HUMBUCKER PICKUP DEVICE FOR ACTIVE AND PASSIVE GUITARS

Abstract

A humbucker pickup device for active and passive guitars including a matched pair of elongated coil assemblies with two sets of ferromagnetic pole pieces also includes two elongated, transversely polarized permanent magnets positioned between and parallel to the coils. The magnets are beside each other with opposite poles facing each other. The magnets with two respective pole pieces under each string establish two narrow magnetic fields to interact with the string at two points and a weaker intermediate magnetic field between the said pole pieces. The humbucker device includes an improved differential amplifier built from two or three operational amplifiers. Alternatively, the device may include a steel plate between the magnets for further weakening the intermediate magnetic field. Both embodiments, with and without the plate, are described.

Claims

1. In a humbucker pickup device for active and passive guitars including a matched pair of elongated coil assemblies placed closely in parallel, two sets of ferromagnetic pole pieces extending through said coil assemblies, one set for each coil, in which said pole pieces having the upper ends disposed adjacent ferrous strings of a guitar so that each string is over two respective pole pieces, one from each set, an improvement for the interaction of the magnetic field with a string at two points, comprising: two transversely polarized permanent magnets, each in the form of an elongated bar having a rectangular cross-section and opposed longitudinal surfaces constituting pole faces, north and south respectively, said north pole surface of one magnet and south pole surface of the other magnet facing each other, attracting said magnets closely back to back; said magnets disposed below both of said coils and between said two sets of pole pieces, wherein two other, outer pole surfaces of said magnets also with opposite poles engage to the lower ends of pole pieces of a first and a second sets respectively, inducing opposite poles on said two respective pole pieces under each string and thereby providing opposite magnetic polarities for said coils wounded in the same direction; said two respective pole pieces providing a wide intermediate magnetic field between them weakened near a string and two outer narrow more strong magnetic fields applied to said string, with said two magnets having the opposite north/south poles in the middle between said two respective pole pieces there is a decrease in intensity of said wide intermediate magnetic field near the string, thereby the string is more free in its vibrations providing an improved string signal picked up at two points by said narrow magnetic fields.

2-3. (canceled)

4. The humbucker pickup device in claim 1, wherein said two coils have two end wires, one from each coil, electrically connected to ground terminal of the humbucker device such that said coils are electrically in same polarity, and two other end wires of said coils are as two output ends of humbucker pickup means for converting said improved string signal into electrical pickup signals and for providing said electrical pickup signals including in-phase externally generated noise signals across said two output ends.

5. The humbucker pickup device of claim 4 further comprising a differential amplifier having inverting and noninverting input terminals which are electrically connected to said two output ends of the humbucker pickup means so that said differential amplifier provides effective canceling said external in-phase noise signals, while with said opposite magnetic polarities in the coils the music signals magnetically created in the coils are added providing an output pickup signal free from said noise.

6. The humbucker pickup device in claim 5, wherein said differential amplifier is an instrumentation amplifier having high input impedances and a single gain-resistor for adjusting the level of said output pickup signal.

7. The humbucker pickup device in claim 6, wherein said humbucker pickup means, comprising said two magnets and said coil assemblies with the sets of pole pieces, and said instrumentation amplifier are mounted on a common pickup support member.

8. The humbucker pickup device in claim 6, wherein for the matched pair of coils said instrumentation amplifier allows to use conventional coils including high impedance coils with a big number of turns similar to coils in prior art passive humbucker or single-coil pickups, and wherein said gain-resistor of said instrumentation amplifier is adjustably seated by a predetermined value and is selected to establish said output pickup signal of desired level providing for the humbucker device to be used in any position on the guitar.

9. The humbucker pickup device in claim 8, wherein said conventional coils or said coils of a big number of turns with the appropriate bobbins and sets of pole pieces, said two magnets, if they are of conventional magnetic force providing high electromagnetic efficiency, are mounted on a common pickup support member, while the instrumentation amplifier may be mounted separately inside a tone-volume section of the guitar.

10. The humbucker pickup device of claim 5, further additionally comprising: a ferromagnetic plate having the thickness between 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm and the length, at least not less than the length of the magnets, positioned between the magnets and the coils, said plate directed to the strings has the height such that its upper edge is roughly at the same distance from the strings as the upper ends of the pole pieces, where under each string said upper edge of the plate induced by said wide intermediate magnetic field additionally distorts and weakens said intermediate magnetic field thereby improving string signal.

