A common pickup for an electric guitar consists of a coil of wire around a permanent magnet. The permanent magnet induces magnetism in the nearby guitar string. When the string is plucked, it oscillates above the coil, thereby changing the magnetic field that passes through the coil. The rhythmic oscillations of the string produce the same rhythmic changes in the magnetic field in the coil, which in turn induce the same rhythmic voltages in the coil, which when amplified and sent to a speaker produce music! Why will this type of pickup not work with nylon strings?
Only a conductor can have a current run through it to induce a current in the coil.
This type of pickup, known as a magnetic pickup, will not work with nylon strings because nylon is a non-magnetic material. Nylon strings, unlike metal strings, do not have any magnetic properties. As a result, they are not able to induce magnetism in the nearby coil of wire.
In order for a magnetic pickup to work effectively, it requires the strings to be made of magnetic materials, such as steel or nickel. These metal strings can be magnetized by the permanent magnet of the pickup, and their oscillations above the coil change the magnetic field, inducing voltages in the coil.
However, nylon strings, which are commonly used on classical guitars, are typically made of nylon or other non-magnetic materials. As a result, they do not interact with the magnetic field of the pickup, and therefore cannot induce the necessary voltages in the coil to produce sound.
To amplify the sound of nylon strings, other types of pickups are used, such as piezo pickups or microphone-based pickups. These pickups work differently by directly sensing the vibrations or sound waves produced by the nylon strings, rather than relying on the magnetic properties of the strings.
This type of pickup, known as a magnetic pickup, relies on the interaction between the vibrating metal guitar strings and the magnetic field produced by the coil. When the metal strings move above the coil, they create changes in the magnetic field, which generate electrical signals that can be amplified and produce sound.
However, nylon strings do not contain metal and, therefore, do not respond to magnetic fields in the same way. Nylon is typically made of synthetic materials such as polymers, which are non-conductive and non-magnetic. As a result, when nylon strings are plucked, they do not induce changes in the magnetic field of the pickup coil. Hence, the pickup cannot convert the vibrations of nylon strings into electrical signals, rendering this type of pickup ineffective for capturing the sound of nylon-stringed guitars.
To properly amplify acoustic sound from nylon-stringed guitars, a different type of pickup called a piezo pickup is often used. Piezo pickups utilize piezoelectric crystals or ceramics, which convert mechanical vibrations into electrical signals. These pickups are specifically designed to work with non-magnetic materials like nylon strings, making them suitable for capturing the unique sound of classical and flamenco guitars.