GUITAR-LIKE ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH PLURAL MANUALS

• US 3,555,166 A
• Filed: 03/19/1968
• Issued: 01/12/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Gasser
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Gasser
• Inventors: Gasser, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US04/714,277
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/145 Spint guitar keyboard, i.e. mimicking a combination of a guitar-like instrument, with or without strings, and a piano-like keyboard, e.g. with white and black keys arranged like on a piano

Abstract

An electronic musical instrument for simulating a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, wherein the main body of the instrument is coupled to an elongated fingerboard member extending outwardly therefrom with the member having a plurality of key-actuated switches thereon with the keys of the switches being arranged in rows corresponding to the manual positions of strings, each key and switch representing a particular position along a string. Tone generator means carried by the body is coupled to the switches to produce the various tones which simulate the plucking of the strings. Means is provided on the body to interlock the switches of several rows to permit various chords to be played by actuating the keys in different rows. An accordion-type keyboard is provided to operate the tone generator means in accompaniment with the actuation of said keys. The member is shiftably mounted on the body so that the instrument can be disassembled.

Claims

1. In an electronic musical instrument for simulating a stringed instrument:

a main body;

an elongated member secured to and extending from the body, the member presenting a fingerboard for the instrument;

a number of actuatable switches carried by said member, each switch having an actuating key provided with a generally flat outer surface substantially parallel to said member, the keys being in spaced, respective rows extending longitudinally of the member, at least one of said rows having a pair of parallel rails secured to said member and disposed on opposed sides of the keys of said one row; and

means coupled with said keys for mounting the same for reciprocation on said member with the keys in each row being substantially in end-to-end alignment.

2. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein each rail has a convex outer surface substantially spanning the distance between the key and the proximal surface of said member.

3. In a musical instrument for simulating a stringed instrument;

a main body;

an elongated member secured to an extending laterally from the body;

a plurality of tone generators;

a first switch carried by the member for each tone generator respectively, the first switches having respective actuating keys disposed in respective rows extending longitudinally of the member and movable toward the member to actuate the switch and thereby the respective tone generator;

a number of second switches carried by said body, there being a second switch for the first switches corresponding to each row of keys respectively, said first and second switches being coupled together to permit a tone generator to be energized when the corresponding first and second switches are simultaneously actuated; and

interlock means coupled with said second switches for simultaneously actuating at least a pair of the second switches.

4. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, wherein said second switches and said interlock means include a number of shiftable keys mounted on said body in a position to be accessible to the fingers of one hand as the keys of the switches on said member are accessible to the fingers of the other hand.

5. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, wherein said second switches have respective shiftable actuating keys, said interlock means including a group of movable keys coupled to the keys of said second switches, each key of said group being disposed to simultaneously shift respective keys of said second switches.

6. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, wherein said second switches have respective actuating keys, and wherein is included a third group of keys arranged to simulate an accordian-type keyboard, said third group of keys being disposed on said body at a location adjacent to the keys of said second group of keys;

and tone generator structure carried by the body and coupled with the keys of said keyboard.

7. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 6, wherein is included a plurality of pushbutton devices adjacent to said keyboard and coupled to said tone generator structure, said devices presenting chord buttons for use with said third group of keys.

8. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of certain of said tone generators has means for varying the frequency of the output tone thereof, and including a number of key actuated switch devices secured to the body, each switch device being coupled to the frequency varying means of a respective one of said certain tone generators to vary the tone frequency of the same.

9. In a musical instrument for simulating a stringed instrument:

a main body;

an elongated member having a plurality of actuatable switches secured thereto;

tone generator means carried by the body;

means mounting the member on said body for movement into and out of an operative position with the member extending outwardly from the body; and

means interconnecting the switches and said tone generator means to permit the latter to be energized in response to the actuation of said switches.

10. A musical instrument as set forth in claim 9, wherein said mounting means includes a hinge, said interconnecting means including a flexible cable;

and means for releasably locking the member in said operative position.

11. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 9, wherein the mounting means includes a unit having a pin device and a socket device for receiving the pins of said pin device, one of the devices being connected to the body and the other device being connected to the member.

12. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 11, wherein the pin device is mounted on one side of the member and the socket device is mounted on the outer face of the body, said pins of the pin device defining parts of said interconnecting means.

13. In a musical instrument as set forth in claim 11, wherein said pin device includes a number of pins projecting outwardly from one end face of said member, said socket device being secured to an end wall of the body, said interconnecting means including a component having respective parts on said one end of the member and said end wall of the body.

14. A musical instrument for simulating a stringed instrument comprising:

a main body;

an elongated member having a plurality of first actuatable switches thereon, there being a shiftable actuating key for each first switch respectively, said keys being arranged in respective rows extending longitudinally of said member;

means mounting said member on said body for movement into and out of operative position relative thereto with the member extending outwardly from the body;

a tone generator means carried by the body and being energizable to produce different musical tones;

means coupling said tone generator man means to respective switches on the member for energizing the tone generator means in response to the shifting of respective keys;

a number of second key actuated switches mounted on the body and coupled to the first switches of respectiVe rows to permit the tone generator means to be energized only when the corresponding first and second switches are actuated;

interlock means coupled with said second switches for simultaneously moving respective keys thereof to thereby actuate the corresponding second switches;

a third group of key actuated switches mounted on the body adjacent to said second switches and coupled to a second set of tone generator means, said third group of switches having keys arranged to present an accordian-type keyboard;

a number of pushbutton devices adjacent to said second and third switches and connected to said tone generator means to present chord buttons cooperable with said keyboard, said tone generator means having structure for varying the frequencies of certain musical tones thereof;

manually actuated means carried by the body and coupled to said structure of said tone generator means for selectively varying the frequencies of said certain musical tones; and

a pair of parallel rails for at least one of said rows of keys on the member, said rails extending longitudinally of the member on opposite sides of said one row.