THE ELECTRIC GUITAR For reference purposes, the parts of the electric guitar are labelled below (just in case you don't already know them). Of course not every design will correspond exactly to the following picture, but they will be similar. 7 aa Bridge Pickups Tuning Pegs (Tuning Machines) Fine Tuners TLL Losknut Volume >> Vibrato Bar, Tone knob poy Whammy Ba, tc. knob (Pot) Pickup Selectors ‘The parts of the electric guitar ‘When a string is stretched tight, it vibrates ata certain pitch. If the string is shortened, the pitch goes up. Likewise, notes (orpitches) may be played on the guitar by striking any open string. Higher notes, may be played on a string by “fretting” it—that is, holding the string down firmly against the fretboard and thereby pressing it against one of the metal frets. This shortens the length of the string that can vibrate, so the pitch goes up. The higher you fret (press) on the neck, the more the effective length of the string is shortened, and the higher the pitch goes, Underneath the strings on the body of the guitar you'll find the “pickups.” They contain magnets, because when metal strings vibrate in a magnetic field, electrical impulses are created, transferris the acoustical energy (vibration) into electrical energy. The impulses travel from the guitar, through any “effects” devices, and then to an amplifier where the signal is amplified. Finally itis converted back to acoustical energy (sound) by the speakers. Basio setup See “Getting the Sound,” page 45, for more information on amps, guitars, and effects pedals.