Electric guitar circuitry

• US 4,164,163 A
• Filed: 06/22/1977
• Issued: 08/14/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peavey Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Peavey Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Rhodes, Orville J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rubinson, Gene Z.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feeney, William L.
• Application Number:
  US05/808,790
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.15, 84/1.16, 84/1.14
• US Class Current: 84/728
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/182 using two or more pick-up means for each string

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a new and unique type of circuit control for an electric guitar. Simply stated, it varies the resonant frequency of the pickup itself in addition to filtering out frequencies which are suppressed or rolled off. The mechanism by which this is brought about includes a potentiometer connected to a center tap of the coil assembly.

Claims

1. A pickup circuit for a guitar or the like comprising, in combination, a pair of coils, connected together at one end in series to provide a connection point, the opposite end of one of said coils connected to ground, said pair of coils being disposed in closely adjacent humbucking relationship as a single unit for positioning at a selected location on the guitar in close proximity to the strings, an output conductor connected to the opposite end of the other of said coils, a capacitor and a first potentiometer connected in series between said output conductor and said connection point forming a RC network, said potentiometer having a wiper connected to ground whereby the wiper serves as a signal input element, said wiper being movable progressively between one position for operation of the circuit as a full double coil humbucking pickup and a second position in which said one coil is grounded out and said other coil forms a single coil pickup.

2. The device of claim 1 further including a second potentiometer having a wiper in which said output conductor terminates in and serves as the wiper in the second potentiometer, whereby said first potentiometer alters tone and said second potentiometer alters loudness.

3. The device of claim 1 including a double pole double throw switch and a duplicate pickup circuit for positioning at another selected location with the two pickup circuits disposed in spaced-apart relationship on the guitar in close proximity to the strings wherein both circuits are controlled by the double pole double throw switch so that either or both circuits may be utilized.

4. The device of claim 3 including means to modify the phase relationship of one pair of coils wherein one of said pickup circuits is provided with means to modify the phase relationship of one pair of coils.