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PREFACE · GUITAR BASICS · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16, 2026

Annotated acoustic and electric guitar reference diagram showing common parts and orientation terms — This preface gives names to the landmarks and orientation words used throughout the guitar guides, from low E and high E to frets, bouts, headstock, bridge, nut and saddle.

PREFACE · GUITAR BASICS

Guitar Reference Points: Learn the Parts and the Language

Guitar instructions become much easier to follow once the instrument has landmarks. This guide gives names to the strings, major parts and directions used throughout GuitarSearch.org.

WHY THIS PAGE EXISTS

A reference point only helps if the reader knows where it is

A setup guide may say “measure the bass E at the 12th fret” or “check the saddle on the treble side.” Those instructions are concise only after the vocabulary is familiar.

This page is the map. It is not intended to turn every guitar part into a repair lesson. It gives the reader enough orientation to understand descriptions, measurements, identification clues and later setup guides.

Reference language prevents ambiguity. “Left” and “right” can change depending on how a guitar is being held or photographed. “Bass side,” “treble side,” “headstock side” and “bridge side” remain much more useful.

THE SIX STRINGS

Low E to high E

In standard tuning, a six-string guitar is commonly described from the thickest, lowest-pitched string to the thinnest, highest-pitched string: E, A, D, G, B, E.

6 · LOW E Thickest string BASS SIDE Lowest-pitched standard guitar string

5 · A Second-thickest string LOWER REGISTER Often grouped with the wound bass strings

4 · D Fourth string MIDDLE Commonly wound on standard electric and acoustic sets

3 · G Third string VARIES May be plain or wound depending on the string set

2 · B Second string TREBLE SIDE Normally a plain string on common steel-string sets

1 · HIGH E Thinnest string TREBLE SIDE Highest-pitched standard guitar string

Low E and high E are different strings with the same letter name. “Low” and “high” describe pitch—not where the string appears on a photograph.

ORIENTATION WORDS

Directions that stay useful when the guitar moves

BASS SIDE The side nearest the low E string REFERENCE Thicker / lower-pitched string side

TREBLE SIDE The side nearest the high E string REFERENCE Thinner / higher-pitched string side

HEADSTOCK SIDE Toward the tuners and nut DIRECTION Away from the bridge

BRIDGE SIDE Toward the bridge and saddle DIRECTION Away from the headstock

These terms work in photographs too. Even if the guitar is upside down or rotated, the bass side is still the low-E side and the bridge side is still the bridge side.

HEADSTOCK & NECK

The string begins its journey here

Headstock. The end of the neck that commonly carries the tuning machines and brand logo.
Tuning machines / tuners. The geared hardware used to change string tension and tune the instrument.
String posts. The posts around which the strings are wound on many tuning-machine designs.
String tree or retainer. Found on some guitars to change the string's downward angle between the nut and tuning machine.
Nut. The slotted part at the headstock end of the fingerboard that guides string spacing and helps establish first-fret string height.
Neck. The long structural portion carrying the fingerboard and frets.
Fingerboard / fretboard. The playing surface on the front of the neck. Both terms are commonly used.
Frets. The metal fret wires that divide the fingerboard into pitch positions.
Position markers / fret markers. Dots or other inlays used as visual references along the fingerboard.

FRET NUMBERS & THE 12TH FRET

Count from the nut toward the body

Frets are numbered beginning with the first fret immediately after the nut. The numbers increase as the player moves toward the guitar body.

1ST FRET Immediately after the nut

12TH FRET The octave reference

HIGHER FRET NUMBER Closer to the body / bridge

The 12th fret is especially useful because it marks the octave and sits at half the nominal scale length. That is why it appears repeatedly in action, scale-length and intonation discussions.

Example: If a guide says “measure the low E action at the 12th fret,” find the thickest string, locate fret number 12, then measure the vertical gap from the top of that fret to the underside of the string.

BODY SHAPE

Upper bout, waist and lower bout

The curved outline of a guitar body has its own reference vocabulary. These terms are especially useful when describing acoustics, hollow bodies and traditional electric shapes.

