Anatomy of the modern electric guitar
The modern electric guitar has three main parts joined together:
- the body
- the head stock
- The neck
We have added a few brief descriptions
to help you understand your instrument’s construction.
For comparison, below is an EZ-AG guitar. It is MIDI enabled to allow you to record
your performances into Xtractor.
Machine heads
The machine heads can be tightened and loosened to tune the guitar strings. Tightening
them sharpens the sound and loosening flattens the sound.
Frets
Each fret creates a different note. The nearer the fret to the body, the higher
the
sound.
Pick-ups
The pick-ups ‘pick up’ the sound of the strings and act like a microphone
sending the sound signals via the jack input, down the lead, into an amplifier.
Bridge
The strings are connected from the bridge of the guitar to the machine heads. You
can adjust the height of the bridge to make the strings lower or higher on the guitar
neck, according to how you want the guitar to sound and feel to play.
Pick-up selector switch
Selects which pick-up is active. Each pick-up creates a different sound. The nearer
the neck, the warmer the sound. The nearer the bridge brighter the sound.
Tremolo arm
The tremolo arm is not found on all guitars. It raises and lowers the bridge to
create
a tremolo or vibrato effect.
Nut
Separates and gives height to the strings at the top of the fretboard.
Volume and tone controls
You control the volume of your guitar on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being loudest. The
tone is controlled in the same way with 10 being the brightest.
Jack input
One end of the guitar lead is plugged in here. The sound signal comes through the
jack into the lead from the pick ups. The other end of the lead connects to the
amplifier.
You finished this lesson, well done. Share your achievement with your friends!
Next: Lesson 2 | Lesson
Index