Join us on a tour of everything you need to know about the anatomy of the electric guitar! In itself, the guitar is a beautiful object. A true work of art, right? However, have you ever stopped to think that the tool is a combination of multiple parts, each with its own purpose? For […] The post Get to know the anatomy of the electric guitar first appeared on Cifra Club.
Join us on a tour of everything you need to know about the anatomy of the electric guitar!
In itself, the guitar is a beautiful object. A true work of art, right? However, have you ever stopped to think that the tool is a combination of multiple parts, each with its own purpose? So today we are going to introduce you to the complete anatomy of the guitar!
In this sense, here we will talk about each component of the guitars. This way you will know how magic happens. Did you like the idea? So let’s take this trip together!
The anatomy of the electric guitar
First, to understand the anatomy of the Guitar, we need to know the physical part of the instrument. That is, the main components and their roles. Connect only:
Body
For many, this is the main part of the guitar. It is usually made of wood – the musical instruments the more expensive ones are in one piece, while the less exquisite ones have more than one piece glued together.
There are three main body types: solid, semi-acoustic and acoustic. The first, as the name suggests, is made of solid wood. The second has a solid center block, with hollow ends. The latter is completely empty, almost like a guitar.
Some common woods for guitar bodies are alder, ashmahogany, natural, lime tree, Maple, cedar and marupá, among others. There are also models with less common materials, including acrylic and synthetic fibers.
In this way, parts such as the bridge, the jack, the pickups, the knobs, the shields and the switches are installed on the body. Furthermore, the body shape is one of the main trademarks of classical guitar models.
arm and scale
Connected to the body, it is the piece that the ropes run. The back of the neck is the fretboard, which has frets. Inside this part is the tensor, a metal rod that regulates the inclination of the arm.
the arms of best brands of guitars they are made of mahogany or maple, while the more traditional fingerboards are made of maple, rosewood and ebony. However, current manufacturers use various other materials for these components.
The arm can have different types of connection to the body. So, the most common are: screwed, glued or in one piece (the so-called neck-through or one-piece). Each type of connection generates a different sonic result, also affecting the sustain of the notes.
Depending on the construction method of the guitar, the fretboard can have different lengths. This affects playability, making the strings more or less taut.
At the same time, the stairs have different curvatures. As a rule, the straighter the ladder, the easier it will be to apply techniques Advanced.
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It is the points on the neck that help the player find the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th fret. The 12th fret has two points.
scoop
also called guitar hand, this piece sits at the end of the neck and supports the pegs. Like the body, the shape of the headstock is characteristic of each guitar model.
Some models, such as the Gibson Les Paul, have the headstock angled to the neck. Others, like the Fender Stratocaster, don’t have an angled hand.
tuners
Tuners are the pieces we turn to tighten or loosen the tension of the guitar strings when we are tune the instrument. The fully shielded ones have a closed mechanism, so they do not suffer from the ingress of dust and dirt.
There are also tuners with locks, which are usually more practical and stable.
Eyelash
Also known as the nut, this is the small piece between the fingerboard and the headstock. This component acts as a support for the strings, as well as directing them into the correct position.
Lashes can be made of various materials: bone, plastic, graphite derivatives, brass, etc. The nut must be well tuned for a good performance. In other words, a poorly cut nut or wrong intonation will cause problems with tuning, intonation and comfort.
keys and cases
Threads of metal that separate the houses. Hence, each house corresponds to a semitone. Again, the keys can be made from many different materials. Some of them are: nickel silver, stainless steel, alpaca, bronze and brass.
There are different types of keys, each with their own height and width. Generally, The larger keys make playing easier, as they require less finger strength. However, they can cause tuning problems if the strings are tightened too much.
There are guitars with different fret / fret numbers, typically between 21 and 24.
- Read also: Why take your guitar to the luthier?
pick-up
These are devices that capture the mechanical vibrations generated by the guitar strings and convert them into electrical signals. You pick-up they usually have single poles, which are made of magnets, such as alnico and ceramic.
Generally, electric guitar pickups are passive, but there are also active models, which have a preamp and need their own power to work.
The main types of guitar pickups are: single coil, humbucker, P-90, stacked and mini-humbucker. Each of them has its own unique sound. Take a look below:
single coil
Also called a single pickup, as it features only one coil. Having a rubber stamp bright and crackling, as well as having a natural noise. It’s good for clean, low-saturation sounds.
humbucker
These are dual pickups. That is, it has two coils. It has a full, full-bodied sound, as well as increased power. Therefore, it goes well with the use of distortion, being able to generate a heavy sound for more aggressive styles. It has no natural noise.
P-90
This is a single-coil with a different construction, generating a tone with more attitude and body. In practice, its sound would be a compromise between a single and a double pickup. It has a natural noise.
stacked
The stacked pickups are visually very similar to the singles, but have two stacked coils to eliminate the natural noise of the single pickups.
mini humbucker
Finally, the mini-humbuckers are double pickups in single coil format. Therefore, they can be placed in place of simple pickups without having to modify the instrument.
selector
Most electric guitars contain more than one pickup. In this context, it is the selector that allows the player to choose which pickup will be used.
In this way, the pickups installed near the neck have a lower tone than those closest to the bridge.
Jack
It is the cable entry. That is, it is the part that connects the cable that connects the guitar to the amplifier.
belt pin
Mounting part for guitar strap. In this way the musician is enabled to play standing.
bridge
It is the end where the threads are attached. In short, the guitar bridges it can be fixed or mobile. In the latter case, they usually come with a leverwhich, when activated, loosens or stretches the strings, generating a very characteristic sound effect.
Knob and Pot
Knobs are the buttons on the guitar, which can be plastic, metal, or wood. They cover the potentiometers, which are responsible for controlling the volume and tone of an electric guitar’s pickups.
Shield
Present in several models of electric guitars, this component has the objective of protecting the paint from scratch marks, as well as retaining all the electronic parts in the body of the instrument.
strings
In ropes They can be made in various materials and with different types of construction, as well as different gauges. Thicker strings tend to have a fuller signal, but are more difficult to play.
Most guitars have 6 strings. However, there are models with a higher number, such as 7 or 8 strings. There are even guitars that have 12 strings!
Adjusting the action of the strings is critical to the player’s comfort. Lower strings are less taut, but don’t generate the same resonance and sound as higher strings, as well as causing fretting in some cases. So finding balance is important.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that the pay attention to the ropes it is essential for a good performance on the guitar.
So, did you enjoy learning about the anatomy of the guitar? Very nice! So, you may have realized that all parts can affect the timbre or playability of a guitar.
Do you see how the guitar is a complex instrument? Complex and passionate, however! Now that you’re more intimate with your instrument’s DNA, how about making a sound? And don’t forget: share this article so more people can be helped with this important electric guitar anatomy information!
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Source: Terra
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
