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The general shape of the body of an electric guitar.

The solid body of an electric guitar can be molded into almost any shape; hollow cases do not give such freedom, however, even among them, the options in shape can be very diverse. However, there are certain standard forms. It is not uncommon for these shapes to be named after a particular "legendary" guitar model, such as the "Les Paul" or "Stratocaster" (after Gibson and Fender instruments of the same name, respectively). It makes no sense to describe each standard form — it's easier to find an illustration in our catalog or on the Internet.

The main, and often the only point, which is affected by the shape of the body is the appearance of the guitar. Also, convenience for the musician to some extent depends on this parameter — for example, some models allow you to play while sitting, resting the instrument on your foot, for others this method is weak or not suitable at all. But whether the shape of the body affects the sound of an electric guitar is a moot point. There is an unequivocal dependence only in semi-acoustic models, but for solid bodies there is no clear answer to this question: some musicians claim the superiority of some forms over others, but this moment is largely subjective. In addition, other parameters (types and number of pickups, bridge design, etc.) greatly affect the sound quality.

Now on the market there are guitars with this body shape: Les Paul, Superstrat, Stratocaster, Jazz Bass, Precision Bass, Telecaster, PRS Santana, Flying V, SG, however, there are also completely non-standard options.

The material from which the body of an electric guitar is made. For models with cutouts (semi-acoustic, see "Type"), in this case, only the material of the back deck and sides can be taken into account, and data on the top deck is given separately (for more details, see "Deck Cover Material").

Now on the market there are cases of such trees: red, maple, agatis, ash, alder.

It makes no sense to dwell on each of the materials found in modern electric guitars. Their variety is very large, however, unlike acoustic guitars, the body in this case does not play such a significant role in shaping the sound, and its material has a relatively small effect on the acoustic properties of the instrument (although the exact degree of such influence is a moot point). If you wish, you can find detailed data on a particular material in special sources, but in fact it makes sense to look primarily at the appearance of the instrument and its price category.

The type of bridge provided in the construction of the guitar.

The bridge is often referred to as the part used to secure the strings to the body, but this is not entirely true. There are many models where the bridge plays only the role of a nut (limits the length of the scale), and the string is fixed in a separate device (stop bar) or even in the guitar body, through the method (see below).

All modern breeches can be divided into two main categories. The first is fixed, in which the strings are fixed, and the tightening during the game can only be performed with the left hand on the fretboard. They somewhat limit the set of techniques available to the musician, but they are inexpensive, compact and do not complicate the tuning of the guitar. The second variety is tremolo("machines"), which have a lever under the guitarist's right hand, allow you to change the tension of all the strings at once and achieve interesting effects that are not available with a conventional tightening. The disadvantages of "machines" are the opposite of the advantages of "fixes": tremolo bridges are more expensive, often cumbersome, with frequent use they can quickly detun the instrument, and tuning is often quite difficult, requiring specific skills and tools. Note that tremolo machines are used only in electric and semi-acoustic guitars, bass guitars are equipped only with fixed tailpieces.

The main...types of bridges found in modern electric guitars are as follows:

— Fixed. This designation is used for all fixed breeches other than the popular varieties described below.

— Hardtail (fixed). A distinctive feature of "hardtails" is a metal plate that plays the role of the basis for other mechanics. Such a plate is installed on the top deck; it is bent up from the far side (from the fretboard), and the saddles for the strings are attached simultaneously to the base and to the bent part. The fastening of the strings is often done through. This type of bridge allows you to individually adjust for each string not only the length of the scale, but also the height above the fretboard.

— Tune-o-Matic (fixed). Bridge in the form of a plank, on which saddles for strings are fixed. In this case, the strings can be attached to the body of the guitar (through method), to a separate stop bar or in the holes on the bridge itself (however, the latter is rare). Tune-o-Matic allows you to individually adjust the scale for each string, however, the height above the neck is changed only by changing the height and inclination of the bar (for this, an adjustment screw is provided at each end of the bar).

— Tremolo. Tremolo machines that do not belong to any of the varieties described below; this option is also indicated in cases where the manufacturer, for some reason, did not specify the specific type of "car". This category includes mechanisms that are quite diverse in design and functionality, so the features of such a bridge in each case should be specified separately.

