Guitar Neck Positioning Adjustment System and Method

Abstract

An insert is provided for insertion in a space between a guitar neck and a guitar body to provide for adjustment of the geometric characteristics of the assembled guitar. The insert is configured to allow insertion of the insert body into the space without dismounting the guitar neck from the body. Using scanning of the guitar neck and guitar body mounting points, an exterior surface configuration of the insert can be calculated to yield the desired geometric characteristics.

Claims

1. An insert, comprising: an insert body extending between a first end thereof and a second end thereof; said insert body having a first side edge and having a second side edge positioned opposite said first side edge; said insert having a top surface and a bottom surface both extending between said first end of said insert body and said second end of said insert body; at least a first slot formed in said insert body, said first slot communicating between said top surface and said bottom surface and extending to an open end thereof at said first end of said insert body; said insert body positionable to a mounted position in a space between a mounting surface of said guitar body and a mounting end of a guitar neck, at an attachment point of said guitar neck to said guitar body; and said first slot forming a first passage for a first connector extending from said guitar body to a first connection with said guitar neck, when said insert body is in said mounted position, whereby a positioning of said guitar neck relative to said guitar body is adjusted by an exterior dimensional configuration of said insert body located to said mounted position.

2. The insert of claim 1, additionally comprising: a second slot formed in said insert body, said second slot communicating between said top surface and said bottom surface and extending to an open end thereof at said first end of said insert body; said second slot running substantially parallel to said first slot; and said second slot forming a second passage for a second connector extending from said guitar body to a second connection with said guitar neck, when said insert is in said mounted position.

3. The insert of claim 2, additionally comprising: said insert body being slidably positionable to said mounted position in said space between a guitar body by a sliding of said first end of said insert body into said space, while said guitar neck in a loosened said first connection to said first connector and in a loosened said second connection with said second connector, whereby said insert body is positionable to said mounted position without removing said neck from said guitar body.

4. The insert of claim 1, additionally comprising: a tab portion of said insert body located at said second end thereof; and said tab portion extending from an edge of said guitar body adjacent said attachment point with said insert body in said mounted position.

5. The insert of claim 2, additionally comprising: a tab portion of said insert body located at said second end thereof; and said tab portion extending from an edge of said guitar body adjacent said attachment point with said insert body in said mounted position.

6. The insert of claim 3, additionally comprising: a tab portion of said insert body located at said second end thereof; said tab portion extending from an edge of said guitar body adjacent said attachment point with said insert body in said mounted position; and said tab portion defining a gripping point on said insert body for a sliding of said insert body into and out of said mounted position.

7. The insert of claim 4, additionally comprising: a tear line formed into said insert body along a side of said tab portion opposite said second end of said insert body; and said tab portion being removable from said insert body by a tearing thereof along said tear line.

8. The insert of claim 5, additionally comprising: a tear line formed into said insert body along a side of said tab portion opposite said second end of said insert body; and said tab portion being removable from said insert body by a tearing thereof along said tear line.

9. The insert of claim 6, additionally comprising: a tear line formed into said insert body along a side of said tab portion opposite said second end of said insert body; and said tab portion being removable from said insert body by a tearing thereof along said tear line.

10. The insert of claim 6, additionally comprising: said insert body being one of a plurality of insert bodies in a kit of said insert bodies; and each of said insert bodies in said kit having a differing respective said exterior dimensional configuration thereof, whereby a user can chose a respective insert body from said kit which has an exterior dimensional configuration which forms a user desired said positioning of said guitar neck relative to said guitar body.

11. The insert of claim 7, additionally comprising: said insert body being one of a plurality of insert bodies in a kit of said insert bodies; and each of said insert bodies in said kit having a differing respective said exterior dimensional configuration thereof, whereby a user can chose a respective insert body from said kit which has an exterior dimensional configuration which forms a user desired said positioning of said guitar neck relative to said guitar body.

12. The insert of claim 8, additionally comprising: said insert body being one of a plurality of insert bodies in a kit of said insert bodies; and each of said insert bodies in said kit having a differing respective said exterior dimensional configuration thereof, whereby a user can chose a respective insert body from said kit which has an exterior dimensional configuration which forms a user desired said positioning of said guitar neck relative to said guitar body.

