If you play the guitar, or if you want to play, it is important that you know the structure of the instrument. The way that a guitar is put together is fundamental to the type of sound it will produce. This quick rundown of the anatomy of the guitar should help you make a choice in purchasing one, or it could even help you tweak the sound or feel of the guitar that you already own.
Let’s start with the headstock. The headstock is the part of the guitar at the end of the neck, where the strings are attached. Its main function is to provide a place for the strings to be anchored at one end of the guitar. As long as there is room for the tuning pegs, the small machines that control the tension of the guitar strings, the headstock can be virtually any shape.
Also located on the headstock is the truss rod cover. The truss rod is a metal rod that runs down the length of the neck, providing stability and support. By removing the truss rod cover, you can tighten and loosen the truss rod, causing the neck to either bow or straighten out. I will talk more about the truss rod when we get into maintenance and adjustments.
The neck of the guitar has the same function on the guitar as it does on the human body—it connects the head to the rest of the body. The nut is found at the end of the neck toward the headstock. It is a small, thin piece that spaces the strings, allowing them to run down the neck evenly. The nut is made of plastic most often, but it can also be made out of metal, graphite, or even bone.
The frets are the thin metal pieces that run across the width of the neck. Their purpose is to create a new length for the string, which causes it to ring at a different pitch. In order to keep track of which fret is which a little easier, they are usually marked with fret markers. The markers are usually inlaid pearl circles, but they can come in all shapes and sizes and be made of all different kinds of materials.
The fretboard is the face of the neck where the frets are laid. It can be made of a number of different kinds of wood, the two most common being maple and rosewood.
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