String mounting and adjustment for steel guitars

Claim 2

In a steel guitar of the type comprising: a plurality of parallel strings mounted thereon; a string-mounting means for mounting and controlling the tensions of said strings comprising first and second string supporting and tensioning assemblies located at opposite ends of said steel guitar, each of said assemblies including elongated displaceable levers between which said strings extend, each lever including an arcuate portion over which an attached string passes, and a string securing means for attaching the end of said string to said lever; and a lever actuating means for adjustably displacing said levers to selectively vary the tensions of the strings attached to said levers; the improvement wherein only one of said string securing means for each of said strings includes a rotatable tuning peg about which said string wraps, said tuning peg including a hand gripping portion which can be hand grasped and hand rotated for manual tuning, the rotatable tuning pegs being positioned at opposite ends of said steel guitar for adjacent strings.

Claim 3

In a musical instrument as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lever actuating means includes a manually-operated means, at least one elongated, axially displaceable rod attached to at least one lever, a rotatable shaft for selectively coupling said rod and said manually operated means, and means for rotating said shaft in response of said manually-operated means for selectively controlling displacement of said at least one lever, said rotatable shaft including an adjustable stop thereon for determining the range of rotation of said shaft in at least one direction and thereby determining the range of displacement of said at least one lever in a first pivotal direction.

Claim 4

In a musical instrument as in claim 2 wherein said musical instrument further includes a contoured cam located adjacent to said rotatable shaft for impinging on said adjustable stop.

Claim 5

In a musical instrument as in claim 1 wherein is further included an adjustable stop located adjacent to each of said levers for determining the movements of said levers in a second pivotal direction.

Claim 6

In a musical instrument as in claim 4 wherein said lever actuating means includes a manually operated means, at least one elongated, axially displaceable rod attached to at least one lever, a rotatable shaft for selectively coupling said rod and said manually operated means, and means for rotating said shaft in response to operation of said manually-operated means for selectively controlling displacement of said at least one lever, said rotatable shaft including an adjustable stop thereon for determining the range of rotation of said shaft and thereby determining the range of displacement of said at least one lever in a first pivotal direction.

Claim 7

In a musical instrument as in claim 1 wherein the levers on which said rotatable tuning pegs are mounted include protruding portions extending laterally from said levers said tuning pegs being mounted on said protruding portions, and said levers which do not have tuning pegs mounted thereon, are smooth along the lengths thereof.

Claim 8

In a steel guitar of the type comprising: a plurality of parallel strings mounted thereon; a string-mounting means for mounting and controlling the tension of said strings comprising first and second string supporting and tensioning means assemblies located at opposite ends of said steel guitar, each of said assemblies including elongated displaceable levers between which said strings extend, each lever including an arcuate portion over which an attached string passes, and a string securing means for attaching the end of said string to said lever; and a lever actuating means for adjustably displacing said levers to selectively vary the tensions of their attached strings, said displacing means including a manually operated means, at least one elongated, axially displaceable rod attached to at least one lever, a rotatable shaft for selectively coupling said rod and said manually operated means, and means for rotating said shaft in response to operation of said manually-operated means for selectively controlling displacement of said at least one lever, said rotatable shaft including an adjustable stop mounted thereon for determining the range of rotation of said shaft in at least one direction and thereby determining the range of displacement of said at least one lever in a first pivotal direction; the improvement wherein only one of said string securing means for each of said strings includes a rotatable tuning peg about which said string wraps, said tuning peg including a hand gripping portion which can be hand grasped and hand rotated for manual tuning, the rotatable tuning pegs being positioned at opposite ends of said steel guitar for adjacent strings and wherein said steel guitar further includes a contoured cam located adjacent to said rotatable shaft for impinging on said adjustable stop.

Claim 9

In a steel guitar of the type comprising: a plurality of parallel strings mounted thereon; a string-mounting means for mounting and controlling the tension of said strings comprising first and second string supporting and tensioning means assemblies located at opposite ends of said steel guitar, each of said assemblies including elongated displaceable levers between which said strings extend, each lever including an arcuate portion over which an attached string passes, and a string securing means for attaching the end of said string to said lever; and a lever actuating means for adjustably displacing said levers to selectively vary the tensions of their attached strings, said displacing means including a manually operated means, at least one elongated, axially displaceable rod attached to at least one lever, a rotatable shaft for selectively coupling said rod and said manually operated means, and means for rotating said shaft in response to operation of said manually-operated means for selectively controlling displacement of said at least one lever, said rotatable shaft including an adjustable stop mounted thereon for determining the range of rotation of said shaft in at least one direction and thereby determining the range of displacement of said at least one lever in a first pivotal direction; the improvement wherein only one of said string securing means for each of said strings includes a rotatable tuning peg about which said string wraps, said tuning peg including a hand gripping portion which can be hand grasped and hand rotated for manual tuning, the rotatable tuning pegs being positioned at opposite ends of said steel guitar for adjacent strings and wherein said steel guitar further includes a contoured cam located adjacent to said rotatable shaft for impinging on said adjustable stop.

Claim 10

In a musical instrument as claimed in claim 7 wherein is further included an adjustable stop located adjacent to said at least one lever for impinging on said lever to determine the movement of said lever in a second pivotal direction.