| Anatomy of the Electric Guitar--Part 1: | | | | The neck on a guitar is the long midsection |
| Body, Neck, and Headstock | | | | where the fretted hand is positioned and can |
| | | | be a single piece of wood or 2-3 glued |
| 'Guitar speak' can be a little confusing, | | | | pieces. The neck joint is where the neck |
| especially to non-guitarists and beginners. | | | | joins the body. Neck joints are categorized |
| This article describes the various parts of | | | | as either bolt-on, set neck (glued in place), |
| the electric guitar and some of the | | | | or neck-thru style where the neck continues |
| terminology used in describing these parts. | | | | through to the body in a single solid piece. |
| This is part 1 of a 2-part series. | | | | The heel describes the flattened area on the |
| | | | back of the neck that rests right next to |
| The 3 main parts of the electric guitar are | | | | the neck joint. The fretboard or fingerboard |
| called the body, the neck, and the headstock. | | | | refers to the wooden face on the top of the |
| | | | neck usually made from maple, rosewood, or |
| The body of the guitar is the largest part | | | | ebony. The frets are the wire dividers on |
| and where the strumming hand is positioned | | | | the fingerboard. Fretmarkers are placed at |
| and can be made of various types of wood. | | | | set positions on the fingerboard and are |
| Electric guitar bodies can be solid, hollow, | | | | commonly made of mother-of-pearl or ink |
| or semi-hollow. Solidbodies are usually 2-3 | | | | inlays. These inlays are most commonly |
| shaped pieces of solid wood glued together. | | | | shaped like round dots or trapezoids. Most |
| Hollowbodies, like acoustics, have a | | | | electric guitar necks will have an adjustable |
| completely open resonance chambers usually | | | | truss rod running through the center of the |
| with f-hole shaped openings. | | | | neck as a reinforcement and counterbalance to |
| Semi-hollowbodies look like hollow bodies | | | | the string tension. |
| from the outside, however, will have a solid | | | | |
| block of wood through the center of the | | | | The headstock is the portion at the end of |
| resonance chamber. Body shapes can vary | | | | the neck. The shape and markings on the |
| widely from the classic 'Stratocaster' and | | | | headstock are indicative of the brand of |
| 'Les Paul' shapes to the radical 'flying v' | | | | guitar. Guitar brands can be instantly |
| and 'explorer' shapes. The sides that make | | | | recognized by the signature shape of their |
| up the body of a guitar are referred to as | | | | headstocks. Furthermore, headstocks will |
| the top, back, and sides. The top of the | | | | usually have the guitar brand name imprinted |
| body can be flat or carved (curve shaped). | | | | or inlayed on the top and have the serial |
| The upper bout and lower bout of the body | | | | number and other company information on the |
| refer to the head-facing or feet-facing | | | | back. The headstock may have a plastic truss |
| halves of the body, respectively, when in | | | | rod plate covering the adjustable end of the |
| the playing position. The horns of the body | | | | neck's truss rod. The tuners, pegs, gears, |
| are the wooden protrusions found on either | | | | and keys all refer to the string winding |
| side of the neck on a Stratocaster shaped | | | | hardware located on the headstock. |
| guitar. Many guitars will have a plastic | | | | |
| plate called a pickguard or scratchplate that | | | | I hope this article will give you a better |
| provides a protective surface for picking and | | | | understanding of the various guitar parts and |
| covers the compartment housing the | | | | the terminology used to describe them. Don't |
| electronics. Guitars may contain a binding | | | | miss part 2 of this series: Hardware, |
| made of celluloid, plastics, or wood that | | | | Electronics, and Finishes. Visit my website |
| outlines the sides of the body, headstock, | | | | for the best value in new and used guitars, |
| and sometimes neck. | | | | factory 2nds, and refurbished instruments at |
| | | | cheap guitar prices. |