11. The humbucker pickup device in claim 10, wherein the humbucker pickup means, the instrumentation amplifier and said ferromagnetic plate are mounted on a common pickup support member.

12. (canceled)

13. The humbucker pickup device in claim 10, wherein said ferromagnetic plate, the magnets and the coil assemblies with the sets of pole pieces may be mounted on a common pickup support member without the instrumentation amplifier if said coils are conventional coils or coils of a big number of turns similar to coils in prior art conventional passive humbucker or single-coil pickups, and said magnets are magnets of conventional magnetic force providing high electromagnetic efficiency, and wherein the instrumentation amplifier may be mounted, thus, separately inside the tone-volume section of the guitar.

14. The humbucker pickup device in claim 5, wherein the total width of said two magnets, the distance between their outer pole surfaces, is the same as the width of a single magnet in prior art conventional humbuckers, in which the single magnet width is usually from 12.5 mm to 14 mm.

15. The humbucker pickup device in claim 14, wherein said two magnets may be made of any permanent magnet material of any conventional magnetic force, but the magnets must be equal in their sizes and magnetic forces.

16. The humbucker pickup device in claim 15, wherein with said equal magnets the wide intermediate magnetic field is the weakest, weaker than the analogous wide magnetic field in prior art conventional humbuckers with a single magnet of the same width as the total width of said two magnets, providing, thereby, improved tonal properties for the device and the guitar.

17. The humbucker pickup device in claim 16, wherein with said equal magnets and improved tonal properties the device may include conventional coils or coils of a big number of turns similar to coils as in prior art passive humbucker or single-coil pickups and in the case of using the instrumentation amplifier any additional filters or equalizers inside pickup or guitar body, similar to those used in prior art active pickups, do not required.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] The operation of the invention will become apparent from the following description will more fully taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0064] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional two-coil humbucker pickup in its assembled configuration (prior art);

[0065] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a magnetic system of the conventional humbucker pickup of FIG. 1 (prior art);

[0066] FIG. 1B is an elevation view of the magnetic system of the conventional humbucker pickup of FIG. 1A showing the interaction of the magnetic field with the strings above it (prior art);

[0067] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a magnetic system of a conventional single-coil pickup showing the interaction of the magnetic field with the strings above it (prior art);

[0068] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing a magnetic system of it;

[0069] FIG. 3B is an elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the magnetic system of the humbucker pickup of FIG. 3A showing the interaction of the magnetic field with the strings above it;

[0070] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention showing a magnetic system of it;

[0071] FIG. 4B is an elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the magnetic system of the humbucker pickup of FIG. 4A showing the interaction of the magnetic field with the strings above it;

[0072] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of structural components including coils of the humbucker pickup of FIGS. 3A and 4A;

[0073] FIG. 5A is an elevation view of the humbucker pickup in its assembled configurations for an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0074] FIG. 5B is an elevation view of the humbucker pickup in its assembled configurations for an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

[0075] FIG. 6 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention in the active mode with a preamplifier;

[0076] FIG. 7 is a schematic wiring diagram of power supply for operational amplifiers of the preamplifier of the humbucker pickup; and

[0077] FIG. 8 illustrates one of the possible dispositions of magnets inside the humbucker pickup relative to the pole pieces adjacent the sixth string to reduce an excess of low frequencies from the string in some guitars for the case of the magnets of big force.

[0078] Throughout the figures, the same reference numerals and characters are used, unless new stated, to denote like features, elements, components or portions of the illustrated conventional pickups and embodiments. For convenience, the pickup's coils and bobbins are not shown in some figures since they are not the principal object of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0079] Broadly, the present invention is an electromagnetic humbucker pickup device for active and passive guitars, where the humbucker device may be used in both the active mode with a preamplifier and the traditional passive mode without the preamplifier (preamp). If the device is used as to ensure switching between the active and passive modes, then a changeover switch needs to be provided outside the humbucker device, i.e. on the body of a guitar.

