| The Claims for the Rubber Guitar Transposer are as follows: Claim 1 A Rubber Guitar Transposer of variable thickness molded to the shape of a guitar neck that will expand and contract to cope with the diminishing fret spaces caused be the logarithmic positioning of the frets when repositioned along the neck and fit most guitar sizes. The Transposer carries a set of one to five fret bands with infused colored pointers with rectangular wedged securing system molded into neck and lug tongues. Claim 2 As of claim 1 A Silicon Rubber Guitar Transposer of variable thickness engineered to deliberately cause some areas to stretch and others to remain rigid. Claim 3 As of claim 2 Fret bands that utilize the Silicon material ability to expand and contract when stretched to fit into smaller fret spaces where the frets are mounted closer together. a) Fret bands that utilize the silicon materials ability to contract to sit below the height of a fret. b) Fret bands that when stretched cause the attached fret/string pointers to change dimensions becoming wider to remain in line with its designated strings that fan apart on wider positions of a neck or wider necks. Claim 4 As of claim 1 Variable fret band spaces between fret bands that can increase and decrease in width to allow the fret bands to move between larger or smaller fret spaces caused by the way frets are logarithmically positioned along a fret board. Claim 5 As of claim 4 Elliptical forms cut into the lug tongue and the neck tongue creating the relief space for the fret bands to come together or move apart when repositioned along the fret board. Claim 6 As of claim 2 A molded rigid angular cleat located at the ends of the fret bands that locks into to the right angle edge of a finger/fret board to help stop the Transposer from moving out of position. A) A molded angular Cleat form that locks into the right angle edge of a* fingerboard used to register and align the guitar to the Transposer. B) A molded angular Cleat form that locks to the right angle edge of a fingerboard used to ensure the fret bands stretch the correct amount when altering the dimensions of the pointers. Claim 7 As of claim 1 A five-color system to communicate all the chromatic notes chords and scales of music in the Transposers first set up position which then becomes void once the Transposer is moved to a new position on the fret board. The color system then becomes a secondary system to convey the common chord and scale shapes/patterns of fretting configurations across the whole fret board Claim 8 As of claim 2 Fret / String Pointers tnat change dimensions to remain in line with the strings. Claim 9 As of claim 1 A molded neck tongue that reaches around eighty to ninety percent of a neck area behind the finger board which creates a larger surface area needed to stretch and fit to the larger areas of the neck and larger necks. Claim 10 As of claim 1 A molded neck tongue of minimal thickness that reaches around eighty to ninety percent of a neck area behind the finger board keeping the interference to the fretting hand and thumb to a minimum. Claim 11 As of claim 1 A molded rectangular female wedged relief hole rigid but still flexible enough to bend to the curved shape of the neck and almost the same thickness of the male lug counterpart and located at the extreme end one the neck tongue used in securing the Transposer to the neck of a guitar. Claim 12 As of claim 1 A molded rectangular male wedged lug contoured to the curved shape of the neck of the guitar used in securing the Transposer to the neck of a guitar |
Each Rubber Guitar Transposer is a temporary guitar finger/fretting position tool in the form of a one piece expanding contracting and part rigid Movable-Transposer ideally made from molded silicon rubber. A number of Transposers will be best sold as a kit but there is scope for singular sales as well. The movable Transposer is a vehicle for one or a plurality of self adjusting fret bands, which carry and align the color visual note pointer systems to the strings for learning the hidden workings and fretting positions of the guitar neck. Each Movable-Transposer can be repositioned up to about half the length of the Neck of the Guitar. A second shorter but wider Movable-Transposer would be used the get past or up to the twelfth fret depending on the position of the heel of the guitar neck. The heel of the guitar neck will determine the limitation of the possibility of moving to or past the twelfth fret on some guitars.
The main advantage obtained from a movable Transposer is the way the Transposer explains the hidden inner workings of the finger/fret boards fretting positions and why the fretting positions have to remain invisible without a permanent Pointers etched into the finger/fret board.
