5 - Roll Over Beethoven — Electric instruments

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of electric instruments. One of the electric instruments is a modern electric guitar that consists of a magnet arranged in such a way that it points with one pole toward the string and the opposing pole away from the string. As the string is excited by the player, and moves in close proximity to the magnetic circuit, the flux in the circuit is disturbed, and hence a small electric current is induced in the coil. Another electric instrument is Univox—a small, portable valve-based monophonic organ with a range of tone selections and vibrato effects. The most famous electric piano is the Fender Rhodes with a simple operation. The wooden key activates a hammer via a cam. When the key is depressed, the dampers are lifted above the sounding bars, which are struck by the hammer. This bar (known as a tine) vibrates and disturbs the magnetic circuit formed by the permanent magnet within the pick-up. This movement is thereby transduced into an electric current.