Stringed Musical Instrument Top - Molded Fiberglass Composite Guitar Soundboard
4,429,608
1984
Charles H. Kaman, C. William Kaman II
US
Molded plastic composite guitar top with integral reinforcing rib structure
4 drawings
This patent describes a molded plastic guitar top for acoustic stringed instruments, comprising a single piece of thermosetting plastic sheet molding compound consisting of approximately 40% glass fibers and 60% resin. The sounding board features a circular sound hole with concentric annular reinforcing ribs and rectilinear ribs extending longitudinally that intersect the annular ribs to provide structural reinforcement. The design aims to overcome the limitations of traditional wood soundboards, including susceptibility to humidity, cracking, and inconsistent acoustic properties, while enabling low-cost, uniform mass production.