Stringed Musical Instrument Top Member with Composite Laminate and Core-Free Flex Edge
EP 1 156 475 B1
2003
Hudak, William; Ladutko, Nicholas; Johnson, Donald M.; Untermyer, Frank I.; Vassilopoulos, William P.; Gunsailus, Clifford; Saunders, Robert H., Jr.
International
Composite material laminated top member with core-free flex edge portion for improved acoustic vibration in stringed instruments
19 drawings
This European patent describes a top member (soundboard) for the body of an acoustical stringed instrument, such as a guitar, utilizing a laminated composite material construction. The forward part features an interior portion with paired composite material layers bonded around a core layer, and a surrounding core-free flex edge portion that allows the interior sound board to vibrate more freely than prior art designs. The invention also includes optional rearwardly projecting skirts and sound hole flanges that provide structural reinforcement, reducing the need for traditional bracing while improving tonal, dynamic, and sustain characteristics.