Strap Button Placement

jedzep

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I guess...

My old featherweight 0/00 sized 30's Gibsons are definitely head heavy. I'm very tender with them and wouldn't lean or rest my weight causing neck stress, but I could see my kid or hard strumming friends doing so. I'll watch that more closely. I've never kept a dread around long enough to check that balance situation out, but I see how they are heavier at the bottom.

Never had the tie come anywhere near my fingers, though, at least with the banjo loop in that link.

OK, everyone with the neck heel button on their acoustic, on the count of three let go of their guitar. 1-2-3. How many dropped? Yukyuk...
 

adorshki

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OK, everyone with the neck heel button on their acoustic, on the count of three let go of their guitar. 1-2-3. How many dropped? Yukyuk...
And that's the original reason I realized the bottom side of the heel was the best place for it.
:friendly_wink:
 
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This is the installation diagram I received from Guild in October 2021. I installed on the F-55 in this location slightly closer than halfway toward the front of the guitar. It feels really nice and fits neatly into the Palm of your hand rather than pressing into the flesh of the palm when playing all the way up the neck. The only disadvantage is that when the guitar is hanging on the wall the button is slightly peaking out because of the shape of the neck which is different from most builders. I did buy Gotoh gold strap button so the metal matches the color of the tuners.
 

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SFIV1967

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It's not true that only acoustics with pickups shipped with strap button from NH. Initially New Hartford shipped the acoustics without electronics with the button mounted at the body on the upper bass side and there was a supporting piece of wood glued in from the inside. (I had no better inside picture than this Tacoma picture on the right)

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You also can see this on the piuctures on the Guild webpage of the New Hartford models:

Or here is an example summary:

Ralf
 

Charlie Bernstein

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Best idea: The placement on the guitars in posts 2 and 3 is correct. Don't put it anywhere else.

Bad idea: Centered, as in post 13, works but isn't quite as secure.

Worst idea: Placed at the bottom of the heel or on the back of the guitar near the heel will have poor balance and, worse, will stress the guitar when it's in its case. And if the case gets dropped on its back, the stress could be enough to damage the guitar.
 

Charlie Bernstein

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PS -

I'd get a strap button, too. Be aware, though, that if the guitar has no other modifications or repairs, then adding the button will reduce its resale value somewhat. (Probably not a lot, but somewhat.)

So only do it if you don't mind losing a few bucks if you ever decide to sell it.
 

adorshki

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Best idea: The placement on the guitars in posts 2 and 3 is correct. Don't put it anywhere else.

Bad idea: Centered, as in post 13, works but isn't quite as secure.

Worst idea: Placed at the bottom of the heel or on the back of the guitar near the heel will have poor balance and, worse, will stress the guitar when it's in its case. And if the case gets dropped on its back, the stress could be enough to damage the guitar.
And yet they used both those locations in '70's & '80's Westerlys, much to my surprise when i found out some of those buttons were factory installed..
 

Charlie Bernstein

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And yet they used both those locations in '70's & '80's Westerlys, much to my surprise when i found out some of those buttons were factory installed..
It might have been a question of style. Think of all the senseless things car designers have stuck us with.

You don't know whether people will buy something until you try selling it. There's an old marketing saying: People are funny!
 
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Copying a reply i made on another post. I think this is where Charlie is recommending placement.

….Here is photo of installation on my 2019 F-55 based on instructions from Guild. I like the weight distribution and feel on neck. The only thing that bugs my slightly is you can see it from the front of the guitar, however more importantly it feels right when I am playing the guitar
 

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SFIV1967

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And yet they used both those locations in '70's & '80's Westerlys, much to my surprise when i found out some of those buttons were factory installed..
Do you have a picture/example? I don't remember Guild acoustics with factory buttons there, only the Starfires:

1638147492918.png

Ralf
 

adorshki

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Do you have a picture/example? I don't remember Guild acoustics with factory buttons there, only the Starfires:

1638147492918.png

Ralf
Sorry sir, even if I was saving pics they'd have been lost on the work 'puter. But about 99% certain it was an '80's D50 and others before that (in both locations, but not the side of the heel). I remarked I didn't believe the button was factory installed and Hans corrected me.

That one might have been installed on the "flat" of the heel, though.

And truthfully I wasn't thinking of the electrics but your Starfire example may well be one of the images I'm remembering, but not that it was an electric. Occurs to me that location may work better ergonomically on the SF's thin body, and/or maybe the neckheels are a little too thin?
My FS4612CE has the factory button there Ralf.
Ah, but isn't that one of the "Faux Soundhole" bodies? How deep is it? Maybe they figured they should locate the strap button like an electric?
 

SFIV1967

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My FS4612CE has the factory button there Ralf.
Ah, but isn't that one of the "Faux Soundhole" bodies? How deep is it? Maybe they figured they should locate the strap button like an electric?
Right, but the FS-46 body is basically a solidbody (1.5" deep) and with the two control knobs there wasn't a lot of different options.

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Ralf
 
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