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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system for an
electrical stringed instrument of the type including a body, a neck having
a head, a bridge assembly connected to the body, and a plurality of
strings positioned between the head and the bridge assembly, that
comprises:
a mounting fixture having an opening wherein said mounting fixture is
attached to a body of an electrical stringed instrument under a plurality
of strings; and
a base plate attached by height adjustment screws to said mounting fixture;
and
a height adjustment spring biasing said base plate away from said mounting
fixture; and
a first connector means for electrical connection mounted on said base
plate; and
an assembly mount; and
a second connector means for electrical connection mounted on said assembly
mount and detachably pluggable into said first connector means through
said opening in said mounting fixture; and
a means for electromagnetic pickup mounted on said assembly mount and
having at least one magnet and at least one conducting coil of wire having
a beginning and an end, wound around said magnet with the beginning and
end of said conducting coil of wire electrically connected to said second
connector means.
2. The detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system of claim 1,
wherein:
said first connector means comprises jacks; and
said second connector means comprises plugs.
3. The detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system of claim 1,
wherein:
said means for electromagnetic pickup is mounted at an obtuse angle on said
assembly mount.
4. A detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system for an
electrical stringed instrument of the type including a body, a neck having
a head, a bridge assembly connected to the body, and a plurality of
strings positioned between the head and the bridge assembly, that
comprises:
a mounting fixture having an opening wherein said mounting fixture is
attached to a body of an electrical stringed instrument under a plurality
of strings; and
a base plate attached by height adjustment screws to said mounting fixture;
and
a height adjustment spring biasing said base plate away from said mounting
fixture; and
a first connector means for electrical connection mounted on said base
plate; and
a second connector means for electrical connection mounted on said base
plate; and
an assembly mount; and
a third connector means for electrical connection mounted on said assembly
mount; and
a fourth connector means for electrical connection mounted on said assembly
mount; and
a means for electromagnetic pickup mounted on said assembly mount and
having at least one magnet and at least one conducting coil of wire having
a beginning and end wound around said magnet with said beginning of said
conducting coil of wire electrically connected to said third connector
means and said end of said conducting coil of wire electrically connected
to said fourth connector means; and
wherein said first connector means is aligned with said third connector
means and said second connector means is aligned with said fourth
connector means; and
wherein said assembly mount is detachably connected to said base plate
through said opening in said mounting fixture such that said first
connector means connects to said third connector means and said second
connector means connects to said fourth connector means.
5. The detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system of claim 4,
wherein:
said first connector and second connector means each comprise jacks; and
said third connector means and fourth connector means plugs.
6. In a detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system for an
electrical stringed instrument of the type including a body, a neck having
a head, a bridge assembly connected to the body, a plurality of strings
positioned between the head and the bridge assembly, a mounting fixture
having an opening wherein said mounting fixture is attached to the body of
the electrical stringed instrument under the strings, a base plate
attached by height adjustment screws to the mounting fixture, and a height
adjustment spring biasing the base plate away from the mounting fixture,
wherein the improvement comprises: a first connector means for electrical
connection mounted on said base plate, an assembly mount, a second
connector means for electrical connection mounted on said assembly mount
and detachably plugged into said first connector means through an opening
in said mounting fixture and a means for electromagnetic pickup mounted on
said assembly mount and electrically connected to said second connector
means.
7. In a detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system according to
claim 6, wherein said means for electromagnetic pickup comprises a
conducting coil wound around at least one magnet, said conducting coil
having a beginning and an end, wherein said second connector means
comprises a first plug electrically connected to said beginning of said
conducting coil and a second plug electrically connected to said end of
said conducting coil and wherein said first connector means comprises a
first jack mounted on said base plate in alignment with said first plug
mounted on said assembly mount and a second jack mounted on said base
plate in alignment with said second plug mounted on said assembly mount
such that said first plug is detachably pluggable into said first jack and
said second plug is detachably pluggable into said second jack.
