The anatomy of a guitar. Does your guitar have guts?
One of the first things a guitar student should learn is the anatomy of a guitar. It's allot like learning t drive. Knowing what does what will help you not only be able to talk intelligently with other guitarists and a teacher, it will help you use the machine more effectively and with ease.
The best way to study the anatomy of a guitar is to start at the top and work your way down.
Both electric guitars and acoustic guitar share some common parts but there are a few difference too.
Starting at the top We have the headstock.The headstock can either go straight out from the rest of the guitar like a Fender Stratocaster or be at a angle like Les Paul. This affects how much sustain (how long a note sounds) comes from the guitar.
This area holds the tuners. The quality of the tuners can make a huge difference in the ability of the guitar to stay tuned. There are several types of tuners. Locking tuners are the most stable.
Next on the way down is the nut. The nut is where the strings are anchored and held in place on the guitar. The material and the way the slots on the nut are cut makes a huge difference in the sound of a guitar.
Next is the neck. This where you will fingering the notes you wish to sound while you are playing. It consists of the fretboard and the frets ( vertical pieces of wire that you push the string up against to sound a note). Inside the neck is the truss rod which adjusts the curve (backwards or forwards) of the guitar neck. The truss rod adjustment is one of those adjustment best left to your guitar tech. Its one of the ingredients of a proper setup.
Next on the anatomy of a guitar is the body of the guitar. This is the main part of the guitar and hold the rest of the parts of the guitar such as the pickups on a electric guitar, the bridge and the controls of the guitar.
