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Guitar Parts and Functions

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There are numerous types. The Stratocaster's tremolo bridge is one of the more famous. It features individual adjustable saddles and a whammy bar. Some bridges are coupled directly to the guitar body, which claim to increase tone and sustain. Some are only attached to a few points, allowing the bridge to "float".

Also, see [[Choosing a Guitar]] and [[Setup/Adjustments]].

In addition to traditional ''magnetic'' pickups, there are ''piezo'' pickups that detect vibration without using magnetism, useful to get an acoustic-like sound. And there are ''hexaphonic'' pickups that analyze each string and are typically used to convert the strings' motion into [[MIDI]] data. These are typically built into or reside very close to the bridge.

Also, see [[Choosing Pickups]].

The switch does not ''have'' to be a toggle switch, although it ''usually'' is. It can also be a knob-switch, push-pull switch, or a set of buttons. Also, there can be multiple toggle switches on the guitar face, to allow complex selections between magnetic, piezo, and/or hexaphonic pickups, as well as the phase, serial/parallel, or coil tap wiring of magnetic pickups. In cases of ambiguity, you'll have to refer to the switch by its function; ie ''pickup-selector''-switch. If there's only one toggle switch, it's assumed that it is used to select the active pickup(s).

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Electronics]].

A guitar may additionally include mini-switches, push-pull switches (often built into pots), buttons, or other electronic controls, which can be used for a variety of purposes, often to change the phase or serial/parallel operation of pickups, or different types of pickups when it has more than just magnetic pickups. However, it could also control some form of specialized electronics in the guitar, such as sustainer devices.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Electronics]].

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There is typically a large hollowed-out section of the body between the pickups and the output jack called the <u>Electronics Cavity</u> that houses electronics, such as the potentiometers for the knobs, the pickup selector switch, connecting wires, and if necessary a battery. Sometimes it also encompasses the pickups and output jack. The cavity may be accessible from the face of the guitar if it has a large pickguard that covers it, like a '''Fender''' '''''Stratocaster'''''. Otherwise, it is accessible from the rear and covered by a piece of plastic screwed into the body.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Electronics]].

Depending on the body shape, this may leave <u>Horns</u> - parts of the body that extend away from the body and towards the neck that resemble horns on animals.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Body Sides/Horns]] and [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Body/Headstock Shape]].

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The <u>Neck Heel</u> or <u>Neck Joint</u> is simply the "pocket" cut into the body designed for the neck to fit into, where it is then usually bolted on. Some guitars are made mostly from a single piece of wood, where the neck runs through the body (''neck-through'' design). In this case, there is technically no neck heel, although it may still be used to refer to the place where the neck and body meet. A few different types of neck joints exist, designed differently to allow more comfort when reaching the highest frets.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Neck Heel/Joint]].

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The <u>Headstock</u> is the part of the neck beyond the nut where the strings attach to the tuners. Some are angled, seeking to have the strings make sturdy contact against the nut. Many use string trees to attain the same effect. Manufacturers often have a ''signature shape/design'' for their headstock for aesthetic purposes.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Body/Headstock Shape]].

Some tuners are ''locking'' tuners - they feature an additional screw or other means to clamp the string inside the tuning peg. This makes initially tuning a new string easier and prevents strings from slipping or rewinding differently after a whammy bar dive.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Tuners]].

Some nuts are ''locking'' nuts, using hex bolts to clamp the strings inside the nut, so that tension between the tuners and nut remains firm even during a whammy bar dive. Without the locking nut on some guitars, a strong whammy bar dive can cause the strings to slack to the point where they become unwound around the tuning pegs. When the whammy bar is released, the string may wind differently or not at all around the tuning peg, causing the tuning to be off.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Nut Action]].

The <u>fret markers</u> are usually on the top side of the neck and often on the front of the fretboard as well. '''They indicate the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st frets.''' Fretboards are often made of a different type of wood than the neck of the guitar, making them easier to identify. It is glued to the front of the neck.

Also, see [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Playability]], [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Fretboard Radius]], [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Neck Size/Shape]], [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Fretboard Wood]], and [[Choosing_a_Guitar#Inlays]].

Electric guitar strings are typically made from nickel-plated steel. A typical set of electric strings has 6 strings - 3 wound and 3 unwound. Wound strings have a straight "core" string with another string wound/wrapped around it - this adds mass and lowers the string's resonant pitch while maintaining higher elasticity than simply using a single thicker solid string. Strings typically have one end with a metal or plastic "ball" ending with the other side being simply cut. The ball ending is used to hold the string in place in the guitar's tailpiece/bridge, while the cut end is placed through the tuner and wound tight.

Also, see [[Strings]].

* <u>''Y-cable''</u> - uses a stereo jack on one end to connect to two mono jacks on the other end.

* <u>''MIDI''</u> - a 5 or 7 pin connector used to communicate [[MIDI]] information.

Also, see [[Choosing Cables]].

Since amplifiers have become synonomous with particular tones, some products may be marketed as amplifiers without being able to actually drive a speaker. They simply transform the tone of the signal but must be routed into an additional ''power amp'' to deliver performance level volume.

Also, see [[Choosing an Amp]].

Cabinets can have open or closed backs, which affects their audible frequency response and resonance, as well as loudness.

Also, see [[Choosing a Speaker Cabinet]].

* Wah-wah

* Volume control

Also, see [[Contents#Effects|Choosing Effects]].

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The neck has a <u>Truss Rod</u> under the fretboard or embedded through the length of the neck, connected to the headstock and end of the neck by the neck heel. It is a metal bar, with adjustible tension used to straighten or allow it to bend. This is used to put tension on the neck to counter the tension of the strings, preventing the neck from becoming concave. The ideal neck is somewhere between perfectly flat and slightly concave, which allows each fret to sound with minimal as well as near-equal fret buzz across the entire fretboard.

Also, see [[Setup/Adjustments]].

Tremelo systems also usually include or require a ''locking'' nut or tuners. These prevent the strings from unwinding and rewinding differently during a heavy whammy bar dive, which would change the strings' tuning in the bridge's neutral position.

Also, see [[Setup/Adjustments]].

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All bridges have <u>Bridge Saddles</u> where there strings first touch the bridge - kind of like the nut. Most of the time these saddles are adjustable in some way. They can be raised or lowered to change the "action" of the guitar (which makes it more or less difficult to play at the expense of less or greater fret buzz). They can also be moved forward/backward to shorten/lengthen the string, which allows the instrument to be intonated (meaning it is in-tune across the entire fretboard). The tension/distance/mass relationship's effect on pitch is not as perfect as a simplistic model may assume - it is common for the thickest strings to require greater length than thinner strings, which is why it is favorable for the instrument to have a bridge with individual adjustable saddles.

Also, see [[Setup/Adjustments]].

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