Fulcrum tremolo spring locking claw and claw resonator plate

Abstract

Sonic improvement for all stringed instruments that employ a fulcrum tremolo bridge system with back of instrument counter tensioning springs. The improvement is provided by securing springs to claw assembly, as well as securing claw assemble to a flat plate of material which is in turn secured to instrument body. The claw and resonator plate can be fabricated as two individual pieces then fastened together or as a combined one piece assemble that is then fastened to instrument body.

Claims

1. A stringed musical instrument comprising: a solid resonating body; a neck; a fulcrum tremolo string bridge system disposed in a cavity of said solid resonating body, said fulcrum tremolo string bridge system comprising: a resonator bridge block in said cavity of said solid resonating body, wherein the resonator bridge block is pivotally movable in the cavity; a claw bracket mounted in the cavity; a plurality of tremolo tension springs, each tension spring have a first end and a second end, said plurality of tremolo tension springs disposed in a spring portion of the cavity of the solid resonating body, wherein said first end of each tension spring is mounted to the resonator block, and said second end of each tension spring is mounted to the claw bracket with respective screw compression coupling; and fasteners securing the claw bracket to a flat plate of a material which in turn is secured to the solid resonating body.

2. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein the screw compression couplings secure said springs to a face of the claw bracket, whereby, under compression, each second end of each tension spring creates a more efficient pathway for sound wave energy to transfer through and into said solid resonating body and said neck.

3. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein the claw bracket has an L-shape including an upright and horizontal part, wherein the upright of the L-shape has screw holes and the horizontal part has slotted screw holes and a row of five spring retaining screw holes, where a screw through the upright of the L-shape mounts the claw bracket to the solid resonating body and the horizontal part of the L-shape has a screw through the slots into the flat plate of material, wherein each screw compression coupling is inserted into a respective one of the row of five spring retaining screw holes thereby securing a respective end of each of the tension springs.

4. The stringed musical instrument of claim 3, wherein the spring portion of the cavity is bounded by inset walls and the resonator block is housed in another portion of the cavity wherein the claw bracket is mounted to one of the said inset walls at a location opposite to said another portion of the cavity, wherein screws extend from the upright of the L-shaped claw bracket into said one of said inset walls.

5. The stringed musical instrument of claim 3, wherein the L-shaped claw bracket is attached to the flat plate of material via adhesive or screw slots on the horizontal portion of said L-shaped claw bracket yielding a tonal stringed instrument wide improvement.

6. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein a depth of cavity is oriented into the solid resonating body from a rear surface of the body of the stringed instrument, and there is a recess in a front surface of the body above the recess housing a plurality of instrument pick-ups and where in a longitudinal axis of the spring portion of the cavity is parallel to strings of the stringed instrument.

7. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, where the flat plate of material comprises a magnetic material, the stringed instrument is electrified by magnetic pickups, and the claw bracket and flat plate of material are mounted from a rear surface of the stringed instrument body.

8. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein the flat piece of material is attached to said stringed instrument body with screws or adhesive agent to an innermost surface of the cavity which is located in a rear surface of the stringed instrument body in parallel with a face of the stringed instrument.

9. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein the flat plate of material is a metal or a non-metal, selected according to the desired sound modification characteristic.

10. A fulcrum tremolo spring system retro fit kit for a stringed instrument, comprising: a spring claw assembly and resonator plate combination fabricated as a single plate of metal that mounts to a spring claw assembly mount wall in a spring mount cavity of said stringed instrument, wherein the spring claw assembly and resonator plate combination includes: a plurality of tension springs; a plurality of screw slots; a machine screw respectively inserted into each slot of the plurality of screw slots thereby securing said spring claw assembly and resonator plate combination to a body of the stringed instrument; five threaded spring retaining post holes; five machine screw configured as spring retention posts; one machine screws is configured as an electrical ground wire, wherein each of said tension springs have a first end and a second end wherein each first end of said tension springs is secured to spring claw assembly and resonator plate combination with selected ones of the five machine screws, wherein the single plate of metal is disposed under said tension springs, wherein said resonator plate and said spring claw assembly combination further comprising an L-shape with an upright on an end opposite that of a resonator block of said stringed instrument, and wherein each second end of said tension spring is secured to the resonator block by a spring securing plate which is secured to the resonator block with a plurality of screws.

11. The fulcrum tremolo spring system retro fit kit for stringed musical instrument, according to claim 10, wherein the single plate of metal is magnetic and is mounted on a rear surface of said body opposite a location of electromagnetic pickups disposed on a front surface of the body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a top view of spring counter tensioning cavity on back of guitar that employs a fulcrum tremolo system.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side cut away view of an electric guitar employing a fulcrum tremolo spring bridge.

(3) FIG. 3 is a top view of spring counter tensioning cavity on back of guitar that employs a fulcrum tremolo system.

