Musical instrument bridge - Patent Review 5503054

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A musical instrument bridge for supporting a set of strings above a front face of a musical instrument, wherein each string of the set of strings is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played, the musical instrument bridge comprising:

a plate that is attachable to the musical instrument;

several fingers cantilevered from the plate, each of said fingers having a resonant frequency and being configured to support a string of the set of strings above the front face of the musical instrument, said fingers being arranged in a row such that a first finger of said several fingers is disposed at one end of the row, a second finger of said set fingers is disposed at an opposite end of the row and all other of said several fingers are disposed intermediate said first and second fingers with no additional fingers located outward of said first and second fingers, the resonant frequency of said first finger being different than the resonant frequency of said second finger.

2. The musical instrument bridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the waist portion of each of said first and second fingers having a width dimension, the width dimension of the waist portion of the first finger being different than a width dimension of the waist portion of the second finger.

3. The musical instrument bridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the head portion of each of the first and second fingers having a hold therein, the hole of the head portion of the first finger being a different size than the size of a hole of the head portion of the second finger.

4. The musical instrument bridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the waist portion of each of the first and second fingers having a pair of opposing slots that extend lengthwise along a length of the waist portion, the opposing slots of the first finger having a dimension that is different than a dimension of the opposing slots of the second finger.

5. The musical instrument bridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, each of the first and second fingers having a mass, the mass of the first finger being different than the mass of the second finger.

6. The musical instrument bridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, each of the first and second fingers having a groove that extends between the base portion of such finger and the waist portion of such finger, the groove of the first finger having a length that is different than a length of the groove of the second finger.

7. The musical instrument bridge of claim 1, further comprising a mounting block disposed between the plate and the fingers.

8. The musical instrument bridge of claim 7, wherein the mounting block and the base portion of each of said fingers have respective interfitting portions including a groove and an outwardly extending lip received in the groove.

9. The musical instrument bridge of claim 7, wherein the mounting block includes a plurality of slots into which each of said fingers is secured.

10. The musical instrument bridge of claim 9, wherein each of the fingers is secured to the mounting block independently of any other of the fingers.

11. A musical instrument bridge for supporting a set of strings above a front face of a musical instrument, wherein each string of the set of strings is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played, the musical instrument bridge comprising:

a plate that is attachable to the musical instrument;

several fingers cantilevered from the plate, each of said fingers having a resonant frequency and being configured to support a string of the set of strings above the front face of the musical instrument, said fingers being arranged in a row such that two of said fingers define a first end finger and a second end finger disposed, respectively, at opposite ends of the row and a first mid finger and a second mid finger disposed intermediate said first and second end fingers, the resonant frequency of said first mid finger being different than the resonant frequency of said second mid finger.

12. The musical instrument bridge of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second mid fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the waist portion of each of the first and second mid fingers having a width dimension, the width dimension of the waist portion of the first finger being different than the width dimension of the waist portion of the second mid finger.

13. The musical instrument bridge of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second mid fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the head portion of each of the first and second mid fingers having a hole therein, the hole of the head portion of the first mid finger being a different size than a size of the hole of the head portion of the second mid finger.

14. The musical instrument bridge of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second mid fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the waist portion of each of the first and second mid fingers having a pair of opposing slots that extend lengthwise along a length of the waist portion, the opposing slots of the first mid finger having a dimension that is different than a dimension of the opposing slots of the second mid finger.

15. The musical instrument bridge of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second mid fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, each of the first and second mid fingers having a mass, the mass of the first mid finger being different than the mass of the second mid finger.

16. The musical instrument bridge of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second mid fingers has a base portion that is secured to the plate, a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, each of the first and second mid fingers having a groove that extends between the base portion of such finger and the waist portion of such finger, the groove of the first mid finger having a length that is different than a length of the groove of the second mid finger.

17. The musical instrument bridge of claim 11, further comprising a mounting block disposed between the plate and the fingers.

18. The musical instrument bridge of claim 17, wherein the mounting block and the base portion of each of said fingers have respective interfitting portions including a groove and an outwardly extending lip received in the groove.

19. The musical instrument bridge of claim 17, wherein the mounting block includes a plurality of slots into which each of said fingers is secured.

20. The musical instrument bridge of claim 19, wherein each of the fingers is secured to the mounting block independently of any other of the fingers.

