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Parts Of An Electric Guitar, date: may 26, 2006
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Parts Of An Electric Guitar

author: The Spoon date: 05/26/2006 category: for beginners
rating: 7.4 / votes: 46 

Since there is no other guide on the parts of a guitar (yet), i'll post one myself. Thanks to 812many and IndieMetalhead for definitions on bridges and pickups.

Body - this is the part of the guitar that holds the bridge, pickups, strings, strap holders, tremelo inputs, and volume/tone controls. The body is also usually made of some type of wood and comes in many different colors.

Strings - usually every guitar has 6 strings. You pluck and pick the strings to produce noise. Each string has a different level of thickness. The thicker the string, the lower the sound and vice versa. Sometimes, the strings can break and you need to get them replaced.

Bridge - the part where the strings sit at the body end of the guitar. The bridge may be Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Hardtail, Bigsby or Tremolo.

Pickups - the electronic devices that pick up magnetic fluctuations in the area around the pickup which can be disturbed by the string to make sound. They are can be found on the body under the strings.

Tremelo Inputs - most electric guitars include these, but some require installing to put one on. Located on the body, the temelo input produces a wavy sound by pressing down on the tremelo bar. Tremelo bars are sort of like sticks you push into the tremelo input.

Strap Holder - these are little stubs around the edge of the body of the guitar. They are used for keeping your strap on.

Volume/Tone Controls - are on the body of the guitar. If you mix the settings up a little, you can produce a unique sound. These controls can also be found on an amplifier.

Headstock - every guitar has a headstock. The headstock is the little piece of wood that sits on top of the fretboard. The headstock holds tuning pegs and the ends of the strings.

Tuning Pegs - without the tuning pegs, your guitar will sound like a most people who try out for 'American Idol.' Bad. Good thing, we have these little guys to tune our guitars with. The tuning pegs are little silver stubs on the side of the headstock.

Fretboard (frets and fret markers) - this is the neck part of the guitar. It contains frets and fret markers. Frets are little metal ridges along the guitar that you would press the strings on to produce a different note. Fret Markers are indicators of which fret is where on the fretboard. Fret markers can be found on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st fret. The 12th fret has a mark that differs from the rest of the marks on the fretboard. This is because the 12th fret produces the same note as an open string.

So this is a basic guide on the parts of an electric guitar. I hope you guys enjoyed it and I hope it helped you out.

POSTED: 05/26/2006 - 10:24 am + print this article + mail to a friend
 39 
 comments posted, 4 removed | this article is 91% spam-free
Nuums :
Nice!.. Even though I am not a beginner, I can feel this is going to help many beginners out..
POSTED: 05/26/2006 - 11:09 am / quote |
The Spoon :
Sweet my lesson got accepted! And it only took 3 months!
POSTED: 05/26/2006 - 02:36 pm / quote |
kennethdave :
Awww hell...3 months? Thats killing, it will definately kill me. Anyway not bad, u got quite a spelling error, TREMELO and FOYD rose
POSTED: 05/26/2006 - 07:54 pm / quote |
The Spoon :
Yeah 3 months. I stopped caring after 4 weeks though. Yes, it has a couple spelling errors. Is there a way to edit?
POSTED: 05/26/2006 - 08:30 pm / quote |
glowsun02 :
And my favourite part...

Sometimes, the strings can break and you need to get them replaced.


Brilliant.

POSTED: 05/26/2006 - 08:32 pm / quote |
blackmetal619 :
hey, at least your lesson got accepted
POSTED: 05/26/2006 - 11:22 pm / quote |
 
 m 
  :
The Spoon wrote:

Yeah 3 months. I stopped caring after 4 weeks though. Yes, it has a couple spelling errors. Is there a way to edit?


floyd and tremolo have been fixed. PM me about the others.

POSTED: 05/27/2006 - 04:15 am / quote |
invisible_man :
Nut? Truss rod? NECK? come on man...


POSTED: 05/27/2006 - 05:36 pm / quote |
SethMegadefan :
The Spoon wrote:

Sweet my lesson got accepted! And it only took 3 months!

Mine has been taking close to that long now, too. I think the fact that yours finally got on is enough to give me hope as well.
Great beginner lesson. Pretty bland from my perspective, but hey, I can imagine how to someone it would be helpful. 9/10.

POSTED: 05/29/2006 - 06:51 pm / quote |
redibanezplayer :
Fairly well done wording could be a bit more complex even if it is for beginners you dont want them learning the wrong way.
POSTED: 05/30/2006 - 02:29 am / quote |
Draconian devil :
Good solid post buds... i`m a beginner so pls clarify r v supposed 2 press the frets(metal ridges) or the string between the frets while playin...i knw dis doubt sounds silly...but pls help...!!!!
POSTED: 05/31/2006 - 04:51 pm / quote |
Supadude :
You are supposed to press the strings between the metal ridges!! Or else it will buzz and sound like sh**!
Peace out...The GuitarN oob

POSTED: 06/02/2006 - 04:54 pm / quote |
 
 m 
  :
Checked.
POSTED: 06/05/2006 - 01:55 pm / quote |
uzs_rock :
so cool i wanna see more plz
:M:
thanks

POSTED: 06/06/2006 - 01:08 pm / quote |
Swinger :
Wow thank you very much spoon.Now you can honestly say that you helped someone because I'm a beginner.
POSTED: 06/19/2006 - 10:32 pm / quote |
youhateme :
maybe have a diagram and elaborate more?

