What is a guitar neck ridge?

A ridge on a guitar neck is an elevated or raised area on the neck of the instrument. It is usually located along the center of the neck, parallel to the strings, and runs the entire length of the fretboard. The ridge is meant to provide tactile guidance to the player's fingers, helping them identify and accurately position their fingers on the correct frets when playing notes or chords.

Depending on the type and design of the guitar, the neck ridge may be made from a separate piece of wood that is glued onto the neck, or it may be carved directly into the neck itself. The ridge is usually rounded and smooth to facilitate comfortable finger movement along the neck.

The presence of a neck ridge is more commonly found on classical guitars, particularly flamenco guitars, where it is referred to as a "cejilla" (literally meaning "little bridge") or "traste 0" ("zero fret"). In addition to providing position reference for the fingers, the neck ridge on flamenco guitars also serves to enhance the characteristic "buzzing" or "growling" sound that is distinctive to flamenco guitar playing.

While a neck ridge is not as common on electric and acoustic steel-string guitars, some models may still incorporate a subtle neck ridge or ridge-like feature for added playability and comfort.