The present invention relates to apparatus for aiding in the electronic reproduction of vibrations from stringed musical instruments.
The most common stringed musical instrument used today is the electric guitar. The electric guitar typically has one or two pickup coil assemblies which are mounted on the guitar body below the steel strings, adjacent to the bridge. The vibrations of the steel strings change the magnetic fields induced in the pickup coils, and, these changed magnetic fields are amplified and projected to an audience.
A well known problem with the electric guitar is that the strings often strike the metal casing of the pickup coil assembly and induce a loud, annoying and disrupting "click" in the amplified speaker system.
None of the prior art known to the applicant has addressed the problem of the strings hitting the pickup coil assembly and producing the annoying "click". Nevertheless, this problem is commonly known among musicians and there has been a long felt need for a solution to this particular problem. The present invention has solved this problem by developing a pivot and rockshaft apparatus which transfers the vibrations of the strings to a pickup coil assembly beyond the reach of the strings.
The applicant is aware of four inventions which relate to the present invention. Specifically, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,481,856, 4,567,805, 4,236,433 and 4,142,435. None of these referenced prior art inventions relate to the present invention nor do they disclose a solution to the problem identified above and solved by the present invention.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds