3/4-size guitar
A smaller than normal guitar with shorter strings and less space between frets.

Abalone
A highly colorful shell material commonly used on instrument inlays. Abalone inlays come in a rainbow of colors and can appear to change color when viewed from different angles. Sometimes also called "mother of pearl".

Action
A word used to describe the distance of the strings off the fretboard, as in "high" or "low" action.

Active pickup
When pickups are said to be active they incorporate a pre-amp which requires additional power. The result is a boost and/or wider range for the pickup.

AD/DA converters
AD converters convert analog audio signals to digital; DA converters convert digital audio back to analog.

Alnico
Alloy used in the magnets of your pickups. Consists of Aluminum, Nickel and Cobalt.

Altered and open tunings
The result of changing the tuning of one or more strings from standard EADGBE at concert pitch.

Alternate picking
Picking in alternate directions (down-up-down-up).

Ambiance
The acoustics, reverberation and early-reflections in a room. Also the audible sense of a room surrounding a recorded instrument.

Analog
An audio signal is an electrical representation of, i.e., is analogous to, a sound waveform. The signal's voltage fluctuates in the same pattern as the speaker cone that reproduces it.

Archtop
A type of acoustic or semi-acoustic guitar, with an arched soundboard.

Arpeggio
The playing of the notes of a chord separately, rather than simultaneously.

ASCAP
An acronym for the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. ASCAP is one of several performing rights organizations which protect artists' and publishers' performing rights. ASCAP collects, handles and distributes royalties for member composers and publishers whose music has been played or performed publicly.

Attack
The beginning of a note. The first portion of a note's envelope in which a note rises from relative silence to its maximum volume.

Attack time
When using a compressor, the time it takes for gain reduction to occur in response to a musical attack.

Attenuator
In a mixing console, an adjustable resistive network that reduces the microphone signal level to prevent overloading of the input transformer and mic preamplifier.

Augmented
The quality of a chord having its intervals as the 1st, 3rd and sharp 5th notes of the major scale.

Auxiliary send
Also known as 'Effects send' or 'Aux send'. The control on a mixer that determines the level of channel signal sent to a signal processor, such as a reverb or chorus unit.

Bakelite
Early form of plastic used in some guitars from the 30's to the 50's.

Balanced line
A cable (such as a three-pin XLR mic cable) with two conductors surrounded by a shield in which each conductor is at equal impedance to the ground. With respect to ground, the conductors are at equal potential but opposite polarity. The balanced line reduces noise because as the two conductors pick up noise, the opposing polarity ensures the noise is canceled when the inverted signal on one conductor is 'added' to the original signal on the second conductor after the signal reaches the destination.

Barre chord
From the French term barré. The technique of placing the left hand index finger over two to six strings in the fingering of a chord. The great advantage of using barre chords is that they are "moveable shapes" that can be applied at practically any fret.

Bending
The act of pushing or pulling a string sideways across the a fret to raise the pitch of a note by a half to full tone or more. Used extensively in rock and blues playing as well as in jazz. 

Binding
A protective and decorative strip made of wood or plastic that is placed along the outer most edges of the top, back, neck, fingerboard and some times headstock. This is a cap used to seal and protect joints. Sometimes incorrectly referred to as purfling, purfling actually refers to inlays along side of the binding and not the actual binding itself.

Bits per second
Also known as 'bps', it indicates the maximum number of bits of data transferred per second, through a phone line, communication line, or MIDI cable.

Block Markers
Square, rectangular or shark tooth inlays marking fingerboard position.

BMI
An acronym for Broadcast Music International. BMI is one of several performing rights organizations which protect artists' and publishers' performing rights. BMI collects, handles and distributes royalties for member and publishers whose music has been played or performed publicly.

Board
Also known as 'mixing console', a large unit having additional functions such as tone control, equalization, pan pots, channel assigns, monitoring sends, and control of signals sent to external signal processors.

Body
The main portion of the guitar which the controls, bridge and pickups are mounted. The body can be hollow (a hollow body) or solid (a solid body) design.

Bolt On
Normally refers to an instrument that has it's neck attached by bolts rather than being glued in place. Fender was one of the first to use this design. Bolt on is a bit of a misnomer as generally screws rather than bolts are used.

