String instrument pickup with multiple coils

Abstract

A stringed instrument pickup (108) with multiple selectable coils has at least one bobbin body (202) supporting at least one pole piece (146), a first coil (222), and a second coil (224). The first coil (222) can extend continuously between a first terminal (210) of the bobbin body (202) and a second terminal (212) of the bobbin body (202), and the second coil (224) extends continuously from the second terminal (224) to a third terminal (216) of the bobbin body (202).

Description

Summary of the invention

[0001] In some embodiments, a pickup system for use in a stringed instrument has a bobbin body supporting at least one pole piece, a first coil, and a second coil, wherein the first coil extends continuously between a first terminal of the bobbin body and a second terminal of the bobbin body, and the second coil extends continuously from the second terminal to a third terminal of the bobbin body.

[0002] In other embodiments, a pickup has a first bobbin body supporting a first pole piece, a first coil, and a second coil. The first coil extends continuously between a first bobbin terminal of the bobbin body and a second bobbin terminal of the first bobbin body, and the second coil extends continuously from the second bobbin terminal to a third bobbin terminal of the first bobbin body. The second bobbin body supports a second pole piece and a third coil, wherein the third coil extends continuously from the first bobbin terminal of the second bobbin body to the second bobbin terminal of the second bobbin body. A bottom plate is attached to the first and second bobbin bodies to position the first pole piece and the second pole piece in vertical alignment with a string.

[0003] According to various embodiments, a pickup has a bobbin body that supports at least one pole piece in vertical alignment with a plurality of strings. A first coil extends continuously from a first terminal of the bobbin body to a second terminal of the bobbin body, and a second coil extends continuously from the second terminal to a third terminal of the bobbin body. A third coil extends continuously from a fourth terminal of the bobbin body to a fifth terminal of the bobbin body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Figure 1 Shown is a block diagram representation of an example stringed instrument that may be employed in accordance with various embodiments.

[0005] Figure 2 Represents a portion of an example guitar string instrument in which some embodiments may be employed.

[0006] Figure 3 Describes the ability to Figure 1 and 2 A block diagram representation of an example pickup used in a string instrument.

[0007] Figure 4 is a partially exploded line representation of a portion of an example pickup arranged in accordance with various embodiments.

[0008] Figure 5 A top view line representation conveying a portion of an example pickup constructed and operative in accordance with some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 6Illustrated are line representations of portions of example spool assemblies that may be utilized in a pickup in accordance with various embodiments.

[0010] Figure 7 Shown are top view line representations of portions of example spool assemblies configured in accordance with various embodiments.

[0011] Figure 8 Shown is a portion of an example spool assembly that may be incorporated into a string instrument pickup.

[0012] Figures 9A to 9C An example string instrument pickup is shown arranged in accordance with some embodiments.

[0013] Fig. 10A and 10B Schematic diagrams of electrical operation of example stringed instrument pickups configured in accordance with various embodiments are provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a stringed instrument pickup comprised of a plurality of coils arranged to provide optimized detection of string motion and conversion of the string motion into electrical signals.

[0015] A string instrument pickup is a structure that converts the movement of a tensioned string into an electrical signal. Many different pickup structures and configurations have been utilized to customize the way the string motion and vibrations are captured in the output electrical signal. However, past arrangements for individual pickups have been static and have failed to provide the user with the option of customizing the output electrical signal, which is then reproduced as audible sound, such as music.

[0016] While many different pickups can be positioned on a stringed instrument to provide different selectable characteristics for generating an electrical signal, such pickups take up valuable real estate on the stringed instrument and may have degraded sound quality due to the placement of the pickup relative to the tensioned strings. Additionally, positioning the pickup under different sections of the instrument's strings can change the sound of the pickup because the harmonic mix of the string output changes due to where the pickup is physically positioned relative to the instrument's string tensioning bridge. By incorporating multiple coils into a single bobbin assembly, a user can select a variety of ways to employ a single pickup to convert string motion into an electrical signal. The ability to customize the various coils of a bobbin assembly can also provide for precise or dramatic changes in the way electrical signals are generated from string motion, which can optimize musical reproduction without the need for external signal processing (e.g., pedals, mixers, or other circuitry).

[0017] Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a single string instrument pickup that provides the user with the option of customizing the manner in which string motion is captured by the pickup. By using multiple different coils in a single bobbin, multiple different coil configurations can be employed in a single pickup to provide a customized pickup configuration. The ability to select different pickup coils provides different output signals that reproduce different sounds for selectable electrical impedances and magnetic fields that convert string motion and vibration.

[0018] exist Figure 1 1, wherein a body 102 is connected to a neck 104. Note that the body 102 may be of any size, shape, and volume to provide various acoustic properties in response to the vibration of one or more strings 106 extending continuously from the neck 104. Although the strings 106 may acoustically resonate with the air volume in the body 102, various embodiments position an electric pickup 108 proximal to the strings 106 to generate an electrical signal representative of the acoustic properties of the movement of the strings 106. Thus, various embodiments are directed to utilizing pickups in solid body or semi-solid body stringed instruments such as guitars.

[0019] The pickup 108 is configured to have a magnetic field that is affected by the movement of the string 106, and this magnetic activity is converted by a coil into an electrical signal, where this electrical signal is then used by other audio equipment (such as an amplifier, speaker, or control panel) to produce sound. However, the clarity and acoustic accuracy of string instrument pickups 108 have traditionally been imprecise. That is, the magnetic field generated and the way it reacts to the vibrating string 108 in a variety of configurations cannot accurately represent the sound as if the user were personally listening to the string movement. For example, the pickup 108 may be constructed to be very accurate for a relatively narrow frequency range, but have difficulty conveying other frequencies generated by the movement of the string 106. In another example, the pickup 108 may have a relatively high sensitivity, which increases the strength of the representative electrical signal, but at the expense of losing the width and depth of the acoustic properties of the moving and / or vibrating string 106.

[0020] In light of these issues, many stringed instruments 100 employ multiple pickups 108 in an attempt to provide diversity in the way that string 106 motion is captured as an electrical signal via the magnetic and electrical aspects of the pickups 108 . Figure 2 An example guitar 120 is shown as a portion of a stringed instrument that employs a first pickup 122 and a second pickup 124 to sense movement from one or more strings 106 suspended above the body 102 of the guitar 120. It is contemplated that the one or more pickups 122 / 124 may be utilized in an acoustic or hollow body guitar as represented by the segmented sound hole 126. However, a variety of embodiments involve pickups secured to a solid or semi-hollow guitar body 102.

[0021] By implementing multiple pickups 122 / 124 in the guitar 120, a user can select one or more of the pickups 122 / 124 to be active when playing the strings 106. For example, a selector (e.g., a button knob, lever, or switch) can be positioned on the guitar 120 to allow activation of a single pickup 122 or activation of multiple pickups 122 / 124 simultaneously. Figure 2 In the non-limiting example shown, a single coil pickup 122 is supplemented by a humbucking pickup 124 that provides different electrical and magnetic characteristics that translate into a unique reproduced sound from the vibrating string 106. Note that two or more single coil pickups having different configurations and / or acoustic capture characteristics may alternatively be used.

[0022] Although any number and type of pickups may be employed in a single guitar 120, the magnetic characteristics and electrical operation of the pickups may be degraded if the pickups are positioned in close physical proximity. Thus, the physical size of the area under the strings 106 may limit the number of pickups that may be utilized to provide the user with acoustic options.

[0023] Thus, various embodiments are directed to a single pickup configured with multiple selectable coils that provide the guitar user with greater electrical, magnetic, and acoustic control. Figure 3 1 is a block diagram of an example pickup 140 that may be used in a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, cello, violin, banjo, or bass. The pickup 140 has a bobbin 142 that positions a coil 144 of conductive wire (e.g., copper, iron, silver, or gold) to surround a plurality of pole pieces 146. It is contemplated that the pole pieces 146 are constructed of a ferrous material (e.g., iron or steel), with one pole piece 146 positioned proximal to and perpendicularly aligned with each string of the instrument, such as Figure 2 In another embodiment, a single iron rod or laminated iron structure may extend continuously under all the strings of the instrument and be aligned vertically therewith. Other embodiments may replace the iron pole pieces or iron rods with one or more magnets having customized magnetic properties (e.g., strength and coercivity).

[0024] In a double coil configuration, as shown in a segmented box, there is a second bobbin 148 that separates and positions the pole piece 150 from the coil 152. One or more magnets 154 may be placed between the bobbins 142 / 148, sometimes in combination with one or more spacers or washers 156, so that the magnetic polarity of one coil 144 is opposite to the other coil 152, and the bobbin assembly 142 / 148 is out of phase. It is contemplated that the individual bobbins 142 / 148 of the double coil pickup configuration may be selected. Thus, the pickup 140 may be configured to allow each bobbin 142 / 148 to be a combined single pickup or a selectable single coil pickup, thereby sensing the motion of the adjacent strings 106 in different ways.

[0025] Figure 4 A partially exploded line representation illustrating portions of an example stringed instrument pickup 160 arranged in accordance with various embodiments. The exploded aspect of the pickup 160 shows how pole pieces 162 are secured within a bobbin 164 such that each pole piece 162 is located proximal to and separate from the string 106 and coil 166. The coil 166 is comprised of a continuous electrical conductor that is continuously wound around the circumference of the bobbin 164 a predetermined number of times (e.g., 5000, 5500, or 2500 turns) at uniform tension around the circumference of the coil area that is less than the entire bobbin 164.

[0026] As shown, the bobbin 164 can be secured to a base plate 168, which can provide structural rigidity and electrical contact terminals for respective ends 170 of the coil 166. For example, the positive and negative ends of the coil 166 can be attached to the base plate 168 to allow for efficient and reliable electrical connection to a selector and / or an output, such as a cable jack. Figure 5 A top view line representation of an example humbucker pickup 180 is shown wired in various configurations to provide different acoustic impressions from a vibrating string 106. The pickup 180 has a first bobbin 182 separated from a second bobbin 184 by a magnet structure 186.

[0027] exist Figure 5 In the non-limiting example of , each bobbin 182 / 184 has a single conductive coil 188 comprised of a continuous wire having a first end 190 and a second end 192. By connecting the second end 192 of the coil 188 of the first bobbin 182 to the first end 190 of the coil 188 of the second bobbin 184, as represented by the solid terminal 194, the coils 188 are connected in series, and the electrical signal produced by the pickup 180 will generate a different electrical signal stream in response to string motion due to the impedance of the coils 188 as a whole. It is contemplated that such an electrical signal stream may have more pronounced low and mid audible frequencies, attenuated frequencies, and otherwise altered digital representations of what the human ear would hear from the string motion.

[0028] As shown by the segmented terminals 196, connecting the first end 190 of each coil 188 and the second end 192 of each coil 188 provides a parallel wiring configuration that produces a different magnetic field than the series wiring configuration, which can produce different sound characteristics, such as more prominent higher audible frequencies, when the generated electrical signal stream is output as sound. While it is contemplated that a selector can be connected to the pickup 180 to allow activation of the series or parallel wiring configuration, the ability to select two different magnetic fields for a pickup 180 having two bobbins 182 / 184 and coils 188 is relatively expensive in terms of physical size. Therefore, various embodiments are directed to a coil and bobbin assembly that provides the user with more magnetic field options in either a single bobbin pickup or a dual coil pickup, which corresponds to more diversity in how the string motion is captured as an electrical signal stream.

[0029] Figure 6 A line representation conveying an example bobbin assembly 200 configured in accordance with some embodiments. The bobbin assembly 200 has a single bobbin body 202 that physically contacts and supports a plurality of string pole pieces 204, winding wires 206, and a plurality of electrical conductor terminals 208. It is contemplated that the bobbin body 202 is a monolithic component or an assembly of multiple pieces that are not electrically or magnetically conductive. Each pole piece 204 is magnetically conductive and can be electrically disconnected or electrically connected to current flowing through the conductive wire. In some embodiments, a coil including winding wires 206 is in physical contact with one or more pole pieces 204.

[0030] Although the winding wire 206 may be continuous to define a single coil of a predetermined number of turns, such as 2500 or 5000 circumferential passes completely around the spool body 202, multiple coils may be provided by the spool assembly 200 by connecting different ends of the wire 206 to respective terminals. For example, the first wire 206 may extend continuously from the first conductive terminal 210 to the second conductive terminal 212 to form a first coil, and the second wire 214 may extend continuously from the second terminal 212 to the third terminal 216 to form a second coil. Thus, a single spool body 202 simultaneously supports multiple coils of wire that may be independently and simultaneously activated via the terminals 210 / 212 / 216.

[0031] Where the bobbin body 202 is provided with multiple selectable coils, the assembly 202 provides increased signal generation, impedance, and magnetic field options without taking up valuable floor space in the instrument body. Note that the bobbin assembly 200 can be constructed with more than two selectable coils. For example, three coils can be activated via four separate terminals, or five coils can be activated via six terminals. It is contemplated that tapped wires can extend from terminal 208 to taps in wires 206 / 214, rather than having multiple wire ends connected to a common terminal.

