Anatomy of the Electric Guitar

Have you ever looked at an electric guitar and found yourself wondering what all the things on the guitar do? Or what all the parts are called?  We explore the anatomy of the electric guitar to help you identify everything on your guitar. 

A) Bridge and Saddles

The bridge is the block at the back of the guitar that holds the saddles. The saddles are the individual metal blocks that each string sits on. 

B) The Body

The body of your guitar can be made from a variety of woods and can be solid, semi-hollow (or chambered) or hollow-body. 

C) The Scratchplate

The scratchplate has a number of uses. It can change the aesthetics of the guitar, it can protect the guitar body from scratched caused by aggressive strumming, and in the case of the guitar pictured, it can hold all the guitar’s electronics.

D) Strap Button

The strap button has only one function; it a place to attach your guitar strap

E) The Neck

The neck of the guitar is where all the magic happens.

F) Machine Head

When putting strings on your guitar, they will wrap around the machine head. By tightening or loosening the machine head, you can tune your guitar up or down. 

G) Tuning Peg

The machine head does most of the work when it comes to tuning, but without the tuning peg, it would be useless. The tuning peg is the part of the guitar that you turn in order to tune your guitar.

I) Headstock

The headstock is the part of the guitar that holds the machine heads. This is where you would traditionally find the logo for the brand of the guitar. IN this case, you’ll notice the Fender logo. 

J) Fret Wire

If you play on a piano, you will notice how every key is a different note. For guitars, each fret is a different note. The frets are separated with fret wire, the metal wire on each side of the fret.

K) Pickup

Pickups are magnets that translate a vibrating guitar string into an audio signal. There are a variety of pickups that your guitar can use. Read this article to find out more about pickups. 

L) Pickup Selector

Most electric guitars will have more than one pickup. The pickup selector lets you choose which pickup you want to use, and lets you change your pickup on the fly. 

M) Tone Knob

The number of tone knobs will vary from guitar to guitar. The tone knob determines how much mid-range your guitar will have. Turn it all the way down, it will sound like your guitar amp is wrapped in a thick blanket. 

N) Volume Knob

This controls the output volume of the guitar, when plugged into an amp or sound card. 

O) Input Jack

This is where you plug the guitar cable into your guitar.

P) Whammy bar

The whammy bar lets a player add small flutters and vibrato to their playing. But be aware that if you’re not using a locking system like a Flyod Rose Bridge, you can make your guitar go out of tune if you use the whammy bar too much. 

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