All guitars have the same basic body structure with a few changes in the number of strings, material, shape and color of the guitar body. Before you learn to play the guitar, you must familiarize yourself with all parts of a guitar and their functions. This will also help you in dealing with any problem that arises while using the musical instrument.
Spotlight Series Guitar Set-Up with Greg Voros
Essentially there are only two types of guitars- acoustic and electric. Let’s have a look at different parts of these guitars:
Headstock: The headstock of the guitar is located furthest away from the body. It is fitted with machine heads whose function is to adjust the tension of the strings and thus, change the pitch.
Fretboard: This is also known as the fingerboard. It is usually made of wood such as rosewood, ebony or maple. It can also be constructed out of resin. The smaller the radius of the fretboard, the more curved it is. Scalloped fretboards give a dramatic vibrato effect.
Fret: Frets are metal strips made of stainless steel or nickel alloy. Their function is to divide the scale length as per a mathematical formula. The frets can be placed on different gauges as per the preference of the player. Its function is to guide the strings onto the fretboard.
Nut: The nut is made of either bone, plastic, brass, graphite or other hard material. The nut must be cut accurately to avoid tuning problems.
Neck: The long wooden extension from the body of the guitar that holds the headstock, tuners, frets and fretboard is called the neck of the guitar. The function of the neck is to provide support, especially when heavier gauge strings are used. Guitar necks are usually made of aluminum, graphite or carbon fiber. The shape of the neck can vary from a C to a V curve.
Strings: Today, guitar strings can be made of steel, nylon, or animal and plant products. Instruments made of steel strings are also available these days. These are made by mixing alloys with phosphor bronze and steel.
Body: Acoustic guitars have a pear shaped body where the bottom half is bigger than the upper half. This dreadnought shape of the guitar gives it a deep sound. Most guitars now are made of two pieces of wood. Woods commonly used for the construction of an electric guitar body are ash, poplar, mahogany and maple.
Pick up: Pick ups detect string vibrations and perform the function of converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Bridge: This is located on the face of the guitar where the strings connect to the face. Its purpose is to amplify the sound produced by a guitar. It does so by transferring the vibration from the strings to the soundboard.
Pick guard: It is also called a scratch plate. The pick guard protects the top of the guitar from scratches and other damage caused due to use of plectrum.
Whammy bar: This is a device fitted on electric guitars. It is also known as a sissy bar or tremolo bar. This device acts as a pitch bender.
