Made famous by Leo Fender, bolt-on necks are attached to the body by wooden screws or bolts. Set (or glued-in) necks, found on Gibson Les Paul, are methodically cut, matched and mounted on the body with dove-tail joints for stability. Though, in solid body electrics, necks extend through the length of the guitar. It is hard, strong, and stable with a bright tone.Ī neck is usually found set-in or bolt-on to the body. Most electric guitar necks are made of Maple. The tonewood used in the neck is an important factor while choosing an electric.
They are known for producing highly resonant, bright warm tones making it ideal to play jazz in an intimate gig setting.Īs the part that a player most engages with, neck matters! It’s the long piece of wood connected to the body that houses the fretboard, frets, nut, tuners, and truss rod. They are incredibly versatile and work well with any genre be it blues, folk, jazz, country, or even rock.Ī totally hollow electric does not have the tone block like a semi-hollow. These guitars have a solid tone block that runs down the length of the body. Semi-hollows are also known as semi-acoustics and offer players the best of both worlds– acoustic and electric experience. All four iconic electric shapes- Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster and Gibson’s Les Paul and SG are solid-body instruments. They have excellent sustain and resistance to feedback compared to the other two body types. Solid-body electrics, as the name suggests, are made from solid wood and don’t have a resonating soundboard to amplify string vibrations. While most acoustics have hollow bodies with a soundhole, electric guitars are crafted in solid, semi-hollow, and hollow types. The body of an electric guitar anchors the neck and is home to the bridge assembly and all the electronics parts including pickups and control. So, let’s dive in and get familiar with the largest parts of an electric guitar. Is it a solid body, hollow or semi-hollow? A stratocaster, telecaster, Les Paul or SG? What is the neck profile, and how is it attached to the body? Simply put, the body and neck of an electric guitar have a lot riding on it particularly the way it affects the tone, visual appeal, and feel.
The body is perhaps the first thing one looks at before buying an electric guitar.