Apparatus for supporting a stringed musical instrument

Abstract

An apparatus for supporting a stringed musical instrument on a user in which the apparatus comprises a harness that attaches to a single anchor point on the instrument and further cradles the body of the instrument along a length of the harness. The harness includes a tab for engaging the anchor point on the instrument and an adjustable strap forming a single closed loop that further engages the front, back and side surfaces of the instrument during use.

1 . An apparatus for supporting a stringed musical instrument, said apparatus comprising: 
 a fastening portion comprises means for attaching to the instrument, and    a strap;    said strap comprises a single closed loop which includes means for engaging a user and means for cradling the instrument, wherein said single closed loop is attached to said fastening portion.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said means for engaging a user comprises a first portion of the strap and said means for cradling the instrument comprises a second portion of the strap, said first portion having first and second ends with said first end attached to said fastening portion, and said second portion having third and fourth ends with said third end attached to said fastening portion; and 
 an adjustable connector for adjustably adjoining the second and fourth ends together, wherein said single closed loop is selectively variable in size.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said adjustable connector comprises first and second cooperating parts, wherein said first cooperating part is on the second end of said first portion, said second cooperating part is on the fourth end of said second section, and said first and second cooperating parts are releasably engaged.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said first cooperating part comprises a buckle and said second cooperating part comprises a plurality of apertures.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the-stringed musical instrument comprises a body having front, back and side surfaces, a neck attached to the body and an anchor point attached to the side surface opposite the neck, said body further having a mid-section with a narrowed portion, wherein the fastening portion engages the anchor point and said means for cradling the musical instrument is positioned adjacent to the back, side and front surfaces and neck of the instrument during use.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the means for attaching to the instrument is a slot disposed in the fastening portion which engages the anchor point on the instrument.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said means for cradling the instrument extends from said fastening portion across the back surface of the instrument to said narrowed portion, across said side surface at said narrowed portion to said front surface, across said front surface to said neck and around at least a portion of said neck.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising means for adjusting the strap, wherein a diameter of the single closed loop can be selectively varied.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a strap pad disposed on the strap.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for supporting a stringed musical instrument comprising a neck, a body and an anchor point, said body having front, back and side surfaces, and said neck and anchor point attached at generally opposite ends of the body, the body further comprises a mid-section with a narrowed portion, said apparatus comprises: 
 a strap; and    a fastening portion;    said fastening portion is a planar tab having a one-point attachment for engaging the instrument, said one-point attachment attaches to the anchor point on the instrument;    wherein said strap is attached to the planar tab and is adapted to engage the instrument and the user.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said strap comprises first and second elongated portions; 
 said first portion having first and second ends, wherein said first end is attached to said fastening portion and said first portion is adapted to engage a user;    said second portion having third and fourth ends, wherein said third end is attached to the fastening portion and said second portion is adapted to receive the front, back and side surfaces and neck of the instrument.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprises an adjustable connector, wherein said adjustable connector releasably adjoins the second and fourth ends of the first and second portions respectively, thereby forming the strap into a single closed loop; 
 wherein the adjustable connector is selectively adjustable to thereby vary effective lengths of the first and second portions and vary the size of the single closed loop.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said one-point attachment comprises a slot.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said fastening portion attaches to the anchor point on the instrument, said second portion extends from said fastening portion across the back surface to said narrowed portion, across said side surface at said narrowed portion to said front surface, across said front surface to said neck, and around at least a portion of said neck to adjoin said first portion; said first portion extends from said second portion around a user, and attaches to the fastening portion.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a strap pad disposed on said strap.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said fastening portion is attached to the anchor point on the instrument, said second portion extends from the fastening portion along the side surface of the instrument to the narrowed portion, where said second portion extends from the side surface, across the front surface to the neck, and around at least a portion of the neck, and adjoins the first portion, said first portion extends around a user and adjoins the fastening portion adjacent the anchor point.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for supporting a guitar, wherein the guitar has an elongated body and a neck extending outwardly from the body, the body having front, back and side surfaces and an anchor point, the body further comprises a mid-section with a narrowed portion, the front and back surfaces each having a respective perimeter which are adjoined to the side surface, and the anchor point is disposed on the side surface of the elongated body opposite the neck, said apparatus comprises: 
 a harness; and    a strap pad;    said harness comprises a fastening portion, a strap, and means for adjusting the strap;    said fastening portion is a generally planar tab having a one-point attachment for attaching the harness to an instrument, said one-point attachment comprises a slot which engages the anchor point on the instrument;    said strap comprises a width and first and second elongated portions;    said first portion having first and second ends, wherein said first end is integrally attached to the fastening portion;    said second portion having third and fourth ends, wherein said third end is integrally attached to the fastening portion;    said means for adjusting the strap is an adjustable connector, wherein effective lengths of the first and second portions are varied as the strap is adjusted;    said adjustable connector comprises first and second cooperating parts, wherein said first cooperating part is disposed on said second end of the first portion and said second cooperating part is disposed on said forth end of the second portion;    wherein the first and second portions of said strap form a single, closed loop with said adjustable connector adjoining the second and fourth ends of said first and second portions, respectively;    said first portion includes means for engaging a user and said second portion includes means for cradling the instrument;    said strap pad comprises an elongated member having a width and an upper surface and a lower opposing surface, the width of the strap pad is greater than the width of the strap, said lower opposing surface having a cushion thereon, said strap pad further comprises a plurality of openings in the elongated member, wherein said harness is threaded through said openings; and    wherein to support the stringed musical instrument, said slot is attached to the anchor point on the instrument, the means for engaging a person extends around the person and said means for cradling the musical instrument extends around the instrument, such that said fastening portion extends from the anchor point and across--the side surface to the perimeter of the back surface, the first portion of the strap extends from said fastening portion across the back surface of the instrument and to the user, the second portion extends from the fastening portion at an acute angle to the first portion, across the perimeter and back surface of the body towards the narrowed portion of the body, across the perimeter of the back surface to the side surface at the narrowed portion, across the side surface at the narrowed portion to the perimeter of the front surface, across the perimeter of the front surface, across the front surface between the narrowed portion and the neck, across the perimeter of the front surface and around the neck, upwardly from the neck to the first portion, wherein said fourth end of the second portion is adjoined to the second end of the first portion by the adjustable connector.