Musical instrument

Abstract

A musical instrument having a base and an arm extending upwardly therefrom and a string extending over said arm and said base and connected at one end to the upper portion of the arm and at the lower end to a stand which pivotally supports the base, the string being located at a preset height over a pickup in the base by means of a guide located on the lower portion of the base.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A musical instrument comprising: a base and an arm extending upwardly from the top edge of the base;   a handle at the upper end of said arm;   a substantially horizontal cross member connected to said base .[.and extending to opposites sides of said base.].;   a stand for rotatably supporting said cross member .[.at opposite sides of said base.]. to provide for rotation of said base and said handle about the axis of said cross member;   a first .[.hook.]. .Iadd.attachment .Iaddend.connected to an upper portion of said arm and a second .[.hook.]. .Iadd.attachment .Iaddend.connected to a portion of said stand below said base;   a string connected at opposite ends to said .[.hooks.]. .Iadd.attachments .Iaddend.and passing over said arm and said base;   guide means located at the lower portion of said base for maintaining said string in alignment between said two .[.hooks.]. .Iadd.attachments .Iaddend.and at a desired height above said base; and   pickup means located in said base underneath said string and connected with an output .[.at the side of said base.].;   said guide means fixing the height of said string above said pickup means in order to reproduce the various tones produced by vibration of said string under varying tension determined by the angular position of said handle.   
     
     
       2. A musical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of staggered rollers supported at the lower portion of said base, said rollers having aligned grooves therein to receive and bend said string so as to maintain said string at the desired height over said base. 
     
     
       3. A musical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said stand comprises side members interconnected with cross pieces located at the bottom of the stand; said second .[.hook.]. .Iadd.attachments .Iaddend.connected to one of said cross pieces.   
     
     
       4. A musical instrument as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said side members has an apex at the top thereof, each side member having a curved surface at said apex for providing a bearing surface for .[.the portion.]. .Iadd.portions .Iaddend.of said cross member .Iadd.extending .Iaddend.at opposite sides of said base. .Iadd. 5. A musical instrument comprising: a base and an arm extending upwardly from the top edge of the base;   a handle portion at the upper end of said arm;   base support means having an axis of rotation transverse of said base; and   a stand for rotatably supporting said base support means to provide for rotation of said base and said handle about said axis of said base support means;   a first attachment connected to an upper portion of said arm and a second attachment connected to a portion of said stand below said base;   a string connected at opposite ends to said attachments and passing over said arm and said base;   guide means located at the lower portion of said base for maintaining said string in alignment between said two attachments and at a desired height above said base; and   pickup means located in said base underneath said string and connected with an output;   said guide means fixing the height of said string above said pickup means in order to reproduce the various tones produced by vibration of said string under varying tension determined by the angular position of said handle. .Iaddend.