Slide Bar Apparatus For Guitar

Abstract

Slide bar apparatus for use on the strings of a guitar includes a long bar for contact with a plurality of strings and a separate short bar for contacting one string at a time. The long bar has a transverse retainer with loops for reception of fingers of the user. The short bar is mounted on a receptacle for the thumb of the user, and the short bar is provided with a vibration dampener which can be turned to distribute wear.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 260,899 filed Aug. 9, 1972, now abandoned.

Description

This invention constitutes an improvement over the device shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,325 granted June 4, 1968 for "Slide Bar for Hawaiian Guitar." In the device of that patent, the slide bar contacted all of the strings of the guitar and, therefore, the only chords which could be sounded were necessarily made up of notes determined by the position of the slide bar on the strings.

I have found that it is highly advantageous to be able to add chord components such as a seventh or ninth to certain chords as well as to vary the pitch of one of the notes in a chord while the chord is being sounded. Moreover, I have found that these advantages can be obtained by employing a separate short bar which contacts one or two strings at a time and which is carried by the thumb on the same hand that grips the long slide bar. Accordingly, this invention contemplates in one aspect the combination of a long slide bar contacting a plurality of strings and carried on certain of the fingers of the hand of the user, together with a short slide bar unconnected with the long slide bar and mounted on the thumb of the same hand.

It is known that the distance between chord positions is relatively great in locations remote from the guitar bridge, but that this distance decreases as the chord positions approach the bridge. Accordingly, the spacing (measured longitudinally of the strings) between the long bar and the short bar is greater when a seventh is to be added to a chord produced at a remote location from the bridge as compared to the distance required for producing the same chord an octave higher. This variation in the position of the short bar with respect to the long bar is readily accomplished by moving the thumb relative to the other four fingers.

As is well known, the fingers of the hand holding the long bar engage the strings to dampen the vibration of the strings between the nut and the slide bar, and thus damp out an objectionable rattling sound which would otherwise be produced. I have found that this necessary vibration and dampening effect can be provided on the thumb-supported short bar by attaching a thick facing of felt or similar material to one side of the string-contacting portion of the short bar. This body of felt contacts the string just behind the position of the contact with the short bar to minimize vibration of the string between the position of the long bar and the short bar. The body of felt is mounted so that it may be turned relative to the short bar to present fresh portions to the strings, and thus distribute the wear.

In order to provide for a maximum degree of movement of the short bar with respect to the long bar, two ring portions are provided on the retainer for the long bar so that the index finger and third finger may each be received within one of the rings, thus reducing the extent of lateral projection of the ring for the index finger with respect to the long bar. Reduction of this distance permits closer approach of the thumb-supported short bar without danger of the short bar striking the retainer or the index finger.

Other and more detailed objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a preferred embodiment of this invention, the phantom lines showing how the hand of the user is placed with respect to such apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the long bar with its retainer, and the short bar with its vibration dampener and receptacle for the thumb of the user.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation showing the apparatus of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 4 is a sectional side elevation showing a modification.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the strings 10 of a guitar or other musical instrument 11 lie in the same plane and are all slidably engaged by the surface 12 of a long metal bar 13. The long bar 13 may be tapered if desired and is provided with a retainer 14 extending transversely of the axis of the bar 13 and provided with finger-receiving rings 15 and 16 on opposite sides of the bar. The retainer 14 is conveniently formed of a metal wire having a nonmetallic coating. A central loop 17 on the retainer receives a threaded fastener 18 which fixes the retainer 14 to the long bar 13. The ring 15 is positioned to receive the index finger 21 of the hand of the user and the ring 16 is positioned to receive the third finger 22 of the same hand. As shown in FIG. 3, the ring 15 projects for a shorter distance to the left of the axis of the long bar 13 than does the ring 16 to the right of the axis. This is to provide maximum clearance space on one side of the long bar 13, for the purpose described below. The fourth finger 23 and small finger 24 rest on the strings 10 in the usual manner to dampen vibration of the strings between the long bar 13 and the nut 25 on the guitar 11.

A short bar 26 formed of metal has a rounded undersurface 27 adapted to contact one or two of the strings 10. It is fixed on the projecting end of a wire 28 and this wire is looped in spaced convolutions to form a socket or receptacle 29 for reception of the thumb 30. The wire 28 may have the same construction as the wire of the retainer 14. A layer of felt 31 is fixed to one face of the short bar 26 and extends to or beyond the string-contacting surface 27 so that slight rotary movement of the thumb 30 causes this felt element 31 to contact the string and damp its vibration between the short bar 26 and the long bar 13.

