What exactly is a guitar pickup?

[SiWePoD]

Hey, a beginner here wondering what exactly is a guitar pickup. Thank

[Humbucker]

In a nutshell, a guitar pickup is a device that converts the vibrations of guitar strings into electrical signals. These signals are then sent to a guitar amplifier, which boosts them to audible volumes. Along the way, the signal may be colored by stompbox effects (like a compressor pedal or a wah pedal) or by the amplifier itself (like via a chorus effect). Even the pickups themselves offer coloration to the signal.

[Nick]

The pickup could be considered as the heart of an electric guitar. What it does is it converts string vibrations into electricity. It's built in the body of the guitar right beneath the strings. Pickups use coils. An electric guitar pickup consists of a black bobbin with six magnetic bars inserted, and a material such as enameled wire wound around the magnets. Six magnets are used to better pick up the sound from the six stings. Some pickups may also use metal rods instead of magnets.