Upper bout. The wider body area nearest the neck.
Waist. The inward-curving narrow area between the upper and lower bouts.
Lower bout. The wider body area farthest from the neck; on many guitars it is the largest part of the body outline.
Cutaway. A body contour that removes part of the upper-bout area to provide easier access to higher frets.
Neck joint. The area where the neck and body meet.
Heel. The reinforced portion at the body end of many guitar necks.

“Shoulder” may make conversational sense, but “upper bout” is the more useful guitar-anatomy term.

ACOUSTIC REFERENCE POINTS

Parts commonly encountered on an acoustic guitar

Top / soundboard. The front vibrating plate of the body.
Back and sides. The remaining major body surfaces forming the acoustic chamber.
Soundhole. The opening in the soundboard on many acoustic designs.
Rosette. The decorative and sometimes structural ring around a traditional round soundhole.
Bridge. The component attached to the soundboard that supports the saddle and anchors or redirects the strings depending on the design.
Saddle. The bridge-side contact point for the strings.
Bridge pins. Used on many steel-string acoustics to retain the ball ends of the strings at the bridge.
Pickguard. A protective surface intended to reduce pick wear on the top.

ELECTRIC REFERENCE POINTS

Parts commonly encountered on an electric guitar

Pickups. Transducers that sense string vibration and produce the electrical signal.
Pickup selector. A switch used to choose or combine pickups.
Volume and tone controls. Knobs controlling signal level and tonal filtering.
Output jack. The connection point for the instrument cable.
Bridge. The body-side string-support assembly. Designs vary widely.
Saddles. Many electric bridges provide one saddle per string, allowing individual height and intonation adjustment.
Tremolo / vibrato bridge. A movable bridge system that lets the player temporarily change string pitch.
Pickguard. A protective plate that may also carry pickups, switches and controls.

WORDS THAT CHANGE WITH THE GUITAR

Not every instrument has every part

A classical guitar, steel-string acoustic, archtop, solid-body electric, headless guitar or extended-range instrument may use different hardware. The reference language should describe the guitar that is actually in front of you.

For example, some guitars do not have a traditional headstock. Some bridges do not use bridge pins. Some electric guitars have fixed bridges while others have movable vibrato systems. Seven- and eight-string instruments add strings beyond the six-string reference used on this beginner page.

Learn the standard map first. Then unusual guitars become easier to describe because you can explain what changed from the familiar reference.

RELATED GUITAR BASICS

Use the map, then enter the setup system

RAINS: Five Setup Words Every Guitar Player Should Know Learn Relief, Action, Intonation, Nut and Saddle. → Understanding Guitar Neck Relief Learn how neck curvature is described and measured. → Understanding Guitar Action Learn what “bass E at the 12th fret” means in practice. → Nut & Saddle: The Two Ends of the String See how two small parts define important string geometry. →

DIRECTORY POSITION

Know the landmarks before following the directions

Guitar vocabulary becomes useful when it reduces confusion. Knowing the difference between the low E and high E, the bass and treble sides, the upper and lower bouts, or the nut and saddle makes later instructions shorter and more precise.

The goal is orientation—not memorization. Use this page whenever another guide names a part or reference point that has not become familiar yet.

SUPPORTING PERSPECTIVES

See the reference points on real guitars

A labeled diagram gives you the map. Seeing the same parts on real instruments helps the vocabulary stick. These two short Fender overviews walk through the basic anatomy of acoustic and electric guitars using the same familiar landmarks: headstock, neck, strings, body and bridge.

Fender · Anatomy of the Acoustic Guitar A simple walk through the major acoustic-guitar reference points, from the tuning machines and nut through the neck and body to the bridge.

Fender · Anatomy of the Electric Guitar The same basic orientation on an electric guitar, with the addition of pickups, controls, individual bridge hardware and other electric-specific parts.

Fender · Acoustic Guitar 101 A quick written reference covering acoustic parts, fret landmarks and the six string names from low E to high E. ↗ Fender · Electric Guitar 101 A companion reference explaining the electric guitar's pickups, controls, bridge hardware and six-string orientation. ↗

Look for what stays the same: Acoustic and electric guitars may use very different body hardware, but the basic map remains familiar—headstock, nut, neck, fretboard, frets, strings, body and bridge.

Fender is credited as the source of the supporting videos and reading material above. Their inclusion is for educational commentary and reference and does not imply sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of GuitarSearch.org.