Anatomy
The visible parts of a guitar and where they sit.
Browse termsStart With the System
Use categories when you know the part of the guitar, or search the full list when you know the term.
Measurements
Scale length, radius, action and other dimensions.
Browse termsPlayability
Terms that describe setup, feel and adjustment.
Browse termsElectronics
Pickups, controls, wiring and signal terms.
Browse termsMaterials
Woods and other instrument-building materials.
Browse termsConstruction
How body, neck and hardware are assembled.
Browse termsDefinitions With Measurement Context
Values are labeled as examples or common ranges where a single universal specification does not exist.
16 terms shown
Anatomy
Fingerboard
The playing surface attached to the neck, usually carrying the frets.
Read the guide: Maple vs Rosewood Fretboard: Feel, Finish, Care and the Tone QuestionFrets
Raised metal strips that divide the fingerboard into fixed pitch positions.
Read the guide: Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo Frets: Compare Height, Width and Playing FeelHeadstock
The end of the neck that commonly holds the tuning machines.
Read the guide: Locking Tuners vs Standard Tuners: What Changes — and What Still Controls TuningNut
The slotted component that supports string spacing at the headstock end of the fingerboard.
Read the guide: Guitar Nut Width Explained: What the Number Does and Does Not Tell YouTuners
Machines on the headstock used to change and hold string tension.
Read the guide: Locking Tuners vs Standard Tuners: What Changes — and What Still Controls TuningMeasurements
Action
The distance between a string and the top of a fret at a stated measurement point.
Read the guide: Guitar Action Explained: How to Measure String Height and Read the ResultFingerboard radius
The curvature across the width of a fingerboard, normally stated as the radius of a circle.
Read the guide: Fingerboard Radius Explained: Curve, Feel, Bending and SetupScale length
For a conventional fret layout, nominal scale is twice the distance from the nut’s string-contact edge to the centre of the 12th-fret crown. Compensated saddles can sit farther back; multi-scale instruments need a value for each string.
Read the guide: Guitar Scale Length Explained: Measurement, Tension, Reach and SetupPlayability
Intonation
How accurately notes stay in tune across the playable range of the instrument.
Read the guide: Guitar Intonation Explained: Why Fretted Notes Sound Sharp or FlatTruss rod
An adjustable reinforcement inside many necks used to manage neck relief.
Read the guide: Truss Rod Adjustment: Measure Neck Relief Before You Turn AnythingElectronics
Controls
Knobs and switches used to adjust volume, tone and pickup selection on an electric instrument.
Read the guide: Single-Coil vs Humbucker Pickups: How to Choose by Sound, Noise and UseOutput jack
The socket that connects an electric instrument to a cable and external equipment.
Read the guide: Speaker Cable vs Instrument Cable: Connect a Guitar Rig CorrectlyPickups
Transducers that convert string vibration into an electrical signal.
Read the guide: Guitar Pickups Explained: Read Type, Layout, Power and SwitchingMaterials
Tonewood
A broad trade term for woods selected for musical-instrument construction; results depend on the full design.
Read the guide: Solid Top vs Laminate Acoustic Guitars: Which Should You Choose?Construction
Bridge
The assembly that anchors the strings at the body and defines one end of the vibrating length.
Read the guide: Guitar Bridge Explained: Saddles, String Support and Playing FeelNeck
The structural section between the body and headstock that supports the fingerboard and string path.
Read the guide: Guitar Neck Profiles Explained: C, V, U, Thickness and Hand Fit