What Are the Parts of an Electric Guitar?

While the guitar was originally a European invention, it has become best known for its roll in American popular musics such as jazz, rock, blues and funk. Though it may be more enjoyable for most players to learn the names of their favorite chord voicing's or scales, knowing the names of the parts of the guitar can come in handy when talking to other guitarists or when diagnosing a problem with your instrument.

Tuning Pegs

Tuning pegs are located on the head of the guitar. They are used to hold one end of the strings in place and to alter the tuning of each string.

Nut

The nut is located at the neck end of the fingerboard and is used to "lock" the strings in place at that end of the guitar.

Fingerboard

The fingerboard is located between the neck and the body of the guitar. It has built in metal frets that produce different pitches when the strings are pressed down.

Pick-Ups

Electric guitars have at least one pick-up located between the bridge and the fingerboard. Pick-ups are essentially microphones that amplify the vibrations of the strings and send that signal through a quarter-inch cable to a guitar amp.

Bridge

The bridge is made of metal and is located on the body of the guitar. One end of each string is attached to the body of the guitar through the bridge.

Controls

Most guitars have both a volume and a tone control located on the body of the guitar. Sometimes guitars have separate tone and volume controls for each separate pick-up.

Toggle Switch

The toggle switch is located on the body of the guitar and is used to switch between each of the pick-ups. There are usually three to five settings on the switch depending on the amount of pick-ups a guitar has.

Resources

• Electric Guitar Online Tips Page