 A
guitar's frets,
fretboard,
tuners,
headstock,
and truss
rod, all attached to a long wooden
extension, collectively comprise its
neck. The wood used to make
the fretboard
will usually differ from the wood in
the rest of the neck. The bending stress
on the neck is considerable, particularly
when heavier gauge strings
are used (see Strings),
and the ability of the neck to resist
bending (see Truss
rod) is important to the guitar's
ability to hold a constant pitch during
tuning or when strings
are fretted.
The rigidity of the neck with respect
to the body
of the guitar
is one determinant of a good instrument
versus a poor one. Conversely, the ability
to change the pitch of the note slightly
by deliberately bending the neck forcibly
with the fretting arm is a technique
sometimes used, particularly in the
blues genre and those derived from it,
such as rock and roll. The shape of
the neck can also vary, from a gentle
"C" curve to a more pronounced
"V" curve.
|