Electric Spanish guitar, and nut incorporated therein

• US 4,206,679 A
• Filed: 01/25/1979
• Issued: 06/10/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
• Original Assignee: CBS Incorporated (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Wilson, Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Franklin, Lawrence R.
• Application Number:
  US06/006,795
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 84/314 R, 84/314 N
• US Class Current: 84/314.00N
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 1/085 Mechanical design of electric guitars
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/06 Necks; Fingerboards, e.g. fret boards
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/12 Anchoring devices for strings, e.g. tail pieces or hitchpins
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/14 Tuning devices, e.g. pegs, pins, friction discs or worm gears
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/22 Material for manufacturing stringed musical instruments; Treatment of the material

Abstract

The electric Spanish guitar incorporates a unitary nut element which has a plurality of edges offset from each other, the offsets being such that each string bends sharply at two places before being secured to a turning screw. Such edges for each string are at the ends of a passage through which the string passes. The axis of each passage is inclined relative to the axis of the guitar neck, thus producing the indicated offset. The inclination of each passage is such that each bend is through an angle in excess of 10 degrees and preferably in excess of 15 degrees. The nut is mounted fixedly on the neck of the Spanish guitar, in the same location normally occupied by a conventional nut, and in place of such conventional nut.

Claims

1. An electric Spanish-style guitar, which comprises:

(a) a guitar body,

(b) an elongated neck extending from said body and having a head at the outer end thereof,

(c) a plurality of guitar strings anchored to said body and extending over a bridge on said body and thence along said neck to adjustable tuning means on said head,

said strings being formed of metal and being maintained under tension by said tuning means,

said strings lying generally in a plane spaced above and parallel to the fingerboard on said neck,

(d) a nut,

said nut having a body through which said strings extend,

said nut incorporating means to effect two bends in each string as it extends from a region over the outer fingerboard end to a region over the inner portion of said head, and

(e) means to mount said nut firmly, fixedly and nonslidably at the junction of said fingerboard and said head,

said bends, said last-named means and said nut body being adapted to increase the dwells of said strings, in comparison to the dwells which would occur if the same guitar had a conventional nut.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which separate passages are provided through said body for reception of different ones of said strings, thus permitting the extension of said strings through said body.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 2, in which said passages are straight, and are inclined relative to the axis of said neck and also relative to the axes of the long operative or working portion of said strings.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 3, in which said passages lie in planes which are perpendicular to the plane of said fingerboard, said planes containing said passages being parallel to each other and to said neck axis.

5. The invention as claimed in claim 4, in which said passages incline downwardly in directions away from said body, the amounts of incline being about 20 degrees.

6. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which said nut body is a block of metal, and in which said means to effect said bends comprises edges provided on said body, said edges for each string being so related to each other that the string bends in opposite directions before passing under tension to the associated tuning means.

7. The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which separate inclined passages are formed through said block for said strings, and in which said edges are at the ends of said passages.

8. The invention as claimed in claim 7, in which said edges are about 0.5 inch from each other measured in a direction parallel to said neck axis.

9. The invention as claimed in claim 7, in which said passages have different diameters, the passages for larger-diameter strings being larger in diameter than those for smaller-diameter strings.

10. The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which said tuning means are adjustable tuning screws extending upwardly from said head.

11. The invention as claimed in claim 10, in which said passages incline upwardly in directions away from said head, and in which no string guides are provided on said head.

12. The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which said block is seated on said neck at a seat adjacent the outer end of said fingerboard, and in which screws are provided to clamp said body firmly to said seat.

13. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which said guitar body is a solid mass of wood.

14. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said two bends in each string is at least 10 degrees.

15. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said two bends in each string is at least 15 degrees.

16. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which said mounting means (e) includes screws extended through said nut and through said neck, and tightly holding said nut seated on said neck.

17. The invention as claimed in claim 16, in which a seat is provided on said neck for said nut, said nut seating flat-wise on said seat and being held tightly thereagainst by said screws.