13. A method for changing the positioning of a guitar neck relative to the guitar body to which it is connected employing the insert of claim 3, comprising the steps of: a first step of employing a surface scanner to scan a mounting end of the neck to determine a neck surface digital image thereof; a second step of employing said surface scanner to scan a neck mount recess formed into the guitar body to determine a neck mount recess digital image; a third step of using the neck surface digital image to determine a thickness and a width of the mounting end of the guitar neck; a fourth step of using the neck mount recess digital image to determine a depth of the neck mount recess into which the mounting end of the guitar will be engaged; a fifth step of using the neck mount recess digital image to determine an angle of a mounting surface in the bottom of the neck mount recess; a sixth step of determining desired geometric characteristics in the assembled guitar formed by said neck in an engagement with said guitar body; a seventh step calculating said exterior dimensional configuration of a said insert body to provide said desired geometric characteristics; an eighth step of forming said insert body calculated in said seventh step; and a ninth step of locating said insert body so formed to said mounted position.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said desired geometric characteristics include one or a combination of geometric characteristics from a group including: a distance of said strings from said facing surface of said neck; a neck pitch angle where the neck angle is pitched up from the recess; a neck roll angle around the neck axis; and a string distance from the neck.

Description

IN THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG. 1 depicts a conventional electric guitar having a guitar body to which a guitar neck is mounted and shows the X axis of the neck relative to the Y axis of the front surface of the guitar body and a Z axis along which string position above the neck and the angle of the front surface of the neck to the Y axis can be determined.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a conventional electric guitar body having a neck mounting recess having mounting connectors extending above a planar mounting surface at the bottom of the recess and shows a spacing device herein with slots positioned to accommodate the connectors, when slid to a sandwiched position between the mounting surface and the guitar neck.

[0049] FIG. 3 depicts how the spacing device herein can be slid into the sandwiched position by loosening, but not removing, the guitar neck, because the slots allow for a sliding thereof into position.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows an example of the spacing device herein having operatively spaced and positioned slots formed in the body thereof, allowing for sliding it to the mounted position into a space between the neck and body, without disconnecting the mounting connectors from the engagement end of the neck.

[0051] FIG. 4A depicts a mode of the device wherein the positioning of the slots locates one slot further from an adjacent first edge of the body than the second slot adjacent a second edge of the body and showing a frangible tab portion.

[0052] FIG. 4B shows the device having the slots operatively spaced to align with the mounting connectors and are thereby rendered slidable between the over respective mounting connectors while they are loose but still engaged to the neck and showing the tab portion being removable from the body such as by forming a perforation or similar line into the body to allow tearing thereof along a straight line.

[0053] FIGS. 5-10 show sectional views of the spacing device herein having differing thicknesses and angular configurations to allow for correct alignment of the neck, once the chosen spacing device of the determined correct configuration is inserted and the neck tightened to the guitar body.

[0054] FIG. 11 shows the provision of the spacing devices in a kit thereof where the individual spacing devices have differing thicknesses and angular configurations and which may be color coded to allow for easy determination of a desired spacing device.

[0055] FIG. 12 depicts a mode of the system herein which would employ surface scanners, such as 3D scanners, which communicate surface vectors to a computer having software operating to the task of determining shapes, sizes, and surface angles of areas of the neck and guitar body, which can be employed to calculate a correct spacing device to achieve a desired neck and string position configuration.

[0056] FIG. 13 is a simplified example of a method of determining a correct spacing device to achieve the desired angle of the guitar neck to the body and string positioning along the fretting or fingerboard side of the neck.

[0057] Other aspects of the presently disclosed spacing device or insert invention for positioning a guitar neck to a desired configuration when mounted to a guitar body shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

Embodiments of the Invention

[0058] In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the spacers or inserts or guitar components as they are oriented and/or appear in the drawings and are used for convenience only, and they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device herein has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

[0059] Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-13, there is seen in FIG. 1 a depiction of a conventional electric guitar. Such widely used electric guitars conventionally have a body 14 portion which is engaged with a neck 16. The device 10 and system, in all modes herein, is adapted with a body 11 which is dimensioned for the easy user configuring of a guitar setup geometry for such assembled electric guitars 12.

[0060] Also shown in FIG. 1 is an X axis, which is the angular positioning of the neck 16 relative to the body 14 and can also be considered where the neck 16 is rotated around the X axis to determine an angular position of the neck surface 18 which can be fretless or have conventional frets 20 mounted thereon.

