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  #16  
Old 03-24-2019, 04:57 PM
Steel and wood Steel and wood is offline
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I bought my Martin second hand with a strap second strap button already attached.

Having said that, I've often wondered how many new to Martin owners opt for a second strap button or instead decide to play with a strap attached to the headstock even if they're not familiar with it.
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  #17  
Old 03-24-2019, 05:22 PM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steel and wood View Post

Having said that, I've often wondered how many new to Martin owners opt for a second strap button or instead decide to play with a strap attached to the headstock even if they're not familiar with it.
My D-35 came with a strap button installed by the previous owner. If it didn't have one, then I would in fact, tie to the headstock "hippie style".
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  #18  
Old 03-25-2019, 12:07 AM
Steel and wood Steel and wood is offline
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Originally Posted by AZLiberty View Post
My D-35 came with a strap button installed by the previous owner. If it didn't have one, then I would in fact, tie to the headstock "hippie style".
My Martin came with a strap button courtesy of its previous owner also and like you, I would have tied it to the headstock "rockabilly" style.
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  #19  
Old 03-25-2019, 01:14 AM
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JayBee1404 JayBee1404 is offline
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I've never owned an acoustic guitar that came with a heel-button already installed on it. But every acoustic guitar I've owned had a heel-button installed within 48 hours of its arrival in my house. I simply couldn't tolerate the discomfort and off-balance, 'guitar hanging in the wrong place', feeling of a strap tied cowboy-style.

The sole exception is my latest addition, the Lowden F-23 - I've had the guitar for three months, and the strap button for two-and-a-half months, but I've never needed to play it standing up yet. As I get further into my eighth decade (very scary!) I'm more and more inclined to play seated, so...
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  #20  
Old 03-25-2019, 02:32 AM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steel and wood View Post
..... I've often wondered how many new to Martin owners opt for a second strap button or instead decide to play with a strap attached to the headstock even if they're not familiar with it.
Based on my personal observations and (completely unscientific and undocumented) guesstimate, the "tie it onto the headstock" folks are a distinct minority. Just what I've seen, I would suggest that - maybe - one in ten guitar strap users attach them at the headstock instead of attaching a strap button to the heel of the neck.

But let's be generous and say it's one in five.

Those of us who use the Doc Watson strap button placement on the upper bout of the guitar are far, FAR less common still. I used to see some folks doing that back home in Missouri and at the Winfield Festival, but I can't recall ever seeing anyone else doing that up here in Alaska. I have that arrangement on my 12 fret Double O and 12 fret Triple O, but all of my 14 fret guitars have the strap button on the heel.


whm
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  #21  
Old 03-25-2019, 03:45 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
Most people put a strap button on the heel of the neck, on the right side as you look at the guitar from the front. So when you're standing and holding the guitar in playing position, the strap button is on the side of the neck away from you as the player.

Don't put it on the heel cap, because that can negatively affect the physical balance of the instrument.

Installing a strap button on the neck shouldn't affect the value of the guitar so long as the installation is done cleanly.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller
Can we make this a sticky, please? This is the perfect answer to a question that comes up all the time, and there really isn't anything to add.
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Old 03-25-2019, 03:49 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steel and wood View Post
Having said that, I've often wondered how many new to Martin owners opt for a second strap button or instead decide to play with a strap attached to the headstock even if they're not familiar with it.
I just had a strap button installed on my Martin America 1 dreadnaught this weekend, after having owned the guitar for almost a year and using the headstock strap attachment. Because of the long time that was available to me to get used to the headstock attachment, I feel I am much better able to judge the result of the change than if I had installed a strap button very soon after acquiring the guitar.

I can honestly say that the difference was so striking that in the future, I will never even mess around with the headstock attachment for even one minute. As soon as I buy a guitar, I won't take it home until it has a strap button installed. Don't get me wrong -- in terms of looks, I much prefer the headstock attachment.

But the improvement? Oh my gosh. Posture, comfort, arm and hand positioning, accuracy of fretting hand, balance, guitar-positioning to the body, etc. etc. I could go on --- everything improved 100% after installing the neck strap button.
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  #23  
Old 03-25-2019, 03:54 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post

Those of us who use the Doc Watson strap button placement on the upper bout of the guitar are far, FAR less common still. I used to see some folks doing that back home in Missouri and at the Winfield Festival, but I can't recall ever seeing anyone else doing that up here in Alaska.
Huh, I had no idea Doc's strap was attached to the upper bout. I wonder if that's because he never saw it done any other way... ?
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  #24  
Old 03-25-2019, 04:47 PM
mercy mercy is offline
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Most guitar's headblock is not wide enough to do the Doc Watson placement. You can glue a piece of wood in there so the screw goes into a wood backer. Just screwing into the side is expecting trouble.
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