Pole pieces are an important part of the guitar as it balances the output across the strings, helping to bring the volume of each individual string into balance. String vibrations affect the small metal pins' magnetic field. These magnetic field changes are converted into electrical signals, read out by an amplifier, and, sound can be heard.

While these have been in use for 100 years, what's new is that “… until now, no one had looked at the shape of these pole pieces,” explains Prof. Bernhard Jakoby, head of the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsensors at the JKU, and a member of the band “Tasteless Tears”. He had the idea to experiment with pole pieces while giving a lecture and the outcome was a change in the guitar’s sound depending on how the pole piece was shaped. This means that guitars can produce a very individual tonal character.

In fact, Prof. Jakoby received a patent for his work. However, he is less interested in its commercial potential, but rather proving that: “Mechatronics is something that impacts on our everyday lives, involving much more than motors or cables.”

He would like to encourage young people to consider “ … studying mechatronics as it can open the door to whole new worlds and more!” - like music.