Strap button on an acoustic..

[photoweborama]

I want to put a strap button on my acoustic, but I'm not sure where to mount it. Taylors have then on the bottom side of the neck heel.

Any thoughts on this?

[Kap'n]

I like having the strap at the neck, but I know I'm in the minority.

If your guitar has a bolt-on neck, it's important to know where the bolts are before you drill.

[NeoFauve]

You might not want to do that to a "collectable" acoustic.

On my Alvarez, it's drilled right through the ivioroid plastic "triangle" on the heel.
On my Yairi, I put it on the back, to the right of the seam.
It's screwed into the neck block. A good solid location.
For whatever reason, I didn't want to drill into the decorative maple piece on the heel.

http://www.aplusguitars.com/new_pa8.jpg

[photoweborama]

My last acoustic, I put it on the triangle of the heel.

I just don't want to mess it up. It's a fantastic playing and sounding guitar. Super low action, great lows and highs. It's one in a million.

It's such a collectible guitar too... I'd hate to break it..

My wife gave it to me... Some guy put it in a box on his driveway with a sign on it that said "FREE".

I cleaned it up, put strings on it, re-cut the nut and it ended up being such a great guitar, I sold my higher end Yamaha acoustic and bought my wife a new Retro style bicycle from a fancy bike store down the street, CASH!

I think I'm going to put it on the heel again... It just makes sense..

[Kap'n]

The one issue with putting a button on the heel cap is that the strap has to twist 90 degrees to be seated. So there's a natural tendency of the strap to want to undo itself. Depending on how stretched out the hole is in the strap...

Most guitars I've seen that have factory attached strap buttons have them on the downward slope of the neck heel.

[Don]

I'm going through this decision myself right now.

I've played the same accoustic guitar since 1979 and have used a strap around the headstock and naver cared for ir. Now I'm jamming with some guys again and want to play my accoustic without sitting down.

I just don't want to drill a hole and decide that I don't like the balance and then have to drill another one.

I think I'm going for the downward slope of the heel like Kap'n suggested and my friend's Taylor.

[NeoFauve]

I used oversized strap buttons.
It's not an issue for me at all now, but In five years of acoustic giging I never dropped it.

Now, when I play standing, I add a big rubber washer over the strap.

Some would argue the slope is bad because you lose upper fret access. I just don't think many people go up there. Maybe Leo Kotke does.

[photoweborama]

Well, I've heard that one the slope where Taylor puts them, they are precisely located so it does not weaken the heel.

If this is the case, what is the formula for the location?

[NeoFauve]

Well, I've heard that one the slope where Taylor puts them, they are precisely located so it does not weaken the heel.

If this is the case, what is the formula for the location?

An engineer and a CNC machine probably know.
If you really wanted to do it their way, you could just eyeball it on a Taylor at GC.

[Kap'n]

Well, I've heard that one the slope where Taylor puts them, they are precisely located so it does not weaken the heel.

If this is the case, what is the formula for the location?

Don't hit the bolt that holds the neck on.

[photoweborama]

I don't think it has one. I think it is a regular set neck...
If you do it like a Taylor, do they have a tendency to flip forward?

Maybe I'll just sit down.....

[NeoFauve]

Most acoustic have a tendency to tip, and tilt towrd the neck. Unless it's something hefty, like Guild jumbo, maybe.
But while your playing, your arm is draped over the body, and VOILA!- it's balanced.
Tilting and tipping are non-issues while you're playing, IMO.

I encourage tipping ME while I'm playing, but that's another thread.

[photoweborama]

I'm back to the heel idea. I had it in my other acoustic that way it it never came out. I think it is the safest way for me to DIY...

[frank thomson]

i always put it on the lower side of the heel of the neck...NOT THE BACK (like an SG), kinda *under* the neck so the strap is holding up the neck.
i've done it to a few so far and it works great.
even did it to my Martin....still working great and it never messed w/ the integrity....but always drill a pilot hole *almost* the size of the actual threads, not just the size of the screw shaft!......b/c w/ mahoghany it still may crack...you *just* want the threads to bite


imo

[photoweborama]

I found the best info at frets.com..

Sheesh! I've been searching for an hour on this subject, and there the the information was... on a link FROM MY OWN WEB SITE!

Doh!

[melody]

:

[Don]

I found the best info at frets.com..

Sheesh! I've been searching for an hour on this subject, and there the the information was... on a link FROM MY OWN WEB SITE!

Doh!

Thanks for the link! I'm going to go mount mine like a Taylor right now!

[Don]

It's done and I like it!

[photoweborama]

I'm done too. I found some old black ones that I took off another guitar.

Now I have black ones, mounted like a Taylor also.

Frets.com has the most logical, common sense information I've found for working on guitars.

[Don]

My new strap button is from my Jazz Bass. I put strap locks on it several years ago.

[photoweborama]

Actually, the kid I took the black buttons from got the better end of the deal. I gave him a set of Shaller's and kept his old buttons..