Labeling the Parts of a Bass Guitar

All 13 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 7 main parts 7

Body The solid wooden body that holds the pickups, bridge and controls.
Headstock The end of the neck that holds the tuners.
Tuners (machine heads) Geared keys that tighten or loosen each string.
Fretboard The strip on the neck where the player presses the strings.
Pickups Magnets and coils that turn the strings' vibration into a signal.
Bridge Anchors the strings to the body.
Neck The long wooden piece joining the body to the headstock.

From the front 5

Frets Metal strips that mark each note along the fretboard.
Saddles Set each string's height and length at the bridge.
Pickguard A plate that protects the body's finish from scratches.
Control knobs (volume and tone) Turn the volume and tone of the pickups.
Output jack The socket for the cable to the amplifier.

From the side 1

Truss rod A steel rod inside the neck, tightened to keep it straight.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) Wikipedia, Electric guitar (labelled parts list), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_guitar : headstock, machine heads (tuners), truss rod cover, frets, fretboard, neck, body, pickups, bridge, saddles, pickguard, volume and tone control knobs, output connector (output jack); Machine head, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_head ; Truss rod, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truss_rod ; Guitar, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar ; Bass guitar, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_guitar (like an electric guitar, with a longer neck and scale length, typically four strings). (2) KLOS Guitars, The parts of a bass guitar: a complete anatomy guide, https://klosguitars.com/blogs/stories/the-parts-of-a-bass-guitar-a-complete-anatomy-guide : headstock and tuners (machine heads), nut, truss rod, fretboard (fingerboard), frets, neck, body, pickups, bridge and saddles, volume and tone controls, output jack, pickguard. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

Labeling the parts of a bass guitar takes two drawings. The upper one shows the bass from the front, with eleven numbers. The lower one shows it from the side, the neck cut open, for the last two.

Read the full guide

Bass guitar word bank

From A to Z, for the board: body, bridge, control knobs, fretboard, frets, headstock, neck, output jack, pickguard, pickups, saddles, truss rod, tuners.

Numbers that sit close together

Where the strings end on the body, 6 is the metal plate (bridge) and 8 a small block on that plate (saddles). 9 is the flat plate on the body (pickguard), 5 a block under the strings (pickups). Below them, 10 is a round knob (control knobs) and 11 the socket beside it (output jack). On the neck, 4 is the long strip (fretboard) and 7 a thin line across it (frets). From the side, 12 is the wood (neck) and 13 the rod inside it (truss rod).

When marking, tuning pegs or machine heads is right on line 3, fingerboard on line 4 and scratchplate on line 9.
For a first lesson, pick the 7 main parts under Start from: body to neck.
The nut and the four strings are drawn and have no number on this sheet.

Questions and answers

How many strings does a bass guitar have?

Most commonly four, and four are drawn on this sheet. Five-, six- and seven-string bass guitars are also built.

Do all bass guitars have frets?

No. Most models have frets, which make it easier to play in tune, and fretless bass guitars have been sold since 1966. On a fretless bass, line 7 of this sheet would have nothing to point at.

Does a bass guitar need an amplifier?

Yes. An electric bass is a quiet instrument on its own. Its pickups, 5 on this sheet, turn the strings' vibration into a signal, and a cable from the output jack, 11, carries it to the amplifier.

What is the difference between a bass guitar and an electric guitar?

A bass has the lowest pitch in the guitar family. It is built like an electric guitar with a longer neck, and all thirteen names on this sheet are used on an electric guitar too.