Music is played in many different keys the finger/fret boards configuration of note fretting positions move up or down the fret board when ever a piece of music is played in a different key making the guitar neck operate very similar to a slide rule. The movable Transposer operates almost like one half of slide rule making the guitar neck the second half of the slide rule. The slide rule process is responsible for a guitar fret board from ever having a permanently note, etched fret board and is why a temporary system is needed to better explain and understand the process. The movable Transposers also focuses the player on to one to five frets at a time multiple Transposers can be applied to the fret board at one time showing how the configuration of note fretting positions is almost split into sections.
There is a relatively new system used along side the traditional sheet music where guitar chord — boxes"are-disp1ayed-a bove-the-grand-staffr-
There is a fatal flaw with this chord box system or any printed sheets showing scales or chords positions and problem with getting instructions from another guitarist or guitar teacher. The problem is the chords and scales will always be viewed in a Mirror Perspective forcing the viewer to interpret chords and scales in reverse.
The Transposers solve this problem by displaying chords and scales directly on the fret board in a User Perspective position.
The Transposers are a much more advanced system than Chord Boxes and printed scales because multiple chords and scales will be displayed on the one Transposer with the use of color to separate each chord and scale. Printed chord Boxes and scales music sheets will never need to be printed in more than one color and usually black ink because they display one chord and scale at a time. The invention may be better understood with reference to the illustrations of embodiments of the invention which:-
A brief descriptions of the drawings.
Figure 1 Is a plan view of a three-fret band version of a Transposer with its curve form flattened out to get an idea of size and shape showing the fret bands and fret spaces the lug tongue with three parallelogram or rectangular lugs shapes and the neck tongues three parallelogram or rectangular holes
Figure 2 is a side view of guitar neck with the Transposer secured in the playing position. This view is showing how the cleats lock into the edge of the fret board and how the neck tongue travels all the way around the back of the neck and marries with lug Tongue that only travels a third of the way round the neck. The lugs and lug holes have been secured together.
Figure 3 is a side view showing how the Transposer is shaped very similar to a guitar neck without being attached to a guitar neck specifically showing the obtuse angle of the molded cleats that are thicker in density the fret bands. This view also gives a better view of how the lugs and lug holes wedged surfaces in the apart position.
Figure 4 Shows the Transposer set up against the first second and third frets on the fret board with the bone nut and six-guitar strings displayed in top view showing how the shape and size of the Transposer and pointers has not needed to change.
Figure 5 Shows the Transposer set up against the fifth sixth and seventh frets positioned further up fret board with the top view showing how the shape and size of the Transposer and pointers has now changed compared to the same Transposer seen in Figure 4. This demonstrates how the Transposer will fit the different neck size and fret positions and how the pointers/fret bands have stretched to remain in line with the strings
As seen in Figures 4 & 5 The main obstacle of the movable Transposer is to be able to fit and move within the diminishing fret space O caused by the logarithmic positioning of the frets 9 as you get closer to the body of the guitar. The top view of a fret/finger board 1 1 can be deceiving looking like a Rectangular Quadrilateral shape. But in reality the Quadrilateral shape is an isosceles trapezoid with the wider edge located at the body of the guitar and the narrow edge located at the nut position of the fret/finger board. As seen in Figure 1the body of the
Transposer 1 is molded into a similar trapezoid shape as the fret board but the two angles differs in value.
As seen in Figures 4 & 5 The widening nature of the Fret Board 13 & 14 is not an obstacle to the mobility of the Transposer but is crucial in causing the Transposer to stretch to fit into the diminishing space created by the frets. The Transposers utilizes the inherent nature of rubber that contracts when stretched and uses this function in many ways that will be described throughout this description. As seen in Figures 1 & 4 in this instance the overall size of the Transposer 6 will change the Transposer will contract as seen in Figure 5 becoming a shorter Transposer 7 when caused to stretch by the wider positions located further up the guitar neck. As seen in Figure 1 4 & 5 the Fret Board Bands 2 are the silicon rubber bands that lay across the fret board 1 1 under the guitar strings 12. Each fret band lies between two frets just below the height of the Frets thus not interfering with the string action or the payability of the Guitar. The standard height of a guitar fret never really varies on any guitar in the world and is about point eight of a millimeter high. This standard fret height governs a fret bands thickness of between point four and point eight of a millimeter high, which is more than silicon rubber breakpoint thickness.
