Electromagnetic Pickup

Usually just called a “pickup” when discussing guitars, but sometimes referred to as electromagnetic pickups when discussing other instruments, a pickup works based on a magnetic field that induces a current in a coil in that field. The pickup converts string vibration into electrical energy, usually by means of a permanent magnet, or six magnetic polepieces, surrounded by a wire coil. There are two basic types of pickups, single coil and humbucking.