[0061] Axis Y, in general, is depicted as the axis through which the plane of the body face 22 runs and can be used in combination with the X axis to determine if the neck surface 18 runs parallel or inline with the body face 22 along the X axis or if the neck 16 is twisted and the neck surface 18 is slanted relative to the body face 22. The Z axis can be employed to determine if the neck surface 18 is aligned with the body face 22 or is running at an angle thereto. The software, noted herein, can employ such axis positioning and measurements to determine a current configuration of a guitar.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional electric guitar body 14, such as in FIG. 1, has a neck mounting recess 24. This recess 24 or pocket, conventionally, has a plurality of mounting connectors 26 extending above a planar mounting surface 28. The mounting connectors 26, conventionally, are inserted through openings in the guitar body 14 from the rear such that they project into the pocket or recess 24 where the mounting end of the guitar neck 16 is positioned. These mounting connectors 26, such as screws or bolts are engaged with the mounting end of the guitar neck 16 by rotating them with the neck 16 positioned in the recess 24 or pocket which is configured with the planar mounting surface 28 which mates with a similarly shaped surface neck mounting surface (not shown but well known) on the mounting end of the guitar neck 16.

[0063] Also shown in FIG. 2, the insert device 10 is configured to be positioned in contact against the mounting surface 28 within the neck mount recess 24 in a sandwiched positioning between the mounting surface 28 and the planar mounting end at the engagement end of the guitar neck 16. The neck 16 is shown completely removed for clarity. However, the insert device 10 herein is configured so that the mounting connectors 26 communicating into engagement with the neck 18 need only be slightly loosened to allow insertion of the body 11 of the insert device 10 in the area between the planar mounting surface 28 and the surface of the neck at the engagement end thereof.

[0064] One or a plurality of slots 30, communicating through the body of the insert device 10, are positioned to align with the spacing S of the mounting connectors 26 which engage through the guitar body 14 while the neck is loosely engaged with the neck 16. This is most important to thereby allow the body 11 of the insert device 10 to be slid into position in the space 13 (FIG. 3) between the engagement end of the guitar neck 16 and the mounting surface 28 of the guitar body 14. This configuration is highly preferred in all modes of the body 11 of the insert device 10 and system herein. A simple loosening of the connectors 26 to allow the sliding positioning of the body 11 of the insert device 10 allows for this significant increase in ease of use and utility. The user can thus use the body 11 of a respective insert as a gauge to determine if it or another configured body 11 of another insert, will provide the configuration geometry of the neck 16 as mounted to the guitar body they wish.

[0065] The depiction of FIG. 3 shows the ease of positioning the body 11 of the operatively configured insert device 10 into the space 13 between the neck 16 and guitar body 14. As shown, the slots 30 communicate through the body of the insert device 10 and are positioned to align with the connectors 26 which engage through the body 14. The positioning and number of connectors 26 of the guitars from many manufacturers use four connectors, which are aligned, but the horizontal spacing therebetween (S FIG. 2) may vary, and the spacing between the slots 30 and number thereof would vary depending on the guitar they engage. However, in the preferred configuration of the insert devices 10 herein, the slots 30 will be configured for the depicted slide-in mounting by just loosening and not removing the neck 18.

[0066] In FIG. 4 is shown a depiction of the guitar body 14, with the neck 16 removed for clarity, to show a final positioning of the body 11 of the insert device 10 herein into a space 13 between the mounting end of the neck 16 and the mounting surface 28. With the insert device 10 and system herein this is, as noted, achievable by simply loosening the connectors 26 in their engagement to the neck 16 without disconnecting them and the neck 16 from the guitar body 22. However, the neck 16 could be removed and the guitar body 14 and the body 11 of the insert positioned, before the neck 16 is re-engaged.

[0067] As shown, the body 11 of the insert device 10 may be slid to position with the connectors 26 moving within the slots 30 to which they align. The open ends 29 of each slot 30 are positioned in the body 11 to allow the user to simply slide the body 11 of the insert device 10 over the first mounts 26 and secondary mounts 26 in the aligned mounts 26.

[0068] The horizontal spacing of the slots 30 from each other, in all modes of the body 11 of the device 10, is relative to or substantially the same as the horizontal spacing of the connectors 26 shown as “S” in FIG. 2, which communicate through openings in the guitar body 14 and any such spacing is anticipated herein. For example, many guitar manufacturers have four connectors 26 where they are horizontally spaced from each other such as shown as “S” in FIG. 2, in two aligned pairs. This horizontal spacing “S” varies from one inch to two inches with differing manufacturers, with 1.5 inches being a widely employed horizontal spacing by many manufacturers.

[0069] As such, the body 11 of the insert herein is operatively configured such that the slots 30, running along substantially parallel axes, are horizontally spaced from each other in substantially the same horizontal spacing “S” as the connectors 26 communicating through the guitar body 14. This is important and preferred to allow them to engage over and along the connectors 26, with the connectors 26 loosened but still connected to the engagement end of a neck 16 and thereby allowing insertion and removal of the body 11 of the insert into the space 13 (FIG. 3).

[0070] FIG. 4A depicts a mode of the body 11 of the device wherein the body 11 has asymmetrical slots 30. By asymmetrical slots 30 is meant that the positioning of the slots 30 locates one slot 30 with a distance D1 of the slot axis 21 which is larger than or further than the distance D2 from an adjacent first edge 31 of the body 11 than the second slot 30 adjacent a second edge 33 of the body 11. Also shown is a frangible tab portion 15 of the body 11. This asymmetrical mode of the body 11 of the device 11 allows the user to flip the body 11 over where connectors 26 of a guitar body 14 may be too close to a sidewall of the recess 24 formed into the guitar body 14. In this mode, the slot axes 21 of the slots 30 will align with the connectors 26 in the preferred fashion. In all modes, the width of each slot 30 is equal to or larger than the diameter of the connectors 26 over which the slot 30 slides.

[0071] Shown in FIG. 4B, the insert device 10 has a body 11 with the slots 30 operatively spaced to align with the mounting connectors 26 to allow for the slide-in positioning in the space 13 while the connectors 26 are loose but still engaged to the neck 16. Also shown in FIG. 4B, as well as 4A, is the tab portion 15 of the body 11 of the insert device 10 which is easily removable from the body 11. Such easy removal is provided by forming a tear line 17 in the body 11, such as a perforation or thin portion of the body 11 along the tear line 17. Such allows for the removal of the tab portion 15, once the user has reached a final configuration of the guitar geometry desired.

[0072] This tab portion 15 of the body 11 is positioned to project past the end of the guitar body 14 at the neck engagement end thereof and allows for easy insertion and removal of any body 11 with a tab portion 15. However, once the user has reached a final configuration and tightened the connectors 26 to tightly secure the neck 16 to the guitar body 14, they may wish to remove the tab portion 15, and the tear line 17 provides for an easy disengagement without cutting. However, the device can be formed with a body 11 having a very short tab portion 15 or no tab portion 15 and, while not preferred, the user can still slide differently configured bodies 11, such as from a kit, into the space 13 to achieve the desired guitar geometry.

[0073] FIGS. 5-10 depict sectional views through the bodies 11 of differently dimensioned insert devices 10. FIG. 5 shows an insert device 10 having the body 11 with parallel side surfaces which will contact against the mounting end of the neck 16 and the mount surface 26 and simply move the neck surface 18 further above the body face 22. FIGS. 6-7 depict insert devices 10 which are thicker at one end of the body 11 than the other and, once operatively mounted, will change the angle of the neck surface 18 along axis X to tilt it toward or away from axis Z.

[0074] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of an insert device 10 across the short distance or width thereof, which when operatively inserted, will elevate the neck surface 18 evenly toward the bottom surface of the strings and also elevate it relative to the body face 22.

[0075] FIGS. 9-10 show examples of insert dimensioning across the short distance or width of the insert device 10, where one side of the body 11 running along the X axis is thicker than the opposite side. This configuration will cause a rotation of the neck surface 18 along the X axis. As can be discerned by those skilled in the art, the examples in FIGS. 5-10 are but a few of the dimensional configurations of the body 11 of insert devices 10 of the system herein, and the number of such configurations to change the positioning of the neck 16 relative to the body 14 of the guitar is infinite and any configuration, as would occur to those skilled in the art, is anticipated within the scope of this application.

[0076] In FIG. 11 is depicted an example of a kit of insert devices 10 herein, which, as noted above, can be employed for both gauges to determine which in the kit to use to achieve the desired neck 16 to body 14 configurations. As noted and shown, each body 11 of the insert devices 10 can be color coded or imprinted with indicia which can be cross referenced to an electronic or written manual showing their dimensions and thereby allowing users to choose the insert device 10 having the body 11 dimensions they believe will position the neck 16 and body 14 in the configuration desired when finished. Where used as a gauging tool, the kit can be formed of more robust material such as metal, thereby allowing the user to determine the correct body 11 to use and to thereafter pick a body 11 from a kit of polymeric insert devices 10 or 3D print an body 11 forming the insert device 10 having the same exterior dimensional characteristics as the body 11 of the insert device 10 from the kit used as the gauge.

