United States Patent Broussard [54] ELECTROMAGNETIC AUDIO PICKUP FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, WITH VOLUME CONTROL MEANS, AND SUITABLE FOR USE WITH ANY TYPE STRINGS [4 1 June 6,1972
2,020,557 Loar "84/1 .16 2,025,875 12/1935 Loar ...84/1.l5 2,048,515 7/1936 Pfeil ..84/l.l5 2,171,430 8/1939 Kjslingbury ..84/l l 5 2,225,195 12/1940 Miessner ...84/l.16 3,003,382 10/1961 Fender ..84/l.l6 3,539,700 11/1970 Johnson ..84/l 15 X Primary Examiner-Lewis H. Myers Assistant Examiner-U. Weldon [57] ABSTRACT Basically, in a stringed musical instrument comprising a resonator, top, or belly with strings tensioned between tuning means, string supporting means, and string anchoring means;
the improvement comprising an electromagnetic audio pickup suitable for use with any type strings. Said pickup comprises a magnet secured to the said resonator, top, or belly, and a hollow core coil which is magnetically linked to the said magnet so that the magnetic fields aid, and the said coil is mounted to the instrument back or equivalent thereof in a fixed or adjustable relationship to the magnet secured to the resonator, top, or belly.
10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures W 1 E E E 4 p 5 15 ELECTROMAGNETIC AUDIO PICKUP FOR STRINGE) MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, WITI-I VOLUME CONTROL MEANS, AND SUITABLE FOR USE WITH ANY TYPE STRINGS The present invention relates to Stringed musical instruments such as the guitar, the mandolin, the banjo, the violin, the piano, and related instruments.
Conventional pickups for such instruments have been constructed requiring a large mounting hole, and may not use non-magnetic strings, and/or may require the use of costly magnetic strings. Prior art may thus be susceptible to substantial improvement.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic audio pickup which will reproduce accurately the sound of steel, special alloy, bronze, aluminum, copper, nylon, and/or any type of strings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pickup system with independent volume control means.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a top view of an instrument with this invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross section through 1-1 of FIG. 1 when the basic single coil pickup is utilized;
FIG. 3 is a cross section through 1-1 of FIG. 1 when the basic double coil pickup is utilized;
FIG. 4 is an illustration of a modified form magnetic circuit which may be adapted as in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is another illustration of a modified form magnetic circuit which may also be adapted as in FIG. 3.
Referring to the drawings, the present invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises of a resonator, top, or belly with strings 1 I tensioned between suitable tuning means 12, suitablestring supporting means 13, and suitable string anchoring means 14.
In FIG. 2, a single coil pickup may be adapted as through 1-1 of FIG. 1. In such case, a magnet is secured to the resonator, top, or belly by any suitable adhesive means. Further, ahollow core coil 16 of many turns of magnet wire is, preferably, adjustably mounted to the instrument back or equivalent thereof 17, by two adjustingscrews 18 and 19 which thread into the coil mounting plate 20. Around each of the aforesaid screws, a suitable resilient means, such as compression springs 21 and 22, are placed between the said coil plate and the instrument back. Also in FIG. 2, a volume control means 23 is illustrated, which may be mounted as indicated by 23 in FIG. 1. Thus in FIG. 2, one end ofcoil 16 is connected to ground and one terminal of volume control means 23, while the other end of said coil is connected to the sliding an'n terminal of said volume control means and one terminal of ajack 24 which has its other terminal grounded. Furthermore, thejack 24 may be mounted as indicated by 37 in FIG. 1, and the volume control means 23 may be a conventional potentiometer.
In FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5 the letter N indicates a north magnetic polarity, whereas the letter S indicates a south magnetic polarity. When such letters are used on a magnet, they indicate the polarity of the magnet, but when placed near a coil indicate the coil polarity. Further, a minus sign placed near the end of a coil indicates a negative bias polarity, and a plus sign placed near the other end of the coil indicates a positive bias polarity. 1
In FIG. 3, a double coil pickup may be adapted as through 1 of FIG. 1. In this case, afirst magnet 25 is secured to the resonator, top, orbelly 10, and is magnetically linked to a first hollow core coil 26 of many turns of magnet wire which is mounted on acoil mounting plate 27. Asecond magnet 28 is also secured to the said resonator, top, orbelly 10, and this magnet is magnetically linked to a secondhollow core coil 29 of many turns of magnet wire which is also mounted on the said coil mounting plate. Preferably, the aforesaid coils are adjustably mounted to the instrument back or equivalent thereof 30, by two adjustingscrews 31 and 32 which thread into thecoil mounting plate 27. Around each of the aforesaid adjusting screws, a suitable resilient means, such ascompression springs 33 and 34, are placed between the said coil mounting plate and the instrument back.
Also in FIG. 3, volume control means 23 and 35 are illustrated, and may be mounted as indicated by 23 and 35 in FIG. 1. Thus, in FIG. 3, one end of a first coil 26 is connected to ground and to one terminal of a first volume control means 23, while the other end of the said first coil is connected to one end of asecond coil 29, the sliding terminal of the first volume control means 23, and one terminal of a second volume control means 35; and the other end of thesecond coil 29 is connected to the sliding terminal of the second volume control means 35 and to one terminal of ajack 36 which has its other terminal grounded. Thejack 36 may be mounted as indicated by 37 in FIG. 1, and the volume control means 23 and 35 may be Potentiometers.
FIG. 4 illustrates a modified form magnetic circuit which is as specified of FIG. 3, except thatmagnets 37 and 38 oppose each other, andcoils 39 and 40 also oppose each other, but each coil aids the field of the magnet which it is magnetically linked to.