8. In a detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system according to
claim 6, wherein said means for electromagnetic pickup comprises a
plurality of conducting coils each wound around at least one magnet, each
of said plurality of conducting coils having a beginning and an end,
wherein said second connector means comprises a matching plurality of
first plugs each electrically connected to said beginning of one of said
plurality of conducting coils and a matching plurality of second plugs
each electrically connected to said end of one of said plurality of
conducting coils and wherein said first connector means comprises a
matching plurality of first jacks mounted on said base plate in alignment
with said matching plurality of first plugs mounted on said assembly mount
and a matching plurality of second jacks mounted on said base plate in
alignment with said matching plurality of second plugs mounted on said
assembly mount such that each said first plug is detachably pluggable into
each said first jack and each said second plug is detachably pluggable
into each said second jack.
9. In a detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system according to
claim 6, wherein said means for electromagnetic pickup comprises a
plurality of conducting coils each wound around at least one magnet, each
of said plurality of conducting coils having a beginning and an end,
wherein said second connector means comprises a matching plurality of
first male connectors each electrically connected to said beginning of one
of said plurality of conducting coils and a matching plurality of second
male connectors each electrically connected to said end of one of said
plurality of conducting coils and wherein said first connector means
comprises a matching plurality of first female connectors mounted on said
base plate in alignment with said matching plurality of first male
connectors mounted on said assembly mount and a matching plurality of
second female connectors mounted on said base plate in alignment with said
matching plurality of second male connectors mounted on said assembly
mount such that each said first male connector is detachably pluggable
into each said first female connector and each said second male connector
is detachably pluggable into each said second female connector.
10. In a detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system according to
claim 6, wherein said means for electromagnetic pickup comprises a
plurality of conducting coils each wound around at least one magnet, each
of said plurality of conducting coils having a beginning and an end,
wherein said second connector means comprises a matching plurality of
first female connectors each electrically connected to said beginning of
one of said plurality of conducting coils and a matching plurality of
second female connectors each electrically connected to said end of one of
said plurality of conducting coils and wherein said first connector means
comprises a matching plurality of first male connectors mounted on said
base plate in alignment with said matching plurality of first female
connectors mounted on said assembly mount and a matching plurality of
second male connectors mounted on said base plate in alignment with said
matching plurality of second female connectors mounted on said assembly
mount such that each said first female connector is detachably pluggable
into each said first male connector and each said second female connector
is detachably pluggable into each said second male connector.
11. The detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system of claim 4,
wherein:
said means for electromagnetic pickup is mounted at an obtuse angle on said
assembly mount.
12. In a detachable electric stringed instrument pickup system according to
claim 6, wherein said means for electromagnetic pickup is mounted at an
obtuse angle on said assembly mount. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric guitar pick-up system, and
more particularly to a detachable electric guitar pickup system that
provides a musician an easy way to change pick-up systems on his/her
electric guitar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention relates broadly to electrical musical instruments of the
string type. It is typically applicable to an electrical guitar or bass
guitar or similar musical instrument having a plurality of stretched
strings extending across a body and a neck, between the head of the
instrument and a bridge assembly connected to the body, in which the
strings are caused to vibrate by plucking or picking same.
In order to derive an output from such an electrical guitar, bass guitar or
other similar electrical musical instrument, the instrument is
conventionally provided with an electromagnetic pick-up comprising a
number of magnetic elements (pole pieces) having wound there around a
conductive coil. Typically, one such magnetic element is disposed directly
beneath each string of the instrument. The strings are constructed of a
magnetizable substance, such as steel, and, therefore, become part of the
conductive path for the magnetic lines of flux of the pole pieces.
Accordingly, when any of the strings are caused to vibrate this causes a
disturbance in the magnetic field of the associated pole piece. This has
the effect of generating a voltage in the conductive coil which voltage
may be suitably amplified and transmitted to a loudspeaker system.
The current state of the art has many different designs for electric guitar
pick-up systems. Each of the designs of the current state of the art claim
certain advantages. Schaller Pat. No. 4,580,481 describes a pick-up for a
guitar having a coil which is provided with two magnets that can be
individually changed in position such that the magnetic field of each
magnet is restricted to a group of only three strings thus changing the
position of a magnet will only affect the signal of one group of strings
in volume or phase, so that for instance the sound volumes of the two
groups of strings can be brought into any desired balance. Another
Schaller invention Pat. No. 4,535,668 has as its specific object to
provide a pick-up whereby the strength and phase of the output signal
produced by the vibration of each string of the instrument with which it
is used may be individually adjusted by hand in a simple manner without
the need for special tools. Duncan Pat. No. 4,524,667 discloses a pick-up
system having a coil stack assembly in which coils are combined with
permanent magnet members and stacked one on top of the other. An advantage
of the Duncan design is that by selectively varying the geometrical
dimensions of the permanent magnet material, the pole piece and the air
gap, a wide range of output sounds can be obtained. Another advantage is
that the stacked coils which are wound in separate directions eliminate
the pick-up of a 60 cycle hum.
