Chapter 11, Problem 9TE

A common pickup for an electric guitar consists of a coil of wire around a small permanent magnet. The magnetic field of the magnet magnetizes the nearby guitar string. When the string is plucked, the rhythmic oscillations of the string produce the same rhythmic changes in the magnetic field through 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?

To determine

The reason due to which the pick-up does not work with nylon string.

Answer to Problem 9TE

The pick-up does not work with nylon string because nylon is non-magnetic.

Explanation of Solution

In guitar strings, the magnetic field of the magnet magnetizes the nearby guitar string. When the string is plucked, the rhythmic oscillations of the string produce the same rhythmic changes in the magnetic field through the coil, which in turn induce the same rhythmic voltages in the coil.

But in case of nylon string, the nylon is non-magnetic and is not magnetized by the permanent magnet. This is the reason that the pick-up cannot be used with nylon string.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the pick-up does not work with nylon string because nylon is non-magnetic.