GB2324402A

GB2324402A - A pick-up assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2324402A
Application number: GB9707546A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Patrick Pipkin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-15
Filing date: 1997-04-15
Publication date: 1998-10-21
Also published as: GB9707546D0

Abstract

An electromagnetic pick-up assembly 20 suitable for use with a stringed musical instrument comprises: mounting means 10 which are fixably attachable to the body of the stringed musical instrument, and sensing means 14, 15 for sensing vibrations produced by the strings. The mounting means 10 further includes contact means 13a, 13b (and 13c, 13d, figure 2) which are in communication with an amplification output. The sensing means are removably connectable to the contact means via plugs 16, such that in order to modify or repair the sensing means, they can be removed from the mounting means without the need to remove the pick-up assembly 20 in its entirety from the stringed musical instrument. This arrangement allows for switching between two types of pick-up in order to modify the instrument sound. In one embodiment, a humbucking pick-up is replaced by a single coil pick-up with a blank module in place of the second humbucking coil. The arrangement also allows for the sensing means to be raised or lowered with respect to the instrument's strings.

Description

A PICKUP ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to a pickup assembly or transducer which converts mechanical vibrations into electrical impulses which can then be amplified. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in or relating to an electromagnetic pickup assembly suitable for use with a stringed musical instrument, for example, an electric guitar.

Electric guitars are designed to be amplified, and while the quality of the materials that the guitar is made of, and how it is put together determine the way in which an electric guitar plays, the pickup assembly, being the first component in the amplification chain which converts the mechanical vibrations of the strings of a guitar into electrical impulses which are then amplified, has a major effect on the sound produced by the instrument.

Pickup assemblies currently utilised with electric guitars are mounted in a recess, cut into the guitar body, so that the strings of the guitar pass through the field created by the pickup. For example, a pickup assembly may be located at the neck and/or bridge of the electric guitar. Consequently, in the event that a pickup is to be modified, repaired or replaced, the pickup assembly needs to be removed from the guitar body. In order to effect such removal, not only must the pickup assembly be removed in its entirety from the guitar body, but, also, all the electrical connections between the guitar amplification output and the pickup need to be cut. Additionally, in order to replace the modified or repaired pickup, and before the pickup assembly can be reattached to the body of the guitar, the electrical connections must be rejoined, usually by soldering. Thus, up until now, the replacement of a pickup has been an extremely time consuming and laboured procedure.

According to the present invention there is provided an electromagnetic pickup assembly suitable for use with a stringed musical instrument comprising: mounting means which are fixably attachable to the body of the stringed musical instrument; and sensing means for sensing vibrations produced by the strings of the stringed musical instrument wherein: the mounting means further includes contact means in communication with an amplification output and the sensing means are removably connectable to the contact means such that in order to modify, replace or repair the sensing means, same can be removed from the mounting means without the need to remove the pickup assembly from the body of the stringed musical instrument in its entirety.

It is the aim of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic pickup assembly suitable for use with a stringed musical instrument, for example, an electric guitar, which at least alleviates the problems associated with the pickup assemblies of the prior art, as outlined above. In particular, the means for sensing the vibrations of the strings of the stringed musical instrument, i.e. the pickup, can be removed from the pickup assembly of the present invention without the need for removing the pickup assembly from the body of the stringed musical instrument in its entirety.

Another advantage of the electromagnetic pickup assembly of the present invention is that it enables the stringed musical instrument player to switch between two types of electromagnetic pickups with relative ease and thus, enables said player to modify the sound produced by such instrument. For example, a Humbucker pickup assembly in accordance with the present invention when fitted to an electric guitar can be readily switched from a Humbucker pickup to a single coiled pickup by simply removing a coil and replacing same with a blank module and vice versa.

Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, the means for sensing the vibrations produced by the stringed musical instrument can be highered or lowered in relation to the strings of the musical instrument, thereby increasing or decreasing the pickup's output.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a Humbucker pickup assembly in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the mounting means of the pickup assembly of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one way in which the sensing means or pickup are height adjustable within the mounting means of the pickup assembly of the present invention.

With reference to the accompanying drawings the mounting means of the electromagnetic pickup assembly 20 comprises a receptacle 10 which is fixably attachable to the body of an electric guitar (not illustrated) via fixing means, for example, screws, which pass through apertures 11.

