Acoustic Guitar Parts

When you first learn how to play the guitar. It is a good idea to get some background of the actual parts of a guitar. The parts of an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar are very different. The main parts on an acoustic guitar include Head, Neck, Tuning Peg, Nut, Frets, Fretboard, Fret Marker, Body, Sound Hole, Pick Guard, Bridge, Saddle, Bridge Pins, Sound Board.

Acoustic Guitar Diagram
Acoustic Guitar Diagram
  • Head – The Head or Headstock is the top part of the acoustic guitar that holds the Tuning Pegs. In addition, the size of the Head will affect vibration of the strings.
  • Neck – The Neck is the long thin part of the acoustic guitar that connects to the Head and the Body. In addition, the neck is where you will find the Fretboard, Frets and Fret Markers.
  • Tuning Peg – Tuning Pegs also known as Machine Heads and Tuning Knobs are a vital part of the acoustic guitar that allow you to tighten and loosen the guitar strings.
  • Nut – The Nut is a very important acoustic guitar part between the Neck and the Head where the strings rest. It is usually white and made of a very hard substance such as bone or plastic.
  • Frets – Frets are located on the Neck of the guitar and are segmented rectangles. The strings hover above the Frets and when you press down the string over a fret you can change the pitch of the sound you are playing.
  • Fretboard – The Fretboard is the acoustic guitar part that goes over the Neck and is segmented to contain the Frets and Fret Markers.
  • Fret Marker – Fret Markers or Position Markers are located on the Fretboard and are guides that can help you locate certain notes easily. They are usually designed as circles, but some guitars can have very elaborate Fret Markers.
  • Body – The Body is the large hollow part of the acoustic guitar located below the Neck. The Sound Hole, Pick Guard, Bridge, Saddle, Bridge Pins and Sound Board are all part of the Body. Different types of wood that create the Body will give different sounds.
  • Sound Hole – The Sound Hole is the circular cutout on the body where the strings hover above. The Sound Hole helps the Sound Board vibrate more freely and enables these vibrations to travel outside the instrument.
  • Pick Guard – The Pick Guard is usually a piece of flat plastic that is located next to the Sound Hole. The Pick Guard is a protection device to stop you from scratching the wood of the guitar when you strum it.
  • Bridge – The Bridge is located on the Body of the guitar and it is a small piece of wood that holds the bottom parts of the strings in place.
  • Saddle – The Saddle is the part of the acoustic guitar that is attached to the Bridge and it is the part that raises the strings to go above the Body, Sound Hole and Neck.
  • Bridge Pins – Bridge Pins are used to anchor the strings in place to the Bridge. Not all acoustic guitars have Bridge Pins – some just have holes where you put the string through.
  • Sound Board – The Sound Board is the main piece of wood located on the body of the acoustic guitar. It is the main part that amplifies the sound of the acoustic guitar.

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