When you're familiar with the different parts of your electric guitar, you're better prepared to take care of any issues and get a great sound out of your instrument. To help give you a better understanding of your electric guitar, we've broken down the different parts of this instrument and the other things you might need or want to get your best sound.

Components of an Electric Guitar

There are a few main parts of an electric guitar that also have other smaller components within themselves. These are the main parts of an electric guitar:

• Head: The head is at the end of the neck. The neck contains the tuners, the truss adjustment and the string retainers. Each string has a specific pitch. To get each string in pitch, you turn the tuners until it's the right note. The truss adjustment helps keep the strings from buzzing on the neck. The string retainers keep the right amount of tension on the strings and keep them in place. However, you won't find string retainers on all electric guitars.
• Neck: The neck is the long, slender piece of the electric guitar. Like the head, it has several smaller parts. The nut is right at the head of the guitar and holds the strings in place. The frets on the neck of the guitar are the small pieces of metal that are intermittently placed down the entire neck. Some of the frets have fret markers, which are usually small dots or other shapes that help the guitarist tell where they are on the neck.
• Body: The body is the biggest part of the guitar. There's the pickguard, which protects the body from getting scratched by your guitar pick. The pickups sense the vibrations from the strings and translate those vibrations into the sounds you hear from the amp. You change how the sound is picked up using the pickup selector. The bridge is the part that connects the strings to the body of the guitar. Finally, the volume and tone controls let you make adjustments to those settings, the input jack is where you connect your cable.

Even if you don't play the electric guitar yourself, you know that these parts aren't the only important pieces of an electric guitar. Unlike the acoustic guitar, you need (or should have) other pieces of equipment and accessories to get the most out of this instrument.

Other Equipment

You can play an electric guitar acoustically, but you could have just gotten an acoustic guitar if you wanted to do that. To get its distinct sound, you need a few other things. To get the most out of your electric guitar, here are some other items that you'll need:

• Amplifier: There are two types of amplifiers — combo and head and cabinet. Both types have all of the same components, but the combo amp has all those components in one piece of equipment instead of two. Like we mentioned earlier, the pickups on your guitar catch the vibrations from the strings. Those vibrations then move to the amplifier, where they are translated into music.
• Cables: This piece is simple. You need cables to connect your guitar and amplifier together, as well as any effects pedals you're using.
• Effects pedals: From distortion to delay, there are all kinds of different pedals you can use that add unique effects to your sound. When you start using them, you can really get creative.
• Accessories: There are some basic accessories that you can use. Straps, cases and extra strings are very helpful.

If you're looking for a new electric guitar or equipment and accessories for one, we've got you covered. Our extensive inventory of Jackson Electric Guitars has everything you'll need from a top brand. For amazing deals and excellent customer service, visit us online or at one of our two convenient locations near San Francisco, CA.