21. A musical instrument bridge for supporting a set of strings above a front face of a musical instrument, wherein each string of the set of strings is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played, the musical instrument bridge comprising:

a plate that is attachable to the musical instrument;

several fingers cantilevered from the plate in a row, each of said fingers being configured to support a string of the set of strings above the front face of the musical instrument, wherein each of said fingers includes:

a base portion that is secured to the plate;

a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger; and

a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the waist portion of each of said fingers having a width dimension, wherein the waist portion of a first finger of said several fingers has a width dimension that is different than the width dimension of the waist portion of a second finger of said several fingers.

22. The musical instrument bridge of claim 21, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a resonant frequency, the resonant frequency of the first finger being different than the resonant frequency of the second finger.

23. The musical instrument bridge of claim 21, further comprising a mounting block disposed between the plate and the fingers.

24. The musical instrument bridge of claim 23, wherein the mounting block and the base portion of each of the fingers have respective interfitting portions including a groove and an outwardly extending lip received in the groove.

25. The musical instrument bridge of claim 23, wherein the mounting block includes a plurality of slots into which each of the fingers is secured.

26. The musical instrument bridge of claim 23, wherein each of the fingers is secured to the mounting block independently of any other of the fingers.

27. A musical instrument bridge for supporting a set of strings above a front face of a musical instrument, wherein each string of the set of strings is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played, the musical instrument bridge comprising:

a plate that is attachable to the musical instrument;

several fingers cantilevered from the plate in a row, each of the fingers being configured to support a string of the set of strings above the front face of the musical instrument, wherein each of the fingers includes:

a base portion that is secured to the plate;

a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger; and

a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the head portion of each of the fingers having a hole therein, wherein the hole of the head portion of a first finger of the several fingers is a different size than a size of the hole of the head portion of a second finger of the several fingers.

28. The musical instrument bridge of claim 27, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a resonant frequency, the resonant frequency of the first finger being different than the resonant frequency of the second finger.

29. The musical instrument bridge of claim 27, further comprising a mounting block disposed between the plate and the fingers.

30. The musical instrument bridge of claim 29, wherein the mounting block and the base portion of each of the fingers have respective interfitting portions including a groove and an outwardly extending lip received in the groove.

31. The musical instrument bridge of claim 29, wherein the mounting block includes a plurality of slots into which each of the fingers is secured.

32. The musical instrument bridge of claim 29, wherein each of the fingers is secured to the mounting block independently of any other of the fingers.

33. A musical instrument bridge for supporting a set of strings above a front face of a musical instrument, wherein each string of the set of strings is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played, the musical instrument bridge comprising:

a plate that is attachable to the musical instrument;

several fingers cantilevered from the plate in a row, each of the fingers being configured to support a string of the set of strings above the front face of the musical instrument, wherein each of the fingers includes:

a base portion that is secured to the plate;

a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger; and

a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, the waist portion of each of the fingers having a pair of opposing slots that extend lengthwise along a length of the waist portion, the opposing slots of a first finger of the several fingers having a dimension that is different than a dimension of the opposing slots of a second finger of the several fingers.

34. The musical instrument bridge of claim 33, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a resonant frequency, the resonant frequency of the first finger being different than the resonant frequency of the second finger.

35. The musical instrument bridge of claim 33, further comprising a mounting block disposed between the plate and the fingers.

36. The musical instrument bridge of claim 35, wherein the mounting block and the base portion of each of the fingers have respective interfitting portions including a groove and an outwardly extending lip received in the groove.

37. The musical instrument bridge of claim 35, wherein the mounting block includes a plurality of slots into which each of the fingers is secured.

38. The musical instrument bridge of claim 35, wherein each of the fingers is secured to the mounting block independently of any other of the fingers.

39. A musical instrument bridge for supporting a set of strings above a front face of a musical instrument, wherein each string of the set of strings is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played, the musical instrument bridge comprising:

a plate that is attachable to the musical instrument;

several fingers cantilevered from the plate in a row, each of the fingers being configured to support a string of the set of strings above the front face of the musical instrument, wherein each of the fingers includes:

a base portion that is secured to the plate;

a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger; and

a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, each of the fingers having a mass, the mass of a first finger of the several fingers being different than the mass of a second finger of the several fingers.

40. The musical instrument bridge of claim 39, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a resonant frequency, the resonant frequency of the first finger being different than the resonant frequency of the second finger.

41. The musical instrument bridge of claim 39, further comprising a mounting block disposed between the plate and the fingers.

42. The musical instrument bridge of claim 41, wherein the mounting block and the base portion of each of the fingers have respective interfitting portions including a groove and an outwardly extending lip received in the groove.

