T-Z
Tailpiece |
Takamine |
Talk Box |
Taylor |
Telecaster |
Thin-Line |
Thumb Pick |
Tiger Stripes |
Toggle Switch |
Tone |
Tone Pot |
Tonewood |
Transistor |
Tremolo |
Tremolo Arm |
Truss Rod |
Tube |
Tube Amp |
Tune-o-matic |
Tuning Keys |
Valve Amp |
Vibrato |
Vibrato Tailpiece |
Vox |
Wah Pedal |
Wah-Wah |
Waist |
Walnut |
Washburn |
Wenge |
Whammy Bar |
Zebrawood
| 12-String Guitar |
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Acoustic or electric guitar that has 12 strings, usually played in pairs. It produces a brighter sound than a standard 6-string guitar and is often used in folk and rock music.
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| Abalone |
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Mollusk that has a shell lined with mother of pearl. Its colorful shell is often used for inlays.
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| Acoustic Bass Guitar |
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Bass guitar that creates sound without the aid of electronics. It is often used in bluegrass music.
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| Acoustic Guitar |
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Guitar that creates sound without the aid of electronics. It can have nylon or steel strings.
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| Action |
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Amount of force required to play an instrument.
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| Active Electronics |
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Circuits that boost a signal or extend tonal range.
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| Alder |
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Lightweight and low-cost tonewood often used for guitar bodies. It offers a full sound and has a light tan color.
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| Ampeg |
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Manufacturer of quality amplifiers. The company was founded by Everette Hull and Stanley Michaels in 1946. Michaels left the company in 1949 and Ampeg was purchased by St. Louis Music, Inc. in 1986.
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| Amplifier |
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Electronic device that amplifies sound produced by an electric instrument or microphone.
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| Archtop Guitar |
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Steel-string guitar with a carved curved top and hollow body. Archtops are typically used in jazz and country music. Electric archtops are also used for rock and often include a tremolo arm.
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| Ash |
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Tonewood with a bright tone. It has a creamy color with hints of pink or brown and an open grain that takes a lot of finish.
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| Attenuate |
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Process of decreasing volume.
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| Balanced |
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Good levels of two or more signals in an audio mix.
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| Bass Guitar |
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Guitar that typically has 4 strings tuned to E, A, D, and G. Some bass guitars have 5, 6, 8, or 12 strings.
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| Basswood |
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Low-cost soft tonewood with a white color, straight closed grain, and warm tones. It is often used for inside lining.
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| BC Rich |
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Guitar manufacturer known for its unusual electric guitar body shapes.
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| Blackface |
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Famous amplifier from Fender produced from 1963 to 1967 that has a black control panel and a separate amp head and speaker unit. Amp enthusiasts look for vintage blackface amps with a AB763, AB165, AA, or AA864 circuit.
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| Bleed |
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Output of one audio source leaking into the input of another audio source.
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| Body Pack |
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Battery-powered unit worn by some performers that wirelessly transmits, receives, and amplifies signals.
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| Bolt on Neck |
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Guitar neck connected to the body with bolts or wood screws.
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| Bout |
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Upper and lower parts of the guitar body.
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| Bridge |
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Part of a guitar that holds strings in place on the body and carries vibrations to the soundboard.
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| Bucking |
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Cancellation of one signal by another signal with equal amplitude and opposite polarity. Also called phase cancellation.
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| Channel Switching |
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Feature changing the signal path to an output.
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| Chorus |
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Sound effect that splits a signal into two or more parts. It adjusts signal pitch up or down to create the illusion that more than one guitar is being played.
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| Circuit |
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Connected components that create a closed path for an electrical current to follow.
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| Cocobolo |
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Type of rosewood from Mexico and Central America.
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| Combo Amp |
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Combination Amplifier: Single unit that includes an amplifier and speaker in a cabinet.
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| Compressor |
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Effect that does not allow a signal to fluctuate beyond a set level or adjustable level.
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| Crate |
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Crate Amplifiers: Manufacturer of low-cost amplifiers.
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| Cutaway |
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Carved out section of the back of a guitar body.
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| Damping |
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Reduce the amplitude of a sound wave by stopping a string from vibrating or by using an insulating material.
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| dB |
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Decibel: Measurement of loudness (sound intensity).
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| Dean |
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Dean Guitars: Musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1976 by Dean Zalinsky. The company is best known for its V-shaped headstocks and its electric guitars.
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| Delay |
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Effect that repeats a signal after a short lag such as an echo or flanger.
