This invention eliminates most mechanical switching in vibrational pickup circuits by using variable gains to combine signals of sensors in differential amplifiers as J−1 humbucking pairs for J>1 number of sensors, with the sensors matched to produce the same level and phase of unwanted hum from external sources. It can also combine J>1 number of matched sensors with K>1 number of dissimilar sensors which are matched only to each other in the same manner. This produces not only all the possible mechanically switched humbucking signals, but all the continuously-varying combinations of humbucking signals in between.

This invention continues and adds to the embodiments under Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/840,644, adding circuits using small dual-coil humbucking pickups made to mount in the same holes as and replace single-coil pickups. It also develops circuits to match the value of tone capacitors to the lumped inductances of pickup circuits. A mechanical switching system for 3 single-sized humbuckers can produce 21 distinct tonal circuits from 48 different switch combinations, using a 6-way circuit switch and three 2-way mode switches. A digitally-controlled solid-state switching system can avoid the duplicate circuits, and control even more pickups for more tones. With such a switching system, the user can set the order of 2, 21, 120 and 705 distinct tonal circuits for 2, 3, 4 and 5 single-sized humbucking pickups, with expected extensions to larger numbers of pickups, and the caveat from previous work by this inventor that tones tend to bunch together at the warm end, decreasing the number of audibly distinct tones.

A universal pickup transducer mounting system for a string instrument having a neck and bridge between which a plurality of strings extend includes a receiving cavity formed in the string instrument's body and a multiplicity of exchangeable body blocks disposed in the receiving cavity and configured for releasable mounting therein. The multiplicity of exchangeable body blocks includes at least one transducer receiving block that has an opening formed therein configured for receiving at least one pickup transducer therein. The at least one transducer receiving block is mountable within the receiving cavity to locate the at least one pickup transducer at a user selected longitudinal position relative to the neck and the bridge.

This invention continues and adds to the embodiments under NPPA Ser. No. 16/840,644, adding circuits using small dual-coil humbucking pickups made to mount in the same holes as and replace single-coil pickups. It also develops circuits to match the value of tone capacitors to the lumped inductances of pickup circuits. A mechanical switching system for 3 single-sized humbuckers can produce 21 distinct tonal circuits from 48 different switch combinations, using a 6-way circuit switch and three 2-way mode switches. A digitally-controlled solid-state switching system can avoid the duplicate circuits, and control even more pickups for more tones. With such a switching system, the user can set the order of 2, 21, 120 and 705 distinct tonal circuits for 2, 3, 4 and 5 single-sized humbucking pickups, with expected extensions to larger numbers of pickups, and the caveat from previous work by this inventor that tones tend to bunch together at the warm end, decreasing the number of audibly distinct tones.

This invention eliminates most mechanical switching in vibrational pickup circuits by using variable gains to combine signals of sensors in differential amplifiers as J1 humbucking pairs for J>1 number of sensors, with the sensors matched to produce the same level and phase of unwanted hum from external sources. It can also combine J>1 number of matched sensors with K>1 number of dissimilar sensors which are matched only to each other in the same manner. This produces not only all the possible mechanically switched humbucking signals, but all the continuously-varying combinations of humbucking signals in between.

A pickup system for an acoustic instrument having strings. The pickup system includes a mounting device configured to be coupled with an acoustic instrument, a sensing element secured to the mounting device and configured to convert mechanical vibrations produced by strings of the acoustic instrument into an electrical signal, and a secondary element secured to the mounting device and configured to reduce pickup of noise produced by sources other then the strings of the acoustic instrument.

A noise eliminator to eliminate electrical hum from an amplified musical instrument is provided. An aspect provides a method of playing an electrically amplified musical instrument having a sound pickup system that is electrically grounded, including, but not limited to, the steps of: disposing a first connector to the skin of a player of the amplified musical instrument, wherein the connector has least two oppositely disposed sides, and wherein the first disposed side removably adheres to the skin of the player and the second disposed side permits an electrical connection to be made with the player's skin; disposing a second connector that is electrically connected to the electrical ground of the sound pickup system; and establishing an electrical connection between the first connector and the second connector. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Guitar strings composed of an Iron and Nickel smelted alloy for use with wide aperture single coil pickups, and guitars therefor.

A pickup system for an acoustic instrument having strings. The pickup system includes a mounting device configured to be coupled with an acoustic instrument, a sensing element secured to the mounting device and configured to convert mechanical vibrations produced by strings of the acoustic instrument into an electrical signal, and a secondary element secured to the mounting device and configured to reduce pickup of noise produced by sources other then the strings of the acoustic instrument.

This invention discloses a switching system for any odd or even number of two or more matched vibrations sensors, such that all possible circuits of such sensors that can be produced by the system are humbucking, rejecting external interferences signals. The sensors must be matched, especially with respect to response to external hum and internal impedance, and be capable of being made or arranged so that the responses of individual sensors to vibration can be inverted, compared to another matched sensor, placed in the same physical position, while the interference signal is not. Such that for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 sensors, there exist 1, 6, 25, 90, 301, 966 and 3025 unique humbucking circuits, respectively, with signal outputs that can be either single-ended or differential. Embodiments of switching systems include electro-mechanical switches, programmable switches, solid-state digital-analog switches, and micro-controller driven solid state switches using time-series to spectral-series transforms to pick the order of tones from bright to warm and back.