The sensing means or pickup comprises a coil 14 wrapped around a former, said coil 14 further includes plugs 16 located on either end thereof and which are in communication with said coils 14, and a removable magnet 12. The magnet 12 is locatable in the base of the receptacle 10 and the coil 14 is located on top of said magnet 12. The receptacle 10 further includes two pairs of electrical contacts 13a, 13b and 13c, 13d located on the respective sides of the receptacle 10. Electrical contacts 13a, 13b are connected to the amplifier output of the guitar and electrical contacts 13c and 13d are shorted to one another. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the electrical contacts 13 are socket-like and are adapted to receive the plugs 16 located on either end of the coil 14 such that in the event that the sensing means needs to be modified or replaced, all that is required on the part of the electric guitar player is to simply unplug the coil 14 of the sensing means from said socket-like electrical contacts 13.

Once the sensing means are mounted within the receptacle 10, a cover (not illustrated) can be placed over same thereby housing the sensing means.

The receptacle 10, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is adapted to receive two coils 14 in order to form a Humbucker pickup, that is, a pickup assembly wherein the sensing means comprises two coils 14 connected out of phase so that they cancel out all signals except direct disruptions of the magnetic field. In this connection, in the past if an electric guitar player wished to switch from a single coiled pickup, i.e. a pickup assembly comprising a single coil 14 to a Humbucker pickup, said player would have to replace the pickup assembly in its entirety. Not only is such a procedure time consuming, but, also, in some instances, the recess provided in the guitar body was only large enough to locate a single-coiled pickup and therefore, without actually making a bigger recess of sufficient size to locate two coils, it just was not possible. However, another advantage of the present invention is that an electric guitar player can readily switch from a Humbucker pickup to a single coiled pickup by simply replacing one of the coils 14 with a blank module (not illustrated), with its electrical contacts shorted together. Conversely, if the guitar player wishes to switch between a single coiled pickup to a Humbucker pickup, all that is required on the player's part is to simply replace a blank module with a coil 14.

Additionally, the coil 14 of the sensing means further include adjustable pole pieces 15, which can compensate for the varying effects that different string gauges will produce.

It is well known to the skilled reader that in order to obtain a higher output from a pickup assembly 20, the coils 14 of the sensing means need to be raised closer to the strings of the electric guitar so that it may have more effect on the magnetic field. In this connection, and with reference to Fig. 3, the electrical contacts 13 comprise a plurality of sockets located at different heights on the side of the receptacle 10. Consequently, the distance of the coils 14 of the sensing means from the strings of the guitar can be adjusted depending on which socket the plugs 16 of the coil 14 are located.

Alternatively, the distance between the pickup and the strings of the guitar can be adjusted by utilising spring-biased screws fixable to the pickup and guitar body whereby on tightening same such distance increases and on loosening same such distance decreases.

Although the present invention has been described by way of reference to an electric guitar it is to be understood that same can be also used with any other type of like stringed musical instrument using such a pickup assembly in order to convert the mechanical vibrations created by the strings of said instruments into electrical impulses which can then be amplified. Moreover, although the present invention has been described by way of reference to a Humbucker pickup assembly it is to be understood that same can be also used with any other type of pickup assembly, for example, a single coiled pickup assembly.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic pickup assembly suitable for use with a stringed musical instrument comprising: mounting means which are fixably attachable to the body of the stringed musical instrument; and sensing means for sensing vibrations produced by the strings of the stringed musical instrument wherein: the mounting means further includes contact means in communication with an amplification output and the sensing means are removably connectable to the contact means such that in order to modify, replace or repair the sensing means same can be removed from the mounting means without the need to remove the pickup assembly from the body of the stringed musical instrument in its entirety.

2. An electromagnetic pickup assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting means are adapted to receive two sensing means or one sensing means such that the pickup assembly can readily switch between a Humbucker pickup and a single coiled pickup and vice versa.

3. An electromagnetic pickup assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the sensing means and the strings of the stringed musical instrument is readily adjustable such that the output of the pickup assembly can be adjusted

4. An electromagnetic pickup assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A musical instrument when fitted with an electromagnetic pickup assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4.