An electronic stringed instrument which simulates an acoustic counterpart, such as a guitar, in the aspect of string arrangement. The strings on the novel electronic instrument are actually depressed and picked in a manner similar to playing the acoustic counterpart to sound musical tones. The strings form partial circuits conducting signals to a conventional musical tone synthesizer. The pick completes the circuit for each tone, having a flexible conductor electrically joining the pick to each circuit. A complete signalling circuit for each tone is closed when the string is contacted by the pick, and when the string simultaneously contacts an electrically conductive terminal forming part of the circuit. Contact of the string is achieved either by depressing the string or by leaving the string undisturbed. In each instance, a signal will sound a tone corresponding to that which would ensue if the same actions were taken on the acoustic counterpart.