Front strap conundrum - to drill or not to drill - Updated with decision!

[Silly Moustache]

I always drill my guitars.
I use position 4 - the end cap of the heel.

I lay my new baby face down on my work tops ell supported by towels and stuff, then with a light hammer and punch - make a pin point in th cnetre of the end cap.

Then I use a small drill to make a pilot hole. Then, I use a the final drill (3/8" ?) with some tape to prevent going in to deep.
clean the hole.

I cut myself a piece of 4-5 m/m leather in the shape of the end cap, and drill that, then install Schaller Straplock.

No issues, and if you want to sell the guitar on and feel that the hole might be a turn off, then simply install a fret marker in it or even replace the end cap.

[RP]

Originally Posted by DownUpDave

Voted, suck it up and drill the Taylor position. I can’t image NOT having a strap button there. If you have always played your many different guitars that way it is no time to change. Tied to the headstock feels so different, I tried, didn’t like it and couldn’t get use to it.

I'm down with Dave......

[menhir]

It's your guitar. If you want a strap pin, go for it.

I get your concern about making a mistake and screwing up the job. Even though I'm handy with tools, I've been reluctant to do this simple job myself so I take the guitar to a reputable shop and have a tech do it. It's worth the small expense just to take the worry out of it. I've always been able to get advice from the manufacturers regarding placement, too.

As far as affecting the value...I play, not collect, guitars. I would have zero problems buying a guitar with a properly installed strap pin. It just would save me the trouble of having it done.

[gfspencer]

I put strap buttons on most of my guitars but I have two Martin Authentics that will not get buttons.

[Shuksan]

I may have missed this, but I haven't seen it mentioned so far. When drilling into the heel of a bolt-on neck, it's a good to know where the internal hardware is located. That info should be available from the builder/manufacturer or you can get a pretty good idea for some guitar brands from a Google image search. Some people use a rare earth magnet to determine the location of internal hardware before drilling.

[russchapman]

An important FYI: Your Martin warranty may be affected unless it is installed by an authorized Martin service center. Same with pickups.

Check the FAQ page on the Martin website.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Shuksan

I may have missed this, but I haven't seen it mentioned so far. When drilling into the heel of a bolt-on neck, it's a good to know where the internal hardware is located. That info should be available from the builder/manufacturer or you can get a pretty good idea for some guitar brands from a Google image search. Some people use a rare earth magnet to determine the location of internal hardware before drilling.

Given their bolt-on/dovetail joint, Huss & Dalton actually shows you where to drill:

[SpruceTop]

From my direct experience in measuring Martins and putting strap buttons in Martins, and for your visualization please reference the Huss & Dalton diagram, the Martin factory-installs their strap buttons in their Martin Dovetail joint guitars with the following location dimensions:

1 3/4 inches up from the bottom of the neck heel and 3/4 inch from the guitar body while respecting the *angle generated by the complex curvature of the neck-heel at that drill point. Pin-prick and drill at this point at the correct angle.

*use your eye to gauge the correct angle, up and down, and side to side at this point.

The Martin tenon joint strap-button placement, as I remember, is similar to the above Martin Dovetail joint placement for a neck-heel strap button.

[Russ C]

Haven't read all the replies.
I believe the end cap position which works fine on Cole Clarks and Matons with their wider heels is in unsafe to your Martin with its narrower heel - too much risk of splitting under stress.
Fitting a pin to a Martin Custom in the same spot Martin would have put it seems like a safe idea (except I hate having anything where my fretting hand may want to go, but most don't seem to mind that).

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

That's a clever application of a strap-lock system on the Dobson-style heel of your nice-looking banjo! Do you have a website for your banjo/instrument building?

I maintained my own website for many years and provided free or low-cost information for construction of several types of instruments. Most of that website is still available at the Internet Archive Project:

http://web.archive.org/web/201603281...com/index.html

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I always drill my guitars.
I use position 4 - the end cap of the heel.

Andy! Just for the record - this whole debacle is ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! If not for you and your love for and posting of 12 fret dreads I would not be in this quandary!

For the record, I played for about an hour today - a mini-band practice with my wife - and I used the strap on the headstock the whole time and by about the halfway mark I was really pretty okay with it. Still not my preference but good enough for me to at least go that route for now and keep it stock. We'll see where the future takes me.

[ceciltguitar]

I have successfully installed at least half a dozen strap that look just about the same as Dwight’s photo, never had a problem. YMMV.

[Parlorman]

I loathe added strap buttons. While I usually play/perform seated in the classical position, on occasions when I have to play standing I use a dobro style strap attached at the headstock.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I use position 4 - the end cap of the heel.

Andy, how do your guitars feel balance-wise? I only ever put a button on the heel-cap once - on a Yamaha FG-360 - and it always tried to ‘tip forwards’. Hence my preference for the ‘Taylor’ position since then.

I do confess that I was considerably more ‘cuddly’ back then than I am now - by about 6 stone!

[musicman1951]

Whatever makes you happy. Every new guitar goes to my luthier/repair guy for strap button, setup and K&K.