The Anatomy and Parts of a Guitar A new guitar player first and foremost needs to become familiar with

all the parts of his instrument before she or he starts to learn to play. Now different types of guitars may have additional parts but the basic parts will remain the same for across the board. The three main parts of a guitar are the body, the headstock and the neck. The headstock is also known as the peghead and is located at the top of the guitar. The headstock can be attached at an angle or flat so that it forms a plane in sync with the neck of the guitar. The straight long portion that is present between the headstock and the body is known as the neck. And the entire lower portion of the guitar is known as the body. It is here that a major part of activity takes place when the guitar is in use. The other parts that constitute the guitar are tuners, the nut, frets, the bridge and the guitar strings. The tuners are also known by a variety of names. Out of the many, tuning pegs and tuning keys are the most popular. The tuners are placed along the headstock of the guitar in 1 out of the 3 typical configurations. The small piece that is present between the neck of the guitar and the headstock is known as the nut. This may look like a small piece that is not important but it actually serves two critical functions. The frets of the guitar are placed along the body of the guitar in equal spaces. The frets can be small, raised metal bars or even simple lines that are marked on the neck of the guitar. The point where the strings attach to itself to the lower end of the guitar is known as the bridge. The bridge is located on the body of the guitar. Lastly, but most important are the guitar strings. These are important because without the strings, the guitar would not be able to produce any music.

Guitar Diagram

Guitars can be classified into 2 main categories, acoustic and electric. Well you play them in similar ways the style of their composition is quite different. Below is a guitar diagram that details some of the parts on both.

1. The Headstock
The focal point of the tuning system, headstocks come in two distinctive designs. The square headstock has three tuners on either side, whilst Fender style instruments have all six tuners on the left.

2. Tuner
There are six tunersone for each string. They are used in guitar tuning to tune strings to their proper pitch. Each tuner consists of a nut and cog to tighten or slacken the string. Also known as machine heads.

3. Nut

The nut keeps the strings in position as they leave the head, by way of six small grooves. If you own an expensive guitar the nut will probably be made of ivory. If youre a conservationist or just an economist itll be plastic.

4. Frets
Frets are wire inserts which mark the points on the neck where you pass each string to make different notes. They are normally made of nickel alloy, hammered home.

5. Fretboard
Generally made of rosewood, the fretboard is glued to the neck. Its usually decorated with tortoise shell or plastic inlays which help you to see where you are on the fretboard.

6. Strings
The strings are the lifeblood of the instrument, and a poor or worn set can make even the most talented player sound bad. Generally constructed from alloy, strings very in thickness from the bottom (the thickest) to the top (thinnest). The three bass strings are wound to give them depth, whilst their skinny counterparts are simply tensioned alloy wire. Strings are measured by gaugethe lower the number, the thinner the string. Its important to select a set suitable for your guitar, whether electric or acoustic. The two arent generally interchangeable.

7. Pick Guard
Located next to the sound hole (on acoustic guitars) or pick-ups (on electric guitars) the pickguard protects the main body of the instrument from pectrum scratches and finger marks.

8. Soundboard
The acoustic guitar soundboard is the top piece of wood on the main body. The sound hole is cut into it.

9. Pick-ups

Pick-ups transmit the string sound from the guitar to the amplifier by way of an electric lead. In reality, pick-ups are no more than miniature Microphones. You can in fact talk into a guitar pick-up and your voice will be broadcast through the amp.

10. Bridge
Acoustic and electric guitar bridges come in all shapes and sizes, but their purpose is the same. They adjust the pitch, harmonics and string height. The classic set-up is the retaining tailpiece, and individual bridge, which is adjustable on electric models as you can see below in the guitar diagram. Modern acoustic and many electric guitars have a one-piece bridge set-up, which eliminates the separate tailpiece. The bridge on a acoustic guitar is slightly offset to achieve perfect harmonics, whilst the electric counterpart has a series of independent mechanisms, one for each string. These are adjusted with a small screwdriver, until the pitch is correct.

11. Volume and Tone Control

Once your guitar is plugged in, and you have turned your amp on, you will be able to adjust volume and tone by the collection of knobs generally positioned to the right side of the bridge.