Abstract: A musical string instrument (12) has a body (21) with a resonate cavity covered by a soundboard (22). A pick guard (34) has a flat surface for mounting to the soundboard of the instrument. Electronic control components (36) are mounted within a housing of the pick guard. The musician can control a preamplifier within the resonate cavity of the body with knobs (58) and push buttons (60) located on the pick guard. A thin, flat, multi-conductor ribbon cable (38) is connected to the electronic control components and routed along a surface of the soundboard and through a sound hole (24) in the soundboard into the resonate cavity of the body. The ribbon cable entering the resonating cavity through the sound hole does not adversely effect the natural response, performance, sound quality, and tonal property of the string instrument and does not require any additional holes be drilled in the soundboard.