Bass Guitar Parts
The bass guitar is a very popular instrument that belongs in every band. The bass is a lot like the guitar, with the same parts. However, the bass guitar has a different purpose and as such the parts are specific for the bass guitar. Furthermore, it’s important to know how to perform proper maintenance on these parts. When replacement is necessary it’s also important to know what to take into account.
The Body
The body is the large piece of wood on which the pickups and knobs are installed. This is usually a solid piece of wood, but sometimes it’s hollow. The shape of the body indicates what kind of bass guitar it is. The most popular shapes are the Jazz Bass, the Precision Bass, the Fusion Bass, and the Violin Bass. Fender invented the Jazz and
Precision Bass and still makes the most popular of them. Hofner produces the most popular Violin Basses. The tonewood of the body has a slight influence on the sound. More information about this can be found in our article about tonewoods.
The Neck
The neck is quite clearly the long thin piece of wood with which you hold onto the bass. It’s important that the wood of the neck is really sturdy, as the strings put a lot of pressure on the neck and the neck shouldn’t bend. Due to this, only a few woods are sturdy enough to be used for the neck. It’s also important that the neck is comfortable because it’s constantly in your hand. As such, the neck is usually sanded pretty well and it sometimes contains a thin layer of gloss. Some musicians prefer this layer of glass, but some find it too sticky and prefer the feel of wood.
The Fretboard
The fretboard is a thin piece of wood that lies atop of the neck. Between the fretboard and the neck is the truss rod, with which the neck can be adjusted. The fretboard also has to be really sturdy. The fretboard contains frets which indicate where the notes are. Most bass guitars have between 21 and 24 frets. However, there are fretless basses for ambitious bassists. In regard to the fretboard there are also only a few tonewoods that are suitable. These woods are elaborated upon in our article about tonewoods.
The headstock
The headstock is at the end of the bass. The headstock is usually shaped in noticeable ways, which indicates of which brand the bass is. The headstock contains the tuners with which the strings are attached at the end and with which the strings can be tuned. Furthermore, the headstock leans back a little, so the strings can be pulled taut over the fretboard. The headstock can be symmetrical, when the tuners are on both sides, or asymmetrical, when the tuners are on one side.
The Bridge
The bridge is located at the end of the body. It’s a metal plate with which the strings are connected to this end. The bridge contains saddles, which is the part the strings rest on, and the bit at the end where the strings are connected. This can be done with holes through the body or with the bit at the end. The saddles can also be a separate piece of the bridge, which means it consists of two pieces. However, sometimes it’s just one part. The bridge is very important for the sturdiness of the strings and the sound.
The Pickups
The pickups are the most important part of a bass, because it produces the sound. A bass usually has one or two pickups. The pickups are usually either single coils or humbuckers. Pickups catch the vibration of the strings and transform them into electric pulses. These pulses are passed on to the amplifier which turns them into sound. With basses it’s sometimes the case that a single pickup is separated into two parts to increase the tonal range.
The knobs and the switch
The pickups are adjusted with the knobs and the switch that are usually located underneath the bridge. The switch chooses the pickup configuration, which means which pickups are used simultaneously and which are turned off. The knobs consist of volume and tone knobs. Sometimes there are multiple, so two volume knobs and two tone knobs, and sometimes just one volume knob and one tone knob.
The strapholders
The strapholders are little knobs at the bottom and tops of the body. On these knobs a guitar strap can be attached. These knobs have a funnel shape so the strap will stay on properly.
The Output
The output (often mistakenly called input) is the hole in the bottom of the body where the cable can be attached to the bass.
