The zero fret is a little bit of an enigma. In some cases reviled and hated, by others adored and considered a technological marvel that makes tuning stability and your tone much better. But they’re a bit odd. You tend to find them either installed in really cheap and poor guitars or the highest quality, …
How many frets and the scale length of a guitar is important to the feel of it and how it plays. So how many frets does a Fender Stratocaster have? Most Fender Stratocasters have either 21 or 22 frets as standard. It depends on the model of Strat as to whether it’s 21 or 22. …
You may have noticed that guitars have colored bits of plastic attached to their bodies. They tend to be below the strings and can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These are pickguards. And they are designed to do as their name says: guard the guitar from picks. When you strum with a …
Guitar bridges are often talked about as being really important to how a guitar works and sounds. But what is a guitar bridge? You might be able to identify one but do you know exactly what it does? Or why? If not then you’re probably interested to know more about the bridge on a guitar. …
Most guitars come with volume and tone controls. But even experienced guitarists can be a bit confused by what the guitar controls do. You’ll have seen and probably used the knobs on your guitar. But are you absolutely sure you know how to use them properly. Do you fully understand what the tone controls do? …
Guitars have a habit of breaking, unfortunately. And it’s often the headstock that is the place where the break occurs. It may be because they’re the most fragile parts of the guitar or take the most impact when we inevitably drop them. Whatever it is headstocks get cracked, snapped and broken all the time. So …
The guitar headstock (or just “head”) is a vital part of the guitar. It’s also one of the most noticeable parts and gives different guitars their own unique character. Each different type of guitar and brand has an identifiable headstock and decal. And as the headstock houses the machine heads, tuning posts, string trees and …
It may not seem like that big of a deal but the heel of the guitar is very important. It supports the guitar, strengthens it and also plays a role in the tone. You may have paid little attention to the heel but it’s not just a random bit of wood. And all guitarists both …
The guitar is a truly amazing instrument. But the parts of a guitar can be confusing. There are more than you might have first thought. And if you’re new to the guitar it can difficult learning which each part is and what they do. Which can be a hindrance. You’ll hear lots of terms and …
Sustain is something a lot of guitarists love and want. In fact they want as much of it as they can get! But how do you get that sustain? With a guitar sustainer, obviously! Yes, there are systems you can get to give you unlimited sustain. You may have seen some of your favorite guitarists …