Bookmatched
Generally most acoustic and many archtop guitars have tops and backs that are 2 pieces of wood glued together to form one large panel. Bookmatched refers to the wood coming from the same tree and actually being one piece of wood that has been cut into consecutive slices so the grain in the panels creates mirror image patterns.

Brace
Braces are wooden struts glued inside hollowbody guitars providing strength and affect tone quality. An X brace is a popular brace pattern used in hollowbody guitars. Other bracing patterns include the ladder brace, fan bracing and scalloped braces.

Bridge
The part of the guitar where the strings transmit their vibrations to the soundboard. Sometimes made from wood, plastic or metal.
On a solid body electric guitar they generally fixed and hold the saddle that makes contact with the strings. On archtop guitars the bridge is usually held in place only by the tension of the strings and can be easily moved, also called a "floating bridge". Many bridges are adjustable by thumbwheels incorporated into the bridge. The bridge may sit on top of a bridge base plate or bridgeplate.

Bridge Pickup
In electric guitars this is the pickup that is placed closest to the bridge

Bridge Pins
Bridge Pins anchor the strings into the bridge.

Bullet
Name given to the appearance of the truss-rod adjustor nut on the headstock of some Fender guitars.

Capo
A mechanical barre that attaches to the neck of a guitar by means of a string, spring, elastic or nylon band, or a lever and thumbscrew arrangement. The capo can be used to raise the key of a song to suit a vocalist as well as to lower the action and shorten the string length.

Celluloid
A common plastic material used on guitar pickguards, tuners and binding. This material is not very durable and deteriorates over time therefore many vintage guitars have issues with celluloid parts.

Center Block
A solid wood block running through the body of a semi-acoustic guitar body.

Checking
Used to describe cracking found in lacquer finished guitars. Vintage guitars often have checking in their lacquer finishes. Checking is caused by the guitar's wood expanding and contracting with changes in temperature and humidity. Is important to maintain constant humidity and reasonable range of temperature to prevent checking.

Chops
Ability to play an instrument. To have great chops is to be technically or stylistically profient on a musical instrument.

Chord
A group of scale notes which are played together, the simplest being the triad consisting ot the 1st, 3rd and 5th of the scale.

Chord progression
A sequence of chords played one after another.

Chorus
A special effect in which a single sound source is made to sound like several, through the use of time delay and detuning. Delaying the input by a slowly varying time between 15 and 35 milliseconds and mixing the dry input signal back in, a wavy, multiple-voice effect is achieved. It's also possible to feed a portion of the signal back into the input.

Chromatic Scale
Because the chromatic scale has twelve notes and each fret on the guitar moves up one half-step, every note appears on all six strings somewhere before the twelfth fret. In other words, there is an 'E' on every string, an 'A' on every string, a 'Gb' on every string, etc.

Clean
Free of noise, distortion, overhang, leakage. Not muddy sounding.

Close miking
A recording or sound reinforcement technique whereby the mics are placed close to vocalists and to instruments or amplifier speakers. Close micing yields a great deal of presence and detail for the nearby sound source, while avoiding leakage from more distant sound sources. Most of today's popular music recordings use close micing techniques.

Coils
Wire wrapped around a nonconductive material.

Coil Tap
Switch used to break up a humbucker into single coil sounds or vice versa.

Compensated
Scale lengths or saddles are often compensated (lengthened or shortened) to produce accurate intonation. Compensating a saddle is a technique which alters the strings contact point on the crown of the saddle either fore or aft of it's center thereby changing the scale length of the string.

Compressed
A sound, recorded track, or mix where the dynamics are restricted or narrowed.

Compression
The intentional reduction in dynamic range to increase sustain and/or add punchiness, caused by a the use of a compressor/limiter.

Compression ratio
Also known as 'slope', in a compressor/limiter, the ratio of change in input level (in dB) to the change in output level (in dB). For example, a 4:1 ratio means that for every 4dB change in input level, the output level changes 1dB.

Compressor
A signal processor that reduces dynamic range by using automatic volume control. Also, an amplifier whose gain decreases as the input signal level increases above a pre-set point.

Cutaway
A concave area generally in the upper right bout of a normal right-hand guitar that allows the player easier access to the high frets.

Daisy chain
A term used when a group of modules (such as effects pedals) are interconnected as follows: Module A's output is connected to module B's input; module B's output is connected to module C's input; module C's output is connected to module D's input, etc.

DAT
An acronym for Digital Audio Tape, a proprietary tape format used in DAT recorders. Similar to VHS VCR machines, DAT recorders use a helical scanning process to encode the digital audio. The digital audio is represented by streams of ones and zeros that are encoded onto the digital tape.

DAW
An acronym for Digital Audio Workstation, a stand-alone system of hardware and software which will allow the recording, playback, editing, and storage of digital audio.

dB
Abbreviation for decibel, a unit of measurement of audio level. dB is a logarithmic expression of a ratio comparing two sounds, such as how much louder one sound is than another, or how much quieter the level is at the output of a compressor than at the input.

Decay
The segment of the envelope of a note in which the envelope goes from maximum to some mid-range level. Also, the decline in level of reverberation over time.

De-esser
A signal processor that removes musically excessive sibilant sounds ("sh" and "s" sounds) by compressing the high frequencies around 5-10kHz.

Digital
A circuit, processor, or other device using a binary numeric (1 or 0) system to represent and process information. A digital tape recorder converts the incoming analog audio signal into a stream of ones and zeros that are stored onto the tape. Upon playback, the series of numbers are converted back to a analog signal.

Digital audio
Audio signals converted into binary digits (ones and zeros) onto digital tape, CD-R or a hard drive, readable by a computer.

Digital recording
A recording system in which the audio signal is stored in the form of binary digits.

Digital-to-Analog converter
A circuit or chip that converts a digital audio signal into an analog audio signal.

Diminished
The quality of a chord having its intervals as the 1st, flat 3rd and flat 5th of the major scale.

Direct output
Also known as 'Direct out', an output connector used to feed the signal of an instrument to one track of a tape recorder.

Distant miking
Also known as ambient miking, a microphone placement technique where one or more mics are located at a distance of at least several feet from the speakers or performers. Distant micing allows a greater area to be covered using fewer microphones than close micing. Distant micing will not generally provide the presence and detail possible with close mic placement.

Distortion
An intentional desired, or unintentional unwanted, change in the audio waveform, causing a raspy or edgy sound quality.

Dot Neck
Guitar with simple dot inlays in the neck position markers.

Double stop
The playing of two notes simultaneously.

Dreadnought
Generally associated with C.F. Martin and their biggest and loudest acoustic guitar. Now used my many other brands on large acoustic guitar models.

Dropped-D tuning
The practice of lowering the sixth string (E) by a whole tone, one octave lower than the fourth string.

Dry
A sound or track having little or no audible reverberation or other effects. Lacking spaciousness. Also, a close-sounding signal that has not been processed by a reverb or delay effect.

Dynamic microphone
A type of mike generating electricity when sound waves cause a conductor to vibrate in a stationary magnetic field. Ribbon mikes and moving-coil mikes are two examples of dynamic microphones.

Dynamic range
The difference (usually measured in dB) between the loudest and the softest sounds in a song or track.

Echo
A delayed repetition of a sound or signal, usually at least 50 milliseconds after the original sound.

Editing
To modify, add, or delete sections or parts from a song, track, sample, MIDI track, etc.

Effects
A generic term for the enhancement or modification of sound by the use of signal processors such as delay, echo, chorus, reverberation, pitch shifting, etc.

Electret condenser microphone
A type of condenser mic where the electrostatic field of the capacitor in generated by an electret, a substance which permanently stores an electrostatic charge.

Electro Acoustic
An acoustic guitar with a built in pickup, often a piezo electric pickup.

End block
Acoustic guitars normally have an end block and a neck block at opposite ends of the body. The end block is usually glued to the top, back, and sides at the bottom end of the guitar. Often strap buttons are are anchored into this block as it provides the strength necessary to support a strap.

Equalization
Often abbreviated to 'EQ', the adjustment of specific frequencies (bands) to alter the tonal balance or to remove unwanted frequencies.

Equalizer
A circuit with the ability to change the frequency response of a signal passed through it.

Fader
A linear or sliding volume control, used to adjust audio level.

Fat
A sound which has been slightly distorted by means of analog tape saturation or tube distortion, yielding a warm, full sound. Also, a sound which is spatially diffused, accomplished by panning a signal hard left in the stereo spectrum, then delaying the signal slightly and panning the delayed signal hard right.

Feedback
The return of a portion of the output signal to a device's input. A common source of feedback is sending the output of a guitar amp's speaker into a guitar's pickups, by stepping close to the amp.

F-hole
The F shaped opening in the sound board of some guitars, usually archtops or resonators.

Filter
A circuit that attenuates or removes frequencies from a sound or waveform above or below a certain frequency. Filters can be used to reduce unwanted noise above or below the frequency range of a voice or instrument. One type of filter, a bandpass filter, allows the frequencies within a specified range to pass, while a notch filter inhibits the frequencies in a specified range. Even MIDI data can be filtered, using a MIDI data filter, to remove specified messages (pitch bend, modulation) from the MIDI data stream.

Fingerpicking
Playing guitar with the finger tips rather than flat pick. Finger picks can be used, which fit over the ends of the fingers.

Finish
This refers to the protective coating covering the guitar, often paint or lacquer.

Fixed Bridge
Refers to non-vibrato bridges.

Flame
Sometimes also called Flame Top. Generally refers to Maple with dramatic grain resembling flames.

Flange
An effect in which a delayed signal is varied between 0 and 20 milliseconds of delay and combined with the original signal. The resulting swishing, hollow sound is reminiscent of a jet passing overhead. Usually a variable comb filter is used to produce the flanging effect.

Flat
Lower in pitch.

Flatpick
A triangular or teardrop-shaped piece of nylon or plastic used to pluck or strum guitar strings. Flatpicks are available in a large variety of shapes, sizes, and thickness.

Flatwound strings
Steel strings which use flat ribbon winding rather than round wire for the thicker strings. Preferred by jazz guitarists.

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.

Flutter
A rapid and periodic variation in tape speed.

Frequency
Measured in hertz (Hz), the number of cycles per second of a sound wave or audio signal. A high-frequency sound (example, 12,000 Hz) has a high pitch, and a low-frequency sound (example, 200 Hz) has a low pitch.

Frequency response
The range of frequencies that an audio device will reproduce at an equal level, within a tolerance, such as +/- 2dB.

Fret
The wire inset on fret board; also describes the distance between notes on the fretboard. The guitar player presses down on the string forcing the string to touch the fret changing the sting length and producing different notes. There are a variety of fret wire profiles used for frets.

Fretboard
The fretted surface of the neck where you do the playing, sometimes known as the fingerboard. Note there are also some guitars that are "fretless" but the fingerboard is still used without frets. The fingerboard is generally a separate piece of wood glued to the neck. It's often made of a hard durable wood as the frets must be securely anchored into the fretboard. Vintage guitars often used Brazilian Rosewood and Ebony for fingerboard material.

Fret Buzz
The unwanted noise of the string vibrating against the frets. Can be fixed by increasing string tension or raising the action of your guitar.

Gain
Also known as 'Amplification', the ratio between the input voltage and the output voltage, or between the input power and the output power. Gain is usually expressed in decibels.

Gate
To shut down a signal when its volume falls below a given value. Also a short name for 'Noise gate', a processor used to eliminate noise between notes.

General MIDI
A superset of the MIDI standard that describes sound mappings in MIDI instruments. Music written and sequenced for General MIDI should play back with the same instrument sounds on any General MIDI (GM) sound source.

Glassy
Sound which is too bright and has an unpleasant high frequency response.

Graphic equalizer
Also known as graphic EQ, a type of equalizer with a horizontal row of faders; each fader's position indicates the frequency response or frequency correction of the equalizer within a preset frequency range; viewing all faders gives a graphic representation of the desired frequency response. Graphic equalizers can be used as a special effect or to flatten monitor speaker response for the current listening environment.

Hammer-on
The creation of a new and higher note by hammering down on an already ringing string on a new fret. Opposite of a pull-off.

Hard Tail
Term used to describe an electric guitar without a vibrato bridge, often used to describe some Fender guitars.

Harmonics
Chime-like sounds achieved in two ways: 1) natural harmonics - by touching a string at any equidistant division of the string length (typically 5th, 7th, and 12th fret), directly above the fret with left hand, and striking hard with the right-hand fingers or pick near the bridge where there is more string resistance; or 2) artificial harmonics - touching a string with the index finger of the right hand twelve frets higher than any fretted note and plucking the string with either the thumb or third finger of the right hand.

Headstock
Describes the part of the guitar where the strings attach to the tuners. Also called a peghead. Fender generally uses 6 in-line tuners on the headstock and gibson prefers three on each side of the headstock.

Heel
Portion of neck where the neck curves or is reduced to join the body.

High-pass filter
Also known as a 'Low-cut' filter, a filter that passes frequencies above a given frequency and cuts frequencies below that same frequency.

Hollow Body
An electric guitar body style with a thin body similar to an acoustic guitar.

H-S-S 
A pickup configuration equal to Humbucker, Single coil, Single coil arrangement.

Humbucker
A noise canceling twin coil pickup normally associated with Fender or Gibson.

Improvisation
The art of inventing music on the fly. This is acheived by knowing the structure of music, hearing it and inventing according to the rules.

Inlay
Decorative material that is cut and embedded into the body, neck or headstock of a guitar.

Input
The connection going into an audio device or computer. In a mixing board, a connector for a microphone or other signal source.

Interval
The "distance" between any two notes, usually measured relative to the major scale, as in "thirds" or "fourths", meaning the distance from the tonic to the third or fourth note of the major scale.

Intonation
Refers to the guitars ability to play in tune at various positions along the neck. Often adjusted by adjusting the bridge saddle.

Jackplate
Mounting plate for output jack.

Laminated
The backs, sides and even tops of some instruments can be made from several pieces of wood which have been laminated to form one piece, usually at the determent of it's sound. (Especially if it's the top that's laminated.) A neck can also be made from more than one piece of wood to produce a decorative center stripe.

Lead guitar
The part played by a guitar soloist in a rock band.

Level
The degree of strength of an audio signal measured as power, voltage, or sound pressure level.

Level setting
Adjusting the amount of signal sent to an input channel of a mixer or to the record head of a tape recorder. The amount of signal is usually monitored visually through the use of an LED meter, VU meter, or other indicator.

Limiter
A signal processor whose output is constant when the input signal exceeds a designated level. You can make a compressor into a limiting device by setting the compression ratio to 10:1 or greater, and by setting the threshold just below the distortion point of the device following the compressor in the signal path. Limiting is most useful for preventing damage to hearing (in-ear monitors), or distortion from signal peaks or transients.

Locking Nut
Bolts that lock the strings in place at the nut.

Logo
The manufactures brand name or trademark usually on the headstock.

Low-pass filter
Less commonly known as a 'High-cut filter', a filter that does not alter frequencies below an established frequency and cuts frequencies above that same frequency.

Luthier
A guitar maker and guitar repair expert.  Sometimes incorrectly spelled Luther.

Machine Heads
Also known as tuners or tuning machines. Allows string tension to be changed changing the pitch of the strings.

Major
The quality of a chord having its intervals as the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the major scale.

Master tape
The final mix or completed tape used as the duplication source for CDs and tapes.

MIDI
An acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A method of communication between computers, mixers, musical instruments and accessories consisting of a set of messages that can represent musical performance, mixing movements, or patch data. If a keyboard is hooked to a computer, using MIDI, a computer sequencing program is capable of recording a musical performance.

Minor
The quality of a chord having its intervals as the 1st, flat 3rd and 5th of the major scale

Mixdown
The process of playing pre-recorded tracks (audio or digital) and/or 'virtual' MIDI tracks through a mixing board combining the signals, and sending the result to another tape deck or digital recorder. A typical mixdown is done in stereo.

Mixer
A device that combines and controls the levels of individual audio signals. A MIDI mixer, combines, merges, or filters the data streams of two or more MIDI cables and sends the resulting MIDI stream down another MIDI cable.

Mixing console
Also called a 'Mixing board', a large mixer with additional functions like EQ, panning, effect sends, soloing, muting, trim, etc.

Mode
Another word for scale. The major scale yields 7 modes, one starting and ending on each note.

Monitor
A pair of stereo loudspeakers in a control room or a set of headphones, used to assess sound quality and balance. On stage, a floor mounted loudspeaker with a mix appropriate to the musician in front of the speaker. For example, if a singer wishes to have a monitor mix which is bass-heavy, their monitor can deliver a mono mix which includes boosted bass frequencies.

Mother of Pearl
Type of inlay using a form of shellfish material.

Muddy
Sound which lacks clarity, exhibits a smeared time response, or has weak harmonics. Also used to describe a mix where the individual instruments are overlapping each other's frequency range.

Multitrack
A tape recorder or digital recorder having more than two tape tracks.

NAMM
An acronym for the National Association Of Music Merchants, a not-for-profit association which provides a variety of tangible services to retail and commercial members of the music products industry.

Neck Block
The neck block is found inside of the body at the base of the neck. The Neck block provides a strong point to mount the neck to the body.

Neck Pickup
Refers to the pickup closest to the neck.

Neck Plate
A metal plate used in the Fender style bolt on designs. it is screwed to the neck and the body fastening the neck to the guitar body.

Neck Press
Uses gentle heat and pressure to straighten a neck. Can be tricky and should only be performed by a trained Luthier.

Neck Reset
A neck reset is performed restore the correct angle between the fingerboard bridge which provides the correct action needed to play the guitar.

Noise gate
A device or circuit used to reduce or eliminate noise between notes or musical phrases.

Non-destructive editing
Edits that do not alter primary recordings. Typically these edits, if they are performed on a hard-disk recording system, are stored as new files, allowing for multiple levels of undo.

Normalization
A process that increases the overall level of an audio recording to maximize its output and reduce system noise.

Nut
The small grooved piece of bone or plastic that the strings sit in, between the fretboard and the headstock.

Out-take
An entire recorded performance or a portion of a recorded performance that is to be discarded and not used.

Overdub
To record a new musical part on an unused track while listening to the previously recorded tracks.

P-90
Refers to an early Gibson single coil pickup.

PAF
Refers to a sticker on Gibson pickups.

Passive
Usually describes a guitar that does not use pickups which require power (active pickups).

Peghead
A peghead is where the tuners are mounted, also called a headstock. Vintage guitars often have cracks or repaired headstocks as this will often crack if a guitar falls over.

Pentatonic scale
A five-tone scale used often in rock.

Pickguard
Also called a scratchplate, a thin covering screwed or glued to the top of a guitar to protect the guitar from picks and fingernails. Comes in a variety of colors and styles.

Pickup
The electronic device used to pick up the sound of electric guitar strings. There are many types and configurations. (See: H-S-S)

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.

Pinch Harmonics
Produced by the thumb or finger nail slightly touching the string immediately after it being plucked.

Pitch pipe
Old fashion device used for tuning guitars. Works by tuning to the notes created by blowing into its six tubes.

Plectrum
Official word for guitar pick.

Positions
A reference to placement of the left hand index finger at various frets.

Pot
A Potentiometer mounted to the body of an electric guitar commonly used for control of volume and tone. The tone pot will normally have a capacitor soldered in circuit.

Power chord
A chord consisting of the first (root), fifth and eighth degree (octave) of the scale. Power chords are typically used in playing rock music.

Pre-CBS
Refers to Fender guitars manufactured before the 1965 takeover of Fender by CBS. Vintage collectors prefer pre-CBS guitars.

Pull-off
The creation of a new note by pulling your finger off an already ringing note to a lower fretted or open note. Opposite of a hammer-on.

PUP
Guitar slang for "pickup".  (See: pickup)

Quilted
Describes beautiful undulating pattern found in wood, generally refers to Maple and can also be referred to as "maple quilting" or maple quilted".

Refret
Also called a fret job, refers to re-fretting a guitar.

Release
The final portion of a sound's envelope in which the sound falls from its sustain level back to silence.

Release time
Also known as 'Recovery time', the time it takes for the gain to return to normal from its processed level in a signal processor. Also, pertaining to a synthesizer, the time it takes for the sound to go from its sustained level to silence.

Relief
The upward arching bow in an instrument's neck that allows the strings to move without touching the frets. A bowed or warped neck will have to be heated and pressed to restore the neck to correct relief.

Remix
To do another mixdown with different edits or different mixing parameters.

Resonator
The circular speaker-like device, usually chrome, that fits into the body of some guitars, used to increase volume.

Rhythm guitar
Rhythmic strumming of chord backup for a lead player, singer, or ensemble.

Riff
A common word for a musical motif or phrase, especially popular with guitarists and keyboard players. (Also: riffage)

Root
Sometimes referred to as 'root note' -- Another word for Tonic, or the first note of a scale.

Rosette
The decorative strip or inlay work found around the soundhole on an acoustic guitar.

Rout
A hole or cavity cut into a guitar, often the body of the guitar. Many times a pickup cavity is routed to enable a different pickup to be installed. Routing will diminish the value of a vintage guitar and routing should not be done on a valuable guitar.

Saddle
The upright blade which sits in the bridge, often bone, where the strings sit. On flattop instruments with pin or tie back bridges, the saddle transfers the strings vibration to the bridge. Saddles are generally made from bone/ivory, Micarta, Tusq, Corian and even porcelin.

Scale
A series of intervals, usually spanning an octave. Scales are more often viewed as a series of notes (generated by the intervals).

Scalloped Fretboard
When the fret board has been carved out to create a scoop between frets.

Set Neck
A set neck is a neck that is glued into the body and uses no bolts for attachment. This is normally associated with electric guitars.

Setup
The adjustment of the action of a guitar for optimal playing characteristics.

Sharp
Higher in pitch.

Shock mount
A suspension system that mechanically separates a mic from its stand or boom, preventing the transfer of vibrations.

Shuffle
A rhythm of which each main beat is divided into three smaller beats (prominent in blues music).

Sibilance
In a vocal recording, excessive peaks in the frequency response in the 6-10kHz range, due to an overemphasis of 's' and 'sh' sounds. Sibilance can usually be minimized in a recorded track through the use of a signal processor known as a de-esser.

Signal-to-Noise ratio
The ratio in decibels between an audio signal voltage and noise voltage. A device with a low signal-to-noise ratio is considered noisy, and a device with a high signal-to-noise ratio is considered clean or quiet, with little background noise accompanying the signal.

Single Coil Pickup
An early pickup design with a single coil of wire wrapped around a magnet

Slapback
A repetition of a sound approximately 50 to 200 milliseconds after the original sound is heard.

Slash chord
A chord such as G/B, meaning a G chord with a B bass note.

Slide
A tube which fits on the finger and is used to slide along the strings to pitch notes; also the technique of sliding notes or chord shapes up the fretboard.

Soap Bar
Nickname for a P-90 style pickup that has no mounting ears.

Solid Body
Refers to electric guitars with a solid (non-hollow) body. Includes many Fender and Gibson guitars.

Sound board
The front surface of acoustic guitars. This is where the sound from the strings is amplified via the bridge.

Sound hole
The round hole on the front of most acoustic guitars.

Standard tuning
The guitar is generally tuned EADGBE low to high. Also known as 440 tuning.

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.

Strumming
Performed with a pick or the fingers. Generally consists of brushing across 2-6 strings in a rhythmic up and down fashion appropriate to the tune being played.

Split Coil
A double coil pickup wound with multiple coils that are smaller than a standard 2 coil pickup where each coil works with a few strings. Most commonly one coil is used for the e and a strings and one coil is used for the d and g strings. The Fender Precision bass uses this type of pickup. A split coil generally has a little less hum canceling but better high frequency response.

Stop Tailpiece
Sometimes called a stud tailpiece. Fixed to the top of the guitar and anchors the strings to the top. Holes in the tailpiece allow strings to pass thru the stop tailpiece and over the bridge.

Supercardioid microphone
A unidirectional microphone that attenuates sounds arriving from the sides and rear, with maximum sound rejection occurring at 125 degrees either side off-axis.

Sustain
Length of time a string vibrates. It can also mean the ability of a sound to continue without decaying noticeably.

Sus4
A chord consisting of the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of the major scale. The (4) in effect replaces the (3). This chord demands resolution.

Tablature
A pictorial system of notation for guitar music, showing six strings and fret positions.

Tail piece
The metal device usually used on archtop guitars to anchor the strings beyond the bridge.

Tempo
The speed of a piece of music.

Thinline
Term used to describe hollow body electric guitars, first used with the Gibson Byrdland guitar. Also used by Fender and others.

Threshold
In a compressor or limiter, the input level above which compression or limiting takes place. Therefore the level of the audio must be above the threshold setting, or no effect is heard. In an expander or gate, the input level below which expansion or gating occurs.

Through Neck
A through neck design uses a neck that actually runs right through the center of the body.

Thumb pick
A plastic pick which fits around the thumb and projects a blade out to act as a pick.

Time signature
A sign at the beginning of a piece of music (looks like a fraction) which shows how many beats in each bar (top number) and how long each beat lasts (bottom number).

Tonic
The tonic; the first note of a scale; the main note of a chord, the note the chord is named after. Also known as "the root".

Transcription
To write a solo, note for note, off of a recording.

Transpose
To change the key of a piece of music by a specific interval.

Trapeze Tailpiece
This tailpiece design has a hinge like mechanism on it and has a shape similar to a swinging trapeze.

Tremolo
Another term used for Vibrato or Tremolo Arm

Triad
The simplest, smallest chord there is, consisting of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale.

Truss rod
A steel rod which fits inside the neck of some guitars. The truss rod helps to stiffen the neck and prevent bowing caused by the tension caused by the strings. Can be adjusted (in most guitars) to change the relief of the neck.

Truss Rod Cover
A decorative cover that covers up the access point for adjusting the truss rod.

Thumbwheel
A small wheel used on adjustable bridges (those usually found on archtop guitars or mandolins) to adjust the bridges height. The top portion of an adjustable bridge rest upon these flat wheels and as they are screwed upward on their post the top portion of the bridge is raised.

Tune-o-matic bridge
This bridge is commonly found on Les Paul style electric guitars. It sits on two thumbwheels and has six saddles which allow individual intonation adjustment for each string. Tuner
An electronic device used to tune guitars.

Tuning pegs
The geared devices on the headstock used to tighten or loosen the strings.

Unbalanced line
An audio cable having one conductor surrounded by a shield that carries the return signal. The main disadvantage of an unbalanced line as compared to a balanced line is the potential for ground loops and hum, which balanced lines avoid.

Unidirectional microphone
A microphone that is most sensitive from sounds arriving in one (uni-) direction. Some examples of unidirectional mics include hypercardioid, supercardioid and cardioid

Veneer
Refers to thin wood or plastic laminate used in the construction of some guitars.

Vibrato
To vibrate by slightly altering a pitch higher and lower.

Volute
A piece of wood installed just behind the peghead. It strengthens the neck where the headstock begins.

Vox
Slang for "vocals".

Whammy Bar
Used to stretch the strings on a tremolo or vibrato system.

WAV
A short name for Wave Files, a Microsoft Windows file format for digital audio data.

Windscreen
Also known as a pop filter, a screen placed between a microphone and a vocalist that attenuates or filters out pop or wind disturbances before they strike the microphone diaphragm. Usually windscreens are made of silk or open-cell plastic.

Zero Fret
A Zero fret is an additional fret which sits exactly where the nut should sit. The strings lie directly on this fret and it (not the nut) determines the height of the strings from the fingerboard in the first position. Models equipped with a zero fret still use a conventional nut but it's sole purpose is to control string spacing, not height.

Sources:
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/glossary.html#O
http://www.melbay.com/guitarglossary.asp
http://www.rocknrollvintage.com/guitar-repair-term-glossary.htm
http://mediawebsource.com/guitar/glossary.htm
http://www.guitar9.com/glossary.html
http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/glossary.htm
http://www.gapplegate.com/guitarglossary.html
http://www.guitarlessoninsider.com/guitar-terms-glossary.html