and parallel to said back, with large radii for strength on top and bottom of said internal ledge, blending into said side, preventing deflection of said ledge, providing a strong surface for mounting components that are required for accurate and repeatable function of said acoustic guitar, wherein said back, said side, and said internal ledge are all machined from a solid piece of wood to form a guitar body, with access holes in back of said guitar body for ease of assembly; an elongated neck attached to said guitar body; a floating soundboard attached to said guitar body and said internal ledge; a specified amount of stripper bolts attached to said guitar body and said internal ledge; a specified amount of nuts attached to said stripper bolts and said internal ledge; a specified amount of rubber grommets attached to said floating soundboard and said internal ledge; a specified amount of washers attached to said rubber grommets and said internal ledge; a bridge attached to said floating soundboard; an adjustable nut attached to said elongated neck; an adjustable saddle attached to said bridge; and a guitar string set attached to said bridge, said adjustable saddle, said adjustable nut and said elongated neck.

2. The acoustic guitar of claim 1, wherein said floating soundboard is attached to said guitar body and said internal ledge, with twenty-nine equally spaced said stripper bolts, which are parallel to said side, fifty-eight equally spaced said nuts, which are parallel to said back and said internal ledge, fifty-eight equally spaced said washers, which are parallel to said back and said internal ledge, and are directly above and below said rubber grommets, fifty-eight equally spaced said rubber grommets, which are parallel to said back and said internal ledge, and are directly above and below said floating soundboard, providing: balanced movement of said floating soundboard perpendicular to said side, and parallel to said back and said internal ledge, which allows more movement of said floating soundboard compared to standard soundboards that only vibrate and do not move perpendicular to said guitar body, causing said floating soundboard to move like a speaker, which provides a much greater amount of volume, which will be much louder than said standard soundboard, which will also provide much more sustain than said standard soundboard, which allows said floating soundboard adjustment by changing thickness of said rubber grommets, which can be adjusted based on force applied to said floating soundboard and said internal ledge from tension of said guitar string set, which will reduce distortion of said floating soundboard, and also allows complete disassembly and adjustment of said floating soundboard due to twenty-nine said access holes in back of said guitar body, which is possible due to said guitar body and said internal ledge being machined from the same said solid piece of wood, and also due to said internal ledge design increasing strength of, and reducing distortion on, said guitar body, comprising: said floating soundboard machined from said solid piece of wood, allowing said floating soundboard to be configured with small but strong ribs, which provides light weight and increased strength, resulting in increased vibration and movement of said floating soundboard and a greater amount of air displacement, which greatly increases volume of said acoustic guitar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1—Complete assembly (sheet 1).

(2) FIG. 2—Top view (sheet 2).

(3) FIG. 3—Front view from FIG. 2 (sheet 2).

(4) FIG. 4—Section 4—4 from FIG. 2 (sheet 2).

(5) FIG. 5—Section 5—5 from FIG. 2 (sheet 2).

(6) FIG. 6—Floating assembly components (29) places (sheet 2)

(7) FIG. 7—Light yet strong soundboard top perspective view.

(8) FIG. 8—Light yet strong soundboard bottom perspective view, which is flipped 180 degrees from FIG. 7 (sheet 2).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) Referring now to the drawings: FIG. 1 illustrates an acoustic guitar with a back, and a side, all machined from a solid piece of wood to form a guitar body 2, (two 3″×18″×24″ laminated maple blocks joined by bonded adhesive, (Michigan Maple Block Petoskey, Mich.). This is manufactured using the well-known computer numerical controlled machining process. All components have been reviewed for DFM (design for manufacturing), so the machining process does not have any unknown complications. The neck 3, is shown connected to the guitar body 2, and also connected to the fingerboard 4. These and all other components, are shown in greater detail in additional FIGURES for clarity. Note that six strings are shown, which should be light gage, to avoid excessive force on soundboard. These are standard strings that can be purchased at any music store, and are installed the same as any other acoustic guitar. The bridge 5, is also shown. This is a large bridge, attached to the light yet strong soundboard 1, to assist in greater vibration of light yet strong soundboard 1. If this is proved to be detrimental, the bridge is “wood safe” meaning large enough to reduce easily if required. Also shown are six string pins 14 (known standard component) that attaches the strings to the bridge 5. Also shown are six tuning heads 11, which are attached to the neck 3. Drill size, tap size and location will be added to suit, based on actual component brand (known standard component).

(10) FIG. 2 shows the top view assembly of the guitar, which section 4-4 and section 5-5 are taken from. It also shows 16 rosette outer, and 17 rosette inner. These are blind pockets, and are only decorative. Also shown are ninety six pieces of mother of pearl inlay 9, included in fingerboard 4.

(11) FIG. 3 which is a front view from FIG. 2, shows the adjustable saddle 7, pocketed into the bridge 5, and the adjustable nut 6, pocketed into the neck 3, so they do not need to be held in place by adhesive (see FIG. 1). This allows the action of the strings to be set from both ends of the guitar, which offers far more action settings. The nut 6 and saddle 7 can be adjusted with multiple sizes of nuts 6, and saddles 7 provided (ten each). Also shown are two steel dowels 8, socket head cap screw 18, steel washer 15, and lock nut 10.

(12) FIG. 4 (section 4-4 from sheet 2, FIG. 2) shows truss rod 12 (14½″ truss rod marketed by Bitterroot Guitars of Door, Mich.), and seventeen frets 13. These are standard components in any acoustic guitar. The truss rod 12, is set inside of neck 3, and allows for adjustment of neck 3, to keep it straight. The frets allow for precise fingering, and correct pitch of the strings.

(13) FIG. 5 (section 5-5 from sheet 2, FIG. 2) shows overall width of guitar, and also provides direction for FIG. 6 4× scale view.

(14) FIG. 6, a 4× scale view from FIG. 5, shows shoulder bolt 19, steel washer 20, rubber grommet 21, nut 22, and light yet strong soundboard 1, together in assembly.

(15) FIG. 7, shows soundboard 1, in a top perspective view.

(16) FIG. 8 shows soundboard 1, in a bottom perspective view, which is flipped 180 degrees from FIG. 7 (sheet 2).