Ever wonder what those long lists of specifications mean, or why you should care? This page will hopefully help you understand them a little better. 

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Neck:

Neck Material:

The material of the neck is typically some type of wood. Most commonly maple or mahogany. It can have an important impact on the sound of your instrument. Many of our models use maple for its brightness and note clarity. 

Neck Profile:

The neck profile describes the shape of the back of the neck. Since you spend a lot of time touching it, it has a HUGE impact on the feel of the guitar. Our ergo-asymmetric neck profile is a C - D shape that changes as you move up the neck for maximum ergonomic comfort. 

We found this great article that goes into more detail about neck material and profile. 

Fretboard Material:

Since you spend all your time touching it, this is another important factor in both the look and feel of your guitar. We tend to use a more eco-friendly composite material called richlite for our fretboards. This article has some conventional wisdom about fretboard types. 

Fingerboard Radius:

Although it may look flat, the surface of your fretboard actually has a gentle curve to it. The fingerboard radius describes how curved the surface is. A larger radius feels flatter than a smaller radius. Smaller radii typically feel more comfortable for playing chords, while soloing usually works best on a larger radius. Most of our guitars use what's called a compound radius that gets more flat as you move to the higher frets, therefore, giving a compromise between the two. You can learn more here.

Scale Length:

The scale length describes the length of the string as it vibrates on the guitar. This affects string tension and the distance between the frets. This article goes into full detail about scale length. 

Nut:

The two main things to consider about a guitar nut are the width and the material of the nut. Width affects the distance between the strings at the top of the neck, while the material will affect the tone and tuning stability of your guitar. ​

Frets:

Frets come in many sizes and materials. The size affects the feel and playability while the material affects the durability of the frets. We use stainless steel for maximum durability. You can learn more here and here. 

Inlays:

The inlays are markers down the fretboard of your guitar. They help you keep track of where you are as you move down the neck and play. They can also add a nice visual aesthetic. 

Tuners:

The tuning keys allow you to adjust the tuning of your guitar and they can affect tuning stability. Learn all about the different types of tuning keys.​

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Body:
Body:

Often referred to as tonewood, the body of the guitar is an important characteristic in the way that it sounds as well as the weight of the instrument. We've found another lovely article for you to explore if you want to learn more. 

Top:

Some guitars are made out of two different types of wood, one stacked on top of the other. The most common example is a mahogany body with a maple top. Top thickness can vary from paper-thin (called a veneer used solely for aesthetic reasons) to up to 3/4 of an inch thick or more. Thick tops are sometimes referred to as a "cap." When a thick cap is used it typically impacts the tone. On some of our guitars, we've added a maple cap for extra brightness and a veneer for aesthetics. 

Binding:

Binding is an aesthetic term that describes an outline around the body, neck, or headstock of the guitar. Sometimes it is another material attached to the guitar or a different shade of paint. 

Bridge:

There are many types of guitar bridges. The two main types are fixed bridges and tremolo bridges. Fixed bridges do not move while tremolo bridges have a whammy bar that the player can use to alter the pitch of the notes. Learn more about guitar bridges.​

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Construction:

Construction describes how the neck is attached to the body of the guitar. There are three main types: set-neck, bolt-on, and set-through. Learn all about the different types of construction here. ​

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Electronics:
Pickups: 

Pickups are electromagnetic devices that convert the energy from the vibrating strings into an electrical signal that your amplifier makes louder and turns into sound. Pickups are a major component to the tone of the guitar, so there are many types and models of pickups. The world of guitar pickups is a deep rabbit hole, get started here.

Controls: 

The control layout is the rest of the electronics on the guitar. Controls include volume, tone, and switches. Volume controls the amount of signal (loudness) you're sending to your amplifier. The tone controls the amount of brightness, or treble, in your signal. Turing the tone down makes a darker sound with less treble. There are many types of switches. The most common is the pickup selector which allows you to choose the pickup or pickups that are generating your sound. Some other switches can split humbucker pickups effectively turning them into single-coil pickups. Push-pull switches are built into the knobs of the guitar and can be activated by pulling up on the volume or tone knob of the guitar.