Guitar slide

• US 7,829,774 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frank N. Moncrief
• Original Assignee: Frank N. Moncrief
• Inventors: Moncrief, Frank N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lockett; Kimberly R
• Application Number:
  US12/497,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090266220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 84315-322
• US Class Current: 84/315
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/00 Details of, or accessories for, stringed musical instruments, e.g. slide-bars

Abstract

A musical instrument slide including a body portion and a light source. The light source includes a switch for selective activation, enabling the slide body to emit light when activated. As the musician moves the slide across the strings as the instrument, such as a guitar, is played, a visual effect is created by the movement of the light. The body portion preferably is constructed of a material to pass light therethrough, and can be either wholly or partially clear or translucent, or a combination of both. Alternatively or in addition to the light source, the slide body can include an eccentric motor that causes the slide body to vibrate. This vibration, in turn, causes vibration of the guitar strings, or other string instrument, as the slide is positioned on the strings, or moved along the strings, by the musician.

Claims

1. A musical instrument slide for a stringed instrument comprising:

a slide body defining an outer wall, the outer wall configured to affect sound produced the instrument when applied to one or more strings of the instrument;

a vibrating motor coupled to said slide body for vibrating said slide body upon activation of said vibrating motor to affect further the sound produced by the instrument when the outer wall is applied to the strings; and

a power source for activating said vibrating motor.

2. A musical instrument slide as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said slide body is generally elongated.

3. A musical instrument slide as claimed in claim 2 and wherein said slide body has an internal bore sized to receive a finger of a musician for selective manual application of the outer wall to strings of the instrument.

4. A musical instrument slide as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the power source comprises a battery on said slide body.

5. A musical instrument slide as claimed in claim 4 and further comprising a switch on said slide body coupled between said battery and said vibrating motor for selectively activating said vibrating motor.

6. A musical instrument slide as claimed in claim 5 and further comprising a control circuit coupled to said vibrating motor for varying a vibration rate of said vibrating motor.

7. A musical instrument slide as claimed in claim 5 and wherein said vibrating motor, said battery, and said switch, are mounted in a holder secured to an end of said slide body.

8. A guitar slide comprising:

an elongated slide body having an outer surface configured and textured to affect sound produced by a vibrating guitar string when the outer surface is applied to the string; and

a vibrating member coupled to the slide body configured to induce vibration in the slide body to affect further the sound produced by a vibrating guitar string when the outer surface is applied to the string.

9. The guitar slide of claim 8 and further comprising a bore formed in the slide body, the bore being sized and configured to receive a finger of a musician for mounting the guitar slide on the finger.

10. The guitar slide of claim 8 and wherein the vibrating member comprises a vibrating motor.

11. The guitar slide of claim 10 and wherein the vibrating motor comprises an eccentric motor.

12. The guitar slide of claim 8 and further comprising a power source on the body and coupled to the vibrating member for causing the vibrating member to vibrate.

13. The guitar slide of claim 12 and wherein the power source is at least one battery.

14. The guitar slide of claim 13 and further comprising a switch coupling the battery to the vibrating member for selectively activating and deactivating the vibrating member.

15. The guitar slide of claim 8 and further comprising a circuit on the slide body for varying a vibration rate of the vibrating member.

16. The guitar slide of claim 8 and wherein the slide body is substantially transparent or translucent.