United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 4,852,450 Novak (45) Date of Patent: Aug. 1, 1989 54 INSTRUMENTFINGERBOARD FOR ASTRINGED OTHER PUBLICATIONS Rickenbacker 1974, The Electric Guitar: It's History (76 Inventor: Ralph Novak, 638 Dowling Blvd., and Construction, pp. 80 & 81. San Leandro, Calif.94577 (21) Appl. No.: 214,006 Primary Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bielen & Peterson (2222 FileFilled: Jun.ul. 30,5t, 1988 G 57 ABSTRACT s 4. O. 2. A fingerboard or fret board for a stringed instrument iss Filofs..."4. saysia R36 autilizing plurality a neckof strings portion are including tensioned a between surface overa saddle which of (56) References Cited a bridge and a nut. Also, included are a series of straight U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS frets which are aligned in a non-parallel pattern relative 652,353 6/1900 Edgren 84/314 R to one another to provide ach string with a different 1,578,744 3/1926 Manby ... 84/314R scale length. 3,103,846 9/1963 Webster. ... 84/314 R 4,023,460 5/1977 Kuhnke ............................. 84/314 R 3 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet AAAAAAt... fish Eziszai--R/PAA/A Sea All-I-IEEAAEAE-Aototassium U.S. Patent Aug. 1, 1989 4,852.450 / 99 NNN 4,852,450 1. 2 different angles, one of which may lie perpendicular to FNGERBOARD FOR ASTRINGED INSTRUMENT such neck axis. Thus, a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, of the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION present invention may be constructed to include a 5 rather long scale for the bass strings and a short scale for The present invention relates to a novel construction the treble strings. for a fingerboard for a stringed instrument such as a It may be apparent that a novel and useful finger guitar. board for a stringed instrument has been described. The scale length of a stringed instrument is defined as It is therefore an object of the present invention to the "vibrating string length' or "speaking length' of a O provide a fingerboard for a string instrument which particular string on an instrument. The "vibrating string employs multiple stringed lengths for each of the strings length' is fixed by the location between the nut and associated therewith to maximize tonal flexiblity. saddle along the fretboard found on the neckportion of It is another object of the present invention to pro the instrument. The "scale length' lends a "color” to vide a fingerboard for a stringed instrument which pos the overall tone of the instrument. For example, a guitar 15 sesses versatility in determining string tensions for each manufacturer typically chooses a scale length for all the of the strings thereof. strings of a guitar e.g. Gibson-twenty four and five/six A further object of the present invention is to provide teenths inches: Fender-25"; Martin-24.9". Each partic a fingerboard for a stringed instrument which possesses ular scale length chosen accentuates various harmonic improved intonation and definition of the lower strings. components of the vibrating string. In addition, differ Yet another object of the present invention is to pro ent scale lengths require different string tensions, which vide a fingerboard for a stringed instrument which may in turn affect the string harmonics. It should be noted be customized according to desired "feel' and tonal that a chosen scale length will also have a particular fret characteristics. spacing to coincide with the related pitches of the fret A further object of the present invention is to provide ted notes. For example, "The Electric Guitar: It's His 25 a fingerboard for a stringed instrument which permits tory & Construction', Rickenbacker, 1974, Pg 80 & 81 stringed instrument builders to gain increase tonal con includes published tables for accurate fret spacing mea trol not possible in the prior art. Surement. Yet another object of the present invention is to pro Unfortunately, fixing a scale length for a guitar, for vide a stringed instrument which possesses a unique example, limits tonal flexibility in that improving the 30 appearance. tone of the lower strings causes the tone of the higher The invention possesses other objects and advantages strings to suffer and visa versa. That is to say, "flabby' especially as concern particular characteristics and fea sounding low strings may be tonally improved by in tures thereof which will become apparent as the specifi creasing the scale length and tension of such lower cation continues. strings. At the same time, the tension of the treble 35 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS strings must be increased, making such strings difficult FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fingerboard of a prior art to play and creating a tonal imbalance. guitar. A stringed instrument which includes different scale FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fingerboard of the present lengths for the treble and bass strings would be a great invention including a schematic representation of con advance in the design of stringed instruments. vergence of fret lines to a point. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION FIG. 3 is a plan view of an acoustical guitar utilizing a fingerboard of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention a novel and FIG. 4 is a plan view of an electric bass guitar utiliz useful fingerboard for a stringed instrument is provided, 45 ing a fingerboard of the present invention. which permits the achievement of tonal flexibility not For a better understanding of the invention reference found in the prior art. is made to the following detailed description of the The fingerboard of the present invention utilizes a preferred embodiments thereof which should be refer neck and connected body of the prior art. The neck enced to the hereinabove described drawings. provides a surface over which are stretched a plurality 50 of strings between a nut and a saddle at the bridge por DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED tion of the instrument. Such strings may be tensioned in EMBODIMENTS the conventional manner, i.e., by a series of pegs and Various aspects of the present invention will evolve keys found on a peghead. from the following detailed description of the preferred The invention also includes the use of a series of frets 55 embodiments thereof which should be noted in accor each of which are extended along a straight line. At dance with the hereinabove described drawings. least two of the frets are not parallel to one another. In The invention as a whole is depicted in the drawings certain cases, each of the frets would extend along a by reference character 10 and the reference character straight line in a non-parallel pattern relative to one 10 followed by upper case letters for various embodi another. Such straight lines would converge to a point. ments of the same. The fingerboard 10, FIG. 2, utilizes Also, the nut and saddle may be constructed to extend a surface 12 which is normally part of a neck 14 con along straight lines which are not parallel to one an nected to a sound box or body (not shown on FIG. 2). other and which may converge to the same point as the With reference to FIG. 1 it may be observed that the fret lines. In another aspect of the present invention, the prior art fingerboard also includes a surface 16 on one neck may be defined to extend along an axis and the fret 65 side of neck 18 which is also intended for connection to lines may be arranged such that they are perpendicular a body (not shown in FIG. 1). to such an axis. Also, in certain embodiments of the It should be noted that a significant difference exists invention, the fret lines would intersect the neck axis at between FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in that plurality of frets 20 4,852,450 3 4. on FIG. 1 are parallel to one another and of varied strings tensioned between saddle 80 and nut 82. Body spacing according to the "rule of 18” or from published 84, of course, does not include a sound hole, rather, tables. electrical pickup 86 produces an electrical signal to an Turning to FIG.2 it may be observed that plurality of amplifier and speaker system by a known process (not frets 22 associated with the present invention are not 5 shown). Tensioning means 88 includes a conventional parallel to each other, although being of varied spacing set of pegs and keys 90. Similarly, plurality of frets 94 on at each point along the axis, 32 according to the same surface 96 of neck 98 progressively slant from right to rule or tables. Each of the plurality of frets 22 extends left and lie onlines which converge to a point, similar to along one of the plurality of lines 24 which converge to point 26 on FIG. 2. As is the case for acoustical guitar a point 26. Thus, a bass string tensioned along the edge 10 34 of FIG. 3, electric guitar 76 possesses a bass string portion 28 of fingerboard 10 would possess a scale 100 which has a longer scale length than treble string length longer than a treble string tensioned along edge 102. It should be noted that surface 96 includes a phan portion 30 offingerboard 10. It should also be apparent tom portion 92, on FIG. 4, which may be incorporated that such a treble string would be tensioned to a lower into the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 to produce bass degree than a treble string possessing the scale length of 15 notes generated by string 100 by frets extending to tre a bass string tensioned along edge portion 28, herein ble string 102.