[0077] As noted above, the system herein, employing the insert device 10, can be computer and software enabled to thereby employ scanned dimensions captured from surface scanners 32. Such conventional surface scanners 32, conventionally, employ projected light beams, such as lasers or LED light, upon 3D surfaces to determine the height, width, and length characteristics thereof and to produce a digital 3D image, which is stored in electronic memory. Such a scanning, virtual assembly, and calculated retrofit body 11 of an insert device 10 therefrom may be ascertained, for example and in no way limiting, using the steps in FIG. 13.

[0078] An example of such surface scanning is shown in FIG. 12 which should not be considered limiting but as just an example of conventional scanning of 3D surfaces to yield 3D digital imagery of the various surfaces. The captured digital images are employed by software operating to the tasks of assembling a current image of the guitar for assessment thereof, and from the digital current configuration, calculating the correct dimensions for an insert device 10 to reconfigure the guitar to a desired configuration. In the calculation string positioning and surface angles of the neck and overall angle of the neck to the face of the guitar, would be input for use in the calculation of the body 11 dimensions for the insert device 10 to yield such.

[0079] As noted, an example of one such method for using scanned imagery and software operating to employ such imagery to yield the optimal dimensional configuration of the exterior dimensions of the body 11 for an insert 10 is shown in FIG. 13. It should be noted such would work exceptionally well for guitar manufacturers in assembling finished guitars to factory specifications or special order configurations.

[0080] As shown in a first step 40, the guitar and neck are positioned to positions wherein a surface scanner can accurately scan the front and mounting end of the neck 16 as well as the neck mount recess and mounting surface 28 therein.

[0081] In a second step 42, once so positioned, multiple dimensional characteristics of the guitar neck and guitar body and connective engagements therebetween are scanned and digital imagery thereof saved to electronic memory.

[0082] If required, in a third step 44, using the digital imagery from the second step 42, a current thickness or width of the mounting end of the guitar neck and a straightness of the neck 16 between the mounting end and distal end of the neck 16 is ascertained.

[0083] In a fourth step 46 of the software enabled system, the mounting recess 24 formed into the body 14 of the guitar is scanned for three-dimensional measurements and the depth of the recess 24 into which the mounting end of the guitar neck 16 will be engaged.

[0084] In a fifth step 48, the depth of the mounting recess 24 from the guitar face 22 surface and an angle of the mounting surface 28 in the bottom of the mounting recess 24, relative to the face of the body 14 of the guitar, is determined.

[0085] In a sixth step 50, the desired distance of strings engaged between the distal end of the neck 16 and a bridge on the body 14 from the neck surface 22 is determined either from factory specifications or from input from a user of the guitar.

[0086] In a seventh step 52, using the determined dimensions and digital imagery from the first five steps and the desired characteristics of the sixth step, the optimum three dimensional size and dimensions of the body 11 of an insert device 10 herein, to yield the desired geometric characteristics in the assembled guitar, is calculated by software operating to the task.

[0087] In an eighth step 54, a body 11 for an insert device 10, having the determined optimum three dimensional size and dimensions to yield the geometric characteristics, is either 3D printed or chosen from a kit of having multiple body 11 configurations.

[0088] In a final or ninth step 56, the body 11 for the insert device 10, chosen or printed, is operatively engaged in the sandwiched position in the space 13 between the mounting end of the guitar neck 16, and the mounting surface 28 within the neck mount recess 24 of the guitar body 14.

[0089] Of course the steps noted in FIG. 13 may be rearranged or may include more or less steps as the case may be, with the ultimate outcome of the steps in the system being a determination of the dimensional characteristics of an insert that yields the desired functional and structural characteristics of the finally assembled guitar.

[0090] It should be noted that the disclosed insert device and system for guitar neck mounting as disclosed herein has other applications potentially, and one skilled in the art could discover these, especially upon a reading of this specification. The explanation of the features of this invention does not limit the claims of this application and other applications developed by those skilled in the art are intended to be included in this invention.

[0091] It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the insert device herein is shown in its most simple form and shape, various components and aspects of the device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes of the guitar neck and body spacing device herein within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner.

[0092] Further, while all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the device and system for guitar neck positioning have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure as well as the claims which follow, and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the post engageable table invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.