Reynolds School of Journalism | University of Nevada, Reno

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Electromagnetic Music: Guitar Pickups Explained

The body of an electric guitar with the neck pointing offscreen. A red arrow indicates the vibrations of the strings.

When you plug a guitar into an amp, what actually happens inside that strange black box to broadcast and distort the sound? In this animated short, Stone Suess demonstrates how the same law of electromagnetism that explains how wind turbines can generate electricity can also explain groovy sonic pickups!