[0080] FIGS. 1, 1A, 1B and 2 illustrate a conventional humbucker 10, a magnetic system of this humbucker and a magnetic system of a conventional single-coil pickup 14 which are generally widely known in the prior art. The operation of these pickups and their magnetic systems, as well as the comparative examples for the magnetic fields apertures of the pickups are presented and described in detail by Beller in U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,750 referenced above.

[0081] As is illustrated in FIGS. 3A through 8, the humbucker pickup device for active and passive guitars includes two identical permanent magnets 1 and 2. Each of the magnets 1, 2 in the form of a rectangular bar is an elongated, transversely polarized permanent magnet with a north pole N on one side and a south pole S on the other. Opposite poles of the magnet 1 and the magnet 2 face each other, thereby the magnets are mutually attracted and closely back to back. The magnets 1, 2 may be ceramic or of other magnetic material. The magnets may be of any force, but their forces must be substantially equal to each other as well as their geometrical sizes. In certain embodiments, each of the magnets 1, 2 may be with a cross-section of approximately 77 mm and with a length of not less than approximately 50 mm.

[0082] FIGS. 3A, 3B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention (coils, the preamp not shown). To keep the same interval D between two rows of pole pieces, FIG. 3A, equal about 18 mm as in conventional humbuckers, the total width of the magnets 1, 2 is approximately the same as the width of a single magnet 1 in the conventional humbucker 10 (FIGS. 1A, 1B). Thereby, the magnets 1, 2 are located in the humbucker device in the analogous place between the lower ends of pole pieces of the different rows and coils as where the single magnet 1 is positioned in the conventional humbucker 10. The pole pieces of both sets (rows) extend through two coil assemblies (not shown) respectively as that in the conventional humbucker 10. Thus, the general dimensions of the humbucker device are the same as that of any conventional humbucker.

[0083] In certain embodiments, a steel plate 20 may be placed in between the magnets 1, 2 as is shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B illustrating an alternate embodiment of the present invention. The plate 20 may be made of soft iron or the like with the thickness of approximately 0.5-1.0 mm. The plate 20 length may be not less than the length of the magnets 1, 2, and the plate 20 height must be about the same as that for pole pieces in the sets. The pole pieces, made of a ferromagnetic material, may be of any type such as poles, bars, screws or rails instead of the sets of pole pieces (as in rails humbuckers) and the like.

[0084] As indicated in the figures for both embodiments (FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B), two pole pieces 7, 8 from the different sets may form a pair of pole pieces intended and positioned beneath a respective string 18. Abutting to magnetic poles of the magnets 1, 2, the pole pieces 7, 8, as seen in FIGS. 3B and 4B, have opposite magnetic poles on their upper and lower ends. Thus, under the string 18 the pole pieces 7 and 8 create outer magnetic fields as enough narrow and strong branches 3 and 4, like those branches 3, 4 in the conventional humbucker 10 of FIG. 1B.

[0085] Magnetic field apertures A of the branches 3, 4 are shown approximately (FIGS. 3B and 4B) taking into account the images of the magnetic fields of conventional pickups well-known in the art and represented by Beller in his patent noted above. Moreover, it should be understood that the said apertures cannot be wide because perceptible magnetic influence on the string 18 happens in the immediate vicinity to the pole pieces 7, 8. And with moving away from the upper ends of the pole pieces, the magnetic field strength from the branches 3, 4 rapidly decreases along the string. Therefore, it can quite be considered that the magnetic field apertures A of the branches 3, 4 of FIGS. 3B and 4B are enough narrow, each of which, as mentioned above, is twice lesser (even additionally less) than a magnetic field aperture A in the conventional single-coil pickup 14 of FIG. 2. I.e., if the said narrow branches 3, 4 are as the main magnetic fields interacting with the string 18, then the undistorted frequency range for the present invention will be really up to 11520 Hz as calculated above.

[0086] Further, the pole pieces 7, 8 and the magnets 1, 2 may create an additional third magnetic field 9 under the same string 18 within the interval D which is the distance between the pole pieces 7, 8 (FIGS. 3A, 3B). As was found for conventional humbuckers, when the two magnets 1, 2 are positioned in accordance with FIG. 3B in the interval D instead of a single magnet, the intermediate magnetic branch 9 becomes weaker so that it can be neglected.

