Guitar, Radio, Microphone Combination With Self-contained Energy Source And Amplifier

Abstract

A musical instrument which has a guitar, radio and microphone connected to a source of electrical energy and to a single amplifier. The main body of the guitar is hollow having a battery pack and radio mounted therein. A microphone is mounted to the main body of the guitar and is connected to the battery pack and to the amplifier of the radio. Means are mounted to the main body beneath the guitar strings for producing audio electrical signals in proportion to the sounds generated by the strings. The means are connected to the radio amplifier. Switches are mounted to the main body and are connected to the radio, microphone and means for allowing the musician to selectively connect the microphone, guitar and radio together for producing a combined sound through the radio speaker or alternatively for operating only the microphone or the microphone and guitar.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is in the field of musical instruments.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the U. S. Pat. No. 3,550,495 issued to Shotmeyer, there is disclosed a musical instrument which combines a guitar and a tape reproducer whereby a mixed sound can be reproduced. Likewise, in the U. S. Pat. No. 3,296,916 issued to Palmer, there is disclosed a musical instrument which includes a guitar in combination with a microphone. Disclosed herein is a musical instrument which combines a guitar with a radio and microphone.

Electrical guitars require various electrical cords which extend from the guitar to the source of electrical energy such as a standard outlet found on a wall. In addition, the guitar must be connected by electrical cords to the amplifying system. As a result, the movement of the musician is restricted and frequently, the electrical cords become entangled in the musician's feet. As a result, I have designed an electrical guitar which is self-contained having a battery source of electrical energy mounted within the guitar and having the amplifier also built into the guitar. Thus, various electrical cords are not required thereby allowing the musician to move freely as the instrument is played. Simultaneously, I have mounted the microphone onto the guitar thereby not requiring the musician to stand in a relatively fixed position near the microphone found on the stage. In order to obtain a unique sound, I have mounted a radio within the guitar. Thus, the musician may sing and be accompanied by either music from the radio, music from the guitar or a combined music from the radio and guitar. A unique feature of my invention is utilization of the amplifier of the radio to amplify both the sounds from the microphone and guitar strings as well as the radio.

Other patents of interest are the U. S. Pat. No. 3,357,291 which is issued to Carmichael which discloses a guitar having a self-contained amplifier and the U. S. Pat. No. 1,739,680 issued to La Joie which is a combination radio and phonograph.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention is a musical instrument comprising a guitar having a hollow main body forming a sound box with a long neck attached thereto and strings with opposite ends attached to the neck and the main body, a battery holder mounted within the main body for receiving at least one battery, the holder having electrical output terminals contactable with the battery for providing electrical energy, a radio receiving set mounted within the main body and connected to the terminals for the operation of the set, the radio receiving set including antenna means, an audio speaker and a first amplifier, a microphone mounted to the guitar and being electrically connected to the terminals, the microphone having an output line connected to the amplifier, first means mounted to the main body beneath the strings being electrically connected to the terminals and the amplifier and being operable to produce audio electrical signals in proportion to sounds generated by the strings, and switch means mounted to the guitar and connected between the amplifier and the antenna means, between the amplifier and the microphone and between the amplifier and the first means, the switch means being operable to control electrical signal flow from the antenna means, the microphone and the first means to the amplifier.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved musical instrument.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument which combines the features of the guitar, radio and microphone.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a guitar, radio, microphone combination which utilizes a single amplifier for amplifying the sounds from the guitar, radio and microphone.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a guitar, radio, microphone combination which has a self-contained source of electrical energy and a self-contained amplifier thereby not requiring any external electrical cords.

Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a musical instrument incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary back view of the musical instrument of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 2 only enlarged and with the rear door of the instrument opened showing the components within the instrument.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the electrical circuitry for one embodiment of a musical instrument incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of electrical circuitry for another embodiment of a musical instrument incorporating the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a musical instrument 10 which is a guitar having a hollow main body 11 forming a sound box with a long neck 12 attached to main body 11. Six strings 13 are strung on the guitar having their opposite ends attached to the neck and the main body in the conventional manner. The main body 11 has a top panel 14 and a bottom panel 15 spaced apart and connected to an outer wall 16. Panel 14 is provided with hole 17 which extends beneath strings 13. An audio speaker 18 is mounted to the inside surface of panel 14 and is positioned adjacent hole 17. Speaker 18 is connected to a radio mounted within main body 11, to microphone 19 mounted to side wall 16 and to device 20 which produces electrical signals in response to the sounds generated by strings 13.

