Patent attributes
An improved stringed musical instrument includes a unitary shell having a head, a neck and a body. The unitary shell has an asymmetrical waist having a substantially flat side and a substantially concave side. The instrument also includes a soundboard configured to be attached to the unitary shell. The soundboard includes a body portion having a sound hole located substantially adjacent the substantially flat side of the waist of the unitary shell. The union of the unitary shell and the soundboard results in the formation of a substantially hollow cavity in the unitary shell, with the hollow cavity acoustically coupled to the sound hole. In some embodiments, the hollow cavity extends through the head, the neck and the body, with an optional supplemental sound hole positioned at the head. The instrument can be strengthened by one or more reinforcing structures strategically located on the interior surfaces of the body, neck and/or soundboard.