Fender Pat. No. 4,463,648 describes a pick-up which provides better
separation between the sound from each string and a humbucking pick-up.
The humbucking pick-up is designed to reject magnetic fields from lighting
fixtures, motors, transformers and the like, which are sources of 60 hertz
noise and would cause 60 cycle hum to be picked up by the pick-up and
amplified through a loudspeaker system, manifesting an objectionable hum.
The humbucking pick-up overcomes this problem by including a pair of
identical pick-up assemblies each having a plurality of magnetic pole
pieces and a coil, pick-up assemblies being positioned in parallel,
spaced, closely adjacent relationship. The coils of the two pick-up
assemblies are run in opposite directions and the two coils are connected
either in series or in parallel. Because the direction of current flow in
each coil is governed by the magnetic polarity, the direction of current
from one coil is opposite to that of the other coil for each string.
However, since the directions of the windings of the two coils are
opposite the signals induced in the coils as a result of string vibrations
are additive and the output signal is the sum of the signals induced in
each coil. All of the pole pieces of one of the pick-up assemblies have
their North poles adjacent to the strings and their South poles relatively
remote from the strings whereas all of the pole pieces of the other
pick-up assembly have their South poles adjacent to the strings and the
North poles relatively remote from the strings. Signals from external
sources such 60 cycle power hum are independent of the magnetic polarity
and accordingly, such power line sources produce voltage that are in
phase. However since the coils are wound in opposite directions, these in
phase signals cancel and the output signal is the difference between the
powerline signals induced in each coil. This means that any noise from
power sources which is only manifested as an objectionable hum, is
effectively reduced or cancelled. The Pat. No. 4,463,648 improves upon the
humbucking pick-up by mounting the pick-up on the body of an electrical
instrument at an obtuse angle relative to the direction of the strings,
the angle of mounting of the housing being a direct function of the
longitudinal offset whereby each of the pick-up assemblies is centered
under the strings. This improves the harmonic content and thereby the
sound produced by the pick-up.
DiMarzio Pat. No. 4,442,749 describes an electrical pick-up comprising a
pair of superimposed co-axial bobbins, each axial wound with a coil having
its axis perpendicular to the stringed instrument strings, an integral
plate of magnetic material comprising a base disposed between the two
bobbins perpendicular to the coil axis and two side walls extending
upwardly and perpendicularly from a base to at least immediately below the
top base of the upper bottom and a plurality of rod-like permanent magnets
extending through at least the upper coil parallel to the axis thereof and
in contact with the base of the integral plate and wherein the magnets
have like pluralities at the tops thereof. Again this double coil design
is such that externally generated hum will be eliminated. The DiMarzio
design claims to produce a strong signal while at the same time
eliminating the hum of 60 cycles. DiMarzio also claims that humbucking
pick-ups such as the Fender design described above causes string
vibrations to be sensed over a relatively broad length of string, that
results in cancellation of various frequencies, due to the spacing of the
coils under the strings. The DiMarzio design claims to eliminate this
problem.
Aaroe Pat. No. 4,372,186 is another design of a humbucking electromagnetic
pick-up. The Aaroe pick-up employs a single coil wound in two oppositely
wound and concentric sections. The key advantage of the Aaroe design is
that the concentric coils are very closely spaced. This helps to eliminate
any imbalance between the two side legs of one coil, or the output of the
conventional humbucking configuration of two coils wound in opposition
which could result from an interfering radiation that is not at a point
substantially normal to the plane of the instrument strings above the
coils.
Armstrong Pat. No. 4,283,982 describes another magnetic pick-up for
electric guitars. In the Armstrong design a polar magnet positioned
longitudinally parallel to the coil and having its polar axis
perpendicular to the winding axis of the coil is provided. Within the coil
is either a magnet or a pole piece. The pick-up may include a plurality of
coils and magnets arranged as described above to increase the
effectiveness of the pick-up. Armstrong claims that this design produces a
signal allowing for amplification of the natural full tones of a stringed
musical instrument.
