METHOD FOR APPLYING SENSORS ON A STRINGED INSTRUMENT

Abstract

The invention describes the design and the technique for creating the ideal bed and for positioning sensors to the neck of a stringed instrument, such as a guitar. The problem solved addresses the need of the performer to easily identify, activate or deactivate one or more sensors while, at the same time, playing the instrument and without, for instance, unnatural or uncomfortable torsions of the hand or unwanted pauses. The solution provided consists on an ad-hoc chamfered flat surface on the back part of the guitar's neck; such flat surface is the ideal bed where sensors can be located and accessed.

Claims

1. An augmented stringed instrument characterized by: a. a neck (103) consisting of a bottom extremity (106) for receiving the body (101) of an augmented stringed instrument; a top extremity relative to the top extremity (105); a longitudinally extending top side (107) and a longitudinally extending bottom side (108); a front part of the neck named fingerboard (109); b. the back of the neck (202) purposefully grooved to form a flat surface (301) located in correspondence to the longitudinally extending top side (107); c. an edge (303) on the back of the neck (202) that can be perceived on fingertip touch; d. a bed (104) for one or more sensors on the flat surface (301) of the back of the neck (202) located in correspondence to the longitudinally extending top side (107);

2. An augmented stringed instrument as in claim 1, wherein the grooved flat surface (301) creates an angle (302) of between 60 and 70 degrees with respect to the top extremity (305) of the fingerboard (109).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1.A describes a view of the front part of a stringed instrument such as a guitar.

[0015] FIG. 1.B describes a view of the rear part of the instrument, with sensors applied on the guitar's neck in the location specified by the invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a tridimensional section of the neck of the instrument

[0017] FIG. 3.A illustrates a bidimensional section of the neck of the instrument.

[0018] FIG. 3.B illustrates a bidimensional section of the neck of the instrument with the grooved flat surface object of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present invention discloses a particular functional design of the neck of an augmented stringed instrument, such as a guitar, and a particular technique to apply sensors to such augmented stringed instrument. Such found design is purposefully shaped and creates an ideal bed for one or more sensors in order to facilitate the best possible accessibility to the sensors and their best usability.

[0020] Reference is now made to FIG. 1.A, which shows an illustrative example of an augmented stringed instrument such as an augmented guitar, and FIG. 1.B, which shows the rear view of such augmented instrument. Such augmented stringed instrument may comprise a body (101); strings (102); a neck (103) having two longitudinal extremities (105) and (106), one extremity (105) secured to the body of the instrument; a longitudinally extending top side (107) and a longitudinally extending bottom side (108), such sides (107) and (108) located opposite to each other along the neck (103) of the instrument; the front part of the neck (103) named fingerboard (109).

[0021] A specific location (104) on the back of the neck (202) corresponding to the longitudinally extending top side (107) is the ideal bed for sensors thanks to a prompt accessibility by the player's thumb during the act of playing.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the neck (103) of the instrument, such neck (103) comprising a front part, named fingerboard (109) and a back part (202).

[0023] The object of the present invention is represented in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3.B as a purposefully shaped design of the neck (103). Along the ideal bed (104) of the neck, a section is specifically grooved (301). Such design (FIG. 3.B) is particularly advantageous compared to the traditional half-rounded shape of the back of the neck (FIG. 3.A) because it allows a full pressure on the sensors on the flat surface (301). Sensors are located along the grooved surface (301) and, in a longitudinally extending perspective, alternatively along the full length of the neck (103) or simply on a portion of it.

[0024] The grooved flat surface (301) creates an angle (302) with the top extremity (305) of the fingerboard, such angle (302) ideally between 60 and 70 degrees.

[0025] The main advantages of this solution are: [0026] 1. Compared to any other possible placement (for instance, on the central part of the neck (304)), the specific placement (104) of the sensors minimizes accidental/unwanted activation/deactivation of the sensors by the thumb under the neck, therefore facilitating the access and control of the sensors without disrupting the natural interaction of the player with the instrument and in particular with its neck (103). [0027] 2. The edge (303) on the back of the neck (202) facilitates the recognition of the exact location of the sensors simply by the sense of touch, and therefore allowing the player to easily activate the sensors. [0028] 3. The ad-hoc grooved flat surface (104) acts as a railway to give better grip to the thumb on pressing and or manipulating the sensors.

[0029] The figures represented in this document provide just an illustrative example and do not limit the invention to only such representation.

[0030] While guitars have been used and described herein as examples for the application of the present invention, the proposed necks may also be used with other stringed instruments such as bass guitars, violins, cello, mandolins, and the like.

[0031] Moreover, while the guitars illustrated herein are guitars for right-handed players, the invention described herein may be applied to guitars, and other stringed instruments, intended for left-hand players. For example, a left-handed guitar may be constructed as a mirror image of one of the right-handed guitars illustrated herein.

CITED REFERENCES

[0032] T. Machover and J. Chung. Hyperinstruments: Musically intelligent and interactive performance and creativity systems. (1989). [0033] U.S. Pat. No. 8,093,486 B2 [0034] U.S. Pat. No. 7,718,886 B1 [0035] U.S. Pat. No. 7,247,789 B2 [0036] U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,078 B2