The basic shape: body, neck, and headstock

A guitar has three main sections that you can spot when ready. The body is the large, hollow or solid part that produces sound — it's usually wider at the middle and narrower at the top and bottom. The neck is the long, thin piece that extends from the body and holds the strings. The headstock is the flat piece at the very end of the neck, where the strings attach and where you turn the tuning pegs to change the pitch.

Most acoustic and electric guitars have a similar overall silhouette, though the body shape and size vary widely. The neck is always narrower than the body and runs perpendicular to it. If you're looking at a guitar head-on, you'll see the body taking up most of the space, with the neck running down the middle like a spine.

Key Takeaways

  • A guitar body can be curved like a figure-eight (acoustic) or flat and angular (electric), but both produce sound when strings vibrate.
  • The neck has thin metal strips called frets running across it, which you press down to change the note each string plays.
  • The headstock at the end of the neck holds tuning pegs that tighten or loosen the strings.
  • The sound hole on acoustic guitars is a large circular opening on the front of the body; electric guitars have no hole and rely on electronic pickups instead.
  • Strings run from the headstock down the entire length of the neck and body to the bridge, which anchors them at the bottom.

Acoustic guitar body: curved and hollow

An acoustic guitar has a large, hollow wooden body shaped roughly like a figure-eight or an hourglass. The front and back are curved, and the sides wrap around to create depth. The wood is usually light tan, honey-colored, or dark brown. You'll see a large circular hole in the center of the front face — this is the sound hole, and it lets the vibration of the strings escape so you hear the sound clearly.

The body of an acoustic is thick enough to hold air inside, which is what makes the sound resonate and carry. The neck connects to the body at the point where the figure-eight shape narrows. Acoustic bodies come in different sizes — full-size, three-quarter, and smaller — but they all follow this basic hollow, curved design.

Electric guitar body: solid and angular

An electric guitar body is usually thinner and flatter than an acoustic, and the shape is often more angular or geometric. Common shapes include the Stratocaster (curved and pointed), the Telecaster (slab-like and straightforward), and the Les Paul (rounded and thick). Electric bodies are usually solid wood, not hollow, because they don't need to resonate air to produce sound — they use electronic pickups instead.

Electric guitars often have a cutaway, which is a notch carved into the upper part of the body. This cutaway makes it easier to reach the higher frets on the neck. The body is usually painted or stained in bright colors, natural wood tones, or patterns. You won't see a sound hole on an electric guitar because the sound comes from pickups and an amplifier, not from air resonating inside the body.

The neck and frets

The neck is a long, narrow piece of wood that extends from the body. Running across the neck are thin metal strips called frets, spaced evenly from the headstock down toward the body. These frets divide the neck into sections, and each section represents a different musical note. When you press a string down against a fret, you shorten the vibrating length of the string and change the pitch.

Between the frets is a flat or slightly curved surface called the fingerboard or fretboard. This is where your fingers go when you play. The fingerboard is usually darker wood than the rest of the neck — often rosewood or ebony. You'll see dots or blocks inlaid into the fingerboard at certain frets (usually the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, and 15th) to help you navigate by feel and sight.

The headstock and tuning pegs

At the end of the neck is the headstock, a flat piece of wood that sticks out perpendicular to the neck. The headstock holds the tuning pegs (also called tuning machines or tuners), which are small mechanical devices with knobs or handles. Each string wraps around a tuning peg, and turning the peg tightens or loosens the string to raise or lower its pitch.

Most guitars have six tuning pegs, one for each string. On acoustic and many electric guitars, the pegs stick out from the sides of the headstock. The headstock also has a small notch or groove at the very top called the nut, which guides the strings from the headstock down the neck. The nut is usually made of bone, plastic, or synthetic material.

Strings, bridge, and pickups

Six metal strings run the full length of the guitar, from the tuning pegs on the headstock, down the neck, and to the bridge at the bottom of the body. The bridge is a piece of wood or metal that anchors the strings at the body end and holds them at the right height above the fretboard. On acoustic guitars, the bridge is glued to the top of the body. On electric guitars, the bridge is often a separate piece that can be adjusted.

Electric guitars have pickups — small magnetic devices mounted under the strings on the body. Pickups sense the vibration of the strings and send that signal to an amplifier. You'll see pickups as rectangular or oval shapes on the body, usually black or silver, positioned between the neck and the bridge. Acoustic guitars have no pickups because they don't need them.

Controls and jacks

Electric guitars have knobs and switches on the body that control volume and tone. You'll typically see two or three knobs (for volume and tone) and a three-way switch that selects which pickup is active. These controls are mounted on the body near the bridge or along the side. Acoustic guitars have no controls on the body itself.

Electric guitars also have a jack (a small circular opening) where you plug in a cable to connect to an amplifier. This jack is usually on the side or bottom edge of the body. Acoustic guitars have no jack unless they have a built-in pickup system for amplification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do acoustic and electric guitars look so different?

Acoustic guitars are hollow to let sound resonate naturally, so they need a large body and a sound hole. Electric guitars are solid because they use pickups and amplifiers to make sound, so they can be thinner and lighter. The shape difference comes from how each type produces and projects sound.

What are the dots on the fretboard for?

The dots (called inlays) mark specific frets to help you find your place on the neck without looking. They're usually at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, and 15th frets. The 12th fret is often marked with two dots because it's the midpoint of the string and an important reference point.

Can you tell if a guitar is expensive just by looking at it?

Not always. Expensive guitars often have better wood, finer details, and smoother finishes, but a beginner can't always spot the difference. What matters more is how it plays and sounds, which you discover by holding and playing it, not by looking at it.

Why do some guitars have a cutaway?

A cutaway is a notch carved into the upper body that makes it easier to reach the higher frets near the headstock. It's mostly found on electric guitars and some acoustic guitars designed for lead playing. Guitars without cutaways are simpler to build and often cheaper.

What's the difference between the nut and the bridge?

The nut is a small groove at the top of the headstock where strings pass before going down the neck. The bridge is at the bottom of the body where strings anchor. Both guide the strings and affect how the guitar sounds, but they do different jobs.