Electromagnetic pickup for stringed musical instruments

Abstract

An electromagnetic pickup is provided for musical instruments, particularly of the type having vibrating magnetizable strings, which pickup device includes a permanent rectangular bar magnet having a configured surface adjacent to the magnetizable strings to provide a varying magnetic field effecting respective ones of the strings in accordance with their magnetizability, and a coil surrounding the permanent magnet which may be either of a low or high impedance. Thin metal plates or shims are arranged in the pickup intermediate the configured surface of the bar magnet and the magnetizable strings. Various configurations of the magnet surface are included, each of which in combination with the metal plates achieves the natural tone of the respective strings and enhances the balance therebetween of the pickup output. In a further preferred embodiment, a single rectangular bar, which extends under the strings, except for the treble strings, is covered by a single metal shim having itself a configured shape adjacent the treble strings.