An optoelectronic pickup for a musical instrument includes at least one light source which directs light to impinge a sound generating element of the musical instrument in at least one photoreceiver located to detect the reflected light, so as to generate an electrical signal that is responsive to sound generating element movement.

An optoelectronic pickup for a musical instrument includes at least one light source which directs light to impinge a sound generating element of the musical instrument in at least one photoreceiver located to detect the reflected light, so as to generate an electrical signal that is responsive to sound generating element movement.

A musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) controller is provided. It has a housing having a hollow interior portion, a first audio jack and a second audio jack positioned on the housing, wherein the first audio jack is configured to accept a first audio signal from an electronic music instrument, and wherein the second audio jack is configured to accept a second audio signal from a microphone, a conversion module configured to receive the first signal from the first audio jack and the second signal from the second audio jack, wherein the conversion module is configured to transform the first signal into an outgoing digital signal and retain the second signal in a database and an output module configured to utilize the outgoing digital signal and the retained second signal from the database, and output both signals as a dual signal of audio and digital outputs during a user performance.

A stringed instrument comprises a substantially hollow body that includes a front soundboard, a rear diaphragm, and a side wall, all defining an internal volume therein that has a first curved interface between the side wall and the front soundboard and a second curved interface between the side wall and the rear diaphragm, such that when the front soundboard vibrates in reaction to the strings being strummed, struck, or picked the rear diaphragm is driven by the side walls and the first and second curved interface. The stringed instrument may take the form of a guitar that includes a primary sound aperture in the front soundboard, a neck having a fretboard with a plurality of frets, a heel fixed at a proximal end thereof, and a string nut at a distal end thereof. A tuning head projects away from the string nut and includes a plurality of tuning mechanisms.

A single axis position transducer uses an elongate permanent three pole magnet having a radial magnetic field at a spot along the magnet in which the magnetic field has radial field lines that decay as 1/R. R is the distance from the center of the magnet along a radial field line perpendicular to the axis of the magnet. The spot has a first pole of one polarity, and the magnet has poles of the opposite polarity spaced along the magnet on opposite sides of the first pole of the radial magnetic field located at the spot. At least one magnetic field sensor is positioned proximal to the spot along the elongate member that detects the motion of the spot and electrically amplifies the sensor output.

A Bohemian Instrument may be a musical instrument, acoustic or electric, with a metallic semi-hollow or hollow body. The Bohemian Instrument may comprise a neck extending from the body. In various embodiments, the Bohemian Instrument may comprise, but not be limited to, for example, a through-body neck, extending from the head of the neck into the body of the instrument. Within the body, the Bohemian Instrument may comprise a frame reinforcing at least one inner-edge of the body. In various embodiments, the frame within the body may be comprised of wood and be connected to, or comprise a part of, the through-body neck. By reinforcing the body, the frame also serves to improve a resonation quality of the hollow or semi-hollow metallic body. In turn, the Bohemian Instrument's unique and distinct sound is further articulated.

A Bohemian Instrument may be a musical instrument, acoustic or electric, with a metallic semi-hollow or hollow body. The Bohemian Instrument may comprise a neck extending from the body. In various embodiments, the Bohemian Instrument may comprise, but not be limited to, for example, a through-body neck, extending from the head of the neck into the body of the instrument. Within the body, the Bohemian Instrument may comprise a frame reinforcing at least one inner-edge of the body. In various embodiments, the frame within the body may be comprised of wood and be connected to, or comprise a part of, the through-body neck. By reinforcing the body, the frame also serves to improve a resonation quality of the hollow or semi-hollow metallic body. In turn, the Bohemian Instrument's unique and distinct sound is further articulated.

A pickup unit for an electrical stringed instrument, such as an electric guitar, includes a housing structured to be connected to the stringed instrument and a number of pickups provided within the housing, each pickup being structured to produce signals corresponding to vibration of one or more strings of the stringed instrument. The pickup unit also includes a number of capacitive touch electrodes provided on or within the housing, wherein the pickup unit is structured to generate control signals in response to a user of the pickup unit touching one or more of the number of capacitive touch electrodes, the control signal being configured to control processing of the signals produced by the number of pickups.

A pickup for a musical instrument includes a first assembly, a housing, and a magnet. The first assembly comprises a base plate, a pole that extends from the base plate, and a coil of wire wrapped around the pole. A first lead wire extends from a first coil end and a second lead wire extends from a second coil end. The housing is user attachable to, and detachable from, the top of the first assembly, independently of any electrical connections made to electronics of the musical instrument. Moreover, the housing attaches to and detaches from the first assembly such that when attached, the pole of the first assembly is in magnetic cooperation with the magnet. Also, the housing is removable, thus allowing the magnet to be changed out to another magnet without removing strings or other hardware of the musical instrument.

A system and method for encouraging an energy user to conserve energy by providing the user with musical feedback describing their energy use as a musical piece. Various musical parameters of the musical piece may be manipulated to describe higher- or lower-than-expected energy use, in order to encourage the user to conserve energy. A visual animation may also be added to the musical piece to illustrate it further.