Stringed musical instrument - Patent Review 6265648

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A stringed musical instrument comprising:

an instrument body having a recess to receive a neck, said recess having a bottom surface;

a longitudinally extending neck having an end and a bottom mounting surface at said end to be received in said recess of said body;

a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;

a mounting device engaging said neck and said body for securing said neck in said recess of said body, said mounting device being operative so as to permit said neck to pivot about a pivot axis transverse to the longitudinal extent of said neck between a first position in which said bottom mounting surface of said neck engages said bottom surface of said recess and a second position in which at least a portion of said bottom mounting surface is disposed away from said bottom surface of said recess, and said mounting device comprising at least one bolt having a shaft and a head, said shaft of said bolt being arranged to extend at least partially through said neck and said body and through said bottom surface of said recess and said bottom mounting surface of said neck, and arranged to engage one of said neck and said body, and said bolt being arranged at an inclined angle relative to said bottom surface of said recess;

at least one spring member operatively arranged to provide a biasing force acting on said neck and said body to urge said neck towards said first position, said at least one spring member being arranged about said shaft of said bolt and positioned between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body; and

an adjustment member operatively arranged with respect to said neck and said body so as to oppose said biasing force, said adjustment member being positioned remote from said pivot axis and being moveable so as to cause said neck to pivot about said pivot axis to adjust the angular position of said bottom mounting surface of said neck relative to said bottom surface of said recess to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.

2. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said recess in said body has a front edge, and wherein said pivot axis is located along said front edge of said recess.

3. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one spring member comprises at least one belleville spring washer arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.

4. The stringed musical instrument of claim 3, further including a plurality of said belleville spring washers arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.

5. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said bolt is inclined along a direction so that said biasing force of said at least one spring member includes a force component along