THE HEAD (A.K.A. HEADSTOCK)

The head, or headstock, is at the end of the neck of the guitar.

It is the part of the guitar where the strings are attached—with the other end attached to the bridge (on the body of the guitar).

Attached to the headstock is the nut, tuning pegs and tuning posts, all which help the strings stay aligned and in tension.

The Nut

The small skinny piece of bone, plastic or metal, where the neck ends and the headstock begins.

The nut has slots in it that hold the strings into place.

When plucked, a string vibrates along its length from the nut (on the headstock) to the saddle (on the bridge) of the instrument.

Tuning Posts

The six posts which are used to attach the six strings to the headstock.

The tuning posts are typically made of metal and can either be lined up on one side or with three posts on each side of the headstock.

The tuning posts are used to fasten the strings onto the head (headstock) of the guitar.

Tuning Pegs

The part of the tuning post that rotates, so you can tighten or loosen the tension of the string by twisting the peg.

Tuning pegs allow you to change a string’s tension, which alters the pitch of the string when it is plucked or strummed.