43. The musical instrument bridge of claim 41, wherein the mounting block includes a plurality of slots into which each of the fingers is secured.

44. The musical instrument bridge of claim 41, wherein each of the fingers is secured to the mounting block independently of any other of the fingers.

45. A musical instrument bridge for supporting a set of strings above a front face of a musical instrument, wherein each string of the set of strings is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played, the musical instrument bridge comprising:

a plate that is attachable to the musical instrument;

several fingers cantilevered from the plate in a row, each of the fingers being configured to support a string of the set of strings above the from face of the musical instrument, wherein each of the fingers includes:

a base portion that is secured to the plate;

a head portion that is configured to anchor an end of the string supported by the finger; and

a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion, each of the fingers having a groove that extends between the base portion of the finger and the waist portion of the finger, wherein the groove of a first finger of the several fingers has a length that is different than a length of the groove of a second finger of the several fingers.

46. The musical instrument bridge of claim 45, wherein each of the first and second fingers has a resonant frequency, the resonant frequency of the first finger being different than the resonant frequency of the second finger.

47. The musical instrument bridge of claim 45, further comprising a mounting block disposed between the plate and the fingers.

48. The musical instrument bridge of claim 47, wherein the mounting block and the base portion of each of the fingers have respective interfitting portions including a groove and an outwardly extending lip received in the groove.

49. The musical instrument bridge of claim 47, wherein the mounting block includes a plurality of slots into which each of the fingers is secured.

50. The musical instrument bridge of claim 47, wherein each of the fingers is secured to the mounting block independently of any other of the fingers.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to musical instruments in general, and in particular to musical instrument bridges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, significant improvements have been made in the quality of musical instruments, particularly electric instruments such as electric guitars and electric bass guitars. However, the majority of the improvements that have occurred in such instruments are due to improvements made in the electronic components used with such instruments. These electronic components include pickups, amplifiers and special effects. One component of a musical instrument that has remained virtually unchanged since the first electric instruments were introduced is the instrument bridge.

A bridge on a musical instrument is designed to support a set of strings at a predetermined distance above the instrument's fretboard. It has been discovered that prior art bridges are the source of, or at least contribute to, three errors in the production of sound from an instrument. The first error is interstring modulation, whereby striking one string causes another string on the instrument to vibrate. If the pitch of the vibrating strings are not harmonically related, such interstring modulation can produce unclear, distorted sounds. The second problem associated with traditional instrument bridges is the fact that they dampen a string's vibration once it is played. This is particularly true of tremolo-type bridges that are coupled to the body of a musical instrument via one or more springs. These springs dissipate a portion of the energy of a plucked string, thereby reducing the sustain of a note played. The third problem contributed by prior art bridge designs is the signal distortion that occurs after the string is struck. When a string is initially struck, the string moves back and forth in a plane that is substantially parallel to the front face of a musical instrument and perpendicular to a magnetic field produced by an instrument pickup. This parallel movement produces the cleanest sound with the fewest undertones and overtones. However, shortly after the string is struck, the plane in which the string is vibrating begins to rotate in an elliptical fashion. As the plane of the string vibration changes, the signal produced by the pickup begins to sound slightly distorted.

In order to solve the problems associated with prior art bridge designs, there is a need for a musical instrument bridge that reduces interstring modulation, does not excessively dampen a string's vibration and confines a string's vibration to a single plane that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of a magnetic field produced by a pickup.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a musical instrument bridge that supports a set of strings at a predetermined distance above a front face of a musical instrument. Each string supported by the bridge is tuned to a predetermined pitch when the musical instrument is played. The bridge includes a plate that is secured to a rear face of a musical instrument and a plurality of fingers that are secured to the plate and extend toward a front face of the musical instrument. Each of the fingers includes a head portion that supports a string at the predetermined distance above the front face of the musical instrument, a base portion at which the finger is secured to the plate and a waist portion that extends between the base portion and the head portion. Each finger has a resonant frequency that is related to the predetermined pitch of the string supported by the finger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric of an electric guitar with pans broken away for illustration of the musical instrument bridge according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric of the musical instrument bridge according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric of a musical instrument bridge according to the present invention, with pans shown in exploded relationship;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the musical instrument bridge finger according to the present invention, with pans broken away;

FIG. 5 is an isometric of a musical instrument bridge for a bass guitar according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the musical instrument bridge shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6A is an isometric of an alternate embodiment of a finger of the bass guitar bridge according to the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a vertical section along line 6B--6B of FIG. 6A;

