🚵 A bike without rear suspension 🎸 A guitar with fixed bridge

hardtail

1 7.8

A guitar with a fixed bridge that keeps tuning steady and makes notes ring longer

noun
/ˈhɑrdˌteɪl/

Jargon

: guitarra eléctrica de puente fijo

He replaced his tremolo guitar with a hardtail to get longer sustain on his notes.

Examples

The new model features a hardtail design, making it easier to keep in tune.
The new model features a hardtail bridge, which helps maintain stable tuning even during intense playing.
Many rock guitarists prefer a hardtail for its reliable tuning during performances.
My new hardtail guitar sounds amazing!
He plays a hardtail during our jam sessions.
Many rock guitarists prefer a hardtail for its reliable tuning during performances.
He replaced his tremolo guitar with a hardtail to achieve longer sustain on his notes.

Synonyms

electric guitar

vshardtail

26 2.6

A guitar that makes sound using electricity and needs an amplifier

is a subtype with a fixed bridge that prevents pitch bending and adds sustain

Surface Forms

hardtail singular

hardtails plural

Morphology

hardtail = hard + tail (semi-transparent) = hard + tail

Formally a compound of 'hard' + 'tail', but the specialized guitar meaning (fixed bridge/tailpiece) is technical and may not be obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Hardtail comes from hard- ('stiff') and -tail ('rear part'), meaning a fixed back piece. In guitars this means a bridge that does not move, so the strings stay in tune and the notes sound longer.