Mounting Bracket For Pickup In A Stringed Musical Instrument

Abstract

A mounting bracket for mounting a pickup head for an amplifier within a banjo or other stringed instrument, the bracket being arranged to be adjustably positionable along a pair of spaced rods which extend in parallel relation across the frame of the instrument beneath the head thereof, with a support engaging the rods and being adjustably positionable therealong. A plate is carried by the support and is pivotally supported from the support. A pickup is secured to the plate and is positionable in the vicinity of the head in widely adjustable relationship with the head.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is in the field of musical instruments and, more particularly relates to a means for positioning a pickup in adjustable relationship with respect to a vibrating head, the pickup being positionable across the entire width of the head, and being vertically and pivotally adjustable with respect to the head.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Amplifier attachments for incorporation in banjos and the like have become increasingly popular in recent years. In general, such attachments involve an electromagnetic pickup or transducer which converts the mechanical vibration of the banjo head into electrical impulses which are passed to an amplifier and then reconverted to amplified audible sound in one or more loudspeakers. The audible effects produced by such an amplifier system, however, vary with the positioning of the electromagnetic pickup head. In most pickup head assemblies, there is only a limited degree of adjustability provided between the pickup and the head. The present invention provides an improved pickup means which permits adjustability positioning the pickup along a diameter of the head and also provides for vertical adjustability with respect to the head, and angular positioning of the pickup at a predetermined vertical positioning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a mounting bracket which is arranged to be secured in adjustable position along a pair of spaced rods which extend in parallel vertically spaced relationship across the frame of the instrument and in the plane of a diameter of the head. The bracket includes an offset portion which receives a post which can be secured to the offset portion in adjustable vertical position. A support plate is carried by the post and has the electromagnetic pickup secured to it, the arrangement being such that the pickup can be vertically and angularly moved with respect to the vibrating head as well as being positionable by the aforementioned rods at a preselected lateral position with respect to the head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of the underside of a banjo structure, with the bottom thereof removed, illustrating a banjo equipped with the mounting bracket of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the mounting bracket itself; and

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of the mounting bracket structure taken substantially along the line III--III of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a banjo structure which includes a frame 11 and a handle neck 12. A head 13 is secured to the frame 11 in the conventional manner by means of tensioning rods 14 spaced about the periphery of the frame 11.

Extending along a diametrical plane of the head 13 are a pair of spaced rods 15 and 16 which provide for lateral movement of a mounting bracket generally indicated at reference numeral 17 in FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 2, the mounting bracket 17 includes a pair of spaced blocks 18 and 19 each of which has a pair of vertically spaced, aligned arcuate recesses, the recesses in the block 18 being identified at reference numerals 20 and 21, while those in the block 19 being identified at reference numerals 22 and 23. As best seen in FIG. 3, these arcuate recesses are proportioned to engage the rods 15 and 16 in clamping relationship in a preselected position along the diameter of the drun head, by virtue of a set screw 24 which is provided to clamp the blocks 18 and 19 together in a preselected position along the rods 15 and 16.

Extending from the block 19 is a horizontally extending portion 25 which includes a vertically extending groove 26. A suitable bore is provided medially of the groove 26 to receive a post 27. A set screw 28 extends through the horizontally extending portion 25 such that upon tightening of the screw 28, the horizontally extending portion 25 can be adjustably clamped about the post 27 in any desired vertical position with respect to the head 13.

The lower end of the post 27, as best seen in FIG. 3, includes a threaded portion 29 which is received in a suitably threaded aperture of a support plate 30. A nut 31 fixedly secures the post 27 to the support plate 30. The support plate 30 is arranged to carry an electromagnetic transducer pickup 32 which is secured thereto by means of spaced screws 33. The pickup 32 has electrical leads 34 for connecting the output of the pickup to a suitable amplifier.

The adjustment capabilities of the device of the present invention should be apparent from the foregoing description. With the back of the instrument removed, the mounting bracket 17 is engaged with the rods 15 and 16 by separating the blocks 18 and 19 and clamping the rods 15 and 16 between the recesses 20 through 23, as shown in FIG. 3. Adjustment of the set screw 24 thereby locks the mounting bracket along a preselected lateral position along the rods 15 and 16. Next, vertical positioning of the bracket is accomplished by moving the post 27 with relation to the horizontally extending portion 25 and then tightening the set screw 28 when the pickup head 32 is in the position desired with respect to the underside of the head 13. At the same time, the pickup head 32 can be moved angularly as illustrated in the dash lines of FIG. 1 before the set screw 28 is tightened to clamp the post 27 in preselected position.

The wide adjustability of the bracket of the present invention makes it possible to secure tonal effects not possible with other types of pickup mounting brackets. The mounting bracket of the present invention is also relatively inexpensive and can be readily incorporated into existing banjo structures without substantial modification.

It should also be evident that various modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

I claim as my invention:

1. In a banjo including a frame and a head supported by the frame, the improvement which comprises a pair of spaced rods extending in parallel relation across said frame beneath said head, support means engaging said rods for lateral movement therealong, a plate carried by said support means, means connecting said plate to said support means in pivotally adjustable relationship, and a pickup means secured to said plate for sensing vibratory movement of said head.

2. The banjo of claim 1 including means for adjustably vertically positioning said plate with respect to said support means.

3. The banjo of claim 1 in which said support means includes a pair of clamps, means for tightening said clamping means against said rods, said support means further including a horizontally extending portion, a post extending through said horizontally extending portion, means for securing said plate to said post, and means for securing said post to said horizontally extending portion in vertically adjustable position therein.