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Guitar Accessory TerminologyBall End String – A nylon (classical) string with a ball end. Balls eliminate the need for tying the string at the bridge to facilitate easier attachment. Capo - A simple device that clamps on an instrument neck to raise the pitch of all the strings at once. Chipboard Case - The minimal instrument case made of reinforced cardboard. Flatwound strings - Steel strings which use flat ribbon winding rather than round wire for the thicker strings. Preferred by jazz guitarists. Fingerpick - a pick worn on the finger to maximize efficiency and tonal projection Flatpick - an instrument pick that's (you guessed it) flat. Flight Case - The heaviest, strongest travel case, often custom made, and always expensive. Gig Bag - A soft padded instrument case made of fabric. Hardshell Case - The standard case for a fine instrument. As the name implies, it is rigid and strong Humbucker - Using two coils in a pickup makes it a humbucker: It's called a humbucker because the way it's made reduces hum and noise while creating different tones. Some guitars can have just single-coil pickups, just humbuckers, or both. Loop End String - A string with a loop for hooking onto a tailpiece, as on a banjo or mandolin. Metronome - metronome is a device that produces a strict rhythm. The metronome was invented by Johann Nepomuk Mälzel. Musicians use metronomes when they practice in order to keep a standard tempo; ie, keep a steady beat throughout the music. Even in pieces that do not require strict time (see rubato), a metronome is used to give an indication of the general tempo intended by the composer. Many pieces give a tempo indication at the top of the manuscript. One common type of metronome is the wind-up metronome, which uses a weight on the end of a rod to control the tempo. The rod swings back and forth in tempo; mechanics inside the metronome produce a clicking sound on each swing of the rod. Most newer metronomes are electronic. The simplest electronic metronomes have a dial or buttons to control the tempo; some can also produce a tuning note (usually A, 440 hertz). The button forms range from simple credit-card sized devices to the complicated "Dr. Beat", manufactured by Boss. In addition to a simple pulse, this metronome can play polyrhythms and can "count aloud", using a sampled voice. Nut - The piece the strings cross over at the peghead end of the instrument. The nut holds the strings in position, and usually defines the end of the vibrating length of the strings at the end opposite the bridge. Pickup - an electronic device mounted on an instrument which allows the sound to be amplified These are bars you see under the strings of an electric guitar that sense the vibrations of the strings and send them to an amplifier as electrical signals. Single-coil pickups employ one coil of wire wound around a magnet to translate the string's vibrations into electrical signals. Plug - At both ends of a cord used to connect a guitar and an amplifier are plugs. Like the plug on the end of a pair of headphones, this plug makes the electrical connection when you plug it into a jack (the small hole in the guitar and in the front of the amp). The most common size is 1/4" in diameter. Piezo Transducer - On many acoustic guitars and some electrics, a type of pressure-sensitive pickup called a piezoelectric transducer is built into the bridge. It's also one of the most mispronounced parts of a guitar. It's pronounced "pie-EE-zo-e-LEC-tric," but you'll hear it as "PIE-zo," "pee-ay-zo" and a few others. This type of pickup doesn't rely on magnetism, and instead senses extremely small changes in pressure as a string vibrates. An electronic circuit connected to the piezo transducer amplifies the tiny signal and sends it to an amplifier or mixer. Oh, yeah: It's called a transducer mostly because manufacturers didn't want to confuse people by calling it a pickup. What's a transducer? It's something that takes one kind of energy (like vibrations or pressure) and converts it to another form of energy (like electricity). Selector - When an electric guitar has more than one pickup, there's usually a switch, called a selector, that lets you select each of them separately, or two or more in combination. Slide - A tube which fits on the finger and is used to slide along the strings to pitch notes; als the technique of sliding notes or chord shapes up the fretboard. Strap buttons - Small but mighty, these pieces of metal or hard wood are placed on guitars at two points so that you can attach a strap. Depending on where they are placed, they can provide perfect balance so that when you take both hands off the guitar, the neck doesn't fall toward the floor. If you think you might go a little crazy on stage, consider getting a strap locking system that'll keep your guitar from flying off unexpectedly. Strings - Heavier strings are harder on acoustic guitars, they can be made of steel wound with bronze, or they can be made of nylon. On electric guitars, the strings are made of steel, often with nickel windings to bend but produce a stronger sound. They also stay in tune better than thinner ones. Both steel and nickel are attracted to magnets. The magnetic pickups underneath these strings sense their vibrations and send tiny electrical signals to an amplifier. Thumbpick - an instrument pick worn on the thumb to increase playing volume and power. Truss Rod - An internal, adjustable tensioning device for keeping instrument necks straight, patented and first used by Gibson around 1921. Truss Rod Cover - A decorative plate usually screwed to the peghead, which covers the truss rod adjusting nut. Tuner - An electronic device used to tune guitars. More about tuners here. Tuning machine - Each string is attached to a corresponding tuning machine, which is located on the head. The tuning machines, or tuners, can be arranged along one side of the head (all six in a row), or along both sides of the head (three plus three, or four plus two). When you turn a tuner's knob, or key, the string wraps around the machine's shaft, and the string is pulled tight. The tighter a string is, the higher it sounds when you pick it. They're sometimes called machine heads, tuning keys or just "keys." Tuning pegs - The geared devices on the headstock used to tighten or loosen the strings. Instrument Stands - Prop your guitar for support Care Products - Shines and waxes to keep your guitar clean. Guitar Accessory Reviews Home >>Guitar Accessory Terminology |