An automatic tuning system for a stringed instrument is provided having a
string adjustment assembly comprising a motor and gear assembly, wherein
the motor and gear assembly is pivotable on a housing for the tuning
system. The system can also include a vibrato arm in contact with the
motor and gear assembly, and a vibrato return spring in contact with both
the motor and gear assembly and the instrument, which is capable of
reversibly changing the position of a string contact surface in the
string adjustment assembly with respect to the string, thereby lowering
the pitch of the string and then raising it to its original pitch. The
system can also include an option board for wireless communication with
remote components such as a remote footswitch or other type of control
panel. Other remote devices may also be wirelessly connected to the
tuning system, including other instruments, audio devices for receiving
sound, and the like. The system comprises a processor that can be
preprogrammed with generic instructions for motor movement to achieve
specific pitch changes and can also be programmed to store the motor
instructions required to achieve specific pitch changes each time the
system performs an automatic tuning correction, and to utilize these
instructions the next time the system is tuned. The system is capable of
performing fine tuning corrections as well as of prompting a user to
perform coarse-tuning corrections. It also allows a user to change
tunings while playing.