Guitar body

• US 6,114,616 A
• Filed: 04/09/1999
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Naylor, Joseph F.
• Original Assignee: Naylor, Joseph F.
• Inventors: Naylor, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOCKETT, KIMBERLY R
• Application Number:
  US09/289,445
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 84/290, 84/291, 84/275, 84/276
• US Class Current: 84/291
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/02 Resonating means, horns or diaphragms

Abstract

A body for a guitar or other musical instrument includes a molded plastic rim, a wood center block attached within the rim, a metal sustain bar attached to the center block, top and bottom pre-finished phenolic laminates attached on either side of the rim and center block, and a cover plate attached over a cutout in the top laminate. The wood center block extends longitudinally across the rim and attaches at each end to a portion of the inner surface of the rim. The laminates are then adhered to the center block and rim and are thereafter beveled along with the edge of the rim to create a finished, multicolored angled edge. The cutout in the top laminate is formed by a routing operation that is also used to machine away a portion of the center block to a depth suitable to accommodate the pickups and other electronic components mounted to the cover plate. The top laminate, center block, and rim are also machined away at one end to form a recessed portion that receives a guitar neck. Thereafter, the cover plate is attached over the cutout by screws, thereby completing the body assembly operation.

Claims

1. A body for a musical instrument, comprising:

a molded plastic rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a center block attached within said rim and extending from a first portion of said inner surface to a second portion of said inner surface, wherein said rim includes third and fourth portions that extend between said first and second portions on opposite sides of said center block and wherein said third and fourth portions are each separated from said center block by an intervening space;

a sustain bar attached to said center block;

a bottom laminate attached to said rim and a first face of said center block, said bottom laminate having a bottom marginal edge that corresponds in shape to said rim;

a top laminate attached to said rim and a second face of said center block such that said center block is located between said top and bottom laminates, said top laminate having a top marginal edge that corresponds in shape to at least a portion of said rim, wherein said rim, center block, and laminates together define at least one internal cavity, said top laminate further having at least one cutout that provides access into said internal cavity; and

a cover plate attached to said top laminate over said cutout, said cover plate including at least one electrical component mounted thereon that extends into one of said intervening spaces.

2. A body as defined in claim 1, wherein said center block comprises a wood block having a pair of opposing ends, each of which is adhered to one of said portions of said inner surface.

4. A body as defined in claim 6, wherein said recessed portion of said center block comprises a machined recess in said center block and wherein said segment of said top marginal edge comprises a cutout in said top laminate.

6. A body as defined in claim 1, wherein said center block includes a recessed portion that is located adjacent said first portion of said inner surface of said rim and wherein said top marginal edge includes a segment that extends around said recessed portion to thereby permit attachment of a guitar neck directly to said center block.

3. A body for a musical instrument, comprising:

a molded plastic rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a center block attached within said rim and extending from a first portion of said inner surface to a second portion of said inner surface, said center block comprising a wood block having a pair of opposing ends, each of which is adhered to one of said first and second portions of said inner surface, wherein said rim further includes third and fourth portions that extend between said first and second portions on opposite sides of said center block and wherein said third and fourth portions are each separated from said center block by an intervening space;

a sustain bar attached to said center block;

a bottom laminate attached to said rim and having a bottom marginal edge that corresponds in shape to said rim; and

a top laminate attached to said rim opposite said bottom laminate, said top laminate having a top marginal edge that corresponds in shape to at least a portion of said rim, whereby said rim center block, and laminates together define at least one internal cavity;

wherein said sustain bar comprises a metal bar attached to said wood block in one of said intervening spaces.

5. A body for a musical instrument, comprising:

a molded plastic rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a center block attached within said rim and extending from a first portion of said inner surface to a second portion of said inner surface, said center block comprising a wood block having a pair of opposing ends, each of which is adhered to one of said portions of said inner surface;

a sustain bar attached to said center block;

a bottom laminate attached to said rim and having a bottom marginal edge that corresponds in shape to said rim;

a top laminate attached to said rim opposite said bottom laminate, said top laminate having a top marginal edge that corresponds in shape to at least a portion of said rim, whereby said rim, center block, and laminates together define at least one internal cavity, said top laminate further having at least one cutout that provides access into said internal cavity; and

a cover plate attached to said top laminate over said cutout, said cover plate including at least one electrical component mounted thereon that extends into said internal cavity;

wherein said wood block and said rim have an equal height and wherein said laminates are adhered to opposing faces of said wood block.

7. A body for a musical instrument, comprising:

a molded plastic rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a center block attached within said rim and extending from a first portion of said inner surface to a second portion of said inner surface,

a sustain bar attached to said center block;

a bottom laminate attached to said rim and having a bottom marginal edge that corresponds in shape to said rim;

a top laminate attached to said rim opposite said bottom laminate, said top laminate having a top marginal edge that corresponds in shape to at least a portion of said rim, whereby said rim, center block, and laminates together define at least one internal cavity, said top laminate further having at least one cutout that provides access into said internal cavity; and

a cover plate attached to said top laminate over said cutout, said cover plate including at least one electrical component mounted thereon that extends into said internal cavity;

wherein said center block includes a recessed portion that is located adjacent said first portion of said inner surface of said rim and wherein said top marginal edge includes a segment that extends around said recessed portion to thereby permit attachment of a guitar neck directly to said center block; and

wherein said recessed portion of said center block comprises a machined recess in said center block, with said segment of said top marginal edge comprising a cutout in said top laminate that is separate from said cutout that provides access into said internal cavity.

