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A supporting device for stringed musical instruments, for example, guitars, banjos, mandolins and the like, is disclosed. The supporting device is constructed and arranged for supporting the musical instrument on the player to permit total freedom of the player's hands to play the instrument in a completely new way, thus allowing the player to create new techniques and sounds previously unknown to any player. The device, when in its operational position, has a plate which rests upon the player's leg leaving both hands free to explore the musical instrument as never before. Because the musical instrument is arranged perpendicular to the player's body, the player has maximum visibility of the instrument's entire playing surface.

Inventor: Edward L. Van Halen
Primary Examiner: David Warren
Current U.S. Classification: 84/327; 224/910; 984/124
International Classification: G10G 500

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Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US1285802May 10, 1917Nov 26, 1918G-UITAB-BEST
US1945162Nov 23, 1931Jan 30, 1934GUITAR
US2814229Jan 18, 1956Nov 26, 1957MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SUPPORT
US3371570Mar 10, 1967Mar 5, 1968STRAPLESS SUPPORT MEANS FOR A GUITAR
US3955461Mar 17, 1975May 11, 1976Musical instrument stabilizer
US3979993Oct 31, 1975Sep 14, 1976Support cushion for plucked string instrument
US4213369Jun 27, 1978Jul 22, 1980Appalachian dulcimer lapboard

Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US4930695Mar 6, 1989Jun 5, 1990Support system for guitar or like instrument
US5069103Sep 10, 1990Dec 3, 1991Stringed instrument support device
US5332137May 5, 1993Jul 26, 1994Musical instrument harness
US5596158May 30, 1995Jan 21, 1997Three-paint suspension of musical instruments
US6040509Mar 6, 1998Mar 21, 2000Ergonomic positioning apparatus for guitar or like instruments
US6259007Dec 30, 1999Jul 10, 2001Musical instrument positioning device
US6441283Feb 28, 2000Aug 27, 2002Support for round back stringed instrument
US6576823Apr 26, 2002Jun 10, 2003Musical instrument leg support device
US7423212Nov 9, 2006Sep 9, 2008Instrument support structure
US7531728Mar 4, 2008May 12, 2009Matth, Hohner AGElectric guitar
US7622662Nov 27, 2007Nov 24, 2009Thomas O. ShaperString percussion instrument
US8207433Mar 1, 2006Jun 26, 2012Locking post system for a guitar bridge
USD431832Dec 30, 1999Oct 10, 2000Musical instrument positioning device

Claims

1. A stringed musical instrument comprising an instrument body having front and rear surfaces, sound producing means extending over a portion of said front surface, and a device mounted onto said rear surface for positioning said instrument body at an angular orientation to a player's body, said device including attachment means movable between an inoperative position overlying said rear surface and an operative position at an angle to said rear surface, a pair of spaced-apart mounting blocks attached to said rear surface and support means coupled to said mounting blocks for rotationally supporting therebetween said attachment means, said attachment means engaging said player's body when in said operative position for maintaining said instrument body in said angular orientation and disengaging from said player's body when in said inoperative position for maintaining said instrument body in other than said angular orientation.

2. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a rod extending between said mounting blocks.

3. The stringed musical instrument of claim 2 wherein said attachment means is movably mounted on said rod for rotational movement between said operative and inoperative positions and for lateral movement between a locked and unlocked position.

4. The stringed musical instrument of claim 3 wherein said attachment means is mounted on said rod by a pair of spaced-apart slide blocks.

5. The stringed musical instrument of claim 3 wherein said device further includes biasing means for biasing said attachment means towards said locked position.

6. The stringed musical instrument of claim 5 wherein said biasing means comprises a spring located about said rod and arranged between said mounting blocks and said attachment means.

7. The stringed musical instrument of claim 5 wherein said attachment means includes a projection extending therefrom and engagable with one of said mounting blocks when said attachment means is rotated about said rod into said operative position while being laterally moved along said rod into said locked position by said biasing means, whereby said attachment means is locked in said operative position.

8. The stringed musical instrument of claim 7 wherein said projection comprises a portion of an L-shaped member by which said attachment means is mounted on said rod.

9. The stringed musical instrument of claim 7 wherein said one of said mounting blocks has an opening for receiving said projection when said attachment means is rotated into said operative position.

10. The stringed musical instrument of claim 9 wherein said rod extends through the center of said opening and through the center of said projection along one of its axes, whereby said projection is received within said opening when said attachment means is in said operative position.

11. The stringed musical instrument of claim 10 wherein said rod extends off-center through said projection along the other of its axes, whereby said projection is prevented from being received within said opening when said attachment means is in said inoperative position.

12. A guitar comprising an instrument body having front and rear surfaces, a neck extending from said instrument body and having a fretted surface, sound producing means extending over a portion of said front surface and said fretted surface, and a device mounted onto said rear surface for positioning said instrument body at an angular orientation to a guitar player's body, said device including a pair of spaced-apart mounting blocks attached to said rear surface, a rod extending between said mounting blocks, attachment means movably mounted to said rod for rotational movement between an operative and inoperative position and for lateral movement between a locked and unlocked position, said attachment means overlying said rear surface when in said inoperative position and at an angle to said rear surface when in said operative position, said attachment means having a portion engaging said player's body when in said operative position for maintaining said instrument body in said angular orientation, said portion disengaging from said player's body when in said inoperative position for maintaining said instrument body in other than said angular orientation, and a projection extending from said attachment means and received within one of said mounting blocks when said attachment means is rotated about said rod into said operative position and laterally moved along said rod into said locked position, whereby said attachment means is locked in a position at an angle to said rear surface.

13. The guitar of claim 12 wherein said device further includes biasing means for biasing said attachment means towards said locked position.

14. The guitar of claim 13 wherein said biasing means comprises a spring located about said rod and arranged between one of said mounting blocks and said attachment means.

15. The guitar of claim 12 wherein said one of said mounting blocks has an opening for receiving said projection when said attachment means is in said operative position.

16. The guitar of claim 15 wherein said rod extends through the center of said opening and through the center of said projection along one of its axes, whereby said projection is received within said opening when said attachment means is in said operative position.

17. The guitar of claim 16 wherein said rod extends off-center through said projection along the other of its axes, whereby said projection is prevented from being received within said opening when said attachment means is in said inoperative position.

18. The guitar of claim 12 wherein said projection comprises a portion of an L-shaped member by which said attachment means is mounted on said rod.

19. The guitar of claim 12 wherein said attachment means is rotated about said rod by the force of gravity when said instrument body is moved from a substantially vertical orientation toward a substantially horizontal orientation.

20. The guitar of claim 12 wherein said attachment means is mounted to said rod by a pair of spaced-apart slide blocks.

21. The guitar of claim 12 wherein said angular orientation comprise a substantially perpendicular orientation.

22. The guitar of claim 12 wherein said angle comprises a substantially perpendicular angle.

Drawings