a variable reluctance pickup system for steel string musical instruments is described which provides a highly asymmetrical magnetic field for preferentially sensing and generating electrical signals responsive to string vibrations perpendicular to the string plane . the described pickup system includes individual magnetic circuits with pole pieces , and a sensing coil for each string . the pickup system further includes special planar poletip faces which modify the spatial configuration of the magnetic fields emanating from the polepieces to render the pickup system relatively insensitive to &# 34 ; bending &# 34 ; of a string from its normal quiescent position . the described pickup system is designed to provide electronically amplified musical instruments with tonal characteristics similar to the tonal characteristics of acoustic string instruments .