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Glossary of Guitar Terminology

action
the action refers to how close the strings lie to the fretboard. If the action is low (the strings are very close the fretboard) then the strings knocking against the frets may produce a rattling noise. If, on the other hand, the action is high then the strings have to be pressed down further which make the guitar harder to play.

arch-top
a guitar with an arc-shaped top as opposed to a flat top.

amp
short for amplifier.

amplifier
electric guitars require amplification so they are connected to a guitar amp or amplifier.

chord when one or more notes are played together.

cutaways
a section of the guitar is removed from the body to make it easier to reach the higher frets.

fingerpicking
a style of playing when the guitarist uses guitar picks on his or her fingers and plucks the strings.

folk guitars
another name for an acoustic steel-string guitar.

fret
metal ridges on the fretboard against which the strings are pressed to create different notes.

fretboard
the section of the neck with frets across it.

hardware
refers to the metal guitar parts such as the machine heads.

head
this is the top part of the guitar where the machine heads are.

hollow-bodies
guitars with hollow bodies.

luthier
a guitar maker - the term comes from the word lute.

neck
the neck is the thin part of the guitar with the fretboard on it.

nut
a strip at the end of the fretboard which keeps the strings the correct distance apart.

nylon-string guitar
see classical guitar

picks
guitar picks are also known as plectrums and are small pieces of plastic or metal used for plucking the guitar strings.

pickup
the pickup 'picks up' the vibrations produced by the strings and converts them to an electronic signal which can be passed to the amp.

pickguards
pickguards are a protective plate on the body of the guitar to prevent damage to the wooden shell from playing with picks.

plain strings
plain strings are made of one single piece of wire as opposed to wound strings which are several fine wires wound together.

plectrums
see picks.

saddle
saddles go next to the bridge and support the strings.

scale
the distance between the saddle and the nut.

semi-acoustics
a guitar with pickups and a soundbox - usually thin hollow-bodies.

slimlines
thinner hollow-body guitars.

solid-bodies
electric guitars which are completely solid, ie do not have a soundbox.

solid state
see transistor.

soundboard
see top.

soundbox
acoustic guitars have a hollow body called a soundbox which amplifies the noise the guitar produces.

soundholes
holes in the soundbox or top of the guitar.

spanish guitar
see classical guitar.

steel-string guitars
acoustic guitar with steel strings.

strap buttons
knobs stuck to the guitar for attaching guitar straps to.

tab
see tablature.

tablature
a form of music notation.

tail
the bottom of the guitar if holding it by the neck and it is hanging vertically.

thinlines
see slimlines.

tremolo
a bridge with a lever for adjusting the tension to produce a vibrato effect.

top
the side of the guitar facing the audience when the player is standing up.

tube valve
a form of amp technology.

western guitars
see steel-string guitars.

wound strings
strings with several fine wires wound together - used for lower notes.

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