FIGS. 6C, 6D and 6E are corresponding side elevations of three embodiments of the finger shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is an isometric of an alternate embodiment of the musical instrument bridge for a six-string guitar according to the present invention, with parts shown in exploded relationship;

FIG. 7B is an isometric of a finger of the musical instrument bridge shown in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C is a vertical section along line 7C--7C of FIG. 7B;

FIG. 8A is an isometric of another alternate embodiment of the musical instrument bridge for a six-string guitar according to the present invention, with parts shown in exploded relationship;

FIG. 8B is an isometric of a finger of the musical instrument bridge shown in FIG. 8A; and

FIGS. 8C, 8D and 8E are corresponding side elevations of three embodiments of the finger shown in FIG. 8B, with pans shown in section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates a musical instrument, namely, an electric guitar 10, having a bridge 50 according to the present invention. Other than the bridge, the electric guitar is conventional, including a body 12 having a front face 14 and a rear face 16, as well as a volume control 11, a fretboard 18, an electrical pickup 20 and a set of strings 22.

The bridge 50 is secured to the rear face 16 of the instrument and lies mostly within a recessed area 25 of the instrument body 12, in the same fashion as existing tremolo-type bridges are mounted in electric guitars. In fact, replacing the conventional bridge of an electric guitar with a bridge according to the present invention does not require any major modifications to the guitar other than perhaps reshaping the recessed area 25 of the instrument body. The bridge 50 maintains the strings 22 at a predetermined position over the fretboard 18 and the pickup 20. As will be described in greater detail below, the bridge 50 according to the present invention improves isolation between the strings thereby reducing interstring modulation, increases the harmonic content and sustain of the strings, and reduces distortion due to the orbital motion of a vibrating string.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bridge 50 according to the present invention includes a plate 60, a mounting block 80 and a plurality of fingers 100. Disposed on top of each of the fingers 100 is a conventional saddle 120 that determines the height of a string 22 above the fretboard. Each saddle 120 includes a longitudinal adjustment screw 122 for moving the body of the saddle closer to or farther away from the fretboard, as well as a pair of vertical adjustment screws 124 to vary the height of the string 22 above the fretboard. The details of the saddle 120 are conventional and are well known to those of ordinary skill in the musical instrument arts.

As will be described in further detail below, each of the fingers 100 has a resonant frequency that is related to the pitch of the string 22 that is supported by the finger. The resonant frequency of each finger is selected assuming each string will be tuned to a standard predefined pitch. However, if it is desired to tune the instrument to something other than the standard tuning, it may be necessary to replace one or more fingers of the bridge with fingers that are designed for the alternate pitch. Additionally, because "most appropriate" resonant frequency for each finger is somewhat a matter of taste, it is possible that a finger having a fixed resonant frequency may sound acceptable for more than one tuning of the guitar. For the purposes of this specification, the terms "pitch" and "resonant frequency" are synonymous, with each term being used where appropriate for clarity.

With reference to FIG. 3, the plate 60 includes a plurality of holes 62 disposed around the perimeter of the plate through which screws or other suitable fastening means may be inserted to secure the plate to the rear face of the musical instrument. The plate 60 also includes a plurality of slots 66 through which a string may be threaded without removing the plate or other bridge components from the instrument. Finally, the plate 60 includes a plurality of holes 68 which are aligned with a set of corresponding threaded holes 82 on the mounting block 80 for machine screws 70 or other suitable fasteners to secure the mounting block 80 to the plate 60.

The mounting block 80 also includes a series of unthreaded holes 86 through which a number of machine screws 72 or other suitable fasteners are passed. The machine screws 72 engage a threaded portion of the fingers 100 as will be described. The mounting block 80 includes a plurality of slots 84 in which the base portions of the fingers 100 are fitted. Finally, the mounting block 80 includes an outwardly extending lip 88 that mates with a corresponding groove 114 on each of the fingers 100.

The shape of the mounting block 80 is determined by the type of instrument in which the bridge in accordance with the present invention is to be used. It may be necessary to make the mounting block taller or shorter to position the fingers so that the strings are at the correct height above the fret board of the instrument. Additionally, some portions of the mounting block may be removed to reduce the mass of the mounting block.