As seen in Figures 2 & 3 the thickness of the fret bands 2 is somewhat irrelevant. The bands can comfortably be the same as the fret height because the Transposers over all construction . have been constructed to be slightly smaller than smallest standard width of a fret board will always cause a fret band to stretch. As seen in Figure 2 when silicon rubber stretches the rubber material becomes thinner causing the fret band surface to sit below the height of a fret 9.
As seen in Figure 1 each of the fret bands 2 in a Transposer are of different lengths and are themselves a molded isosceles trapezoid shaped form. It has been found keeping the fret bands uniform in width and all the other unmentioned dimensions will ensure equal and even stretching for better fitting and synchronizing with the positioning of the strings and frets. As seen in Figures 4 located at the head of a fret board the white bone nut 14 smallest possible width is around thirty six millimeters long the largest is about fifty to fifty-six millimeters. The smallest fret band is about thirty-five millimeters long and will stretch to fifty-six millimeters long.
As seen in Figure 1 a standard for a fret bands width dimensions 2 was found to a width of around sixteen millimeters at rest on a Transposer system best that's used between the first and around the tenth frets. As seen in Figure 5 these sizes refer to widths at rest when attached to the guitar neck the sixteen millimeters will reduce to a width of between sixteen millimeters and around twelve to fourteen millimeters for a fret band 4. The size namely the width of the guitar neck and the position of the Transposer along the neck govern the stretch variations in fret band widths. Narrower fret bands will be used on the wider Transposers used to reach the twelfth fret.
As seen in Figure 1 the types of Movable Transposers can vary built in one to about five Fret " Bands 2. A ~ system using more fret bands is possible but five is the logical limit. Having more than five bands limit the distance a Transposer can move up the neck in this description we use three fret bands 2.
As seen in Figure 1 & 4 there are two main functions for the open space 3 found between each of the fret bands. The first function will depend on where the Transposer is positioned on the guitar neck but in the rest position the fret space 3 will be about sixteen millimeters wide. As seen in Figure 5 the fret bands are engineered to use this space and close up to around twelve to fourteen millimeters 5 to fit into the smaller fret spaces between the seventh and twelfth fret and beyond. As seen in Figure 4 The space will expand to fit into the wider fret spaces 10 around the first one to three frets to a distance of around eighteen millimeters. Even without the stretching process the sixteen millimeters fret band space 3 will allow the frets is enough room to be positioned between the fret bands.
As seen in Figure Elliptical shape edges 8 molded into the Transposer between the fret bands are used as pivoting relief spaces when the closing and expanding process fret bands is applied. The second use for the fret band spaces 3 is to allow the frets to protrude through the Transposers not interfering with the fretting action of the frets.
A cross section view as seen in Figure 2 of a guitar neck 14 shows how the movable
Transposer uses the unusual shape that is not a complete universally spherical surface of a guitar neck. The cross section reveals a shape of two acute type right angles edges 15 of the fret board and a flatter surface area of 11 the fret board and a half-circular shape 16 of the neck. These geometric shapes are utilized to assist and advantage the Transposer to achieve its goals.
A special obtuse angled feature with the dimensions of approximately ninety-two degrees has been molded into each end of a fret band and is called the cleats 19. The cleats are an example where the rubber needs to be rigid by making the area of the lug and neck tongues thicker molding. The cleats have multiple purposes. The cleats are molded to lock into the acute right- angled edges 15 of the fret board that help stop the Transposer moving out of position especially around area bf the first three frets of the guitar where the neck is thinner. The cleats help ensure only the fret bands lie across the fret board none of the neck & lug tongue 17 &18 should be over the fret board.