The minimum lateral overhang of the ring 15 of the index finger 21 permits the short bar 26 to be swung as close to the long bar 13 as desired. This is important, particularly for chords produced with the long bar 13 positioned remotely from the nut 25 and closer to the bridge, not shown, of the instrument.

In the modified form of the short bar 26a shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the felt body 31a takes the form of a circular disk held in place by a threaded fastening 33 and a recessed washer 34. The felt disk 31a may be turned on the threaded fastening 33 relative to the short bar 26a to present a fresh portion of the disk to the strings, and thus distribute wear around its periphery.

In operation, the long bar 13 which contacts all of the strings 10 is mounted on the index finger 21 and the third finger 22, while the short bar 26 which contacts only one or two strings at a time is mounted on the thumb 30 of the same hand. The long bar 13 is moved longitudinally of the strings 10 in a sliding movement characteristic of the playing of a Hawaiian guitar. When the musician wishes to add color to a particular chord such as by adding a seventh or a ninth, he lowers his thumb to bring the short bar 26 into position with the proper string or strings and at the proper distance from the position of the long bar 13, to produce the tone desired. Special effects may be produced by sliding the short bar 26 along its string or strings while holding the long bar 13 stationary. The string-contacting surface 27 of the metallic short bar 26 engages the string 10 and the felt surface 31 also engages the same string, to act as a vibration dampener. As pointed out above, the fourth finger 23 and small finger 24 engage the strings 10 to act as a vibration dampener for the long bar 13.

Several threaded openings may be circumferentially spaced around the periphery of the long bar 13 so that the screw 18 may be attached within any one of them. Thus, if the lower surface of the bar 13 should become dented or scratched or roughened, the retainer 14 may be attached to the long bar 13 in a different location, and thereby present a new lower surface of the bar to the strings 10.

While in the ordinary use of the slide bar apparatus on the guitar strings 10, the long bar 13 is employed for all chords, the short bar 26 is employed occasionally, and for many chords it is held in the lifted inoperative position. However, the short bar 26 makes it possible for the musician to change one or two notes of the chord at any time desired, and this produces a richness not heretofore obtainable with Hawaiian type guitars.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the details herein set forth but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. Slide bar apparatus for use on the strings of a guitar, or the like, comprising in combination: a long bar having an outer surface for sliding contact with a plurality of the strings, a retainer fixed to the bar and extending transversely thereof and having two rings spaced on each side of the bar for reception of two fingers of the hand of the user, a separate short bar unconnected to said long bar and having a string-contacting surface for engaging one or two strings at a time, and means including a receptacle for receiving the thumb of the same hand of the user for supporting and manipulating said short bar, whereby both bars may be manipulated simultaneously by the same hand of the user.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said receptacle comprises a continuous wire with spaced convolutions shaped to form a socket, one end of the wire extending axially of the thumb to support the short bar.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said short bar is provided with a vibration dampener which may be shifted on the short bar to distribute wear.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said short bar is provided with a vibration dampener in the form of a disk which may be turned relative to the short bar to distribute wear.

5. Slide bar apparatus for use on the strings of a guitar, or the like, comprising in combination: a long bar having an outer surface for sliding contact with a plurality of the strings, a retainer extending transversely of the length of the bar, means fixing the retainer to the long bar to prevent relative movement therebetween, the retainer including two rings spaced on each side of the bar for reception of fingers of the hand of the user, a separate short bar unconnected to said long bar and having a string-contacting surface for engaging one or two strings at a time, a vibration dampener on said short bar, and means including a receptacle for receiving the thumb of the same hand of the user for supporting and manipulating said short bar, whereby both bars may be manipulated simultaneously by the same hand of the user.

6. For use with a slide bar for the strings of a guitar, or the like, the improvement comprising: a short bar for engaging one or two strings at a time, means for removably mounting said short bar on the thumb of the user, said means comprising a continuous wire having spaced convolutions shaped to form a socket for reception of the thumb, one end of the wire extending axially from the socket and carrying the short bar at its projecting end, said short bar being provided with a vibration dampener which may be shifted relative to the short bar to distribute wear.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which said vibration damper is a disk which may be turned relative to the short bar to distribute wear.

8. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the vibration dampener comprises a circular disk of felt, means including a fastener at the center of the disk for securing it to the short bar, whereby the disk may be turned relative to the short bar to distribute wear.