Docking system for pickups on electric guitars

A pickup module assembly for removable insertion into a body of an instrument having longitudinal strings, the body defining a cavity extending from a lateral edge, a first fixation device attached to the body in the cavity, the body having electrically conductive first and second contact members spaced apart from each other in a first lateral direction, the pickup module assembly comprising:

• a base slideably insertable into the cavity under the strings from the lateral edge and being moveable in a second lateral direction between removed and inserted positions, wherein the first lateral direction is different than the second lateral direction;
• a pickup carried by the base and positioned under the strings when the base is in the inserted position;
• a second fixation device attached to the base and positioned to slideably engage the first fixation device when the base is moved in the second direction from the lateral edge from the removed position to the inserted position, the second fixation device configured for securely nesting with the first fixation device;
• and
• first and second electrical connectors electrically coupled to the pickup, the first electrical connector positioned to engage the first contact member when the body is moved to the inserted position, and the second electrical connector positioned to engage the second contact member when the body is moved to the inserted position, the first and second electrical connectors are spaced apart from each other in the first lateral direction and positioned to engage the first and second contact members in sequential order when the base is moved toward the inserted position so the first electrical connector electrically contacts the first contact member before the second electrical connector electrically contacts the second contact member.

An electric stringed instrument assembly, comprising

• a neck;
• a guitar body coupled to the neck and having a body with a lateral edge, a transverse cavity extending from the lateral edge;
• guitar strings extending longitudinally adjacent to the neck and guitar body
• a first fixation device attached to the guitar body and positioned in the cavity, the first fixation device having electrically conductive first and second contact members spaced apart from each other in a first direction,
• a jack being connected to the guitar body and electrically connected to the first and second contact members of the first fixation device;
• and
• a pickup module assembly removeably attached to the guitar body, wherein the pickup module assembly is laterally moveable in a second direction into and out of seated engagement with the guitar body, wherein the second direction is different than the first direction, the pickup module assembly comprising:
• a base configured for slidable insertion into the transverse cavity in the second direction along an axis from the lateral edge between removed and inserted positions;
• a plurality of pickups carried by the base in an arrangement such that upon insertion into the cavity each of the plurality of pickups is in operative proximity to the strings;
• a second fixation device attached to the base and slideably engaged with the first fixation device when the base is in the inserted position, the second fixation device securely nesting with the first fixation device when the base is in the inserted position;
• and
• first and second electrical connectors electrically coupled to the plurality of pickups and connected to the second fixation device, the first and second electrical connectors being spaced apart in the first direction, the first electrical connector engaging the first contact member of the first fixation device when the base is in the inserted position and out of engagement with the first contact member when the base is in the removed position, and the second electrical connector positioned to engage the second contact member of the first fixation device when the base is moved to the inserted position, the first and second electrical connectors sequentially engage the first and second contact members when the base is moved toward the inserted position, at least one of the first and second electrical connectors being a détente that engages the first fixation device and releaseably engages the first fixation device to limit lateral movement of the base away from the inserted position.