System for remotely generating sound from a musical instrument

1. A system for attaching to an acoustic instrument in order to produce sound from the acoustic instrument, the acoustic instrument including strings and a sound board, the system comprising:

an input configured to receive an externally generated signal, said signal generated by a first musical instrument;

an exciter configured to accept the externally generated signal as its input and to produce mechanical vibrations as its output;

a coupling interface operatively connected to the exciter and configured to accept the mechanical vibrations of the exciter and transfer the mechanical vibrations to a bridge or a saddle of the acoustic instrument, thereby producing sound from the acoustic instrument; and

an attachment means for removably securing at least the coupling interface to the acoustic instrument, wherein the attachment means applies a clamping force to an element of the acoustic instrument through use of a contact surface for contacting a side of the strings opposite the sound board, and a clamping bar configured to contact the strings on a side opposite the contact surface and removably secure the system to the strings of the acoustic instrument.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the attachment means includes a cam and wherein movement of the cam causes the attachment means to exert the clamping force on a first element of the acoustic instrument.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a microphone.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is housed in a single structure.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the coupling interface is configured to apply pressure to a saddle of the acoustic instrument when the system is secured to the acoustic instrument.

6. The system of claim 2 configured such that pressure exerted on the first element causes the coupling interface to contact a second element of the acoustic instrument.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the coupling interface contacts at least a portion of a bridge assembly of the acoustic instrument.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the attachment means comprises a cross bar; a stem attached to the cross bar; and a locking means to secure the stem in a locked position, wherein the locked position secures at least the coupling interface to the acoustic instrument.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the acoustic instrument comprises strings and wherein the cross bar is configured to fit between two adjacent strings in a first position and configured to not fit between the adjacent strings in a second position.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the cross bar in the second position contacts and exerts pressure on the strings when secured by the stem and locking means.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the attachment means secures the system to the acoustic instrument by applying the clamping force to strings of the acoustic instrument.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a cam connected to a first end of a stem and a cross bar connected to a second end of a stem.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein rotation of the cam in a first direction causes the first end of the stem to move away from the strings thereby causing the cross bar to move toward the strings.

14. A system for attaching to strings of an acoustic instrument in order to produce sound from the acoustic instrument, the instrument including a sound board, the system comprising:

an input configured to receive an externally generated signal, said signal generated by a first musical instrument;

an exciter configured to accept the externally generated signal as its input and to produce mechanical vibrations as its output;

a coupling interface operatively connected to the exciter and configured to transfer the mechanical vibrations to a saddle of the acoustic instrument, thereby producing sound from the acoustic instrument;

a contact surface for contacting a side of the strings opposite the sound board; and

a clamping bar configured to contact the strings on a side opposite the contact surface and removably secure the system to the strings of the acoustic instrument.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the clamping bar comprises a stem connected to a midpoint of a cross bar in a perpendicular arrangement.