[0032] Figure 72 is a top view line representation of a portion of an example bobbin assembly 220 employing a plurality of concentric wire coils 222 and 224 according to various embodiments. As shown in solid lines, a first coil 222 is wound around a central section 224 of the bobbin body 202 and connected between two separate terminals 226 and 228. As shown in segmented lines, a second coil 230 is wound in physical contact with the first coil 222 and connected between two separate terminals 228 and 232, which may or may not be connected to the first coil 222. The respective coils 222 / 224 may be configured to have matching or different impedances corresponding to the length of wire extending between the terminals 208. Thus, the coils 222 / 224 may have different or matching lengths corresponding to the number of turns of the bobbin body 202.

[0033] It is contemplated that the coils 222 / 224 may be constructed of different materials, wire gauges, or conductive properties. As a non-limiting example, the first coil 222 has 5000 turns and is constructed of copper, while the second coil 224 has 2000 turns and is constructed of silver to provide different electrical impedances for the user to select. The presence of multiple different coils in a single spool assembly 220 allows for at least four configurable impedances and corresponding magnetic fields in response to the movement of the musical instrument strings 106. That is, the user can select a separate first coil 222, a separate second coil 224, coils 222 / 224 connected in series, or coils 222 / 224 connected in parallel via various terminals provided by the spool body 202 to provide different ways of converting the movement of the string 106 into an electrical signal stream.

[0034] Figure 8 A line representation depicting a portion of another example spool assembly 230 arranged with a plurality of coils 242 and 244 in accordance with some embodiments. As shown, a first coil 242 is wound around a front half of a thickness 246 of the spool body 202, while a second coil 244 is wound around a back half of the body thickness 246. By physically separating the coils 242 / 244 on different portions of the spool thickness 246 using spacers 248, such as ridges, protrusions, or other physical stops, the magnetic field and resulting relationship to adjacent string 106 motion that produces an electrical signal may differ from a situation where the coils 242 / 244 are in physical contact with one another, such as the example embodiment of the assembly 220.

[0035] The physical separation of the coils 242 / 244 can correspond to a matched coil configuration. For example, the coils 242 / 244 can be constructed of the same material and wound with matching turns around the body 202, at least within a tolerance range, such as within 5% of the total number of turns or 2% of the total length of the winding. The very close or precise construction of the coils 242 / 244 can provide a greater range of customizable acoustic properties because the variation in electrical impedance is greater than when the total length of the winding of multiple coils 242 / 244 is smaller. It is contemplated that the wires can pass through a lumen in the bobbin body 202, or otherwise be electrically and / or magnetically insulated from the wires of another coil, to reach the terminals 226 / 228 / 232 located on the bottom of the body 202, which prevents the coils from physically touching or interfering (electrically and / or magnetically) with each other during startup.

[0036] The bobbin assembly with multiple selectable coils can be employed alone in a stringed instrument. However, some embodiments pair one or more bobbin assemblies with additional structures. Figures 9A to 9C 1 and 2. Line representations conveying various aspects of an example musical instrument pickup 260 arranged for double coil operation, although non-double coil operation is possible when a single bobbin assembly is mounted to a stringed instrument. The pickup 260 has a first bobbin assembly 262 (eg, Fig.9A ) and the second spool assembly 264 (as shown in the side view of Fig. 9B 264 ), each of which is physically attached to a common base plate 266. The base plate 266 provides greater structural rigidity and electrical connection integrity than simply mounting the spool assembly 262 / 264 to the instrument body.

[0037] Fig. 9B The bottom view of the pickup 260 shown in illustra ts how the bottom plate 266 can also provide electrical interconnection paths to connect directly to terminals extending from the respective bobbin assemblies 262 / 264 or to various plate terminals 268 that physically contact the terminals of the respective bobbin assemblies 262 / 264. That is, the bottom plate 266 can consist of its own terminals 268 that contact the bobbin terminals, or can consist of apertures through which the bobbin terminals extend when mounted to the bottom plate 266.

[0038] In a non-limiting embodiment where the bottom plate 266 includes the plate terminals 268, the respective plate terminals 268 can physically contact the respective bobbin terminals 208. Regardless of whether the bottom plate 266 is comprised of the plate terminals 268, the physical separation of the terminals corresponding to the different coils allows one or more coils of the bobbin assembly 262 / 264 to be activated via the electrical interconnections held in place by at least one support member 270. Note that in operation, the respective bobbin assemblies 262 / 264 will each be rotated so that the electrical terminals are in physical contact with the respective plate terminals 268 and pole pieces 272 faces and are vertically aligned with the instrument strings 106, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 Generally shown.

