Recessed Concave Fingerboard for Stringed Instruments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional stringed instruments' fingerboards, often convex or flat, do not adequately match the natural structure and movement of fingers, leading to suboptimal playability and sound quality due to inefficient string contact and increased finger fatigue.

Innovation Solution

A concave fingerboard design that is transverse and recessed relative to the instrument's body, providing a symmetrical concave surface with a constant radius of curvature, allowing for improved finger movement and reduced string tension on the neck, and incorporating a bridge that can be recessed below the top surface to enhance sound wave capture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a convex or flat fingerboard is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the playability is suboptimal and causes finger fatigue

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveplayabilityVSAvoidfingerboard structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fingerboard is designed with a concave curvature instead of a flat or convex surface. This concave shape matches the natural convex curvature of the player's fingers, allowing for more comfortable contact and reduced finger fatigue during play, directly improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Reliability

If a recessed concave fingerboard is used, then string contact is improved and vibration sustainability is enhanced, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestring contact efficiencyVSAvoidfingerboard fabrication

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The recessed concave surface is formed with a specific radius of curvature that optimizes string contact. This curved geometry ensures consistent contact between the strings and fingerboard across the playing area, improving vibration transfer and sound quality while the recessed design allows for better structural integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The fingerboard design specifies a constant radius of curvature parameter for the concave surface. By defining this geometric parameter, the manufacturing process can be standardized and controlled, making the increased complexity manageable through precise parameter specification rather than arbitrary shaping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Force

If the fingerboard is recessed relative to the body, then neck strain is reduced and playability is improved, but the structural complexity of the instrument body increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneck strainVSAvoidinstrument body structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The recessed fingerboard design creates a counterbalancing effect where the concave depression in the body structure offsets the weight and force distribution on the neck. This reduces the net strain on the neck by redistributing forces through the body, effectively using the recessed geometry as a mechanical counterbalance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

Data Source

PatentUS9679543B2Recessed concave fingerboard

Publication Date: 2017.06.13 DALEY BRIAN H

AI summary

A musical instrument having a plurality of strings is provided, the strings extending along a longitudinal dimension. The instrument includes a concave fingerboard extending along the longitudinal dimension and spaced from the plurality of strings to define the action, wherein a portion of the concave fingerboard is below an adjacent surface of a body of the musical instrument.