Official Luthiers Forum!

what the best place to put one on a cutaway????

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MK5acoustics.com

If you did not build the guitar with an extra block of wood somewhere on the inside, then you really need to screw it into either the heel of the neck or the headblock of the body. The best place is probably near the neck/body joint, either on the treble side of the heel (assuming a right handed guitar) or just inside the cutaway. both spots should be halfway between the top and back.

The endcap of the heel works OK on some electrics, but not on acoustics. It makes the body fall too far forward.

The heel is always my preferred location from a strap button on any acoustic (cutaway or none). I'd really avoid the endcap of the heel. As stated it can make the body fall forward, and to me it also ruins the look of the heel. One thing to watch for when installing a button on the heal is bolt on inserts if the guitar has a bolt on neck.

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
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House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

For my personal acoustics I always put them on the treble side of the heel about 1/2 inch off the center line and about midway between the heelcap and the neck. That has always worked well for me and keeps the guitar hanging just right.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I like it here.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

+1

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I'm with Ken, same place as a Gibson ES175. You need to glue in a block for the screw.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Another vote for Ken's solution .. and not only on cutaways either.

I do not want to feel that strap button when playing up near the neck/body joint.

I have not put a strap button on the treble side of the heel on a cutaway and it might also depend on the shape of the heel or your hand position when up at the neck/body joint. I play up there a fair amount and it is nowhere near the button, if fact, I would almost have to contort my hand to do it. May not apply if you like to hang the guitar at your knees I just don't like the look of a strap button on the side next to the neck and like to avoid that - I suppose it boils down to personal preference really.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Ken,

Where do you get those strap buttons?

John

The "Gibson spot" (i.e., on the body, on the bass side of the neck) is a great solution, but as said above, you need an extra little block of wood inside.

If I were building an acoustic guitar with the intent to put a strap button at that spot, I would contour the interior block so it fits the side perfectly, and I would make it big enough to both butt against the headblock and reach where I want to put the strap button. That would help safeguard against any damage to the sides caused by the strap button supporting the weight of the guitar. Maybe this is overkill, but I worry about attaching things to the thin sides.

I haven't put a strap button on a guitar yet, but like Don's suggestion. Also Ken, that's a nice looking guitar. Like the rosette and your fret job.

Ken's suggestion is excellent. I've put them in numerous places, always with an internal block to receive the screw, and I always try to put them where the guitar (or other instrument will balance).

I used to get them from Stew-Mac or LMI but they don't have them anymore. I see that Amazon has some but now I make my own.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Ken, that is just crying out for a video tuit!

Don,

That's what we do. We ask as part of the specs if a strap button is wanted. Then we glue a solid mahogany block as you describe before putting in the linings so we can get a perfect fit...

I think the best performance is on the trebble side heel 3/4" from the body and 3/4" down. It pulls the guitar in the best possible playing position of any heel area button. The button is not in the way of you fingers at all (although it looks a little odd). The strap is in between the heel and your palm but not really that bothersome. Taylor puts theirs down 2 1/4" so the strap in out of the way i think, but the guitar wants to roll forward a bit (and it looks normalish). I've decided on 3/4" in and 1 1/2" down as a standard, but plan to give people the option.

Bottom of the heel? No way!

The classiest look is definitely on the bass side side. I just did one on my test mule without an added block. it was a narrow heel and I screwed it into the existing neck block 3/8" in from the edge of the block. Slightly closer in than ideal but totally acceptable.

For me, I tie the string around the headstock. Much much much better in my opinion. Much more stable feeling and the guitar does not want to slide if you let go. You just look 70's! lol

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Pat

Do you guys that put in a block go full height? Or just a nub butted to the neck block

I vote for a video of that!

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Pat

Just a lil' nug. 1x1x a smidge over screw length...they're fairly easy to refrofit as well...

I'm a heel guy too and there is an industry spec of 7/8th" and 7/8" out and down. But like all things there are exceptions.

BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT YOU CHECK FOR NECK BOLTS IN THE DRILLING LOCATION............................ The cardinal rule of installing strap buttons on the heel. Not a fan of the heel cap. It can cause distortion in time in that location and we've seen it also crack the heel......

I don't like Ken's solution but I do like Ken! Why? Because getting a strap button should not require the client to have to visit someone who has to reengineer the guitar and add a block of wood for something as simple as a strap button that should be a Wham, Bam, it's done thing on the spot.

Additionally you know those pesky battery bags that like to give into gravity and fall off the velcro? I like to put them right where Ken's augmented strap button block would be so that the side of the bag while attached to the velcro has it's weight on the side of the neck block in the playing position. We find that we have far fewer famous A-listers gluing themselves to their serial number one signature Martin if they don't have to do something stupid and get out the super glue because the bag keeps falling loose in the guitar. True story.

Of yeah: If mounting to the heel where exactly it's mounted should be a function of many things, the strap to be used, how the neck rolls to the fret board, etc remember TO CHECK WITH HIGH POWERED MAGNETS OR LOOK AND ESTIMATE WHERE THE NECK BOLTS ARE, IF ANY:)

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the heel shape is a huge factor here too. Block shaped heels, not constant curves change where the button can be mounted and this is often when folks seek alternatives.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

I like treble side of the heel for a tapered heel and for an archtop the bass side of the heel on the body with a block glued inside for the screw.

Along that line I have forgotten to glue that block in and had to do it after the box was closed or sometimes on a guitar where the strap button was to be relocated. This has worked pretty well.

Drill your hole for the screw and put a long thin piece of spruce or mahogany through it and out through the F hole.



Then superglue your block into a drill hole on the block, apply adhesive, and pull back into place. The glued spruce holder allows rotational control to get it positioned. A gap filling glue like thick CA or Epoxy has been better for me.



I have been just holding it in place with a spring clamp.



After the glue is dry I just break off the spruce and re-drill the hole and place the button.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Not really "my" solution just one I got from Frank Ford's site. But I like it for several reasons. First off many guitars with bolt on necks do have hardware in that spot you like and not everyone has strong enough magnets to find what's there and where it is. Of course they could go to someone to engineer the spot.

Next, the neck heel is curved so you usually have to use one of those ugly felt washers to hide the imperfect fit. Nothing cheaper looking to me than those ugly felt washers on a high end instrument. You could shape the base of the button to match the curve but there often isn't enough material on the base to do that.

Then there is the look of a beautiful cutaway that seamlessly flows from the heel to the body which is then made unattractive and potentially in the way for some players.

Also, if you do happen to run into some hardware and have to move the hole or if you ever want to remove it it is much harder to make a plug match in the varying grain of the heel.

Some heels are rather small and might be compromised by a screw that can't go in the perfect spot. And some tech don't use the right sized pilot hole which can crack the heel.

FWIW I make a wider heel block so that I don't have to add an extra support block. I can still stick a battery pack there although it might look ugly through a sound port. I don't know why people don't CA the velcro material of a battery pack so they don't have to rely on the velcro adhesive. Then placement wouldn't be as important. I generally like the treble side of the upper bout.

This isn't to say that I don't install strap buttons on the heel when players want them there.


Terrence, I like that solution for archtops!

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com