Film piezoelectric pickup for stringed musical instruments

An electro-mechanical pickup for a musical instrument, comprising:

• an elongated multi-faced core having an electrically conducting face,
• a piezoelectric transducer element comprising
• a piezoelectric film including a first and a second surface opposite the first surface,
• a first electrode covering at least part of the first surface, and
• a second electrode covering substantially all of the second surface,
• the piezoelectric transducer element
• covering substantially all the electrically conducting face of the core, and
• being wrapped around the core and adapting itself generally to the shape of the core with the first electrode in contact with the electrically conducting face of the core and the second electrode providing an electrical shield around the core, the piezoelectric film and the first electrode,
• a contact strip in contact with at least part of the second electrode, and
• an output lead, having a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor being connected to the electrically conducting face of the core, and the second conductor being connected to the contact strip.

A stringed musical instrument, comprising:

• a bridge having a saddle slot,
• a saddle in the saddle slot,
• a plurality of strings, each string contacting the top of the saddle,
• an electro-mechanical pickup in the saddle slot, the electro-mechanical pickup having substantially the same width and length as the width and length of the saddle slot, and having at least two surfaces, one surface being in contact with the bottom of the saddle, the other surface being in contact with the bottom of the saddle slot, the electro-mechanical pickup comprising:
• an elongated multi-faced core having an electrically conducting face,
• a piezoelectric transducer element comprising
• a piezoelectric film including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface,
• a first electrode covering at least part of the first surface,
• a second electrode covering at least part of the second surface, the piezoelectric transducer element
• covering substantially all of the electrically conducting face of the core, and
• being attached to the core such that the first electrode is in contact with the electrically conducting face of the core,
• a contact strip in contact with at least part of the second electrode, and
• an output lead having a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor being connected to the electrically conducting face of the core, and the second conductor being connected to the contact strip, and
• a hole in the bottom of the saddle slot for receiving the output lead, the diameter of the hole being no greater than the width of the saddle-slot.