The Anatomy of a Guitars
Rock Star Romance, book three in The Rock Star’s Wife series, introduces us to Dramatic Sneezer, the metal band fronted by Nat Hardwick. He also is the band’s lead guitarist. His twin sister, Nicole, plays rhythm guitar while Jerome Williams plays bass. Kaleb Wood rounds the band out on drums. Guitars are essential for any rock band, but have you given them much thought? Here’s a short introduction in the anatomy of guitars.
Types of Guitars
Guitars fall into two categories, acoustic and electric, and there are different types of each.
Acoustic guitars are hollow. When the strings are plucked, resonance produces sound.
Electric guitars use magnetic pickups underneath the strings to produce sound. The pickups send electric signals to an amplifier that projects the sound. Pedals can be attached to change the sound.
There also is a combination, acoustic-electric, which is an acoustic guitar with a pickup clamped on it.
Rhythm guitars come in four, five, six, eight or 12 strings.
Bass guitars, like rhythm guitars, can be either acoustic or electric. They are an octave lower and have a slightly different shape. They come in four, five or six strings.
Professional musicians tend to use guitars manufactured by Fender, Les Paul, and Paul Reed Smith. Although there are numerous manufacturers, these are considered top of the line.
The Parts of a Guitar
Both acoustic and electric guitars have the same basic design. The parts are:
- Head (also called headstock): Supports the tuning pegs.
- Tuning pegs (also called a machine head or a tuning machine): Used to tune the strings.
- Nuts: Controls the spacing of the strings
- Neck: Attaches the head to the body.
- Fretboard (also called the fingerboard): Glued to the head. The strings are pressed into it. Thin metal strips called fret-wires run across it.
- Frets: The space between fret-wires. Used to alter the length of a string.
- Strings: Come in different thicknesses.
- Body: Contains an acoustic’s guitar’s sound box or an electric guitar’s pickup combinations.
Electric guitars also have electrical components.
***
Do you play guitar? Leave a comment below. Comments close after 90 days.
***
Here’s the 4-1-1
This blog is a companion piece to The Rock Star’s Wife, a series about sex, family, and rock & roll. The series has elements of chick lit, romance and erotica and is best compared to The Vagina Monologues for its frank talk of sex and its consequences. The series follows Cassandra from her teenage years into her 40s as she navigates relationships (both romantic and platonic) — all with music playing a prominent roll.
Book three, Rock Star Romance, debuts February 2024: Cassandra swore off men to recover from an amicable, but heart wrenching, breakup. Nathaniel endured a nasty, gut wrenching breakup and hasn’t dated since. When they meet, sparks ignite. Will they mend each other’s broken hearts?
Cassandra needs your help getting her story out. Join the street team to help.
Melina Druga
Melina Druga is a multi-genre author with a lifelong love of music, books and writing. She is the author of the Rock Star's Wife series, six historical fiction novels and nine nonfiction books. Based in the Midwest, Druga lives with her husband, daughter, black cat and CD collection.
You May Also Like
Life on Tour For Rock Musicians
13 Bands From the 90s Mentioned in Sexual Awakening