A guitar is a very precisely constructed instrument with lots of components lining up with each other like the stringsl 2 with the edge of the fret board 15 and the precision logarithmic fret positioning. In order for a visual pointer system to work the Transposer needs to also align precisely with the components of a guitar.
The Transposer needs to be as precision built instrument itself and uses the cleats 19 as a registering system to accurately align the Transposer and the guitar together. As seen in Figure 4 & 5 using the acute angled edges of the fret board as a common register edge to line up with the crease bend in a cleat this ensures a fret band 2 & 4 and its colored fret pointers 20 & 21 accurately line up to each of the six strings. When silicon is stretched closer to its maximum the cleats rigidity diminishes but the cleats crease bend will always want to gravitate into the edge of the fret board. The cleats help the fret bands and rest of the Transposer to adjust to most fret board and neck of different sizes.
The cleats control the stretching of the fret bands.
The colored Fret/String Pointers 20 & 21 are made from liquid silicon-based materials infused into the surface of the Fret Bands and are used to point the musician to the correct string and fret to use on the guitar.
The pointers 20 & 21 stretch with and as much as the silicon surface they have been infused into. This makes the fused Fret Pointers an automatically adjustable system.
When a fret band is stretched Fret Pointers will distort to be wider shapes sizes 22 & 23 and stay align with its correct string when a Transposer is moved up to the wider part of the neck or wider guitar necks.
The shape of a pointer 20 & 21 has also been engineered to align with the different angles of each of the six strings with the use of parallelogram shapes. Although the angles are slight they still help the pointers work with the continuity of the string angles that fan apart as they travel further up the neck. The comers of a pointer 20 & 21 have been curved to aid the visual separation when two pointers are set together.
A five-color pointer system is used to convey all of the twelve chromatic notes of music on a fret board up about the twelfth fret. The five colors need to contrast against each other for separation and the background of a pale maple or dark rosewood fret boards the sequence of color is not that important. The colors yellow and purple and also black and white should not be used because they will be too difficult to see with maple or rosewood backgrounds. Each Transposer has an initial first set up position on a guitar neck and where a designated color system is only relating to one particular Key of chord or scales. But once a Transposer has been moved the color system becomes void are no longer associated with the set up position keys chords or scales. This is how all of the five colors and pointers can be used in a secondary manner to indicate the remaining eleven chromatic notes in music.
For example the actual Fret Pointers 20 & 21 seen in both Figure 4 & 5 are the same pointers but in the position at the third fret in Figure 4 the note is physically the G note. When the same Transposer is set up at seventh fret as shown in Figure 5 the note has changed to being the B note. The color pointer system is about teaching and becoming familiar with the common chord and scale shapes/patterns of fretting configurations in the remaining eleven keys that are repeatedly found along the fret board rather than displaying what a particular note name chord or scale the pointer system is displaying.
A maximum of three-color pointers 20 per Transposer is used to not further complicate the visual problem of the fret board. The clashing lines of guitars strings and frets make it visual difficult to focus and quickly locate the fret/strings making the guitar an instrument that can take years to master. The movable Transposer system solves this problem by limiting the amount of fused Pointers on a Transposer.
The Transposes as a whole can be split into three main sections the cleats are the borders of each section. The first has already been discussed being the fret bands 2 section.
As seen in Figuresl & 2 the second section is the curved lug tongue 17 that is contoured to fit into the part of the area of the neck closest to the bass E string. The lug tongue is a thicker silicon material molded to the shape of a neck. The rectangular lugs 24 are concave in the same direction as the neck. The idea here is when a lug locks into the curve of the neck the lug is compressed and thus much sturdier structure. The lug tongues 17 carry-the rectanguladug
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The third section is the neck tongue 18 that wraps completely around the back of the neck from one edge of the fret board to the other. This long tongue needs to be a longer stretchable surface area for the silicon to stretch further to fit on larger necks and fit most of the possible positions up and down the Neck.
