(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an accessory for a musical string instrument and more particularly, but not by way of limitation to a fulcrum for mounting on the side of a guitar, a banjo and like string instruments.
(b) Discussion of the Prior Art
Heretofore, there have been a variety of different types of attachments for musical string instruments. In U.S. Pat. No.491,755to LeValley, an arm rest and support for guitars is described. The support is designed to rest the right arm thereon and allow the left arm to be free to perform fingering without holding a portion of the weight of the guitar. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 914,660 to Hartnett and 1,020,491 to Gough, a hand support and an arm rest for banjo players are described. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,753,006 to Haaf and 3,619,470 to Harris, a wrist support and a hand position device for violinists are described.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,062, an A-frame guitar support is described for holding a guitar above the leg of a musician. The support includes A-frame arms attached to an adjustable leg strap. The support also includes a height adjustment arm for raising and lowering the guitar. This type guitar support, when attached to the guitar, does not allow the player to pivot or rotate the instrument in either a vertical or horizontal plane.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,175, to the subject inventor, a guitar fulcrum is described for use as an elbow rest. The guitar fulcrum includes an ergonomically designed elbow pad adapted for engaging a portion of the musician's elbow. The guitar fulcrum is adjustably mounted on the hip of the body of a guitar and provides for proper placement of a player's fingers on the guitar strings adjacent a sweet spot above the sound hole of the guitar.
None of the above mentioned patents describe the unique features, structure and advantages of the subject guitar fulcrum for holding a guitar and like musical instruments above a leg of a musician and allowing freedom of movement of the guitar when the player is in a seated position.