US4549460A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electric bass guitar incorporating fine-tuning and string length-adjusting means
Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corp
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Filing: 1983-05-06
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Granted: 1985-10-29
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Expires: 2003-05-06
Abstract
Abstract An electric bass guitar incorporating combination string-adjustment, fine-tuning, and bridge-elements. The bridge-elements are accurately adjustable to any position, and are so constructed and related that the lateral positions of the strings will be determined with great precision, regardless of the adjusted position of the saddles. Fine-tuning screws are interposed between the saddles and an anchor wall which both anchors the strings and anchors the ends of adjustment elements for the saddles. The strings are confined closely in vertical slots so that they may not move laterally but may move vertically as fine-tuning occurs. The fine-tuning screws engage the string portions in the slots.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles A. Gressett, Jr.
- 👤 Daniel J. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 07:46
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10D; G10D3/00; G10D3/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
246 words
An electric bass guitar, comprising: (a) a bass guitar body, neck, and head, said head having a tuning machine thereon for each string, (b) bass guitar strings connected to said tuning machines and extended over said head and a portion of said body, and (c) a combination string-adjustment, bridge, and fine-tuning apparatus mounted on said body and associated with said strings, said apparatus comprising a saddle element for each of said strings and serving as the bridge therefor, means to adjust each of said saddle elements longitudinally of said strings, means to adjust each of said saddle elements upwardly and downwardly relative to the face of the guitar body to thus determine the heights of the strings over the body and over the neck, means to anchor said strings at regions disposed on the opposite sides of said saddle elements from said head, and fine-tuning means disposed on the opposite sides of said bridge elements from said head, and between said bridge elements and said anchor means, to bear laterally against the portions of said strings between said saddle elements and said anchor means and thereby change the string tensions and thus the pitches of said strings, said fine-tuning means being fine-tuning screws that bear against said portions of said strings, said portions of said strings being wrapped, whereby to provide seats for said screws and to prevent or minimize damage to said strings by said screws despite the major pressures involved in the fine-tuning operations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
246 words
An electric bass guitar, comprising: (a) a bass guitar body, neck, and head, said head having a tuning machine thereon for each string, (b) bass guitar strings connected to said tuning machines and extended over said head and a portion of said body, and (c) a combination string-adjustment, bridge, and fine-tuning apparatus mounted on said body and associated with said strings, said apparatus comprising a saddle element for each of said strings and serving as the bridge therefor, means to adjust each of said saddle elements longitudinally of said strings, means to adjust each of said saddle elements upwardly and downwardly relative to the face of the guitar body to thus determine the heights of the strings over the body and over the neck, means to anchor said strings at regions disposed on the opposite sides of said saddle elements from said head, and fine-tuning means disposed on the opposite sides of said bridge elements from said head, and between said bridge elements and said anchor means, to bear laterally against the portions of said strings between said saddle elements and said anchor means and thereby change the string tensions and thus the pitches of said strings, said fine-tuning means being fine-tuning screws that bear against said portions of said strings, said portions of said strings being wrapped, whereby to provide seats for said screws and to prevent or minimize damage to said strings by said screws despite the major pressures involved in the fine-tuning operations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
A bridge for an electric guitar, incorporating: (a) a plurality of saddle elements disposed above a support plate, and (b) two screws extended downwardly through the saddle element to effect vertical adjustment thereof, one of the screws having a pointed lower end and seating in a V-groove track therebeneath, the other screw not seating in any groove which positions the same and tends to prevent lateral movement of the saddle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
A bridge for an electric guitar, incorporating: (a) a plurality of saddle elements disposed above a support plate, and (b) two screws extended downwardly through the saddle element to effect vertical adjustment thereof, one of the screws having a pointed lower end and seating in a V-groove track therebeneath, the other screw not seating in any groove which positions the same and tends to prevent lateral movement of the saddle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
212 words
A combination bridge, hand rest, and fine-tuning apparatus for bass guitars, said apparatus comprising: (a) body means adapted to be mounted on the top surface of a bass guitar, said body means comprising a bottom wall, an anchor wall, and a guide wall, all of said walls being rigidly connected and presenting a relatively low profile; (b) said anchor wall extending transverse of said body means and forming means for anchoring one end of the strings of said bass guitar; (c) said guide wall extending adjacent and generally parallel to said anchor wall, said guide wall incorporating vertical slots, there being one vertical slot for each guitar string, said slots being sized to confine said strings against excessive lateral movement, and a threaded aperture above each said vertical slot; (d) bridge means mounted on said bottom wall and located on the opposite side of said guide wall from said anchor wall; and (e) fine-tuning screws threaded into said threaded apertures and adapted to bear against the portions of said strings in said slots to effect fine tuning of said strings by changing the tension thereof, said screws having relatively large-diameter flat heads, whereby the anchor wall, guide wall, and flat heads provide a comfortable, rigid hand rest for the bass guitar player.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
212 words
A combination bridge, hand rest, and fine-tuning apparatus for bass guitars, said apparatus comprising: (a) body means adapted to be mounted on the top surface of a bass guitar, said body means comprising a bottom wall, an anchor wall, and a guide wall, all of said walls being rigidly connected and presenting a relatively low profile; (b) said anchor wall extending transverse of said body means and forming means for anchoring one end of the strings of said bass guitar; (c) said guide wall extending adjacent and generally parallel to said anchor wall, said guide wall incorporating vertical slots, there being one vertical slot for each guitar string, said slots being sized to confine said strings against excessive lateral movement, and a threaded aperture above each said vertical slot; (d) bridge means mounted on said bottom wall and located on the opposite side of said guide wall from said anchor wall; and (e) fine-tuning screws threaded into said threaded apertures and adapted to bear against the portions of said strings in said slots to effect fine tuning of said strings by changing the tension thereof, said screws having relatively large-diameter flat heads, whereby the anchor wall, guide wall, and flat heads provide a comfortable, rigid hand rest for the bass guitar player.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention of claim 3, in which there is a separate bridge means for each of said strings, each bridge means including a saddle element for supporting its associated string, and in which means are provided to effect longitudinal and vertical adjustment of each such separate saddle element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
The invention as claimed in claim 4, in which at least one barrel is connected to each of said saddle elements and extended through a vertical slot in said guide wall, and in which an adjustment screw is extended through said anchor wall and threaded into said barrel, whereby turning of the adjustment screw effects movement of the barrel and thus the connected saddle longitudinally of the associated string.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The invention as claimed in claim 5, in which two parallel barrels are connected to each of said saddle elements and extended through separate vertical slots in said guide wall, one of said barrels being said barrel that receives said adjustment screw.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-10-28 | 1989-04-29 | 1989-10-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-10-28 | 1993-04-29 | 1993-10-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-10-28 | 1997-04-29 | 1997-10-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |