Here are a few definitions of terms for the beginner and some clarifications for everybody else!
18:1 tuner—a tuning peg that allows fine tuning by providing eighteen turns of the peg for one full rotation of the string post.
Buzz Feiten Tuning System—a tempered tuning method that uses an modified nut and saddle to avoid the intonation problems stemming from the standard Western tuning formula. It is available on select Washburn guitars and basses, as indicated in each relevant instrument’s description.
Coil Tapping—a setup that allows humbucker pickups to electromagnetically simulate the sound of single-coil pickups.
Humbucker Pickups—essentially these are two single-coil pickups joined together with identical strands of wire, but at opposite polarities. This cuts out the tendency for hum and also changes the amplified sound to one with a slightly more mellow tone.
Single-Coil Pickups—the original magnetic pickup configuration, still used on many guitars. It consists of a magnet wrapped in fine copper wire. The single-coil pickups have a distinctive sound favored by many Rock and Blues musicians. They can also have a tendency to add a certain hum to the amplified string sound. Many manufacturers have taken some length in design to all but eliminate such extraneous sounds.
Nut—a slender piece of bone, ceramic, plastic or wood inserted at the end of the neck just before the headstock. The nut has a series of grooves to accommodate each string, keep it in place and help the string to maintain the ideal distance from the fingerboard and frets.
Bridge—a crosspiece of metal or wood placed towards the bottom of the instrument to help maintain action and intonation.
Tailpiece—the last resting place at the bottom of a guitar or bass. It anchors the strings and helps in creating good action and maintaining intonation.
Floyd Rose Tremolo System—a tremolo set up that features a nut that locks the strings in place at the top of the neck and also a set of locking string holders at the tailpiece. This enables the player to use the tremolo extensively without the tendency to go out of tune that one can encounter with some standard systems.
Piezo Pickup—an alternate pickup configuration from the standard magnetic type. They have a different sound and higher output than magnetics, but must also have an onboard amplifier. They are used in most electro-acoustic instruments and can also be combined with magnetic pickups for a variety of sounds.
Piezo Tailpiece Pickup—a piezo pickup installed in the tailpiece of the guitar
Fingerboard—the playing surface of the neck between each fret.
Frets—the metal bars that extend across the fingerboard of the neck in precise locations to create the various notes available to the player. They can vary in thickness when comparing various models. Modern electric instruments may feature thicker frets for Rock and Blues specialized guitars, but this is not always the case.
Electro-Acoustic or Acoustic-Electric—an acoustic instrument that also has been provided with an electronic pickup—usually a piezo with onboard amplifier.
Locking tuners—tuners that lock each string in place before tuning to avoid slippage and tuning shifts during play.
Active versus passive pickups—active pickups result in low output and require an onboard preamp and battery power source. They ultimately give higher output than passive pickups but can alter the original tone of the instrument. They are often found on high-end bass guitars and other electrics that provide this pickup as one of several for tonal variety. Active pickups almost invariable have an on/off capability.
Tailpiece Pins—wooden, ivory, or plastic pegs used to anchor strings to the tailpiece on acoustic instruments
String Through—a system that brings the end of each string across the tailpiece and through the bottom of the instrument. This helps with an instrument’s sustain, among other things.
Buzz Feiten Tuning System—a tempered tuning method that uses an modified nut and saddle to avoid the intonation problems stemming from the standard Western tuning formula. It is available on select Washburn guitars and basses, as indicated in each relevant instrument’s description.
Coil Tapping—a setup that allows humbucker pickups to electromagnetically simulate the sound of single-coil pickups.
Humbucker Pickups—essentially these are two single-coil pickups joined together with identical strands of wire, but at opposite polarities. This cuts out the tendency for hum and also changes the amplified sound to one with a slightly more mellow tone.
Single-Coil Pickups—the original magnetic pickup configuration, still used on many guitars. It consists of a magnet wrapped in fine copper wire. The single-coil pickups have a distinctive sound favored by many Rock and Blues musicians. They can also have a tendency to add a certain hum to the amplified string sound. Many manufacturers have taken some length in design to all but eliminate such extraneous sounds.
Nut—a slender piece of bone, ceramic, plastic or wood inserted at the end of the neck just before the headstock. The nut has a series of grooves to accommodate each string, keep it in place and help the string to maintain the ideal distance from the fingerboard and frets.
Bridge—a crosspiece of metal or wood placed towards the bottom of the instrument to help maintain action and intonation.
Tailpiece—the last resting place at the bottom of a guitar or bass. It anchors the strings and helps in creating good action and maintaining intonation.
Floyd Rose Tremolo System—a tremolo set up that features a nut that locks the strings in place at the top of the neck and also a set of locking string holders at the tailpiece. This enables the player to use the tremolo extensively without the tendency to go out of tune that one can encounter with some standard systems.
Piezo Pickup—an alternate pickup configuration from the standard magnetic type. They have a different sound and higher output than magnetics, but must also have an onboard amplifier. They are used in most electro-acoustic instruments and can also be combined with magnetic pickups for a variety of sounds.
Piezo Tailpiece Pickup—a piezo pickup installed in the tailpiece of the guitar
Fingerboard—the playing surface of the neck between each fret.
Frets—the metal bars that extend across the fingerboard of the neck in precise locations to create the various notes available to the player. They can vary in thickness when comparing various models. Modern electric instruments may feature thicker frets for Rock and Blues specialized guitars, but this is not always the case.
Electro-Acoustic or Acoustic-Electric—an acoustic instrument that also has been provided with an electronic pickup—usually a piezo with onboard amplifier.
Locking tuners—tuners that lock each string in place before tuning to avoid slippage and tuning shifts during play.
Active versus passive pickups—active pickups result in low output and require an onboard preamp and battery power source. They ultimately give higher output than passive pickups but can alter the original tone of the instrument. They are often found on high-end bass guitars and other electrics that provide this pickup as one of several for tonal variety. Active pickups almost invariable have an on/off capability.
Tailpiece Pins—wooden, ivory, or plastic pegs used to anchor strings to the tailpiece on acoustic instruments
String Through—a system that brings the end of each string across the tailpiece and through the bottom of the instrument. This helps with an instrument’s sustain, among other things.
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