Stringed Musical Instrument Top Member with Composite Laminate Construction
EP 1 156 475 A1
2001
Hudak, William; Ladutko, Nicholas; Johnson, Donald M.; Untermyer, Frank I.; Vassilopoulos, William P.; Gunsallus, Clifford; Saunders, Robert H., Jr.
International
Composite material top member for acoustical stringed instrument with flex edge portion and structural skirt
14 drawings
This European Patent Application by Kaman Music Corporation describes a composite top member for the body of an acoustical stringed instrument, such as a guitar. The top member features a forward part with an interior sound board portion having paired composite material layers bonded around a core layer, surrounded by a core-free flex edge portion that allows more unrestricted vibration than traditional wooden or prior composite soundboards. A rearwardly projecting skirt along the edge of the flex portion slidably fits over the instrument body sidewall during assembly, providing structural reinforcement while reducing the need for internal bracing.