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| Distortion |
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Effect that clips, boosts, or compresses an input signal.
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| Dobro |
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Acoustic guitar with a metal resonator that produces and amplifies sound. Many players position the dobro face up on their lap and play it with a slide.
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| Double-Neck Guitar |
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Guitar that has two separate necks attached to the body.
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| Dovetail Joint |
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Fitted joint that holds a guitar neck and body together.
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| Dreadnought |
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Shape of a large body steel-string acoustic guitar that provides good volume and bass sound.
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| Effects Pedal |
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Foot-operated device that processes and modifies an audio signal. Also called a stomp box.
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| Effects Loop |
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Effect that repeats a certain sound effect without interruption.
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| Electric Guitar |
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Steel-string guitar that has a solid, semi-hollow, or hollow body and electronic components, including a pickup. It does not produce a strong sound unless used with an amplifier and is often used in blues, modern country, and rock music.
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| Envelope Filter |
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Filter that controls how sound intensity changes over time.
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| Epiphone |
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Guitar manufacturer purchased by Gibson in the 1950s. Gibson now sells inexpensive guitars under the Epiphone name. They usually have less decoration than Gibson branded guitars and can have less-expensive components.
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| EQ |
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Equalization: Effect that controls the amplitude of an audio signal in relation to signals at other frequencies.
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| ES |
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Electric Spanish: Line of Gibson electric guitars. Gibson first introduced the ES-150, an F-hole archtop guitar with a hexogonal pickup, in 1935. The ES-335 was the first mass-produced semi-hollow body guitar.
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| ESP |
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Electric Sound Products: Guitar company founded by Hisatake Shibuya in 1975. It was originally a chain of music stores that began making custom guitars in 1985. The company is still known for its custom guitars and for its metal guitars. ESP also describes the company's line of quality guitars assembled by craftsmen.
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| Fender |
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Fender Musical Instruments Corporation: Guitar and amplifier manufacturing company founded by Leo Fender in the 1940s. It makes several well-known guitars including the Precision Bass, Telecaster, and Stratocaster.
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| Fingerpick |
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Type of pick that clips onto the end of a finger or thumb. Players often use more than one so they can pick several strings at once.
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| Flanger |
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Sound effect that splits a signal into more than one part. It takes a louder frequency and slowly moves pitch slightly up and down.
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| Flatwound Strings |
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String made up of a flat ribbon wire wrapped around another core wire. They don't sound as bright as roundwound strings, but they do maintain a constant tone.
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| FlightCase |
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Reinforced and airtight metal instrument case.
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| Frequency |
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Number of cycles a sound waveform occurs per second.
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| Frequency Response |
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How sensitive a device is to various frequencies.
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| Fret |
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Metal strips embedded in the fretboard that indicate the position of notes. Typically, every 12 frets represents 1 octave. Also called a position marker.
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| Front Loaded |
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Speaker design that has a speaker mounted in the front of a cabinet.
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| Fuzz |
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Effect that further emphasizes distortion, harmonics, and sustain.
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| Gain |
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Increase of audio signal strength measured in dB.
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| Gauge |
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Measurement of the thickness of a string. It measures diameter in fractions of an inch.
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| Gibson |
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Gibson Guitar Corporation: Guitar manufacturer that makes the Gibson Les Paul guitar as well as ES and SG guitars. Orville Gibson founded the company under the name Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co, Ltd. in 1902.
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| Gibson Les Paul |
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Solid-body electric guitar, first introduced by Gibson in 1952, that has an archtop and single cutaway. It was designed and endorsed by popular jazz guitarist Les Paul who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
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| Gig Bag |
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Lightweight padded nylon guitar case.
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| GoBo |
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Go Between: Barrier that absorbs sound to reduce bleed.
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| Gretsch |
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Musical instrument manufacturer known for hollow-body guitars such as the White Falcon. The company was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch.
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| Guild |
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Guitar company founded in 1952 and purchased by Fender in 1995. The company is known for its high-quality, affordable guitars.
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| Guitar |
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Stringed instrument that has a fairly flat body and a neck. It is played with fingers or a pick and typically has 6 strings. Standard bass guitars have 4 strings.
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| Guitarron |
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Large guitar used in mariachi music. It's 6 strings are tuned to A, D, G, C, E, and A and are usually plucked in pairs.
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| Hamer |
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Guitar manufacturer founded in 1974 and owned by Kamen Music Corp. The company is known for its electric guitars.
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| Hardshell Case |
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Plastic or plywood instrument case offering more protection than softshell guitar cases and gig bags.