— Vintage Tremolo. One of the first varieties of tremolo machines, developed by Fender. Externally, such a device looks like the Hardtail described above, supplemented by a movable (swivel) mount and a lever for adjusting the tension; fastening strings — most often through. Keep in mind that Vintage Tremolo's are designed primarily for downtuning; it is possible to raise the system with the help of such a machine only slightly, and then this will require certain tricks. Another drawback is that heavy use of the tremolo arm detunes the guitar quite quickly — especially if the player has neglected the tuning rules, which, although not difficult for Vintage Tremolo, are quite specific. On the other hand, “vintages” are inexpensive, and you can compensate for the mentioned drawback, for example, by using a top lock. The classic "vintage" is attached to the body with six screws, but there are also twin-screw versions — they are simpler and at the same time keep the system longer with active use.

— Wilkinson (tremolo). A further development of the design of the Vintage Tremolo described above. One of the key differences of the "Wilkinson" is that the strings in it are held on the bridge itself, and not on the body of the guitar. Because of this, this type of breeches stay in tune much better than the original "vintage" breeches. In addition, the lever in such "machines" is attached without thread, so that the likelihood of backlash is reduced to zero. On the other hand, Wilkinson bridges are noticeably more expensive, and their main function is to lower the tuning (although, again, with some tricks, a slight increase is possible).

— Bigsby (tremolo). Another representative of the "timeless classic", perhaps the first tremolo system in the world. Today it is used mainly on vintage-style guitars; particularly well suited for semi-acoustic instruments, as attached to the end of the guitar, not to the thin top, and does not place heavy loads on the soundboard. A distinctive feature of the Bigsby is that as a stop bar to which the strings are attached, such machines use a round rod that rotates from the movement of the lever and thus changes the tension of the strings. Due to this, such bridges have a number of advantages: they can work both down and up, they are easy to tune and keep the system well and respond to the slightest movement of the lever, allowing the musician to control the sound very precisely. In addition, Bigsby systems have a stylish appearance. On the other hand, they are quite massive and bulky, expensive, and the adjustment range is relatively small (smaller than that of the same Floyd Rose).

— Floyd Rose (tremolo). One of the most popular tremolo systems used by professional musicians. It is similar in design to the Vintage Tremolo, in particular, it is also mounted on two bolts and has a spring that compensates for the tension of the strings. However, the design of the Floyd Rose allows the action to be changed both downwards and upwards (increasing the tension), providing possibilities that are not available with "vintage" and similar systems; and similar machines differ from Bigsby in a wider range of adjustment. Note that the design of instruments with such bridges usually includes a top-lock — a device that clamps the strings on the fingerboard at the nut. Thanks to this, the “floyd roses” perfectly keep the system when actively working with the lever. All this led to the popularity of these systems among guitarists. On the other hand, setting up and caring for such breeches is a very difficult, painstaking and delicate matter. So, for setting strings and tuning, a whole set of keys may be required; when a string breaks, the system “floats”, and replacing a damaged string is inevitably associated with retuning the entire guitar; moreover, the system can go astray even from inaccurate movement of the instrument or a strong blow with the palm when muting the strings. Therefore, Floyd Rose type machines are mainly recommended for advanced guitarists with experience in handling electric guitars. And even professional musicians sometimes prefer to go to the master, rather than messing around with the service themselves.

— Kahler (tremolo). A system similar to Floyd Rose, but without springs and fixed directly to the body, usually with 4 screws. This allows you to slightly increase the sustain (due to improved contact of the strings with the body). The rest of the advantages and disadvantages are in most cases the same as Floyd Rose. However, high-quality solutions are also produced under the Kahler brand, which are not cheap, but have an improved design and are devoid of a number of disadvantages — in particular, such models are insensitive to changes in the position of the instrument and sharp muting of the strings with the palm of your hand.

— Zero Resistance (tremolo). Another improved version of the Floyd Rose described above, which is distinguished by the presence of a blocker — a device that rigidly fixes the bridge. Thanks to this, the system does not “float” when the string breaks, and the tuning of the guitar is noticeably simplified compared to the original Floyd Rose. The disadvantage of ZR is traditional — a high price.

It is worth noting that the above list does not include specific brands of bridges, but only their general types; within the same type, there may be models that differ somewhat in design and functionality.

The presence in the electric guitar of a system of through fastening of strings.