8. A body for a musical instrument, comprising:

a molded plastic rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a center block attached within said rim and extending from a first portion of said inner surface to a second portion of said inner surface,

a sustain bar attached to said center block;

a bottom laminate attached to said rim and having a bottom marginal edge that corresponds in shape to said rim;

a top laminate attached to said rim opposite said bottom laminate, said top laminate having a top marginal edge that corresponds in shape to at least a portion of said rim, whereby said rim, center block, and laminates together define at least one internal cavity, said top laminate further having at least one cutout that provides access into said internal cavity; and

a cover plate attached to said top laminate over said cutout, said cover plate including at least one electrical component mounted thereon that extends into said internal cavity;

wherein said rim has top and bottom edges, and wherein said top marginal edge of said top laminate and said top edge of said rim together define a top beveled edge, and wherein said bottom marginal edge of said bottom laminate and said bottom edge of said rim together define a bottom beveled edge.

9. A body for a musical instrument, comprising:

a molded plastic rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a center block attached within said rim and extending from a first portion of said inner surface to a second portion of said inner surface,

a sustain bar attached to said center block;

a bottom laminate attached to said rim and having a bottom marginal edge that corresponds in shape to said rim;

a top laminate attached to said rim opposite said bottom laminate, said top laminate having a top marginal edge that corresponds in shape to at least a portion of said rim, whereby said rim, center block, and laminates together define at least one internal cavity, said top laminate further having at least one cutout that provides access into said internal cavity; and

a cover plate attached to said top laminate over said cutout, said cover plate including at least one electrical component mounted thereon that extends into said internal cavity;

wherein said plastic rim comprises styrene and wherein said top and bottom laminates comprise a pre-finished phenolic laminate.

10. A method of constructing a body for a musical instrument, comprising the steps of:

molding a plastic rim having an inner surface, an outer surface, and top and bottom edges;

securing a first end of a center block to a first portion of said inner surface of said plastic rim;

securing a second end of said center block to a second portion of said inner surface of said plastic rim;

attaching a top laminate to a first face of said center block and to said top edge of said rim;

attaching a bottom laminate to a second face of said center block and to said bottom edge of said rim;

forming a cutout in said top laminate; and

affixing a cover plate to said top laminate over said cutout.

11. A method of constructing a body for a musical instrument, comprising the steps of:

molding a plastic rim having an inner surface, an outer surfaces and top and bottom edges;

creating said center block using wood by forming a first end in said wood having a contour that mates with a first portion of said inner surface of said rim and forming a second end in said wood having a contour that mates with a second portion of said inner surface, with the distance between said first and second ends being equal to the distance between said first and second portions of said rim;

securing said center block to said inner surface of said plastic rim;

attaching a top laminate to said center block and said top edge of said rim;

attaching a bottom laminate to said center block and said bottom edge of said rim;

forming a cutout in said top laminate; and

affixing a cover plate to said top laminate over said cutout.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising the step of machining said laminate and center block to form a recessed portion that is dimensioned to receive a guitar neck.

14. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein said steps of forming said marginal edges further comprise beveling said edges after said laminates have been attached to said plastic rim.

15. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising the step of creating at least one cavity within the body using said center block, plastic rim, and laminates.

13. A method of constructing a body for a musical instrument, comprising the steps of:

molding a plastic rim having an inner surface, an outer surface, and top and bottom edges;

securing a center block to said inner surface of said plastic rim;

attaching a top laminate to said center block and said top edge of said rim;

attaching a bottom laminate to said center block and said bottom edge of said rim;

forming a marginal edge on said top laminate that corresponds in shape to at least a portion of said top edge of said plastic rim;

forming a marginal edge on said bottom laminate that substantially corresponds in shape to said bottom edge of said plastic rim;

forming a cutout in said top laminate; and

affixing a cover plate to said top laminate over said cutout.

17. A method of constructing a body for a musical instrument, comprising the steps of:

molding a plastic rim having an inner surface, an outer surface, and top and bottom edges;

securing a center block to said inner surface of said plastic rim;

attaching a top laminate to said center block and said top edge of said rim;

attaching a bottom laminate to said center block and said bottom edge of said rim;

forming a cutout in said top laminate; and

affixing a cover plate to said top laminate over said cutout;

wherein said forming step is carried out after said attaching steps.

16. A method as defined in claim 17, further comprising the step of attaching a sustain bar to said center block within said cavity.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein said forming step further comprises forming said cutout at least partially over said cavity.

19. A method of constructing a body for a musical instrument, comprising the steps of:

molding a plastic rim having an inner surface, an outer surface, and top and bottom edges;

securing a center block to said inner surface of said plastic rim;

attaching a top laminate to said center block and said top edge of said rim;

attaching a bottom laminate to said center block and said bottom edge of said rim;

forming a cutout in said top laminate; and

affixing a cover plate to said top laminate over said cutout;

wherein said cover plate comprises a pick guard having one or more electrical components mounted thereon and wherein said affixing step further comprises affixing said pick guard over at least a portion of said cavity such that said one or more electrical components extend into said cavity.

20. A semi-hollow electric guitar body, comprising:

a molded plastic rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a center block attached within said rim and extending from a first portion of said inner surface to a second portion of said inner surface, wherein said rim includes third and fourth portions that extend between said first and second portions on opposite sides of said center block and wherein said third and fourth portions are each separated from said center block by an intervening space;

a bottom phenolic laminate attached to said rim and said center block; and

a top phenolic laminate attached to said rim and said center block opposite said bottom laminate such that said center block and each of said intervening spaces are located between said top and bottom laminates with said laminates being attached to opposing faces of said center block, whereby said rim, center block, and laminates form a semi-hollow guitar body having a pair of separate, internal cavities located at said opposite sides of said center block.

21. A semi-hollow electric guitar body as defined in claim 20, further comprising a sustain bar attached to one of said sides of said center block within one of said internal cavities.