Strap button at heel or use headstock loop......

[F30]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has hesitated drilling into their Guild acoustic to install a strap button.....
I can always use the headstock attachment.

 

[Wilmywood]

I prefer the headstock loop primarily for positioning, the guitar ends up closer to where it does when it is played seated. I had my G37 drilled and a button installed when it was new but used the loop as I didn't like the position..

 

[F30]

This is good to know. I should try tape at the heel and compare to the headstock loop.

 

[davismanLV]

I prefer the headstock loop primarily for positioning, the guitar ends up closer to where it does when it is played seated. I had my G37 drilled and a button installed when it was new but used the loop as I didn't like the position..

What he ^^^ said. Maple Guild doesn't have one. DV-72 does have one (first owner installed it). Taylor and Breedlove both came with. None on the Washburn. But I play sitting, and when I did play standing, the headstock loop helps to shift the guitar to the right so it's more centered and more like when I'm sitting. How does it feel when you use a headstock loop? If it's good you probably won't like the position with a strap button on the heel of the neck.

 

[guitarslinger]

So…, not much love for an upper bout placement?

 

[Wilmywood]

So…, not much love for an upper bout placement?

Not from me, don't care for it at all, upper bout, neck heel, no.

 

[davismanLV]

So…, not much love for an upper bout placement?

What are you using now?

 

[Christopher Cozad]

...But I play sitting...

I always smile when I learn something from someone, especially when it is something so simple, so obvious... and it never even crossed my mind, before...

Like you, I play seated. In fact, I (nearly) always performed seated. I dabbled with a strap in the early years, but found it a hindrance, not a help. I went strapless for 12 or 15 years (scary, I know). But it was easier to swap guitars onto and off of my lap and, evidently, I thought that was important at the time.

One transformational evening decades ago I saw Pierre Bensusan in concert (an unforgettable performance, by the way). He walked out onto the stage, took a seat in a chair, lifted his guitar from the stand and placed it onto his lap, and carefully wrapped the guitar strap around his lower back - no shoulders involved! He used the strap button at the neck heel. I slapped my forehead in a Duh! moment. (Hint: try this with an adjustable strap, first, as you need to really shorten the overall length compared to what is required to travel up and over the shoulders.) You will come up with your own technique for getting the strap where you need it before or after you sit down. It is impressively comfortable to play, this way.

My next (related) Duh! moment came many years later when a luthier mentor first showed me one his guitars. Immediately apparent was the position of the strap button, itself. It was not located on the heel. It was on the side of the guitar next to the heel, perfectly out of the way of the player's hand should he venture into the upper realms of higher-pitched musicality. Brilliant! I went forth and did likewise. See position # 3:



It is perfectly feasible to modify an existing guitar with such a strap button placement. You should not simply screw a strap button into the side of the guitar, however, as it would likely simply pull right out under any load. It will be necessary to anchor that screw into a small block of wood (added to the inside of the guitar - species of your choice). The block of wood need be only deep enough to support the screw. Width and length are at your discretion. I have a drawer full of (pre-made) blocks from Spanish Cedar and/or Mahogany that measure 7/8" deep x 2" tall x 1-1/2" wide that I use. I would suggest taking the time to properly locate your target button placement and glue the small block in place, first. Depending on placement, it may be necessary to shape the glue surface of the block to follow the start of the shallow curve of the guitar side (in order to fit snugly up against the wall of the side). Once the block is glued into place, you can pre-drill a hole and confidently attach your strap button of choice.



FAQ - Acoustic Guitar Strap Button Modification

Question: Will this affect the tone of my guitar?
Answer: I wish! I'd be wealthy.

Question: Do I have to play while seated to benefit from this Strap Button Modification?
Answer: No. The relocation of the strap button immediately benefits both seated and standing positions.

Question: Will this modification devalue my instrument?
Answer: If you purchased a guitar as an investment piece, just playing it will devalue it. This modification is for performers, or anyone wishing for a more comfortable strapped-on guitar experience.

Question: Will my car start easier, the neighbor's dog stop barking, the cat stop urinating in the flower bed directly beneath my open kitchen window, the children start speaking respectfully, food taste better, and I make more money?
Answer: No, but it may inspire you to write a hit song.

 

[F30]

For now I'm using my lap and last performance we both sat on bar stools and it worked out find.
Just looking over the my 2 Guild guitars that do not have the installation of strap buttons and the beautiful attention to detail inside and out, I may just leave well enough alone and continue to use a bar stool and if needed use a strap with headstock loop.
I certainly have nothing against anyone using strap buttons on their Acoustics -where ever they choose to install- but I've been giving this a lot of thought lately and decided to not drill for one.

 

[walrus]

Position #5 for me. I play standing up all the time.

walrus

 

[guitarslinger]

I use a Schaller strap lock on a Guild D50 in position #3 as shown above. I play mostly electric and mostly fat Guild and Gretsch guitars. I Guess that’s why that placement always seemed right to me.

 

[JavelinaJoe]

I'm partial to #5 but #3 is good too. My F-47M came with a choice. The previous owner added the one at #4.

 

[GGJaguar]

Position #5 for me. Hmmm, that sounds rather personal.

 

[Maguchi]

Upper bout or neck heel. Tying it at the headstock was gone after the 1950s-'60s folk boom, at least in modern performance in front of larger audiences. Don't see it in modern pics or vids of current well known players any more.

 

[Wilmywood]

Upper bout or neck heel. Tying it at the headstock was gone after the 1950s-'60s folk boom, at least in modern performance in front of larger audiences. Don't see it in modern pics or vids of current well known players any more.

I must disagree. If the headstock tie is good enough for Neil, it's good enough for me.

 

[chazmo]

Hey, @Maguchi , did you (or someone) remove a chunk of the side to put that block in for the strap button? Or was it built that way. I'm guessing this was to fix a damaged guitar where someone didn't use a block for the button to begin with, right?

 

[Maguchi]

I must disagree. If the headstock tie is good enough for Neil, it's good enough for me.

Yeah perhaps we can find a few examples here and there after the '50s and '60s. But that's so 1997! Neil is a older dude, so he has some old school practices.

 

[Maguchi]

Hey, @Maguchi , did you (or someone) remove a chunk of the side to put that block in for the strap button? Or was it built that way. I'm guessing this was to fix a damaged guitar where someone didn't use a block for the button to begin with, right?

That's the way the guitar came new from the manufacturer. 1989 Washburn DC-60E Lexington.

 

[tonepoet]

I prefer position #5 on my acoustics, as I find the "headstock loop" method to pull the neck too close to my body. I like to have the neck at about a 45 degree angle from my chest and shoulders. It's all a matter of personal preference and playing style.

 

[AcornHouse]

Tips from StewMac.

Where's the best spot for your strap button? - StewMac

Dan Erlewine raises a simple question that comes up often in any repair shop. Is there a best spot for your strap button?

www.stewmac.com