[0087] To objectively evaluate the properties of the humbucker device or any other pickup, it is convenient to use the active mode with the preamp built from a differential amplifier. The active mode for a guitar pickup is like a magnifying glass that perfectly shows any advantages or flaws in the signal and tonal quality of this pickup. The improving in tonal quality from the two-magnet system distinctly manifests in the active mode and has allowed the humbucker device easily to be compatible with modern strong magnets and conventional high-impedance coils without additional means of correction. In fact, this confirms that the magnetic branches 3, 4 of FIG. 3B are as the main magnetic fields interacting with the string. While in the conventional humbucker 10 of FIG. 1B, the wide and strong branch 9 cannot be neglected, a rather here it is as the main magnetic field determining tonal quality for this pickup. This is the basic difference between FIGS. 3B and 1B, and between the humbucker device and the conventional humbucker 10 which, as known in the prior art, is practically incompatible with the active mode.

[0088] The traditional method of monitoring lines of force (by the iron filings) is not able to objectively describe the magnetic branch 9 between the pole pieces 7, 8 with a glance to guitar/pickup tone. The diagrams by the iron filings in both cases, with the two-magnet system and a single magnet, may be similar. However, if by feel, the difference between the magnetic branch 9 of the two-magnet system (FIG. 3B) and the single magnet 1 (FIG. 1B) is quite obvious from a simple experiment by means of a small steel thing (a needle or a screwdriver) and the fingers. It can be felt that the fingers easily hold the thing in the middle between the pole pieces 7 and 8 (where their upper ends) without any effort in the case of the two magnets 1, 2. For convenience, it is possible to use two steel plates instead of the pole pieces 7, 8 (as in a rail humbucker). While with the single magnet 1 of the conventional humbucker 10, the fingers hold the same thing using a pretty big effort by contrast to the two-magnet system of the device.

[0089] In other words, with the two magnets there occurs a failure in the magnetic field strength for the branch 9, mainly, in the middle between the pole pieces 7 and 8. In FIG. 3B this is expressed as a smaller concentration of force lines 9 around the string 18 in the interval D by comparison to FIG. 1B. Apparently, this useful failure occurs thanks to the two inner magnetic poles N and S, by which the magnets 1, 2 are attracted. This variation in magnetic field strength is quite enough for to provide high tonal quality for the humbucker device. The effect from the described two-magnet system was also confirmed on various electric and bass guitars in the process of upgrading conventional humbuckers of various models.

[0090] In the alternate embodiment, FIGS. 4A and 4B, the steel plate 20, being between the identical magnets 1, 2, has not a magnetic pole, or at least its pole is weak, much weaker than the magnetic poles of pole pieces 7, 8. I.e., the plate cannot significantly effect on the string vibrations. In tonal quality, thus, this embodiment has no fundamental difference from the exemplary one. Yet, the plate 20 can additionally weaken the magnetic branch 9 near the string 18. The upper edge of the plate may be induced in some degree from the branch 9. Whereby, the plate influences so that the branch 9 is distorted as shown in FIG. 4B where the force line 9 is deflected down to the plate 20 and becomes farther from the string. This little change in the magnetic branch 9 is enough for to use both embodiments of the present invention on a guitar to reduce the sonic defect occurring in the mixed mode from two pickups.

[0091] The plate effect for the said mixed mode in guitar may be more noticeable when the humbucker devices of both embodiments, used in Neck and Bridge positions, are similar in components (coils, magnets and preamps). In some cases, the plate 20 can also give a beneficial effect for one humbucker device as a certain improving in high and middle frequencies, in particular, when the device includes coils with a big number of turns. If the plate 20 is 3-4 mm or more farther from the strings than the pole pieces, its effect will quickly decrease.

[0092] FIGS. 5, 5A and 5B illustrate components of the present invention including conventional coils L1 and L2 in their separated and assembled configurations for both embodiments. As is seen, with the total width of the magnets 1, 2, the same as that one of a single magnet in conventional humbuckers and owing to the use of the conventional coils L1 and L2, the manufacturing technology surrounding the humbucker device may allow for a similar process as with any conventional humbucker 10, thereby decreasing costs. An upgrade for conventional humbuckers is also possible by replacing a single magnet by the two magnets 1, 2.

