When you get yourself a guitar, one of the first things you imagine yourself doing (at least I did) is playing it up on a stage in front of a massive crowd. In this fantasy, you are facing the crowd with your guitar hanging down your shoulder.
To live out this fantasy, you practice every day. Become better and better with each passing day till eventually, you are ready to play while standing up (and good enough to play on a stage) and you plan to buy a fancy guitar strap for your Guitar. But, You notice that your guitar has no strap buttons.
What to do when no strap buttons included in your Guitar? Well, do not worry. There are several solutions to this problem.
WHICH TYPE OF GUITARS DOESN'T HAVE BUTTONS FOR STRAP
Mostly, guitars do include strap buttons. Guitars, to support a strap, it require 2 two strap buttons at the lower bout while the other is at the top horn or close to the base of the neck. Most electric, bass and acoustic guitars have 2 strap buttons and attaching a strap to them is pretty straightforward.
It is rather rare nowadays to have a guitar with no strap button. However, there are exceptions and if you are reading this article, you are an owner of such an exception. I, myself, faced this issue when I first got myself a classical guitar.
Most classical guitars do not offer a strap button but I suppose they are made so that they are better played sitting down. I find no excuse for acoustic guitar manufacturers though. It is what it is though. I am not here to change the system, I am here to provide you with a workaround.
How To Put A Strap On A Guitar With No Buttons
So, there are usually 2 methods of going about this problem. One includes some drilling while the other doesn't. I will discuss both methods but first, let us take the non-violent route and talk about the "no drill required method."
Method #1. No Drilling
There are many valid reasons to go for this method instead of drilling. Maybe you have an old, vintage guitar or are scared of drilling a hole into it because you don't trust yourself enough… I can empathize with you there. So, this method is fairly easy and it does the job well enough.
All you have to do is get yourself a guitar strap with a closed-loop which you wear around your neck or shoulder and on the other end of this strap, there will be a sort of plastic hook.
This plastic hook, located on the other end of the strap, hooks to the bottom of the Soundhole. Loop it from underneath the guitar (that part seems pretty obvious because otherwise, it would mute the strings)
These straps are a bit more expensive than regular and often, they go by the name of simply "classical guitar straps." This strap acts almost like a chain and a locket. The chain is the strap and the locket, the guitar, is attached via the hook.
Note: This method, though convenient, is a bit unsafe. So, always keep one hand on the guitar and do not… headbang with your classical guitar wrapped around your neck. Never thought I would write that sentence ever.
Method #2. Drilling
There is some amount of flexibility in this method despite the permanent nature of it. You can go for a single button or go for Two. Installing two buttons guitar strap is going be more secure, so I will discuss that one first. So, the things you are going to need:
Since you are the one adding holes, that means there is room for customizability. Traditionally though, strap buttons are located at the butt of the guitar or, putting it in a more sophisticated manner, on the lower bout and at the neck's base. Follow along then steps given below.
Everything you did above has to be repeated here for the next hole in end point, just in a different position.
CONCLUSION
There is an alternative to so much drilling. If you wish to avoid drilling 2 holes, simply make one at the heel of the lower bout of the guitar. Get yourself a strap that you can tie to the headstock. This method can be a fun DIY or you can just buy a strap that can do this; either way, it is a viable alternative.
And that ends this article. I hope that helped you and I hope you don't end up destroying your guitars. Happy playing!
Hello readers, welcome to my blog! I’m Stefan. I’m in hard love with the music and used to collect all kinds of musical instruments at my garage. While looking for the best instruments, initially, I’ve struggled a lot. Like me, some of you might be struggling to choose the best musical equipment. So, keep reading my articles and get the best musical instrument that is worth your pay.