Th musical instrument utilizes the amplifier of the radio mounted within the main body to amplify the sounds from the radio receiving set, the sounds picked up by microphone 19 as well as the sounds picked up by device 20. The radio receiving set may be of the AM type with the schematic for the AM radio receiving set being shown in FIG. 4 or may be of the FM type with the electrical schematic for the FM type radio receiving set being shown in FIG. 5. Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown an antenna 21 connected to tuner 22 which in turn is connected to RF amplifier 23. Amplifier 23 is provided with a local oscillator 24 with the output of the amplifier being connected to mixer 25. This circuitry is well known with the RF amplifier merely amplifying the station to which tuner 22 is positioned with the amplified signal having an audio modulation passed onto mixer 25. Typically, local oscillator 24 produces a 455 KC signal which is then mixed with the incoming signal and fed into the IF amplifier 26. Amplifier 26 provides a signal to detector 27 which removes the 455 KC RF component from the audio modulation component and normally passes this component into the first audioamplifier 28. Instead of the normal relationship between detector 27 and amplifier 28, the output of detector 27 is fed through a three deck/three position switch 27' which is also connected to microphone 19 and device 20. The output of switch 27' is then connected to amplifier 28 which in turn is connected to amplifier 29. Speaker 18 is connected to the output of amplifier 29.

Contacts 1, 2 and 3 of the first deck of switch 27' are connected together. The wiper A of the first deck is connected directly to the input of amplifier 28. The fixed contacts of the first deck are connected to the wiper B of the second deck which includes fixed contacts 4, 5 and 6. Contacts 5 and 6 are connected together and to the wiper arm C of the third deck which includes fixed contacts 7, 8 and 9. Contact 9 is connected to the output of detector 27.

Power supply 30 is connected via on-off/volume switch 31 to the radio receiving set for providing electrical energy for the various components. In addition, the power supply is connected to the input power line of microphone 19 and the input power line of device 20. Switch 31 is also the volume switch for the radio receiving set and may be turned so as to control the flow of electrical energy to the radio receiving set. Switches 32 and 33 are volume switches respectively for microphone 19 and device 20 and are connected between the output lines respectively of microphone 19 and device 20 and contacts 6 and 3 of switch 29. Wipers A, B and C are mechanically linked. When the wipers are in the positions adjacent contacts 1, 4 and 7, only microphone 19 will be connected to amplifier 28. Likewise, when wipers A, B and C are positioned adjacent contacts 2, 5 and 8, both microphone 19 and device 20 will be connected to amplifier 28 whereas when the wipers are positioned adjacent contacts 3, 6 and 9, the microphone 19, device 20 and detector 27 will be connected to amplifier 28 thereby allowing the sounds received by the radio receiving set, the sounds received by the microphone and the sounds received by device 20 to be amplified simultaneously via amplifier 28 and then to emit from speaker 18.

The circuitry shown in FIG. 5 is identical with respect to the circuitry shown in FIG. 4 with the exception that the radio receiving set is of the FM type and therefore, incorporates a limiter 34 and discriminator 35. The antenna, tuner and RF amplifier are connected via converter 36 to the IF amplifier 37 which in turn is connected to limiter 34. Limiter 34 is a specialized RF amplifier and eliminates the noise effects from the signal. Discriminator 35 changes the rate of frequency variation into voltage variations. The output of discriminator 35 is connected to switch 27' in a manner identical to the connection of the output of detector 27. Likewise, the output of switch 27' is connected to amplifier 29 in an identical manner as described for the connection between switch 27' and amplifier 28. In addition, the same connections are made between microphone 19 and device 20.

Selector switch 27' is therefore connected between the amplifier and antenna means 21, between the amplifier and microphone 19 and between the amplifier and device 20 with the selector switch being operable to control the electrical signal flow from the antenna, microphone and device 20 to amplifier 29. The selector switch is mounted to top panel 14. Likewise, the on-off/volume switch 31 is mounted to panel 14 along with microphone volume switch 32 and guitar volume switch 33.