The Preamplifier and the Active Mode

[0093] A preamplifier of the humbucker device may be built, in particular, on one of the improved differential amplifiers (instrumentation amplifiers) from two or three operational amplifiers, high input impedance of which may be useful to get the full benefit from the humbucker output enriched by the new harmonics.

[0094] FIG. 6 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention with a preamplifier (an instrumentation amplifier) built from two operational amplifiers U1 and U2. As is seen, the preamplifier for humbucker may be connected to the two coils L1 and L2 of the humbucker device in the balanced input mode by two differential inputs 22 (the balanced input). In certain embodiments, the coils L1, L2 may be wound in the same direction and be as a matched pair to get the balanced input mode. In this case, the inputs 22 are connected respectively to the finish ends (Fn in FIG. 6) of the coils, and the start ends St of both coils are grounded. Due to opposite magnetic poles on the pole pieces of the different coils, two signals from the coils L1, L2 are electrically of opposite polarities as well. Further these signals are processed by the instrumentation amplifier, circuit and the operation principle of which is well-known to those skilled in the art. Inverting one of the signals, finally the instrumentation amplifier adds up both signals, and noises, which are electrically induced in the coils L1, L2, cancel each other out.

[0095] The preferred embodiment in FIG. 6 is shown as a finished electrical system for a two-pickup guitar with two respective volume and two tone potentiometers and a typical 3-way switch S1 of the pickups. The unbalanced output of the preamp is connected to a volume potentiometer R7 through a capacitor C1 and a resistor R5. The resistor R5 must be used if two or more pickups are present on guitar and when mixing the signals from them is possible. A second pickup and guitar components associated with it are not shown. With two humbucker devices on the guitar, accordingly the output of a second preamp is connected to a second volume potentiometer of the guitar in the same manner (through a capacitor and a resistor identical to C1 and R5).

[0096] FIG. 7 illustrates a bipolar power supply circuit as one of the possible version of power supply for the preamp. The preamp and its power supply may include operational amplifiers like TL061 (U1, U2 and U3 in FIGS. 6, 7), TL062(taking into account other leads in the chip) and others. Resistor R5 may be within from 3.3K ohms to 5.6K ohms, the capacitor C1 within from 0.33 uF to 1.0 uF. Tone and volume potentiometers R6, R7 may be roughly 250K ohms. Resistors R8, R9 may be within from 200K ohms to 240K ohms, oxide capacitors C3, C4 from 6.8 uF to 10 uF, capacitors C5, C6 about 0.1 uF.

[0097] The power is provided by the 9 Volt power supply like a single 9 Volt battery via a 2-way toggle S2. Sometimes in active guitars for switching on/off the power there may be used an output stereo jack. Here, FIG. 7, the toggle S2 is as an additional toggle on a guitar. It allows the guitar to use the standard output mono jack having longer life. Also, thanks to the bipolar circuit and two diodes D1, D2, the 2-way toggle S2 gives smaller clicks from switching on/off the power.

[0098] With high-power coils (not less 5,000 turns per coil) and modern strong magnets used in the humbucker device, the preamp may be made as a separate component and, as mentioned, be mounted inside the volume/tone section in guitar. Such option is probably more suitable for guitar manufacturers. If both active and passive modes are required for a guitar, the changeover switch of the modes must be preferably near the preamp.

[0099] With conventional coils and modern strong magnets, the gain of the preamp may be within from 1 up to 2, accordingly with a larger value for the humbucker device in Bridge position on a guitar. Such gain will allow the guitar output to be in accordance with typical equipment as guitar combo amp cabinets, effect boxes, also, home HI-FI preamps/amplifiers and the like. With two humbucker devices on guitar, setting of the signal level from Neck, Bridge devices is fulfilled by resistors R-GAIN in their preamps, FIG. 6, in the following way that should be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, with identical resistors R1=R2=R3=R4 equaling 10K ohms in both preamps, at first a resistor R-GAIN of Neck humbucker's preamp is set and fixed within from 300K ohms to 500K ohms, or this resistor may be absent. Next, a similar resistor R-GAIN in Bridge humbucker's preamp is chosen from approximately 33K ohms to 62K ohms or more so, to adjust and to fix the output level of the Bridge device in accordance with the Neck device output. For convenience, one the said R-GAIN resistors may be as a trimming resistor.