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| Hardtail |
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Guitar that does not have a tremolo system.
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| Harmony |
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The Harmony Company: Manufacturer of stringed instruments, founded by Wilhelm Schultz in 1892. The company is known for manufacturing budget guitars geared toward students, including its Sovereign and Stratotone. From 2000 to 2002 MBT International marketed guitars under the Harmony name.
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| Hawaiian Guitar |
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Rectangular guitar composed of a neck with a bridge. Players hold it in their lap, use a slide to change pitch, and pluck strings. It is often used in Hawaiian, country, and bluegrass music. Also called a lap steel guitar.
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| Headroom |
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Ability to handle multiple intense signals without distortion.
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| Humbucker |
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Pair of single-coil pickups wired together in opposite directions to cancel electronic hum.
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| Hydrocote |
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Type of water-based finish.
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| Hz |
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Hertz: Measurement of frequency equaling 1 cycle per second.
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| Ibanez |
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Distributor that first made its name making copies of name brand guitars. The company now manufactures a wide range of guitars, amplifiers, and accessories.
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| Impedance |
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Opposition or resistance to electrical current.
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| Inlay |
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Material or design set into the wood of a guitar.
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| Integral Headstock |
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Neck and heastock made of one large piece of wood. It has a tilt-back design.
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| Intonation Screws |
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Screw that moves a saddle to adjust string length.
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| Ironwood |
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Hard wood used for fretboards. When used as a tonewood it has a similar tone to Brazilian rosewood.
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| Jumbo Guitar |
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Shape of a large guitar with a sturdy rounded body and a tighter waist than a dreadnought.
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| kHz |
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Kilohertz: Measurement of frequency equaling 1,000 Hz.
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| Koa |
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Hawaiian tonewood with good midrange sound. It has a red color and is used for bass guitars and the tops, sides, and backs of some guitars.
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| Kustom |
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Kustom Amplification: Subsidiary of Hanser Holdings Incorporated that specialized in amplifiers.
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| Lap Steel Guitar |
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Rectangular guitar composed of a neck with a bridge. Players hold it in their lap, use a slide to change pitch, and pluck strings. It is often used in Hawaiian, country, and bluegrass music. Also called a Hawaiian guitar.
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| Lawsuit Ibanez |
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Ibanez guitar from the early 1970s that copied Gibson's headstock design. Ibanez redesigned the headstock in 1976.
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| Line Input |
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Input designed to take a level signal from an amplifier.
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| Lowpass Filter |
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Filter that stops signals above a certain frequency and allows signals with lower frequency to pass.
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| LTD |
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Line of mass-produced ESP guitars put together on an assembly line.
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| Luthier |
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Person who makes stringed musical instruments.
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| Machine Heads |
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Pegs on a headstock that wind a string to adjust tension. On a standard six-string guitar they can come in a single row or in two rows of three. Also called tuning keys.
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| Mahogany |
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Hard tonewood that has a warm tone. It is often used for necks, backs, and sides. It is sometimes used for tops.
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| Maple |
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Tonewood with a light color and bright sound.
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| Marshall Amplifiers |
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British manufacturer of tube amps famous for its Marshall stack. The company, founded by Jim Marshall, began marketing its first amp in 1962.
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| Martin |
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C.F. Martin & Company: Manufacturer of quality guitars founded in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. The company is known for establishing the 14-fret guitar standard, its dreadnought design, and affordable 1 Series acoustic guitars.
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| Mesa Boogie |
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Amplifier manufacturer founded by Randall Smith. The company released its first amp in 1970 and its products are known for their good gain and clean "California" sound. Popular series include the Mark, Rectifier, and Nomad.
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| MIDI |
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Musical Instrument Digital Interface: System used to transmit signals from an electronic instrument to a synthesizer or computer.
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| Modeling Amp |
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Programmable amplifier, often with built-in effects, that uses digital processors to simulate the sound of a tube amp.
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| Mother of Pearl |
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Iridescent inner layer of a mollusk shell used for inlays.
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| Multi-Effects Processor |
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Effects pedal (stomp box) that can process a signal and create more than one sound effect.
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| Neck Through Body |
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Neck that runs the length of the body of a solid body or semi-solid body guitar.
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| Noise Gate |
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Device that controls volume and reduces unwanted amplifier noise.
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| NOS |
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New, Old Stock: New guitar no longer available from the manufacturer.
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| Nut |
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Grooved strip, typically made of plastic, located where the fretboard and headstock of a guitar meet. It holds strings in place and helps determine action.
