Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Guitar Pickup Technology - DiaForce film!



Scientists at Fraunhofer have tested a thin film that could replace your pickup or pickups as we know them. Fraunhofer Institure for Surface Engineering has engineered a 10 um (micrometer) sheet of film called DiaForce which when applied to a guitar tailpiece, can record string tension with absolute precision and convert the data into a digital signal. Scientists hope the technology could eventually replace the magnetic pickup. The Fraunhofer site is an excellent site for technology of all shape and size. Click here to visit Fraunhofer!

DiaForce is comprised of amphorus carbon and is piezoresistive. The results are interesting because algorithmic codes can be written based on the data.  As we go forward I believe the digital interface will be crucial to the success of this material and ultimately test the feasibility, especially to the discerning tone connoisseurs. At this time; I doubt Lindy Fralin, Lollar, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio,  or any manufacturer will cease production of their stock pickups in fear of the purported next generation of pickup. However, it would behoove them to stay current on material science and emerging technologies.

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