Adding a strap button to acoustic side

[Ultimate Garage Band]

My Washburn EA17 has the bottom strap button/jack, but I don't want to use the tie around the headstock for the other end of the strap. That really gets in the way of my hand while playing. So I'm going to put a strap button on my guitar. I guess the obvious choice would be the neck joint but I'd rather go into the side of the guitar body itself. I know the side is not thick or strong enough to hold the screw so I'm guessing I need to shape and glue a small block of wood to accept the screw. My question is, does this block affect the tone/volume at all and if so how? If I HAVE to put the button on the neck base I will, but I'd rather go into the side.

[hy_dro66]

Is there a reason you don't want to put it on the neck heel? Because that is the best way and it's real simple to do.

[Devon Headen]

I don't quite understand what's wrong with putting it in the neck heel either. All of my acoustics are that way, and very comfortable.

[Brian]

Instead of glueing the block to the body why not drill a small hole through it as well as the body where you want the button to be and use a thin flat top bolt with a nut and washer to hold it on?

You would have plenty of access I think if the sound hole is wide enough to reach in and attach it.

[Ultimate Garage Band]

By heel, I'm thinking you're meaning the bottom of the neck heel. This guitar has a logo there and I don't want to drive a screw into that. In the pic below I've poorly drawn it where I'm thinking of putting this strap button:

Every time I try and imagine where I could put it, other than there, it just seems that it'll be in the way.

[bowser]

usually on an acoustic, its not like an SG style or something where that logo is. its usually on the actual neck piece, and pointing towards the headstock and pointing towards the floor.

[bowser]

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/G...rapbutton1.html

pic on the second page

[Ultimate Garage Band]

that was a cool link. Thanks!

I really can't put it anywhere on the neck heel. My hand is all over the heel when I'm up above the 12th fret. Maybe I can shoot it in closer to the neck and hit the neck block. I'll check it out.

[Black Mariah]

In answer to your question, as long as you make it small enough it won't change the volume or tone. Just keep it from contacting the top and you'll be good.

[Ultimate Garage Band]

I got the strap buttons today. I also got my new strings. I put the strings on because I was so anxious to check out the true tone, playability, and action of this guitar. I also was not in a hurry/rush to install the button, however, while tuning up the new strings the phone rings and it looks like I have a rehearsal Thursday and will be playing Sunday morning. I guess I'll use my old leather string on the headstock strap this week. I don't want to mess w/the new strings yet. I'm more concerned about setting the guitar up well. I wish I could lower the action a bit but the E string buzzes from the 3rd to the 7th fret when I do.

[Devon Headen]

How does she sound? Got any pics of the whole thing? Looks like there's quite a bit of attention to detail on there.

[Ultimate Garage Band]

Here are some pics. I'm going to try and knock out a sound clip tonight; just one mic to capture the unplugged tone, and then that mic mixed in w/the guitars electronics.

[Ultimate Garage Band]

The first section is totally unplugged; I used my MXL-V67 large diaphram condensor mic. The next section is both the mic and the guitar's electronics. The last part has 2 rythm guitars recorded like the 2nd section, mic and guitar's B-band, but the lead solo part is just the B-band running into my Johnson J-station using some compression and reverb.

EA17 Test Clip

I'm a hack player, especially on acoutic. All my flaws are magnified but I'm not afraid to play one anymore so I'll probably get better.

The EA17 is an all maple laminate body and top, maple neck, rosewood bridge and fingerboard. The body is only 3" thick. I used a brand new set of Ernie Ball X-tra light Silk & Steel strings, 10 - 50.

This mp3 has no eq'ing, no processing, etc. It's as 'raw' as I can get it.

[All the way to peoria]

Thats one nice guitar you got there

Chad

[Ultimate Garage Band]

Thanks! I think I've done all the tweaking I can do on it for action. The next step is to take it to the shop and let Mac get it lower.

I did, however, tackle the strap button.

I had a rehearsal w/it last night and will be playing it in the 8:45 service this Sunday, so I decided Wednesday to go ahead and put the button on. I had to get my wife to place the small block of wood w/glue on it in the sound hole and up to the button screw. My hand was too big to fit in there. I used a piece of 3/4" pine that I cut to about 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" and I drilled a hole in the center. I used my DeWalt random orbital sander to smooth over the outer edges and the pad on my sander fell into two pieces!! It's about 10 years old. I guess it just rotted away. So now I have to order a replacement pad and put it on before I can use the sander again.

In my test fit, I drilled the hole in the guitar and had my wife line up the block w/o glue. It wasn't hitting the hole. The neck joint inside the body was keeping the block from lining up, so I had to drill a new hole about 3/16" from the edge of the block. I really reamed the hole good w/the bit and then drove the screw in and out about 3 times and reamed it again. I did NOT want this tiny, little block of wood splitting on me! So, we test fitted again and the screw hit the new hole. Smeared some wood glue on the block (after making a quick trip to K-mart to get the glue; couldn't find the glue I know I have... ) and I snugged that sucker right up on in there. The block doesn't touch the top or the bottom, in fact if I had made it any larger it wouldn't have fit between the kerffed lining. I used it last night for rehearsal and it works just like it's supposed to. High tech stuff.... I know.