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| Octaver |
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Sound effect that lowers tone one octave.
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| Ovation |
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Ovation Guitar Company: Manufacturer of Ovation and Kamen guitars. Ovation guitars have a synthetic bowl that makes up their back and sides, a pre-amp, EQ, and piezo pickups. Some also have a composite top or several offset sound holes.
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| Overdriven |
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Process of turning up an electric amplifier past its maximum output so that distortion is clearly heard in the output signal.
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| PAF |
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Patent Applied For: Indication that a manufacturer has applied for a patent. in the 1950s and 1960s Gibson applied PAF stickers to its humbuckers and the term is now used to generically describe a Gibson humbucker.
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| Parlor Guitar |
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Small guitar with a 12-fret neck that became popular during the turn of the 20th century.
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| Paul Reed Smith Guitars |
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Manufacturer of high-end guitars. The company was founded by luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985. Also called PRS or PRS Guitars.
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| Peavey |
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Peavey Electronics Corporation: Manufacturer of audio equipment founded by Hartley Peavey in 1965. It is well-known for its 6505 amplifiers (formerly called the 5150), best-selling CS amps, and Wolfgang series electric guitars.
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| Phase Cancellation |
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Cancellation of one signal by another signal with equal amplitude and opposite polarity. Also called bucking.
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| Phaser |
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Time-based effect similar to a flanger that makes sound waves seem to swirl.
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| Pick |
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Triangular piece of plastic, metal, or bone held between a guitar player's thumb and finger used to strum or pluck guitar strings. Also called a plectrum.
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| Pickguard |
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Protective layer mounted to the body of a guitar to prevent damage that can result from using a pick. It is elevated on guitars with a carved top.
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| Pickup |
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Device that detects vibrations from a string and converts them to an electronic signal that an amplifier can use.
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| Pitch |
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How high or low a note sounds determined by the frequency of a sound wave.
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| Pitch Pipe |
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Pipe that helps a musician tune an instrument. It sounds at a particular pitch.
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| Plectrum |
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Triangular piece of plastic held between a guitar player's thumb and finger used to strum or pluck guitar strings. Also called a pick.
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| Poplar |
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Tonewood with a close grain, gray or green color, and full sound. It is usually used for guitar bodies that have an opaque finish.
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| Position Marker |
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Metal strips embedded in the fretboard that indicate the position of notes. Typically, every 12 frets represents 1 octave. Also called a fret.
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| Post Gain |
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Feature that raises the strength of an equalized audio signal.
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| Potentiometer |
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Adjustable electrical resistor that controls how much current flows through a circuit. Also called a pot.
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| Preamp |
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Preamplifier: Amplifier that boosts weak signals so they can be used by other equipment.
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| Presence Booster |
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Effect that emphasizes high-frequency sound.
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| Quilting |
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Wood grain pattern that looks like patchwork.
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| Rackmount |
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Cabinet that can mount multiple speakers and amplifiers.
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| Resonance Filter |
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Effect that emphasizes a narrow band of frequencies.
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| Resonating Chamber |
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Hole in the top of a guitar that projects sound from the back and sides of the body toward a listener. Also called a sound hole.
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| Resonator |
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Circular speaker-like device, usually chrome, that some players fit into the body of a guitar to increase volume.
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| Resonator Guitar |
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Guitar that has one or more speaker cones to amplify sound. For example, the Dobro.
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| Reverb |
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Echo effect that mimics the natural ambient sound of a room.
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| Roundwound Strings |
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String made up of a round wire wrapped around another core wire. They provide a bright sound, but may also accentuate squeaks.
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| Saddle |
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Part of the bridge that supports the strings. It determines string height and how far apart strings sit. Acoustic guitars typically have one saddle while electric guitars usually have a saddle to support each string.
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| Scale |
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Graduated series of notes ordered according to pitch.
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| Selector Switch |
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Switch that determines which pickups are connected to an amplifier.
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| Set-In Neck |
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Guitar neck that is glued to the body.
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| Silverface |
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Line of amplifiers produced by Fender after its blackface models. Some have a silver-colored control panel with blue lettering and others have a "blackface" look. Models manufactured after mid-1968 have a silverface circuit, which many guitarists find less desirable than a blackface circuit.
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| Single-Coil Pickup |
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Pickup that has one coil wrapped around a magnet.
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| Slide |
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Bar a guitar player can move up and down the fretboard to uniformly change pitch.