Underwood, Fender and DiMarzio, Pat. Nos. 4,269,103, 4,220,069 and
4,133,243, respectively, provide various single coil electric pick-up
designs.
Clearly there are a multitude of ways of implementing an electric pick-up
for an electric guitar. Other prior art that relates to the present
invention is related to the assembly of the magnetic pick-ups. Zuniga Pat.
No. 4,184,399 describes an assembly housed in a casing having acoustic
absorptive material surrounding the major portions of the assembly, to
provide acoustic isolation from the environment including mechanical
vibration of the instrument itself. The assembly also includes adjusting
means for varying the distance between the pick-up and all the strings
simultaneously The generally rectangular casing for housing the pick-ups
has a pair of leaf springs one at each end of the casing and extending
transversely thereof for biasing the respective casing end away from the
strings and a selectively adjustable threaded member at each end of the
casing for drawing the respective casing in toward the springs. The
operation of the springs on the casing provides a means for selectively
adjusting the vertical position of the casing relative to the body and the
frame and thereby the strings of the instrument. The frame itself is
attached to the body of the electric guitar by attaching means such as
screws. The adjustable threaded members at each end of the casing are also
screws which attach to the casing through the frame.
Another patent which addresses the assembly of the electrical pick-up to a
guitar is Stich Pat. No. 4,364,295. The Stich design is very similar to
the Zuniga design; however, the leaf springs of Zuniga have been replaced
by compression springs mounted on the threaded screw members. Again, the
Stich design allows the spacing between the coils and the strings of the
instrument to be varied by turning the threaded screw members.
From the foregoing it is apparent that there are a number of possible
designs for an electromagnetic pick-up for a stringed musical instrument.
All of these designs have their own advantages and sound qualities.
Because of the different sound quality of each possible design, a musician
may want to change the electromagnetic pick-up he is using to achieve
different sound qualities for different musical pieces. To accomplish this
with current state of the art, a guitarist will need to use a number of
different guitars all set up with different electromagnetic pick-up
systems to enable him to achieve different musical qualities for different
musical pieces during the same performance. Also a guitarist today may
need to change the electromagnetic pick-up of his guitar as styles change
and another sound becomes more popular.
A disadvantage with today's electromagnetic pick-ups is that they are all
permanently attached to the guitar by screws. Typically to install or
replace a pick-up today requires the services of a professional musical
instrument craftsman. Clearly, this could not be done during a
performance. Thus, as described above, the guitarist must have a number of
guitars with different pick-ups already installed ready for his use. This
is relatively expensive.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electromagnetic pick-up for stringed
instruments that can be easily installed and removed. Such an improvement
in electromagnetic pick-ups will be very valuable and desirable in the
field of electric guitars and other electric stringed instruments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above background in mind, it is among the primary objectives of
the present invention to provide an improved detachable electric guitar
pick-up system. It is another object of the present invention to provide
an electromagnetic pick-up system that can be easily installed and removed
without the services of a professional musical instrument craftsman or
repairman. Another objective of the present invention is to provide for
the easy installation and removal of different types of electromagnetic
pick-ups on the same guitar. It is another objective of the present
invention that there be a mechanism whereby the distance between the
electric guitar pick-up pieces and coils and the guitar strings can be
adjusted.
These objectives are accomplished by having a detachable electric stringed
instrument pickup system for an electrical stringed instrument of the type
including a body, a neck having a head, a bridge assembly connected to
said body, and a plurality of strings positioned between the head and
bridge assembly of the electric stringed instrument. A mounting fixture
having an opening is attached by screws to the body of the electrical
stringed instrument under the strings. Then a base plate is attached to
the mounting fixture through the opening in the mounting fixture by height
adjustment screws, such that the height adjustment springs bias the base
plate away from the mounting fixture and the strings. A first set of
connectors for electrical connection are mounted on the base plate and
wires from these connectors lead to the amplifiers. A second set of
connectors for electrical connection are mounted on a detachable assembly
mount. The second set of connectors match the first set of connectors, are
aligned with them and are detachably pluggable into the first set of
connectors means through the opening in the mounting fixture. The
electromagnetic pickup is mounted on the assembly mount and has at least
one magnet and at least one conducting coil of wire wound around the
magnet with the beginning and end of the conducting coil electrically
connected to the second set of connectors.