DISCLOSURE OF DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(4) Other objects, features, and advantages will occur from the following description of a preferred Embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

(5) FIG. 1 demonstrates the Fulcrum Tremolo Spring Locking Claw 1, counter tensioning spring retaining post machine screw assembly 7, counter tensioning adjustment screws 5, resonator plate 2, mounting to body screws 4, claw to resonation plate bonding machine screws 6, claw to resonator plate bonding screw slots 14, fulcrum tremolo spring locking bridge block spring securing plate 3, mounting to bridge block machine screws 9, fulcrum tremolo counter tensioning springs 8, guitar's counter tensioning spring cavity 10, small cavity in bridge block for securing tensioning spring end 19, machine screw for electronic grounding 20.

(6) FIG. 2 demonstrates the guitar body 18, the strings 13, the electromagnetic pickup 17, the arm to activate tremolo 15, bridge platter and string saddles 12, bridge mounting screws and fulcrum point 16, bridge block 11, fulcrum tremolo spring locking bridge block spring securing plate 3, Fulcrum Tremolo Spring Locking Claw 1, counter tensioning spring retaining post machine screw assembly 7, resonation plate 2, mounting to body screws 4, claw to resonator plate bonding machine screws 6, counter tensioning adjustment screws 5, fulcrum tremolo counter tensioning springs 8, tremolo spring counter tensioning cavity 10, hole in bridge block for securing tensioning spring end 19, machine screw 7 is demonstrating the replacement of a flanged steel claw spring retaining post. This modification allows for increased surface contact area between spring 8, and claw face 1, and is also secured under the compression provided by head of machine screw 7.

(7) FIG. 3 demonstrates the “Claw Resonator Plate” 1&2, counter tensioning spring retaining post machine screw assembly 7, counter tensioning adjustment screws 5, mounting to body screws 4, elongated mounting to body screw slot 14 spring securing plate 3, mounting to bridge block machine screws 9, fulcrum tremolo counter tensioning springs 8, tremolo spring cavity 10, small cavity in bridge block for securing tensioning sprint end 19, machine screw for electronic grounding 20, the Claw Resonator Plate 1&2, attached to spring cavity 10, via screws 4, through slots 14, and counter tension adjustment screw 5, tremolo system counter tension springs 8, attaches to claw resonator plate 1&2, via machine screw 7.

(8) FIG. 3 demonstrates the claw and resonator plate made in one piece, “Claw Resonator Plate” 1&2, counter tensioning spring retaining post machine screw assembly 7, counter tensioning adjustment screws 5, mounting to body screws 4, elongated mounting to body screw slot 14, spring securing plate 3, mounting to bridge block machine screws 9, fulcrum tremolo counter tensioning springs 8, tremolo spring cavity 10, small cavity in bridge block for securing tensioning spring end 19, machine screw for electronic grounding 20, the Claw Resonator Plate 1&2, attaches to spring cavity 10, via screws 4, through slots 14, and counter tension adjustment screw 5, tremolo system counter tension springs 8, attaches to claw resonator plate 1&2, via machine screw 7.

(9) The Fulcrum Tremolo Spring Locking Claw and Claw Resonator Plate can be retrofitted or original equipment on any stringed musical instrument with a fulcrum tremolo system that employs back of instrument body spring counter tensioning method most commonly used in electric guitar manufacturing. These items can be combined in a retro fit kit or sold as separate items to be employed individually. A complete two piece retro fit kit would include a Fulcrum Tremolo Spring Locking Claw 1, machine screws 6 and 7, Claw Lock Resonator plate 2, with mounting screws 4, or a single piece kit with the Claw Resonator Plate 1&2 combination and screws 7 and 4.

(10) The instrument with the fulcrum tremolo string bridge system will be sonically improved by the addition of a Fulcrum Tremolo Spring Locking Claw or Claw Resonator Plate, these components provide expanded surface area and increased mass capable of transferring sound wave energy in the core of string instrument more effectively and efficiently, so that amplitude, sustain, and frequency response are all improved. With enhanced frequency coupling of the fulcrum tremolo system to instrument core, the entire range of pitches and over tone harmonics the instrument can produce are audibly improved.

(11) The presence of these inventions enhances low frequency response to the human ear, interpreted as a warmer sound, a richer sound, and a sound that needs less electronic processing to convey musical pleasure as perceived by our ears.

(12) The securing of the counter tensioning springs of a fulcrum tremolo system to the Claw Resonator Plate or to a Spring Locking Claw and then to a Resonator Plate eliminates completely the potential of movement as found in the industry standard flanged metal claw, secured only by two screws, when tremolo is activated by player, thereby improving instrument tremolo systems tuning accuracy in returning to the non-pitch varied position of the tremolo bridge. Increasing the mass of the instrument body with the addition of a Spring Locking Claw or Claw Resonator Plate in the center or core of the instrument allows the instrument to more efficiently resonate sound energy outward to exterior edges of guitar body and neck.