Guitar Parts & Accessories

Guitar Parts and Accessories

Like all musical instruments, guitars show the effects of use. Strings, frets, headstocks, and bodies are all important parts that should be maintained. Fortunately, you can find guitar parts, like pickguards and tuners, from quality brands that will allow you to replace guitar components to keep your guitar playing well.

The vibration of the string produces the pleasing sounds that people enjoy when they listen to guitar music. Some of that sound depends upon physical properties of the string such as the material it's crafted from or its gauge thickness. When it comes to replacing these vibrating elements, many parts are available.

• Acoustic strings: Acoustic vibrating elements are typically made from nylon although some specialty instruments have vibrating elements made from steel. A steel string can be coated with a Teflon-like polymer, which makes it less susceptible to breakage. Vibrating elements made from various bronze alloys are also available. Bronze strings are manufactured from an alloy that's 80% copper and 20% tin. Vibrating elements resist corrosion better than standard steel ones.
• Electric guitar strings: Electric guitar strings are commonly made from stainless steel, nickel-plated stainless steel, or a nickel alloy. Stainless steel gives that bright sound that many people associate with classic rock music. Nickel and nickel-plated vibrating elements generally have a warmer sound that's more closely linked to blues and jazz riffs. Since nickel is a softer metal than steel, vibrating elements made from this metal may be easier on your frets.

Frets are those thin pieces of metal on your guitar's neck that allow you to create chords when you play your instrument. Refretting your guitar with fret wire may give your instrument a new lease on life, but many players prefer to install a new fretboard by replacing the entire guitar neck instead.

The bridge is the component toward the bottom of a guitar's body into which the instrument's strings are initially threaded before they're are pulled up the neck and attached to the tuning pegs. Guitar bridges are sometimes called tailpieces. Replacement bridges are available as stops, trapeze models, vibrato models, and wrap-around tailpieces. When replacing a bridge, it should be glued on to your guitar's body.

Replacement pegs for guitars are available in an assortment of materials. You'll need to know the precise dimensions of the tuning peg you're replacing so that your new tuners will fit.

If you play an electric guitar, accessories like equalizers, effect pedals, and pick-ups may be able to help you come up with some wonderful variations on the notes you play.