FIG. 5 illustrates a second modified fonn of magnetic circuit which is as specified of FIG. 3, except thatmagnets 41 and 42 oppose each other, andcoil 43aids magnet 41, whereascoil 44 opposesmagnet 42.
In this patent application, by aiding, it is meant that the magnetic field of the magnets and/or coils attract and have opposite polarity. With such a magnetic configuration, an interference source which would be of the proper polarity to induce hum into the coil is the polarity which is opposed by the magnet associated with such coil thus aids in eliminating hum induction. It also results in a greater magnetic field and signal output.
Preferably, all magnets described should be Alnico 5 or any suitable magnetic material with high magnetic properties.
In FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, the magnetic polarity of the magnet and/or magnets, including the coil and/or coils. may be reversed with no change in results, as long as all the magnet and coil polarities in each circuit are reversed. In addition, the pickups in FIGS. 2 and 3 are shown as may be mounted in the area indicated by 1-1 of FIG. 1, but may be mounted in any area of the instrument which vibrates.
In the operation of the present invention, when any string and/or strings I 1 are caused to vibrate, this sets thestring supporting means 13 into motion which in turn causes theresonator 10 to vibrate.
In FIG. 2, when themagnet 15 secured to the said resonator is set into motion, and/or whenmagnets 25 and 28 in FIG. 3 are likewise set into motion, this results in a change in flux linkage through the respective coil cores magnetically linked to such magnets. This includes throughcoil 16 in FIG. 2, or throughcoils 26 and 29 in FIG. 3 etc. to induce a voltage corresponding to the vibration of the strings 11, which may be amplified and reproduced in a well known manner in the art.
In FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, each coil is magnetically linked to its respective magnet so as to aid, however it is pointed out that each coil could be made to oppose its associated magnet as percoil 44 andmagnet 42 in FIG. 5.
As shown in FIG. 3, when the resistance of both volume control means 23 and 35 are set high compared to the resistance of their associatedcoils 26 and 29, this causes the induced signals to flow toward the amplifier which may be linked through thejack 24. Whereas, when the resistance of both volume control means 23 and 35 are set at a low resistance compared to the resistance of their associatedcoils 26 and 29, said coils are thereby shunted and bypassed. When the resistance of the volume control means, such as 23 and 35 is zero or very low, this completely shunts and bypasses the said coils, and no output from either coil is fed to the amplifier. When the resistance of only one volume control means, such as 23 or 35, is zero or very low, this completely shunts only the coil associated with that particular volume control. Thus, the output of any coil may be independently controlled without affecting the other nor requiring the use of switches for this purpose. The operation of thevolume control 23 in FIG. 2 is also this type, except only one control is used, thus needs no further explanation.
With no need for added illustration, it is evident that the output of each of thecoils 26 and 29 in FIG. 3, and/or each of the two coils illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be separately fed to separate amplifiers for stereophonic audio reproduction.
The present invention may also be embodied in semi-hollow type, hollow body type, flat top type, arched type, as well as right or left handed instruments. In a piano it may be embodied in both the grand type, upright type, and/or related instruments.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative of the principals of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes may readily occur, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. Thus all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to without falling beyond the scope of the present invention.
I claim: 7
1. In a stringed musical instrument having a resonator, top or belly with strings tensioned between tuning means, a string supporting means, and a string anchoring means; the improvement comprising: An electromagnetic audio pickup including a magnet secured to the resonator, top or belly, and a hollow core coil magnetically linked to said magnet, said coil is adjustably mounted to the instrument back by a couple of screws which thread into a coil mounting plate upon which the said coil is mounted.
2. The invention specified in claim 1 wherein the said adjusting screws pass through suitable resilient means positioned between the said coil mounting plate and the said instrument back.
3. The invention specified in claim 1 wherein one end of the coil is connected to ground and to one terminal of a volume control means, whereas the other end of said coil is connected to the sliding terminal of the said volume control means and one terminal of a jack, which has its other terminal grounded.
4. In a stringed musical instrument having a resonator, top or belly with strings tensioned between tuning means, a string supporting means, and a string anchoring means; the improvement comprising: An electromagnetic audio pickup system ineluding a pair of spaced magnets secured to a resonator, top or belly which are magnetically linked to a pair of spaced hollow core coils which are adjustably mounted to the said instrument back, by a couple of screws which thread into a coil mounting plate upon which the said two coils are secured.
5. The invention specified in claim 4 wherein the said adjusting screws pass through suitable resilient means positioned between the said coil mounting plate and the said instrument back.
6. The invention specified in claim 4 wherein one end of a first coil is grounded and connected to one terminal of a first volume control means, whereas the other end of said first coil is connected to one end of a second coil, the sliding terminal of the first volume control means, and one tenninal of a second volume control means; and the other end of the second coil is connected to the sliding terminal of the second volume control means and to one terminal of a jack, which has its other terminal grounded.
7. The invention as specified in claim 4 wherein one end of the first coil is grounded and connected to one terminal of the first volume control means, while the other end of the first coil is connected to the sliding terminal of the first volume control means which is thereof coupled to a first amplifier; and one end of the second coil is grounded and connected to one terminal of the second volume control means, while the other end of the second coil is connected to the sliding terminal of the second volume control means which is thereof coupled to a second amplifier.
8. The invention specified in claim 4 wherein the pair of spaced hollow core coils are mounted upon a coil mounting plate.
9. The invention specified in claim 4 wherein the pair of spaced magnets and counterpart hollow core coils are mounted within the body of the instrument in a relatively perpendicular axis to the instruments string axis.
10. The invention specified in claim 4 wherein the pair of spaced magnets and counterpart hollow core coils are mounted within the body of the instrument in a relatively parallel axis to the instruments string axis.