[0039] The respective spool assemblies 262 / 264 may be secured to the base plate 266 with one or more fasteners, such as rivets, screws, pins, tabs, or retainers. It is contemplated that the one or more spool assemblies 262 / 264 are mounted on top of at least one spring or other suspension that dampens the movement of the pole piece 272 and positions the pole piece 272 at a predetermined distance from the respective instrument string. The base plate 266 may also be mounted to the body or neck of a stringed instrument with one or more fasteners, and a motion and / or vibration damping suspension may be employed.

[0040] Figures 9A to 9C The various views of the pickup 260 shown in illustrative figures illustrate how the respective spool assemblies 262 / 264 are attached to the base plate 266 to provide a single, unitary pickup structure. Fig. 9C The top view of 262 shows how each bobbin assembly 262 / 264 may include multiple concentric coils of conductive wire, as represented by solid and segmented wire paths around the respective bobbin body 202 .

[0041] Once the pickup is assembled with the bobbin assembly 262 / 264 mounted to the base plate 266, with the various plate terminals 268 electrically connected to the bobbin terminals 208, the user can selectively activate the various coils corresponding to the different electrical impedance, magnetic field, and acoustic characteristics captured in the electrical signal output by the pickup 260. Fig. 9B In the non-limiting example pickup 260 configuration shown, terminal 276 is the beginning of the first coil of the first bobbin assembly 262, terminal 278 is connected to the first coil and the second coil of the first bobbin assembly 262, and terminal 280 is the end of the second coil of the first bobbin assembly 262. Similarly, terminal 282 is the beginning of the first coil of the second bobbin assembly 264, terminal 284 is the end of the first coil and the beginning of the second coil of the second bobbin assembly 264, and terminal 286 is the end of the second coil of the second bobbin assembly 264.

[0042] By selecting any two of the three plate terminals 276 / 278 / 280 corresponding to the first bobbin assembly 262 or the terminals 282 / 284 / 286 corresponding to the second bobbin assembly 264, different numbers of coils and wire lengths acting as resistors receive currents that produce different magnetic fields that respond differently to the vibration and movement of adjacent strings 106 to produce different acoustic characteristics in the generated electrical signals. Fig. 10A and 10B Display separately Figures 9A to 9C Schematic diagram of an example operation of a double coil pickup 260. Fig. 10A, the first bobbin assembly 262 activates a single coil between two plate terminals 274 and 276 , and a single coil of the second bobbin assembly 264 is activated by selecting plate terminals 280 and 282 .

[0043] By selecting board terminals 274 and 278, both coils of first bobbin assembly 262 are activated with a greater resistance provided by the increased number of wire windings of the second coil. Fig. 10B The exemplary electrical configuration of conveys how to simultaneously activate multiple coils of each bobbin assembly 262 / 264 by selecting board terminals 274, 278, 280 and 284. Thus, the various board terminals 268 associated with the various bobbin terminals 208 allow one or more coils to be selectively activated in each connected bobbin assembly 262 / 264.

[0044] As a result of the dual coil bobbin assemblies 262 / 264, nine different pickup configurations can be selected, each with different impedance, magnetic, and acoustic properties that provide different acoustic generation to the user without adding nine separate single coil bobbin assemblies to the instrument. Note that the various coil selections can provide matched or unmatched electrical impedances between the bobbin assemblies 262 / 264. The ability to selectively utilize different electrical impedances (e.g., impedance differences of 100, 500, 1000, or more ohms) allows for a wide range of useful acoustic properties from a single pickup 260.

[0045] In some embodiments, a single bobbin assembly is utilized rather than a dual coil counterpart. Such a configuration may employ a base plate 266, or may not employ a base plate 266, but may provide for selective activation of different wound coils corresponding to different magnetic properties that translate into different acoustic properties. Regardless of the dual coil configuration of the pickup, the use of a bobbin assembly with multiple coils allows for precise or large changes in the manner in which string movement and vibrations are translated into output electrical signals, depending on the structural configuration of the coils.

