Acoustic Guitar Parts & Acoustic Guitar Lessons
Acoustic Guitar Parts
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Here is a picture of a typical acoustic guitar with its parts marked. Scroll down for detailed information on the acoustic guitars parts.
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On standard acoustic guitars, the large body makes it difficult to use any frets above the 12th fret. Some guitars have a Cutaway section to allow your hands to reach the 14th fret easily, however this does affect the sound as it disrupts the shape of the guitar. you (or anyone else) strum (or pick) the strings over the Soundhole, which is where the vibrations from the strings are acoustically reflected out providing the sound from the instrument. Acoustic-electric guitars have an Pickup inside the soundhole, note that you can also buy add-on acoustic pickups and turn any acoustic guitar into an acoustic-electric. Most acoustic guitars have a Pick Guard, that protects the finish on the top of the guitar body from mis-directed picking. The strings terminate in the Saddle which is glued onto the top of the guitar body. The Bridge raises the strings and establishes the Action of the guitar (normally having six strings) . Note most acoustic guitars have "fixed" bridges, the only way to lower the action is to shave or cut down the saddle (or replace the bridge) - there is no way raise the action. Some newer models provide adjustable bridges simliar to electric guitars.
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 There are three main sections zoomed in the picture; the Headstock, the Neck, and the Body. The headstock holds the Tuner Posts around which the strings are wrapped and terminated. The Tuners are knobs that increase or decrease the tension on the string wrapped around the tuner posts (tuning the sound made by the strings). Note that some acoustic guitars may have different looking tuners, and some may even have all six tuner keys on the same side. Even though they may look different, they work in the same manner. The Nut guides the strings to the tuner posts and maintains the height of the strings. The length of the Neck depends on the scale of the guitar (also called the AXE since the shape of electric guitars are somewhat axe-y) and the number of frets it has. The back of the neck could be "C" shaped, or "V" shaped (sideways < if you compare it to the letter C). The front of the neck is the Fingerboard or Fretboard, that contains the Frets embedded in notches along its surface. The Strings run down the neck over the frets. The height of the strings over the frets is called the Action; if the action is too high the strings are harder to press down, if the action is too low the strings may rattle against the frets muffling the notes. The neck usually has "dot" markers on the top and the side facing the player, showing the position of the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th (which has two dots) and 15th fret.
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Note that as an acoustic guitar ages, a pronounced "belly" or bump will appear on the top of the body, just below the saddle. Since the strings are constantly pulling on the saddle, over time and with humidity changes the wood will begin to bow where the pressure is being applied. There are "ribs" or "struts" inside the body to prevent the saddle from being ripped out, so a small belly is perfectly normal as the guitar is broken in. If the belly gets too large you will have to have the ribs inside the top repaired, they may have popped out or broken. Many musicians claim the belly improves the sound of the guitar, which may contribute to the theory that acoustic guitars sound better as they grow older. Guitar Types<<<Previous
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Guitar Care & Acoustic Guitar Lessons
Guitar Care
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Guitars are sensitive instruments and require attention and care. Acoustic guitars are very delicate since they are essentially hollow wooden boxes. Although this may seem obvious, it has be to said: never drop your guitar or bang it around! Electric guitars are a lot sturdier, but even they require care. The worst enemy of a guitar is humidity. The strings on a guitar are putting constant stress on both the neck and the body (where the bridge is attached). Excessive humidity (summertime or rainy weather) will swell the wood and cause bowing. Insufficient humidity (winter or desert dryness) will dry out the wood and crack the glue that holds the seams together. The ideal level for any guitar is 50% humidity. In areas where extreme changes to humidity occur, it is recommended that the guitar be kept in a hard case (which has packing shaped to the guitar size) to reduce the amount of air exposure. Otherwise, a humidifier/de-humidifier should be used in the guitar room to maintain a consistent humidity level.
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You should clean your guitar each time after you play it. The oils and sweat from your hands get deposited onto the strings and wood, causing corrosion of the strings and damage to the glossy finish on the wood. A soft cloth should be used to wipe down the wood (neck and body), and an alchohol swab can be used to wipe the strings (do NOT get the alchohol on the body!). Guitar stores sell special cloth and wipes for this purpose, it is best to get a suitable product that you know will work well on your guitar. This may seem obvious, but: NEVER wash your guitar! You will eventually have to change the strings on your guitar(s). The life of strings depends on how much you play and how you play. Whenever you hear the sound of your guitar starting to go dull, or if it constantly goes out of tune, you may need new strings. Always change all the strings at the same time - an exception could be if you break one string soon after a string change, then change only that string. When you are changing all the strings, you have the opportunity to do some more cleaning and maintenance. You CAN remove all the strings at one time - but you must get the new strings back on promptly (don't put it off for another day). If your acoustic-electric guitar has an active pickup that uses batteries that fit through the soundhole, change the battery while you have the strings off. But mainly you have the opportunity to clean the fretboard - use a damp paper towel folded flat and gently wipe the frets and the fretboard between the frets. Do NOT drip any water on the fretboard, just a slightly damn paper towel is all that is needed. Immediately wipe it off with a dry paper towel, ensuring no water is left anywhere.
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Once humidity is being monitored or controlled, the best place for a guitar that used often is on a guitar stand. A stand will support the guitar properly by its neck and body, preventing uneven pressure (under its own weight) from causing the wood to bow. A guitar on a stand looks way cool too, and its easy to just grab it and play whenever you get the urge. A word of caution on electric guitars on stands - NEVER leave the amp turned on when the guitar is on a stand next to it. Sound (even if its inaudible to you) from the amp causes the strings to vibrate, which in turn causes the pickups to send a signal to the amp, which again sends more sound to the strings (a feedback loop). Eventually both your amp and guitar will be fried. For high end guitars that are NOT used often (especially when you have many guitars), the best place for it is in a hard case. Cheap guitars may cost less than the price of a hard case, so it would not really be worthwhile. Note that for long term storage of guitars, you should loosen the strings and store it in a hard case - if the wood expands the tension of the strings would cause the neck to bow, or would pull the saddle out of the body.
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All guitars will need adjustments and/or repairs at some point in their lives. Electric guitars need to have their intonation adjusted frequently, most have a simple screw to set this and you may be able to figure it out from the guitar owners manual and using a tuner. For more complex repairs and adjustments, it is strongly recommended that you take it to a professional guitar repair shop. Neck adjustments are tricky things to accomplish, as are adjustments to the saddle, bridge or string action. Guitar Amp<<<Previous
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