In the classic through fastening, the body of the instrument itself plays the role of a stop bar — holes are made in it, in which the strings are fixed (from the side of the bridge). The advantage of this design is the improved contact of the strings with the body, which allows you to achieve good sustain. However, in tremolo machines (see "Bridge") there is another kind of through fasteners — when the holes are located not on the body, but on the bridge; in particular, this option is typical for Vintage Tremolo machines. In such cases, the through fastening itself is only a design feature of the bridge, and the contact of the strings with the body depends on the features of the fastening of the "machine" on the body and can be different.

Profile of a fretboard mounted on an electric guitar.

The profile of the neck is called its shape in section, more precisely, the shape of the back of the neck. This parameter practically does not affect the sound of the guitar, but it directly affects the convenience of playing. Ideally, the neck should “fill” the hand, but not be too large — otherwise it will not be possible to clasp it to the right extent.

Profiles are denoted by the letters C, D, V and U — depending on which letter the neck resembles in the section. Profile D is the flattest, C is slightly more convex, with almost uniform curvature along the entire length, U is more voluminous, with a wider profile in the area of the lining, and the V profile in its classic form has the form of an angle with a rounded top. There are also modifications of these options — for example, "thin", which provides for a reduced profile thickness, or "modern", with slightly improved (theoretically) ergonomics.

The most popular profile types are C, U and their "modern" (modern) modifications. The C profile is almost semi-circular, the U profile is more voluminous, at the fingerboard its edges are almost parallel and only closer to the back of the neck are sharply rounded. The terms modern C and modern U refer to various improved versions of these profiles, their f...orm may be different.

In fact, the choice of neck profile depends solely on the guitarist's personal preferences, the characteristics of his hands and his preferred playing technique. Thus, there is no "perfect" profile shape — in each case, the optimal choice will be different. The perfect option is to try several types of profile "live", decide which one will be more convenient, and choose an instrument with a neck of the same or similar profile shape.

The width of the fretboard of an electric guitar at the nut. Closer to the body, the neck may expand somewhat, but this is not necessary, and the expansion angle may be different. Therefore, the main size is considered to be the width in the region of the nut.

This parameter has two meanings. On the one hand, a wide neck is inconvenient for musicians with small hands and short fingers — it can be difficult to reach the far strings in such cases. On the other hand, a larger width means a greater distance between the individual strings, which reduces the likelihood of hitting an adjacent string when pressed incorrectly and can make playing easier (especially if the guitarist has large fat fingers). However, these moments are not absolute, and the convenience of playing is a very subjective matter, depending on many features of the musician and the technique he uses. Also, don't forget that necks can have different profiles (see above), and instruments with different neck profiles will feel differently in the hands even with the same width at the nut. Therefore, the most reliable method of selection is to try out the necks of different sizes and profiles “live”, decide on the best option and choose based on this.

The smallest neck width at the nut in modern electric guitars is about 39 mm. This size is found mainly in bass guitars (see “Type”), which have 4 strings and a neck that widens noticeably towards the body (due to which it can be made rather narr...ow from above, especially since when playing bass, notes are rarely clamped near the neck itself) . Electric guitars (including semi-acoustic) are somewhat wider — from 41 mm, an indicator of 43 – 48 mm is considered average, and in the largest instruments, the neck can be up to 55 mm wide (however, such dimensions are typical mainly for instruments with more than 6 strings) .

The scale is the distance from the nut to the bridge; in other words, this is the working length of the open (not pressed with a finger) string. The greater this distance, the more tightly the strings must be stretched to achieve the desired pitch and the greater the force required to press them against the fingerboard. However, some guitarists argue that even a small difference in length - less than an inch - already makes a significant difference in the feel when playing.

In addition, this parameter also affects the color of the sound. A longer length allows you to get a brighter, louder and more expressive sound, while a shorter length allows you to get a denser, “warmer” and smoother sound. Thus, all other things being equal, a relatively short scale length is better for playing chords, while a longer instrument may be needed to achieve the desired sound in a solo.

The most popular scale length options in electric guitars (not basses) are 24.75" (Gibson) and 25.5" (Fender). Indicators less than 22" are extremely rare, mainly in instruments with miniature 3/4" bodies (see "Size"), and the maximum value is about 28", longer instruments are practically not produced. But basses have a noticeably longer length ( otherwise the strings for them would have to be made too thick or tensioned too loosely): the shortest models provide a scale length of 30", but the classic value is 34".

Note that the design of the bridge often allows you to change the actual scale length (including for each string separately); This is done to ensure that the instrument plays accurately along the frets. Therefore, in the characteristics it is customary to indicate the default scale length, without additional adjustments.