A door 38 is hingedly mounted to panel 15 (FIG. 3) in order to allow access to the battery pack 39. Pack 39 has a plurality of batteries removably mounted therein and connected to the output terminals 40 and 41. On-off/volume switch 31 is connected between terminals 40 and 41 and the radio receiving set which has its components mounted to terminal board 42 secured to the inside surface of panel 14. Likewise, the on-off/volume switch is connected between terminals 40 and 41 and the microphone and between terminals 40 and 41 and device 20. Terminals 40 and 41 are contactable with the batteries secured within passage 39 for providing the electrical energy for the various components.

Magnets 43 are mounted within main body 11 and are positioned adjacent the openings closed by door 38 so as to contact magnets 44 secured to the inside surface of the door for holding the door in the closed position. Microphone 19 is mounted to a flexible member 45 which is secured to wall 16. Member 45 may be bent to the desired shape so as to position the microphone in an appropriate position.

Many variations are contemplated and included in the present invention. For example, additional speakers, such as four speakers, may be mounted to the main body of the guitar in lieu of the single speaker shown in the drawing. It will be obvious from the above description that the present invention provides a new and improved musical instrument. It will be further obvious from the above description that the present invention provides a guitar radio microphone combination which has a self-contained power supply and amplifier thereby eliminating the necessity for external electrical cords.

A variety of devices may be utilized to pick up the sounds generated by the guitar strings. A popular version of device 20 incorporates a magnetic coil with sensors positioned immediately below the guitar strings. The magnetic coil produces electrical signals in proportion to the sounds generated by the strings.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.

Claims

The invention claimed is:

1. A musical instrument comprising:

a guitar having a hollow main body forming a sound box with a long neck attached thereto and strings with opposite ends attached to said neck and said main body;

a battery holder mounted within said main body for receiving at least one battery, said holder having electrical output terminals contactable with said battery for providing electrical energy;

a radio receiving set mounted within said main body and connected to said terminals for the operation of said set, said radio receiving set including antenna means, an audio speaker and a first amplifier;

a microphone mounted to said guitar and being electrically connected to said terminals, said microphone having an output line connected to said amplifier;

first means mounted to said main body beneath said strings being electrically connected to said terminals and said amplifier and being operable to produce audio electrical signals in proportion to sounds generated by said strings; and,

switch means mounted to said guitar and connected between said amplifier and said antenna means, between said amplifier and said microphone and between said amplifier and said first means, said switch means being operable to control electrical signal flow from said antenna means, said microphone and said first means to said amplifier.

2. The musical instrument of claim 1 and further comprising:

an on-off/volume switch mounted to said main body and connected between said terminals and said radio receiving set, between said terminals and said microphone and between said terminals and said first means.

3. The musical instrument of claim 2 and further comprising:

a microphone volume switch mounted to said main body and connected to said microphone and said switch means; and,

a guitar volume switch mounted to said main body and connected between said first means and said switch means.

4. The musical instrument of claim 3 wherein:

said switch means includes a selector switch mounted to said main body with at least three positions, said selector switch in one of said positions connects said microphone to said amplifier and disconnects said antenna means and said first means from said amplifier, said selector switch in another position connects said microphone and said first means to said amplifier and disconnects said antenna means from said amplifier, said selector switch in another position connects said microphone, said first means and said antenna means to said amplifier.

5. The musical instrument of claim 4 wherein:

said selector switch is a three position/three deck switch.

6. The musical instrument of claim 4 wherein:

said radio receiving set includes an RF amplifier connected to said antenna means, a mixer connected to said RF amplifier, an intermediate frequency amplifier connected to said mixer and a detector connected to said intermediate frequency amplifier and said selector switch.

7. The musical instrument of claim 4 wherein:

said radio receiving set includes an RF amplifier connected to said antenna means, a frequency converter connected to said RF amplifier, an intermediate frequency amplifier connected to said converter, a limiter connected to said converter for limiting amplitude modulation and a discriminator connected to said limiter and said selector switch.

8. The musical instrument of claim 6 wherein:

said hollow main body has a top panel and a bottom panel spaced apart by an outer wall, said top panel has a hole extending across said strings with said speaker mounted to said top panel and positioned adjacent said hole;

said selector switch, said first means, said on-off/volume switch, said microphone volume switch and said guitar volume switch are mounted to said top panel with said microphone mounted to said outer wall;

said bottom panel has a door hingedly mounted thereto which is magnetically held in a closed position, said door when opened allows access to said battery holder.