[0046] While many features and advantages of various embodiments of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, as well as details of the structure and function of various embodiments of the invention, this detailed description is illustrative only, and modifications of detail may be made, particularly in matters of construction and arrangement of components within the scope of the principles of the invention, to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A pickup device, comprising a bobbin body supporting at least one pole piece, a first coil and a second coil, the first coil extending continuously between a first terminal of the bobbin body and a second terminal of the bobbin body, the second coil being concentrically wound around the first coil and in physical contact with the first coil and extending continuously from the second terminal to a third terminal of the bobbin body, the second coil being separated from the bobbin body in a radial direction by the first coil, wherein the first terminal, the second terminal and the third terminal of the bobbin body are operable to allow, when in use, independent activation of the first coil, independent activation of the second coil, activation of the first coil and the second coil connected in series, and activation of the first coil and the second coil connected in parallel.

2. The pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the bobbin body is mounted on a body of a stringed instrument.

3. The pickup apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one pole piece is positioned proximal to a string of the stringed instrument, separated from the string of the stringed instrument and vertically aligned with the string of the stringed instrument.

4. The pickup apparatus of claim 1, wherein each coil comprises a single conductive wire wound around the bobbin body. 5 . The pickup device according to claim 4 , wherein the first coil is wound around the bobbin body a number of times different from that of the second coil. 6 . The pickup device according to claim 4 , wherein the first coil has a different electrical impedance than the second coil.

7. The pickup apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coil comprises a first material and the second coil comprises a second material, the first and second materials being different.

8. The pickup apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coil comprises a first wire having a first gauge and the second coil comprises a second wire having a second gauge, the first and second gauges being different. 9 . The pickup device of claim 1 , wherein the first coil comprises a first conductive wire and the second coil comprises a second conductive wire, the first conductive wire having a different length than the second conductive wire.

10. The pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each terminal is integrated in the bobbin body.

11. A pickup, comprising: a first bobbin body supporting a first pole piece, a first coil and a second coil, the first coil extending continuously between a first bobbin terminal of the first bobbin body and a second bobbin terminal of the first bobbin body, the second coil being concentrically wound around the first coil and in physical contact with the first coil and extending continuously from the second bobbin terminal to a third bobbin terminal of the first bobbin body, the second coil being separated from the first bobbin body in a radial direction by the first coil, wherein the first bobbin terminal, the second bobbin terminal and the third bobbin terminal of the first bobbin body are operable to allow, when in use, independent activation of the first coil, independent activation of the second coil, activation of the first coil and the second coil connected in series, and activation of the first coil and the second coil connected in parallel; a second bobbin body supporting a second pole piece and a third coil, the third coil extending continuously from a first bobbin terminal of the second bobbin body to a second bobbin terminal of the second bobbin body; and A base plate is attached to the first and second spool bodies to position the first and second pole pieces in perpendicular alignment with a chord.

12. The pickup of claim 11, wherein a magnet extends between the first bobbin body and the second bobbin body.

13. The pickup of claim 11, wherein the respective bobbin terminals are each attached to a separate electrical interconnect.

14. The pickup of claim 13, wherein the separate electrical interconnect is secured in place by at least one support member of the base plate.

15. The pickup of claim 11, wherein respective bobbin terminals electrically contact corresponding plate terminals of the bottom plate.

16. The pickup of claim 11, wherein the first coil and the third coil have matched electrical impedances.

17. The pickup of claim 16, wherein the first and second coils are connected in series and have a total electrical impedance that is different from the electrical impedance of the third coil.

18. A pickup system, comprising: a bobbin body supporting the plurality of pole pieces in vertical alignment with the plurality of strings; a first coil extending continuously from a first terminal of the bobbin body to a second terminal of the bobbin body; a second coil wound concentrically on top of and in physical contact with the first coil, the second coil being separated from the bobbin body in a radial direction by the first coil, the second coil extending continuously from the second terminal to a third terminal of the bobbin body, wherein the first terminal, the second terminal and the third terminal of the bobbin body are operable to allow, in use, independent activation of the first coil, independent activation of the second coil, activation of the first coil and the second coil connected in series, and activation of the first coil and the second coil connected in parallel; The third coil continuously extends from the fourth terminal of the bobbin body to the fifth terminal of the bobbin body, each terminal of the bobbin body is physically selectable individually, and each coil is selectable individually.

19. The pickup system of claim 18, wherein the first coil and the second coil are connected in series via the second terminal.

20. The pickup system of claim 18, wherein the third coil is connected in parallel with the first coil.

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