GLossary of Guitar Terminology

Bar or Arm: (aka Tremolo Bar, Vibrato Bar) A device made of a metal rod connected to the bridge which presses on the strings to adjust the pitch.

Bridge: The metal plate that attaches the strings to the body.

Body:  The main part of the guitar. On Electric Guitars this is a solid piece of wood and houses the electronic controls and the bridge assembly.

End Pins: Also known as the Strap Buttons are metal points on the bottom and side of the guitar where the straps are connected.

Frets: Thin metal bars or wires along the neck which shorten the string length.

Fret board: (also known as the Fingerboard) The long section containing the frets where the left-hand fingers are placed.

Headstock: The section at the end of the neck which holds the tuning machine.

Luthiers: The craftmen who make guitars. More likely a factory nowdays.

Neck: the long wooden arm which contains the fret board and connects the body and the headstock.

Nut: The grooved strip where the headstock joins the neck. This stops the strings from vibrating beyond the neck.

Output Jack or Socket. The connection socket to connect the guitar to the amplifier.

Pickup: The electric bar that converts the vibration of the strings into the tiny electrical current that the amplifier can then use to produce the music sound.

Pickup Selector Switch. Used to select which Pickup is live.

Strings: The Six metal wires that vibrate to produce different sounds.

Tone and Volume Controls: Controls to adjust the bass, Treble and loudness.

Tuning Machine: The assembly on the Headstock that uses gears to adjust the tension on the strings.