POSTED: 06/30/2006 - 12:37 pm / quote |
scream_it :
Good and helpful article.
POSTED: 08/29/2006 - 06:14 pm / quote |
universal_man :
tell me more about Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Hardtail, Bigsby or Tremolo brigde...?
POSTED: 08/31/2006 - 01:20 pm / quote |
timo1 :
I knew all of this and im a beginner but i didnt know what a pickup switch does .I was hoping this would tell me but yeh.I dont really know how it chages sound and all that.
POSTED: 09/04/2006 - 03:22 am / quote |
timo1 :
O yea your meant to play betwwen frets not on them!!!
POSTED: 09/04/2006 - 03:24 am / quote |
JoForbes :
The pickups detect sound waves in the air and change it to an electrical current...all i know. Nice guide Spoon it's good for beginers, I've been playin gover a year and i didnt know there were that many bridges...
POSTED: 09/04/2006 - 06:02 pm / quote |
faithbadz :
wow...this site is cool...
do i still have a chance to learne to play the guitar even if i'm already 19???

POSTED: 09/05/2006 - 06:02 am / quote |
timo1 :
wats those 5-way switches
POSTED: 11/10/2006 - 03:41 am / quote |
Alin Snagov :
Just for the record... tremolo, bigsby and floyd rose are exactly the same term and actually Steinberger guitars have a zero fret instead of a headstock.

Peace!

POSTED: 12/11/2006 - 09:56 pm / quote |
guitar_fre@k :
could someone tell me how exactly the tone knobs are suppoed to change the sound.....what do they do?
POSTED: 03/08/2007 - 08:05 am / quote |
Kris8306 :
This is one of the best guitar lessons for begginers!
I have been to several diffrent beginner web sites and this is the best one i have seen so far

POSTED: 03/22/2007 - 06:44 am / quote |
 
 m 
  :
Checked/deleted
POSTED: 04/18/2007 - 03:02 pm / quote |
spoodle5 :
very helpful... i already know most of if though... there is this little thing like a lever underneath the whammy bar next to the tone/volume controls and im not sure what it dose. if you move it it changes the sound but im not compltely sure how.


thanx

lou
-x-

POSTED: 05/12/2007 - 10:15 am / quote |
Dillnilla :
Good lord stop busting the mans balls
at least he is helping some, instead of flaming others.

POSTED: 05/15/2007 - 08:00 pm / quote |
urbanasassin :
preety cool help for begginers man

POSTED: 06/29/2007 - 06:22 pm / quote |
blitzevo8 :
nice lesson 4 begginers
POSTED: 01/20/2008 - 07:42 pm / quote |
NotCharlieLong :
It's good, but where can I find a guide to the more complex inner workings of the guitar, the electronics and such?
POSTED: 03/18/2008 - 10:10 pm / quote |
The Spoon :
Lol thanks guys (for everything...even the flaming haha)

NotCharlieLong, this is for beginners thats why it doesnt include the inner workings of guitar and all that

POSTED: 04/05/2008 - 02:42 pm / quote |
live4ledzep :
spoodle5 wrote:

very helpful... i already know most of if though... there is this little thing like a lever underneath the whammy bar next to the tone/volume controls and im not sure what it dose. if you move it it changes the sound but im not compltely sure how.
thanx
lou


that is your pickup selector switch. when you move it towards the headstock, it activates only the pickup closest to the headstock. when its going the direction of the bridge it only activates the pickup closest to the bridge. when its in the middle it activates middle pickup (if you have only two pickups it activates both pickups, and it splits them in half. if you have 3, and put it 1 position away from the part closest to the bridge it splits the sound between the two pickups closest to the bridge. hope this helps

POSTED: 04/13/2008 - 11:52 pm / quote |
Insignia707 :
good lesson but i think for a diagram would of helped for beginners...
POSTED: 05/06/2008 - 08:11 pm / quote |
bassmasta123 :
hey plz visit my website on bass cheers
www.howtoplaybass.co.uk
I will be updating it all the time

POSTED: 05/19/2008 - 09:46 am / quote |
teetur :
I am learning how to play guitar and have a dumb question... are a tremelo bar and a whammy bar the same thing? Thanks!!
POSTED: 05/25/2008 - 09:48 pm / quote |
DeathzMetal666 :
wowowow very thanx
rlly
im nor really a beginner but
this will help a lot of them
yup rated as 10* kk
well cyas thanx
10 stars

POSTED: 06/02/2008 - 02:57 pm / quote |
The Spoon :
teetur wrote:

I am learning how to play guitar and have a dumb question... are a tremelo bar and a whammy bar the same thing? Thanks!!

Yes, they are.

POSTED: 06/07/2008 - 07:47 pm / quote |
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