The first set of connectors can be miniature chassis jacks and the second
set of connectors on the assembly mount can be miniature plugs.
The invention herein described is capable of working with electromagnetic
pick-up designs which have either single coils or double coils. In the
case of the double coils the coils can be mounted side by side or one on
top of the other. In either case the electromagnetic pickup includes a
plurality of conducting coils each wound around at least one magnet. Each
of the conducting coils has a beginning and an end and each beginning and
end of each coil is attached to a plug. Therefore, for each coil there are
two plugs mounted on the assembly mount. There are a matching number of
chassis jacks mounted on the base plate in alignment with the plugs. This
permits the plugs to mate with the chassis jacks and not only provides a
method of conducting signals, but also provides a method of attaching the
detachable assembly mount to the base plate. Shielded conductors are
connected to each of the chassis jacks and are sent to electronics that
amplify the signals and feed them into speakers. The conductor shields are
attached to the base plate, which is grounded to provide reduce
electromagnetic interference.
Instead of having the plugs on the assembly mount and the chassis jacks on
the base plate, it is possible to have the plugs on the base plate and the
chassis jacks on the assembly mount.
The supporting structure which ties the coils, magnets and connectors
together into one detachable assembly will be more fully described in the
specification which follows: however, it should be clear that variations
in the supporting structure may be required to accommodate various
different designs of electromagnetic pick-up systems.
To change an electromagnetic pick-up from one type to another, it is only
necessary to unplug one detachable electromagnetic pick-up assembly and
plug in another one. It is not necessary that the permanently fixed
mounting assembly be detached from the guitar. It may only be necessary to
adjust the height adjustment screws to adjust the space between the
electromagnetic pick-up assembly and the strings of the guitar or other
stringed musical instrument.
The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are
set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Other objects and
many of the attendant features of this invention will be more readily
appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the
following detailed descriptions and considered in connection with the
accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols designate like parts
throughout the figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is electric guitar showing a detachable electromagnetic pick-up
system attached thereto.
FIG. 2 is a top view of a detachable electromagnetic pick-up mounted on a
guitar.
FIG. 3 is a partial section of FIG. 2 showing the detachable
electromagnetic pick-up assembly plugged into the permanently fixed
mounting assembly and showing the height adjustment springs and screws.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the detachable electromagnetic pick-up system.
FIG. 5 is a section of FIG. 3 showing a plug mounted on the detachable
electromagnetic pick-up assembly plugged into a chassis jack mounted on
the permanently fixed mounting assembly.
FIG. 6 is a partial section showing the detachable electromagnetic pick-up
assembly unplugged from the permanently fixed mounting assembly on the
guitar.
FIG. 7 shows an alternate form of the detachable electromagnetic pick-up
assembly with one instead of two coils.
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the permanently fixed mounting assembly.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the detachable electromagnetic pick-up
assembly.
FIG. 10 is a top view of a detachable electromagnetic pickup mounted on a
guitar with the pickup mounted on an obtuse angle to the strings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is a detachable electric guitar pickup system, which
is comprised of a detachable electromagnetic pickup assembly 10 and a
permanently fixed mounting assembly 60. The permanently fixed mounting
assembly is attached to guitar 15 as shown in FIG. 1. A detachable
electric guitar pickup system is mounted underneath the strings of the
electric guitar in the same position as any electric guitar pickup system
would be mounted. This is normally just in front of the bridge of the
electric guitar. FIG. 2 shows a detailed top view of the detachable
electric guitar pickup system mounted on guitar 15. As shown, the
detachable electromagnetic pickup assembly 10 is further comprised of coil
forms 16 around which coils are wound, non-adjustable magnetic pole pieces
12 and adjustable magnetic pole pieces 14. As indicated in the description
of the prior art, the strings are constructed of a magnetizable substance
such as steel and therefore become part of the conductive path for the
magnetic lines of flux of the magnetic pole pieces. Accordingly, when any
of the strings are caused to vibrate this causes a disturbance in the
magnetic field of the associated pole piece. This in turn has the effect
of generating a voltage in the coils which are wrapped around coil forms
16, which voltage may be suitably amplified and transmitted to a loud
speaker system. The detachable electromagnetic pickup assembly 10 is
plugged into the permanently fixed mounting assembly 60, which is
permanently attached to the guitar or other electrical musical instruments
of the string type by exterior mounting screws 70. These exterior mounting
screws are screwed directly into the guitar body 15.