Each finger 100 has three portions, a head portion 102, a base portion 110 and a waist portion 116 that connects the base portion to the head portion. The head portion 102 includes a saddle stop 104 having an unthreaded hole 105 for the longitudinal adjustment screw that secures the saddle on top of the head portion of the finger. Also disposed on the head portion 102 are a set of grooves 106 that receive the vertical adjustment screws 124 of the saddle as shown in FIG. 2. The grooves 106 maintain the alignment of the saddle on the head portion of the finger. Returning to FIG. 3, the head portion 102 includes an unthreaded hole 108 through which a musical instrument string is passed. A section 107 of the head portion 102 may be hollowed to reduce the mass of the head portion in order to adjust the resonant frequency of the finger as will be described below.

The base portion 110 of each finger 100 includes a threaded hole 112 that receives the machine screw 72 to secure the finger to the mounting block 80 and the plate 60. The base portion also includes a groove 114 that snugly receives the outwardly extending lip 88 of the mounting block for a secure interconnection that assures that the finger will not rotate forward when the strings supported by the bridge are tightened. Adjacent the groove 114 is a flat portion 115 that contiguously engages the slot 84 when the finger is secured to the mounting block. When the machine screw engages the threaded hole 112, the finger is cantilevered from the mounting block. A space between each slot 84 ensures that the fingers of the bridge are isolated from one another except for their common connection to the mounting block. Finally, the base portion of the finger includes a hollowed section 111 which reduces the mass of the base portion.

The waist portion 116 of the finger extends between the base portion 110 and the head portion 102. The waist portion has a width dimension that is parallel to the plane of the plate 60 and a height dimension that is perpendicular to the plane of the plate 60. In the present embodiment of the invention, the width dimension is smaller than the height dimension to allow the finger to vibrate in a plane parallel to the plane of the plate 60, but to substantially reduce vibration of the finger in a plane perpendicular to the plate 60. Although not clearly shown in FIG. 3, the waist portions of the fingers have varying widths that are selected for each string of the guitar supported by the finger. Waists of different widths result in different fingers having different flex and vibrational characteristics.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the head portion 102 includes the saddle stop 104 providing an abutment for the longitudinal adjustment screw 122 which secures the saddle 120 to the finger. To anchor an end of the string 22 to the finger 100, a ball 23 at the end of the string 22 engages against a shoulder 109 encircling the hole 108.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a musical instrument bridge according to the present invention, designed for use in an electric bass guitar, typically having four strings (not shown). In contrast with the first embodiment described above, the second embodiment of the present invention is designed to withstand the extra stresses produced by the bass guitar strings. The instrument bridge includes a plate 140 having a plurality of holes 142 disposed around the perimeter. The holes 142 receive screws or other suitable fastening means for securing the bridge to a rear face of a bass guitar (not shown). Also included in the plate 140 are a plurality of holes 144 through which a plurality of machine screws 145 or other suitable fasteners are passed to secure a mounting block 160 to the plate 140. Finally, the plate 140 includes a series of slots 146 through which the bass guitar strings may be threaded.

The mounting block 160 includes a plurality of holes 164 through which the machine screws 145 are passed for reception of their threaded ends in threaded mounting holes 184 of bridge fingers 180. The mounting block 160 also includes a plurality of slots 166 in which the fingers 180 are snugly fitted and an outwardly extending lip 168 that mates with a corresponding groove 188 on each finger 180. Again, the slots 166 maintain the separation of the fingers 180 so that the fingers are isolated from one another, thereby decreasing the amount of string intermodulation. The mounting block 160 includes hollowed portions 170 within the slots 166 in order to reduce the weight of the mounting block.

The fingers 180 include base portions 182, head portions 190 and waist portions 200 that extend between the base portions and the head portions. Each base portion includes a pair of threaded holes 184 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 5) that receive the upper threaded ends of the machine screws 145 in order to secure the corresponding finger 180 and mounting block 160 to the plate 140. The groove 188 described above mates with the outwardly extending lip 168 for additional protection against the finger rotating forward when the musical instrument is played.

The head portion 190 of the finger includes a saddle stop 192 having a horizontal hole 194 a screw 222 for securing a saddle 220 to the head portion, as is shown in FIG. 6. The head portion of the finger 180 further includes a pair of slots 196 (FIG. 5) that maintain the alignment of the saddle 220 on the head portion of the finger. The head portion includes a hole 198 through which a string is threaded. An area 199 of the head portion may be hollowed to reduce the weight of the finger, and to adjust the resonant frequency of the finger.

With reference to FIG. 6, a musical string 230 is secured by the head portion of the finger 180 at the proper height above the fretboard of the musical instrument (not shown). The saddle 220 is secured on top of the finger by an adjustment screw 222 that extends through the saddle stop 192.

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