Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup for stringed musical instruments has at least one bobbin mountable to the instrument beneath the instrument's strings, each of the bobbins having a body and a coil wrapped around the body, the body having one or more holes therethrough positioned below the strings. A magnetic device for generating a magnetic field around the bobbins and one or more pole pieces extended through the holes is also included. Ferromagnetic material is positioned within the body of one or more of the bobbins or between the bobbin(s) and the musical instrument to increase the device's inductance.

Abstract: A portable audible beacon comprises a housing that encloses a signal generating means and an acoustic transducer. The signal generating means generates an oscillating signal that is periodically interrupted by a zero signal, where the fundamental frequency of the oscillating signal corresponds to a frequency of high auditory sensitivity to the human ear, where the frequency of interruption of the oscillating signal corresponds to a directionally discernible frequency to the human ear, and where the period of duration of each zero signal is less than or about the same as the period of duration of the oscillating signal between each zero signal. The acoustic transducer receives the signal from the signal generating means and converts it into sound. The portable audible beacon of the present invention achieves the combined advantages of power efficiency, auditory sensitivity, and directionality.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup for a stringed musical instrument has an upper bobbin having an upper bobbin body and an upper bobbin coil of wire wrapped around the upper bobbin body; a lower bobbin positioned below and coaxial to the upper bobbin, the lower bobbin having a lower bobbin body and a lower bobbin coil of wire wrapped around the lower bobbin body, the bodies mountable on the instrument proximate and below the strings, the coils having axes perpendicular to the strings; an integral plate of ferromagnetic material including a base disposed between the upper bobbin and lower bobbin perpendicular to the coil axis and two side walls extending upwardly and perpendicularly from the base; and a magnetic system extending through at least the upper bobbin body and in contact with the base of the integral plate for generating a magnetic field around the bobbins, wherein the side walls include a cut-away area positioned below one or more of the ferromagnetic strings.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup device for use in an electrical string musical instrument comprises a first coil portion having an upper surface and carrying a plurality of spaced apart magnetic pole pieces, a second coil portion having an upper surface and carrying a like plurality of spaced apart magnetic pole pieces, each of the strings being operatively associated with a pair of pole pieces, one of the pair on each of the coil portions, each of the strings having a resting position and the central vertical axes of the pair of magnetic pole pieces associated with at least one string lying in a plane which intersects the string. An electrical string musical instrument comprising the electromagnetic pickup device of this invention produces a timbre or tonal quality which is more natural and pleasing to the ear than that produced by an electrical string musical instrument employing a conventional dual coil pickup device.