How to attach a strap to a guitar

It is said that sitting is better than standing. However, in the case of playing the guitar, this does not always work. There are many cases when you have to perform standing up, and then the question arises: how to hold your favorite instrument?

Fortunately, a guitar strap will come to the rescue, which, however, must not only be chosen, but also properly fastened.

Details about attaching a strap to a guitar

The guitar strap came relatively late as a necessity to help the player hold the instrument. Until the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century, the guitar shared popularity with other instruments in equal proportions. However, in the 20th century, the guitar became a mass instrument and underwent significant changes. In addition, new styles of music- making appeared, bands and musical groups appeared, concerts began to be held not only in opera houses and philharmonics, but also in the open air. All this just made the guitarist stand up – to express expression, to capture the attention of the audience, to play spectacularly.

And it is very difficult to hold a guitar without a strap while standing. So this reliable and faithful support appeared, with which it was now possible, without getting tired, to play for hours.

Any improvisation – in public or among acquaintances – will most likely be done on your feet. For such cases, it is worth getting a belt. Well, for those who play the electric guitar, this is a must-have accessory, with which you can , among other things, emphasize your corporate identity and personality.

So, you bought a strap and put it next to your guitar. Now is the time to put it on.

Types of mounts for guitar

Different guitars are equipped with strap attachment options in different ways. Some products may not have them at all. In this case, you will have to do a little refinement, which, however, is not difficult.

Standard

Standard mounts are those that are installed on guitars by default. When buying a tool of a certain class, you will most likely find standard fasteners on it, for which you can attach the strap.

electric guitars

The easiest way is with power tools. They were originally designed for standing, so the manufacturer usually takes care of the necessary elements at the manufacturing stage.

Electric guitars are equipped with strap-pin mounts. These are a kind of “fungi” on which the eye of the belt is put on. Such fasteners are fixed in the body of the guitar with special screws. At the end there is a small thickening – a cap that prevents the belt from slipping off.

One of the “pins” is located in the back of the case, on the edge. The second one is placed near the base of the bar , but there may be variations. For example, in the most common form of the Stratocaster, the fungus is made on the top protruding horn of the body.

Acoustics and semi-acoustics

Most acoustic guitars have only one strap-pin – in the bottom end (that is, in the middle of the shell of the bottom end). The second end of the belt is fastened as follows: they take a cord (often it comes with a belt), tie it around the neck of the neck and between the last saddle and the peg mechanism , and then take it on a loop in the eye of the belt.

Thanks to this scheme, the strap and lace do not touch the strings and at the same time allow you to comfortably hold the guitar at chest or stomach level with the desired inclination. In acoustic guitars with a classic headstock and it is also allowed to tie a string around the central jumper.

Sometimes, for aesthetic reasons, as well as for greater reliability, a leather loop is used instead of a lace. It wraps around the neck of the neck and fastens with a special button with a hat, where the belt eyelet is put on.

classical guitar

Traditions are strong: the “classic” is played while sitting, with a special stand for the left leg (for right-handers). Therefore, manufacturers leave the body of the tool pristinely smooth: no button, no hook, no hairpin. Not everyone decides to modify an expensive tool. However, even with classical play, standing is sometimes played.

Especially for such cases, an ingenious mount was invented. It is a belt loop with a loop that is worn around the musician’s neck. One or two straps or braids with a hook depart from the loop. If there is only one hook, then it clings to the edge of the resonator hole, and is passed under the body. In this case, the performer must always hold the guitar, otherwise it will lean forward and fall.

If there are two hooks, one of them is attached to the bottom of the outlet, and the other to the top. The guitar turns out to be as if belted with straps and securely rests on a person’s chest.

Due to its low weight, this option is the only one if you do not want to drill holes.

Blockers

In addition to the standard strap-pin, from which the eyelet of the belt can be removed, strap-lock fasteners are also used. They are considered more reliable, since the belt will not fly off from them under any circumstances. True, straplocks will have to be bought separately and changed by yourself if the guitar is not equipped with them.

The essence of the mechanism of such fastening is simple. The base is screwed into the wooden part of the guitar of sufficient thickness with a self-tapping screw. It consists of a soft washer and a special cylindrical fastener. The second part is fixed on the belt: the skin part with a hole is screwed to the expansion skirt with a nut. After that, the button is put on the base and securely fixed with the help of “antennae” that go into the grooves. Another option is a sliding mechanism : an element fixed on the belt enters the grooves of the base and is held by its own weight.

Manufacturing materials

In the case of guitar strap mounts, everything is the same as in other areas: it can be cheaper, but weaker, or it can be strong, but at a higher price.

Plastic

Plastic “fungi” – this is the most budget option for fasteners. I must say that with the right installation technology, they serve for decades. An example is the fastenings on the bottom klez of guitars made at music factories in the USSR (Lvov, Ivanovo and others). These simple devices did their job perfectly.

Straplocks are sometimes made of plastic. They are not famous for their great strength, therefore they are suitable for an acoustic instrument. If we are talking about a heavy electric guitar, which you are also going to twist through yourself, then choose metal.

metal

Metal straplocks (as well as complete strap pins) are highly durable. Properly fastened, they will not allow the guitar to break off the strap and fall to the floor. Branded elements can also contain various inscriptions and have an aesthetically perfect look.

Attachment installation

If your guitar does not have mounts, then it is not difficult to install them.

What will be required

Get a pair of strap-locks or regular “buttons”, take a drill with a thin drill and a screwdriver with which you will screw the self-tapping screw into the guitar.

step by step plan

1. Choose an installation location. For the right end of the belt, this is the end of the lower shell. It is necessary to screw in strictly in the center, behind the shell there is a klets – a load-bearing beam, which will take on the main load. The place for the second fastening is best chosen on the heel of the bar , on the underside of the player. The neck heel is a rather massive part, so the refinement will not affect the sound quality of the guitar.
2. With a thin drill, carefully drill a hole to the required length. This is necessary so that the wood does not crack.
3. Screw the base of the straplock or the whole fungus with a self-tapping screw. Use a complete ring as a spacer or make it yourself from soft fabric, leather or thin rubber.

Do not screw the mount into the shell! It is too thin and the self-tapping screw can tear out under load.

Conclusion

As you can see, any person who loves his instrument and wants to play it in any conditions can handle even self-attaching the strap to any type of guitar.