The ideal playing position for the thumb of the fretting hand is on the highest peak point 16 of the back of the neck. Having the lug tongue and locking system reach only about a third of the way around the neck from the fret boards E bass strings edge will ensure less silicon bulk at the peak point of the back of the neck. The rectangular lug holes 25 are molded into the neck tongues section.
The long neck tongue edge has a protruding kink 26 molded into the silicon to help lift the tongue up to adjust the fit of the neck after the Transposer has been fitted.
Each Transposer is self-securing by a set of wedged parallelogram or rectangular lug 24 and wedged parallelogram or rectangular hole 25 type securing system molded into the silicon rubber Transposers one piece construction in the first Stage of production. The amount fret bands will determine the number of lug sets used on a Transposer being one set for each fret band 2. The lugs have an acute forty-five degree flat surface 27 that wedges into the opposite flat forty- five degree inner surface 28 of the lug holes. The stretch action of rubber tongues holds the wedges together not the surfaces themselves.
Each lugs longest edge is the same width or just slightly smaller than the fret-band width. The design of lug securing system has a second function it ensures the fret bands have an even distribution of stretch pressure through out the fret band sub structure. Even if the lug holes are distorting badly the lug counterparts remain in its rectangular shape and being deliberately located as close to the edge of a fret band in this case the E bass string side of the fret board edge. This solid lug structure creates a good anchor point to the guitar ensuring a fret band stretches correctly. The system uses softer rubber because if a rigid area of the Transposer is needed then by making an object thicker the section automatically becomes more rigid.
As seen in Figure 1 & 4 there is relief space 30 between the rectangular lug holes that closes up when the fret bands are required to come together when moved further up the neck as seen in Figure 5 relief space 31.
As seen in Figure 1 applying a Transposer to the guitar starts with the neck tongue that has a sloped leading edge 29 that is fed under the strings at the sound hole or pickup area of the guitar until only the thinner area of the Transposer is under the strings. This area is used because there is a wider space between strings and the body of the guitar. The Transposer is then moved up between the fret board and strings to the desired fret position. As seen in Figure 2 The Transposer is secured buy attaching the neck tongue lug holes 25 with the lugs opposing counterparts 26. Care needs to be taken and some skill needs to be developed when setting up a Transposer on the guitar.
The ideal set up position for a fret band is to be as close to its designated fret as possible this intern the puts the fused pointer in best positioned for accurate fretting technique.
Some times the fret bands may need to move away from its designated fret closer to the center of the space between frets when positioned up the neck. As long as the Pointers are pointing out the correct string and fret moving some three millimeters towards the center of the fret space is irrelevant.
The current working model will fit on the wider necks of a classical guitar but it's a little harder to set up securing the Transposer to the neck. It takes between and five minutes to set up a Transposer around the first and third frets. It gets progressively harder to set up a Transposer between the sixth and eighth frets where it can take up to five to ten minutes to complete. The five-minutes to set up a Transposer equals months of the learning process.
Although the Transposer could be made from opaque or translucent type material it is preferable to have the Transposer made of transparent silicon rubber enabling the Transposer to be invisible as possible and keeping the focus on the fret pointers 20 & 21.
The movable Transposers system described in this description is to be used on guitars only. The system however could be adapted to fit other neck and fret board type musical instruments. A completely different Visual Pointer system could also be used to communicate other tuning configurations such as Open Tuning for slide guitar or drop C or D tunings which require completely different fretting configuration pointer positions. The movable Transposer constaiction is an open U shaped created by the cleat angled walls molded to fit most varied sizes of guitar necks. Silicon rubber has been chosen because of its ability to stretch to about double it size before breakage there are other materials that could be used but silicon rubber is the obvious best material available at the moment.
The Transposers silicon structure can be licensed to a third party for a completely different use for guitar or other neck based instruments.
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