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| Softshell Case |
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Lined instrument case made of chipboard, a hard material made from wood chips.
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| Solid Body Guitar |
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Guitar made of a single slab of wood. It does not have a soundboard.
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| Solid State Amp |
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Amplifier that uses a transistor as its main device for boosting an audio signal.
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| Sound Hole |
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Hole in the top of a guitar that projects sound from the back and sides of the body toward a listener. Also called a resonating chamber.
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| Speaker Cabinet |
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Enclosure that houses a loudspeaker.
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| Spliced Headstock |
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Headstock glued to the end of the neck . It has a tilt-back design.
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| Squier |
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Off-brand to Fender that produces budget guitars.
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| Stomp Box |
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Foot-operated device that processes and modifies an audio signal. Also called an effects pedal.
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| Strap Button |
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Small piece of metal or wood installed on the end of a guitar that secures a strap.
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| Strings |
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Small metal or nylon cords stretched between the tuning keys and bridge of a guitar.
• Nylon: Produces a mellow sound and are easier on the fingers than steel strings. They are used on acoustic guitars to play classical, jazz, and folk music.
• Steel: Produces a crisp sound that is used in rock, country, blues, and folk music. They come in different gauges and are used on acoustic and electric guitars.
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| String Winder |
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Plastic crank with a notch that hooks onto a tuning key. It allows a user to quickly wind guitar strings.
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| Swamp Ash |
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Low-cost tonewood with good resonance and a bright tone. The wood is creamy in color, often has a swirled pattern, and looks good with a clear finish.
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| Tailpiece |
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Strip of metal or plastic that anchors strings beyond the bridge.
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| Takamine |
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Japanese manufacturer of acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars founded by Mass Hirade. The company is known for affordable guitars with good sound, its SoundChoice preamp system, and pickups.
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| Talk Box |
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Effect pedal that feeds a guitar signal into a plastic tube held in a player's mouth. The sound is picked up by the player's mic. Some pedals have a microphone that can feed the guitar signal into an amp.
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| Taylor |
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Guitar manufacturer founded by Bob Taylor in 1974. They company is known for using quality tonewood, its 3/4-size Baby, and PS (Precision Series) guitars.
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| Telecaster |
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First mass-produced solid-body Spanish electric guitar. Fender's single-pickup production model named Esquire was released in 1950. A two pickup model originally called Broadcaster was released in 1951.
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| Thin-Line |
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Guitar with a thin body.
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| Thumb Pick |
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Pick mounted on a metal or plastic ring.
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| Tiger Stripes |
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Wood grain pattern that looks like the stripes of a tiger.
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| Toggle Switch |
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Switch on a guitar that allows a player to select different pickups. Switching up selects the front pickup, switching down selects the back pickup, and centering the switch selects the middle pickup or both front and back pickups.
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| Tone |
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Sound with a particular pitch and vibration.
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| Tonewood |
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Wood that makes up the body of an instrument.
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| Transistor |
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Device used in a circuit that amplifies an audio signal.
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| Tremolo |
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Rapid repetition of a single note or two alternating notes.
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| Truss Rod |
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Metal rod that reinforces a guitar's neck. It can usually be reached through the sound hole or through a cover in the headstock.
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| Tube Amp |
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Amplifier that uses a vacuum tube as its main device for boosting an audio signal.
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| Tuning Keys |
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Pegs on a headstock that wind a string to adjust tension. On a standard six-string guitar they can come in a single row or in two rows of three. Also called tuning pegs or machine heads.
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| Vibrato |
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Pulsating effect created by slight rapid variations in pitch.
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| Vox |
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Vox Amplification: Manufacturer of guitar amplifiers and effects pedals.The company was founded by Tom Jennings and released its first amp, the Vox AC15, in 1958 under the Jennings Musical Instruments company name. It later became famous for Vox electronic organs and the Vox AC30 amplifier.
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| Wah-Wah |
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Wavering sound effect used by many musicians, including Jimi Hendrix.
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| Waist |
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Most narrow part of a guitar's body from top to bottom.
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| Washburn |
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Guitar manufacturer founded in 1833. It was the first guitar manufacturer to use artist endorsements. The first guitar it was known for was an acoustic guitar with a large body. Washburn is now known for its solid-body electric guitars and acoustic-electric guitars.
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| Wenge |
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Dark brown wood sometimes used for fretboards.
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| Zebrawood |
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Heavy wood with light and dark brown stripes that look like zebra stripes. It produces sound similar to walnut and is often used as a laminate top.
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