Disclosed are guitars having neck structure with distinct longitudinally spaced apart substantially transversely extending thumb receiving notches formed inclined to the flat neck front surface to lie side by side in the back surface thereof. The thumb receiving guide notches are disclosed arranged for both flamenco and/or popular music guitarists. The thumb receiving guide notches serve inter alia each of the following functions: both as a sight and feel guide for aiding a guitar player in learning and ascertaining the proper longitudinal placement of his hand along the guitar neck as he repositions his hand up and down the guitar neck while playing the guitar; as a thumb stop which aids the guitarist in stopping with precision his hand movement up and down the guitar neck and to quickly and surely regrip the guitar neck; as hand positioning guide which in the case of a flamenco guitarist disciplines the guitarist to maintain proper hand position; and as a thumb pivot surface which aids playing the guitar. For the purpose of teaching a person to play a guitar, numerals or other identifying marks may be placed in the thumb guide notches to further visually aid the person in the correct positioning and repositioning of his hand along the guitar neck.

A string instrument, such as a guitar or banjo for example, mounts the bridge organization defined by an elongate planar body plate orthogonally mounted to an upper planar surface of the string instrument body, and includes a support plate fixedly mounted to the bridge at an orthogonal relationship relative to the planar bridge body. A modification of the invention includes the support plate pivotally mounted, with a top surface including an abrasive plate and a bottom surface including a wax bar for providing enhanced sensitivity for increased lubricity to an individual's fingers. A further modification of an aspect of the invention includes a unitary construction that is interfitted to the bridge organization prior to its mounting to the top surface of the string instrument body.

Indicators for a stringed musical instrument having a fingerboard and strings stretched over the fingerboard. The indicators indicate the pitch produced when the string is pressed down against the fingerboard and plucked or bowed. There may be indicators for some or all of the twelve half steps of a chromatic scale (A; A.music-sharp., which is equivalent to B.music-flat.; B; C; C.music-sharp., which is equivalent to D.music-flat.; D; D.music-sharp., which is equivalent to E.music-flat.; E; F; F.music-sharp., which is equivalent to G.music-flat.; G; and G.music-sharp., which is equivalent to A.music-flat.). The indicators may be colored black and white like a piano keyboard. The invention includes a method for making portions of musical instruments having such indicators.

Devices for supporting guitar strings at the bridge and nut ends of the keyboard include a body portion with an axially vertical threaded bore that houses a screw element. A slot is provided in the body so that the string rests and is supported on the upper surface of the element. The element has a surface recess adapted for reception of a tool used to raise and lower the element in the bore and to thus raise and lower the support for the string. The recess is preferably surrounded by a flat uninterrupted surface to provide a string supporting surface at all rotative positions. If movement of the support longitudinally of the string is desired, a screw member mounted on a bracket and engaging the body portion within a threaded bore below the screw element may be used.

A double neck string instrument in the nature of an electric guitar adapted for two voice play with one neck extending parallel to the other neck spaced apart therefrom, offset longitudinally thereof, and offset from the plane of the stringed face thereof, so that each hand can play on a different neck without play of one hand on one neck interfering with the play of the other hand on the other neck. Each neck has its own sound pick up.