The body of the guitar is the wide, bulky part of its anatomy. If you are sitting down, it is the part of the guitar that will rest on your thigh. This is where the sound hole can be found on acoustic guitars; on electric guitars, it is where the pickups can be found.

Some electric guitars have an extra top added to the body to blend the tonal qualities of different types of wood together. Maple with figuring is a popular top and produces a pronounced look and tone (adds brightness). Body tops are not used on acoustics since the layering of two pieces of wood for the table would inhibit the resonance and dull the tone.

Sound hole and pickups

The sound hole is, as the name implies, the hole in the acoustic guitar. The pickups, on the other hand, are the rectangular objects that protrude from the body of an electric guitar beneath the strings. Both pickups and sound holes serve the same function; they make the sound derived from plucking the string louder and richer.

Bridge

The bridge of the guitar is where the strings connect with the body of the guitar. There are several different types of bridges depending on the type of guitar you have. Acoustic and electric guitars have different types of bridges and different brands or models of guitars often have different types of bridges to suite specific purpose. Don’t worry about this for now! They all perform the same basic function.