Stringed instrument fingerboard for use with a light-system
A fingerboard (or fretboard) for use with a stringed instrument and light-system is disclosed and has a bottom surface adapted to mate or be attached to a neck of the instrument, and has wells extending from the bottom surface toward, but not through, a top surface. The wells are sized to receive a light-emitting device, such as LEDs, and are positioned along the fingerboard according to finger positions of the instrument. Illumination from the light-emitting devices is visible to a player of the instrument, however, when the devices are not illuminated, the fingerboard appears substantially as one made without the wells. The structure is useful for learning to play the instrument, while not appearing as a learning device.
1. A fingerboard for a stringed instrument comprising:
an elongated structure having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface sized to be disposed on upper surface of a neck base of a stringed instrument, the top surface having at least one finger position; and
an opening in the bottom surface and a well extending therefrom toward, but not through, the top surface, the well sized to receive a light-emitting device and has a height measured from the bottom surface to allow light from the light-emitting device to be visible to a player of the instrument, the opening disposed at a location designating the at least one finger position on the top surface.
2. The fingerboard of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of frets disposed along the top surface, each fret designating one or more finger positions.
3. The fingerboard of claim 2 , further comprising grooves disposed along the top surface of the fingerboard, each groove adapted to receive a fret.
4. The fingerboard of claim 2 , further comprising nut assemblies, each assembly adapted to secure a fret to the top surface of the fingerboard.
5. The fingerboard of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board, the circuit board having a plurality of light-emitting devices.
6. The fingerboard of claim 5 , wherein the elongated structure further includes multiple wells.
7. The fingerboard of claim 1 , further comprising a recessed area disposed on the bottom surface, the recessed area adapted to receive at least a portion of the circuit board.
8. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the fingerboard is composed of a material of any of the group consisting of clear, translucent, opaque and any combination thereof.
9. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the fingerboard is composed of a polymer material.
10. The fingerboard of claim 9 , wherein the polymer material is a polycarbonate.
11. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein the fingerboard comprises a single piece structure.
12. The fingerboard of claim 11 , wherein the fingerboard is injection molded.
13. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of material between a top of the well and the top surface is between approximately 0.01 inch and approximately 0.4 inch.
14. The fingerboard of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of material between a top of the well and the top surface is between approximately 0.05 and approximately 0.1 inch.
15. A neck assembly for a stringed instrument comprising:
an elongated neck structure having a head end and a body end, the body end adapted to mate with a body of a stringed instrument, and the structure having an upper surface adapted to mate with a fingerboard;
an elongated fingerboard structure having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface sized to be disposed on upper surface of the neck, the top surface having at least one finger position; and
an opening in the bottom surface of the fingerboard and a well extending therefrom toward, but not through, the top surface, the well sized to receive a light-emitting device and has a height measured from the bottom surface to allow light from the light-emitting device to be visible to a player of the instrument, the opening disposed at a location designating the finger position on the top surface.
16. The neck assembly of claim 15 , further comprising a circuit board disposed between the neck structure and the fingerboard structure, the circuit board having a plurality of light-emitting devices disposed thereon and each corresponding to a well on the bottom surface of the fingerboard.
17. The neck assembly of claim 16 , wherein the fingerboard further comprises a recessed area along the bottom surface sized to receive the circuit board.
18. The fingerboard of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of frets disposed along the top surface, each fret designating one or more finger positions.
19. The fingerboard of claim 18 , further comprising grooves disposed along the top surface of the fingerboard, each groove adapted to receive a fret.
20. The fingerboard of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of frets disposed along the top surface, each fret designating one or more finger positions.
21. The fingerboard of claim 20 , further comprising grooves disposed along the top surface of the fingerboard, each groove adapted to receive a fret.
22. The fingerboard of claim 20 , further comprising net assemblies, each assembly adapted to secure a fret to the top surface of the fingerboard.
23. The fingerboard of claim 15 , wherein the fingerboard is composed of a material of any of the group consisting of clear, translucent, opaque and any combination thereof.
24. The fingerboard of claim 15 , wherein the fingerboard is composed of a polymer material.
25. The fingerboard of claim 24 , wherein the neck structure comprises wood.
26. The fingerboard of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of material between a top of the well and the top surface is between approximately 0.01 inch and approximately 0.4 inch.
27. The fingerboard of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of material between a top of the well and the top surface is between approximately 0.05 and approximately 0.1 inch.
28. A learning tool for learning to play a stringed instrument comprising:
a fingerboard disposed on a neck base of a stringed instrument,
the fingerboard having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface sized to be disposed on upper surface of the neck base, the top surface having at least one finger position;
an opening in the bottom surface of the fingerboard and a well extending therefrom toward, but not through, the top surface, the well sized to receive a light-emitting device and has a height measured from the bottom surface to allow light from the light-emitting device to be visible to a player of the instrument, the opening disposed at a location designating the finger position on the top surface; and
the light-emitting device coupled to a light-system that illuminates the light-emitting device according to a musical note or chord.
29. The fingerboard of claim 28 , further comprising a plurality of frets disposed along the top surface, each fret designating one or more finger positions.
30. The fingerboard of claim 29 , further comprising grooves disposed along the top surface of the fingerboard, each groove adapted to receive a fret.
31. The fingerboard of claim 29 , further comprising nut assemblies, each assembly adapted to secure a fret to the top surface of the fingerboard.
32. The fingerboard of claim 28 , further comprising a circuit board, the circuit board having a plurality of light-emitting devices, each device disposed on the circuit board to be received by a corresponding well.
33. The fingerboard of claim 32 , wherein the bottom surface of the fingerboard attached to the circuit board.
34. The fingerboard of claim 33 , further comprising a recessed area disposed on the bottom surface, the recessed area sized to receive the circuit board.
35. The fingerboard of claim 28 , wherein the fingerboard is composed of a material of any of the group consisting of clear, translucent, opaque and any combination thereof.
36. The fingerboard of claim 28 , wherein the fingerboard is composed of a polymer material.
37. The fingerboard of claim 36 , wherein the polymer material is a polycarbonate.
38. The fingerboard of claim 28 , wherein the fingerboard comprises a single piece structure.
39. The fingerboard of claim 38 , wherein the fingerboard is injection molded.
40. The fingerboard of claim 28 , wherein a thickness of material between a top of the well and the top surface is between approximately 0.01 inch and approximately 0.4 inch.
41. The fingerboard of claim 28 , wherein a thickness of material between a top of the well and the top surface is between approximately 0.05 and approximately 0.1 inch.