The other screws apparent in FIG. 2 are height adjustment screws 68. Their
function becomes more apparent by inspection of FIG. 3 which is a side
section of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 it is exterior mounting
fixture 62 that is permanently fixed to the guitar body 13 by exterior
mounting screws 70. Base plate 64 is movably mounted to exterior mounting
fixture 62 by height adjustment screws 68. Height adjustment springs 66
around height adjustment screws 68 bias base plate 64 away from exterior
mounting fixture 62. Base plate 64 and anything mounted thereon can be
raised and lowered with respect to exterior mounting fixture 62 by
adjusting height adjustment screws 68: the base plate 64 is raised by
turning height adjustment screws 68 clockwise and base plate 64 is lowered
by turning height adjustment screws 68 counterclockwise. As shown in FIG.
3, base plate 64 is provided with mounting extension 65 which allows the
base plate 64 to be raised above exterior mounting fixture 62, if
necessary.
Also shown in FIG. 3 is coil winding 18 wrapped around coil form 16. For
the design shown in FIG. 2, there are two coil forms 16 each with a coil
18 wrapped around it.
Shown in FIG. 3 are chassis jacks 81 and 83 mounted to base plate 64.
Corresponding to these chassis jacks are miniature plugs mounted to the
bottom of detachable electromagnetic pickup assembly 10. FIG. 5 shows a
detail of miniature plug 41 plugged into chassis jack 81. As shown, the
chassis jack is attached or mounted onto base plate 64. Miniature plug 41
is mounted onto shielded base assembly mount 35.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the detachable electric guitar pickup system. In
this view, the notable items are the bottom views of four chassis jacks
80, 81, 82 and 83, which are attached to conductors 100, 101, 102 and 103,
respectively. Conductor 104 is a shield that is attached to base plate 64.
All of these conductors are sent through cable 94 to an amplifier which
can convert the voltage forms into suitable driving signals for a speaker
system.
As shown in FIG. 4, for the two coil pickup system of FIG. 2, four chassis
jacks are used. This is so that both ends of each of two coils can be
wired via conductors 100, 101, 102 and 103 to an amplifier.
FIG. 6 is essentially the same as FIG. 3 except that the detachable
electromagnetic pickup assembly is shown detached from the permanently
fixed mounting assembly 60. Here it is clearly shown that miniature plugs
41 and 43 are placed on the detachable electromagnetic pickup assembly in
such a position that they can mate with the corresponding chassis jacks 81
and 83 mounted on base plate 64. Conductors 21 and 23 are electrically
connected to miniature plugs 41 and 43, respectively. These two conductors
correspond to the two ends of coil 18.
It is possible to have a detachable electric guitar pickup system with just
one coil as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, one possible design for a
single coil system is to have a permanently fixed mounting assembly that
is correspondingly smaller, because if only one coil system is used such
as shown in FIG. 7, then only two chassis jacks are required, because only
two ends of the coil would have to be wired to an amplifier. Another
approach is to make the interface between the detachable electromagnetic
pickup assembly and the permanently fixed mounting assembly identical
regardless of the magnetic pickup design. Thus, in the case of the single
coil pickup, four plugs would be used on the detachable electromagnetic
pickup assembly instead of only two and the permanently fixed mounting
assembly would be identical to that used for the two coil electromagnetic
pickup and have four jacks. In this case the two ends of the one coil can
each be electrically connected to two plugs for a total of four plugs and
the permanently fixed mounting assembly 60 would be identical to the
design shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. This would allow the interchange of single
and double coil pickups on the same guitar, which is a great advantage due
to the substantial sound difference between the sound of single and double
coil pickups.
There is another advantage of using the same size permanently fixed
mounting assembly for one and two coil electromagnetic pickups. When only
one coil is used there is sufficient space on the detachable
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