[0100] With a glance to the experience of passive pickups, in particular, to avoid a harshness in the sound of an electric guitar, that is described in the Blucher et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,998 noted above, it can be done in a simple way also due to the preamp with the R-GAIN resistor. Most often the harshness problem occurs for pickups in Bridge position. Solving this problem by coils of high inductance with a larger number of turns, with which the harshness disappears, the signal levels of Neck/Bridge humbucker devices are adjusted in the similar way as described above by a gain resistor in one of the preamps.

[0101] Despite the narrow apertures A of the magnetic fields 3, 4 (FIGS. 3B, 4B) the signal from the coils in the humbucker device is not weaker than a signal in the conventional humbucker 10 (FIG. 1B) with the same coils. I.e., the humbucker pickup of the present invention may be quite used as a passive version without the preamp. In this case, having opposite magnetic polarities, the coils L1 and L2 must be connected in out-of-phase to each other (this case not shown) as in conventional humbuckers. However it should be noted that a guitar with such humbucker without the preamp will lose the ability to be used with various wideband equipment.

Guitar Equipment for Electric Guitar with the Humbucker Device

[0102] As mentioned above, an electric guitar comprising the humbucker device may be used with equipment not associated with electric guitars. This may be a studio mixer or usual Hi-Fi pre/amplifier, or amplifiers and loudspeakers intended for acoustic guitar or vocals etc. With humbucker device's preamp the guitar will be matched for impedance to the said equipment. But besides, using the active mode and the said equipment, the humbucker device can provide for the electric guitar a pleasing and natural tone, and in certain cases in music such guitar can replace acoustic guitar. On a whole, what equipment should be used, wideband or traditional for electric guitars, for the guitar with the present invention this is not matter much.

[0103] In particular, with wideband equipment it may be enough to have an amplifier with a 3-4-bands equalizer. With some loudspeakers, usual home Hi-Fi pre/amplifier can also be sufficient to get a good guitar tone. And the signal from this preamplifier may be used for recording at a home studio computer-based without the need for additional processing by so-called a reamp method using studio guitar equipment. Perhaps, for some heavy musical styles the traditional guitar equipment like combo amp cabinets, effects boxes will remain preferable, but that will not be as the general rule for other music styles if a guitar includes the humbucker device. I.e., the effects boxes or other devices for tonal coloring and harmonic saturation may be useful for the guitar with the invention, but are not necessary.

[0104] FIG. 8 illustrates one of the possible dispositions of the two magnets 1, 2 inside the humbucker device relative to pole pieces associated with the sixth string 24. Such disposition is not typical and, as a rule, not required for the device. In rare case for some guitars with the use of wideband equipment and with strong magnets in the device, some excess of low frequencies may be noticeable a little from the sixth string 24. The shown disposition may reduce the said excess in the lows while retaining the strong magnets.

[0105] For fans of pickups with an increased number of turns like P90 pickups, a similar sound can be obtained by means of the device and the coils L1, L2 also with an increased number of turns (from approximately 5,000 turns per coil and more). The humbucker device cannot repeat fully a single-coil pickup in sound because the device picks up the string signal from two points, however thanks to this, its tone may be even more beautiful and saturated.

[0106] There are many electric guitars made of expensive types of wood. The use of the humbucker device on different guitars has shown that cheap guitars made of cheap wood and even guitars not made of wood, for example, made of the pressed cardboard or plastic and the like, can also provide a quality sound and tone, mainly in the active mode. The difference in the sound between expensive guitars made of expensive wood and cheap guitars of cheap wood becomes less if these guitars have the invention.

[0107] Referring back to the passive mode, it can be added that without the preamp the humbucker of the invention becomes more like a conventional humbucker. The effect from the invention (from the two-magnet system) in this mode may be little appreciable. As is known, the signal of passive pickups is too dependent on various factors including the length of the guitar cable, and the tonal properties of the pickups and guitars are also dependent on the guitar equipment. These features are rather as drawbacks of the passive pickups therefore the active mode with the preamp is particularly preferable for the invention. In this case the invention has fully the advantages of both passive and active pickups, while not having their disadvantages.

[0108] Additional advantages and other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art such as using different versions of the preamp, other types of pole pieces and coils etc. These modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.