Electromagnetic musical pickup having U-shaped ferromagnetic core
First Claim
1. An electromagnetic pickup for a musical instrument, such as a guitar, having a plurality of ferromagnetic strings disposed in co-planar spaced relation to each other and extending parallel to each other in a given plane over a predetermined span S, the pickup being adapted to be mounted adjacent the strings in spaced relation thereto, the pickup comprising:
- an elongated ferromagnetic core having a length L larger than S and a smaller height, the core extending transversely to the direction of the strings;
the ferromagnetic core including a base and first and second legs interconnected by the base, the first and second legs projecting in the same direction from the base;
an electrical pickup coil disposed in encompassing relation to the first leg of the core;
main permanent magnet means including first and second thin, flat, elongated permanent magnets, the first permanent magnet being aligned with an edge of the first leg of the core and the second permanent magnet being aligned with an edge of the second leg of the core;
the first and second permanent magnets each being transversely magnetized to present a permanent magnet pole facing the associated leg of the core, the first and second permanent magnets being polarized oppositely from each other;
and mounting means for mounting the core and the permanent magnet means on the musical instrument with the legs of the core projecting toward but spaced from the strings.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electromagnetic pickup for a musical instrument, such as a guitar, strung with ferromagnetic strings, comprises an elongated ferromagnetic (steel) core of U-shaped or double U-shaped transverse cross-section. An electrical pickup coil in a non-magnetic coil form encompasses one core leg; transversely magnetized main permanent magnets engage the top edges of the core legs. The magnets, which may be integral with each other, are preferably formed of a resin impregnated with magnetic particles; they maintain adjacent core legs at opposed polarities. The main magnets may be mounted in or on the top of a housing that encloses the core and the coil; the housing provides for mounting the pickup in spaced relation below the strings so that the pickup produces a magnetic field that encompasses the strings and string movement generates electrical signals in the coil. There may be additional permanent magnets to shield the coil. Dual-coil humbucker embodiments of the pickup are described. Frequency response, "sustain", signal-to-noise, and amplitude characteristics of the pickup are varied by selection of thickness and material of core members, by the shield magnets, by the size of wire used in the coil, and by the compositions and magnetization patterns of the main permanent magnets.
42 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An electromagnetic pickup for a musical instrument, such as a guitar, having a plurality of ferromagnetic strings disposed in co-planar spaced relation to each other and extending parallel to each other in a given plane over a predetermined span S, the pickup being adapted to be mounted adjacent the strings in spaced relation thereto, the pickup comprising:
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an elongated ferromagnetic core having a length L larger than S and a smaller height, the core extending transversely to the direction of the strings; the ferromagnetic core including a base and first and second legs interconnected by the base, the first and second legs projecting in the same direction from the base; an electrical pickup coil disposed in encompassing relation to the first leg of the core; main permanent magnet means including first and second thin, flat, elongated permanent magnets, the first permanent magnet being aligned with an edge of the first leg of the core and the second permanent magnet being aligned with an edge of the second leg of the core; the first and second permanent magnets each being transversely magnetized to present a permanent magnet pole facing the associated leg of the core, the first and second permanent magnets being polarized oppositely from each other; and mounting means for mounting the core and the permanent magnet means on the musical instrument with the legs of the core projecting toward but spaced from the strings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification