Guide to Different Parts of a Guitar- Understanding Guitar Anatomy

Each musician needs to learn the parts of the guitar for both electric and acoustic cort guitars.

In this guide, you will learn about all the significant Parts of a Guitar and their functions. After reading this guide you can talk to any guitarist with a full understanding of any of the parts of a guitar they mention.

Main Parts of The Guitar

There are two major guitar parts body and the neck. The electric guitar and the acoustic guitar have several similar parts. However, there are a few different parts which are discussed here.

The Guitar’s Neck

The Headstock:

The headstock is at the top of the guitar near tuning pegs. It is connected to the end of the neck which is further broken down into more parts. Now days tuning an acustic guitar are most reliable for guitar.

Tuning Pegs and Tuning Keys:

We have the tuning keys, which are intended to tune the guitar strings. The string pegs or tuning pegs are connected to the tuning keys. It’s the part where strings are being attached to the guitar

The Nut:

The thin white stripe is the nut that works our way down through the headstock. Before strings go to the tuning pegs, they sit on the nut.

The Frets:

The hard metal stripes are called frets which are installed into the fingerboard around the neck. Moreover, the fret is linked to the fretboard.

The Fretboard:

The fretboard or fingerboard is the piece of wood that runs around the guitar’s neck. It is the area where strings are pressed to produce chords and notes.

Fret Inlays/Markers:

Many guitars have fret inlays, which contribute to your guitar’s esthetics and allow you to keep a record of where you were. You may have plain dots or a fancy design.

The Guitar’s Body

The rest of the instrument is the body and it can differ somewhat from acoustic to electric guitar.

Acoustic Guitar

The Pickguard:

You usually have a pickguard on the acoustic instruments, which prevents you from damaging the guitar while strumming.

The Soundhole:

Many acoustic guitars have a sound hole in the centre of the instrument, but some may have a sound hole in a different place or not at all.

The Bridge:

The bridge is the black part of the guitar on the opposite end of the strings which usually stays to the top of the body.

The Saddle:

The thin white strip similar to a nut on the bridge is the saddle, where the strings lie until they reach the bridge holes.

Bridge Pins:

When you place the strings in the holes, you insert the bridge pins within the holes to hold them. Some bridges have no pins, and they are known as pinless bridges.

Strap Buttons:

On the back and the side portion of the guitar, several guitars consist of a strap button. Your acoustic guitar may not have strap buttons, so you’d like to purchase a strap, to tie around your guitar’s neck.

Electric Guitar

The Pickups:

The pickups are guitar microphones. These pickups capture the vibrations of the strings and pass them to the amplifier. There are two key types of pick-ups: single-coils and humbuckers.

Humbucker Pickups:

Humbuckers are named because they get rid of the hum, which generally comes with single-coil pickups. Mostly, they are larger than single-coil pickups.

Single Coil Pickups:

Usually, single-coil pickups are a little brighter, but they have the bump that humbuckers normally get rid of.

Neither single-coils nor humbuckers are good or worse, because you have a personal preference for your guitar and the sound you want.

Tone and Volume Knobs:

Now let’s talk about the controls placed on the guitar’s body, such as tone knobs and volume knobs. You can have one, two, three, or four depending on the guitar model you have. The volume buttons control the volume and output of your pickups. The Tone Knobs regulate the pickup tone so that you can control the amount of treble.

Pickup Selector:

The pickup selector switch is the second type of electric guitar control. If you turn the switch down, the bridge pickup is working and since it is closest to the end, it naturally has a high treble. If the turn toggle is in the center, the two pickups are working, giving a medium tone. When the toggle is up, the pickup of the neck is active, usually giving a mellow tone.  There are many types of pickup selector switches, including a toggle switch, or you may have a 3- or 5-way blade switch if you have a Stratocaster guitar.

Other Accessories and Parts of Guitar

Whammy Bar:

A bar that connects to an electric guitar allowing the musician to adjust the note’s pitch during a performance.

Strap:

Helps to keep the guitar in place while performing.

Capo:

A capo may be placed on different positions of the fingerboard to adjust the guitar key. This helps to perform a song the same way, but only by adjusting the position of the capo in different keys.