Virtual Jim Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Hi guys. Has anyone ever moved the strap button on their guitars? I joined the Agile club here and ordered an AD-2500. I love it, but it's way top heavy, so I'm thinking about moving the strap button from the top horn to the back of the neck/body connection ala an SG. Comments? Btw, here's a pic of the new guitar to indulge everyone's gearlust. She's named "Charly". http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f77/jmsam81/Charly_750.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 pretty sweet look axe i must say. I let someone else actually help you cause i dont wanna tell you something thatll mess your guitar up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Moving it there, to cure it's being "top heavy"? If I'm understanding you right, I don't see how that'll fix that. If anything, I'd expect it to make things worse. If you mean that the top-half of the guitar's body is tending to lean forward, changing the strap-button to the back/neck-heel location will make it pivot along its center even more. If you mean that it's neck-heavy, with the neck and headstock pulling towards the floor, then relocating the strap-button to the heel will only shift the center of gravity further inward, increasing the neck-heavy imbalance. That's why a Fender Strat- and even moreso, a Fender Precision Bass- has that long "horn" at the upper cutaway, it puts the instrument's center of gravity in a more optimal location. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Madness Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 If your guitar sounds as good as it looks, you've got to be a happy man! Congratulations on your new axe! The balance problem comes from the fact that the neck attaches to the body pretty far up (21st fret) and the top horn is not long enough to make up for it as far as balancing the weight. It looks to me like moving the strap button to the neck heel might even make the problem worse. I would look into getting whatever strap you feel comfortable with that reduces slippage. And then just get used to the fact that different guitars have a different balance and that this particular one's headstock tends to shoot for the floor and you'll develop different handling habits to compensate. BTW, SGs also have a tendency to nosedive. Added: I see that Cavean has covered my points already while I was typing this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 yea i was gonna mention i hate SGs because of their weight ratio. The bridge seems a little far up on the body too, but otherwise i think there cool. The levys strap i use has a really (not uncomftable though) underneath and i think it would help alot. If you want more details on it i just ask. They are expensive though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 I used to play an Ibanez Artist-still have it-and the top button broke off. I was using it as a working guitar, I didn`t have a lot of time to look for someone to drill out the hole and put another into that spot so I had a hole drilled in the back like you`re describing. In retrospect I wish I hadn`t-it`s become sort of a collector`s item and that didn`t help the value. I`d say don`t do it. Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Originally posted by Scatterbrain: yea i was gonna mention i hate SGs because of their weight ratio. The bridge seems a little far up on the body too, but otherwise i think there cool. The levys strap i use has a really (not uncomftable though) underneath and i think it would help alot. If you want more details on it i just ask. They are expensive though. Yea, I had a friend that actually routered our a pretty sizable cavity just ahead of the back button on the back and added lead shot untill he got a good wt. ratio. He said he was suprised how little it took to correct the head heavy thing on the SG. http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 If you install Dunlop Strap Loks (Sp? Straploks?), with the tail-end 'button' countersunk (recessed) to be flush with the surface of the body-rim, and leave the one on the cutaway's "horn" sticking out, it will gain you some balance as the guitar's center of gravity will be shifted by almost one inch. This would effectively have a similar result to lengthening the "horn" by nealry an inch. (I say "nearly" an inch because the overall length of the hardware may vary amongst the several different versions offerd by Dunlop, and the fact that the strap usually pulls against a standard strap-button about what, an eighth of an inch or less above the surface of the body?) Then find or make some small weighty object that you can stow away inside the control-cavity, perhaps taped or otherwise secured to the cover-plate. Be sure that it doesn't press against the electronic components, or if it's metalic, short out any connections by contact. Or, maybe even make a solid brass cover-plate for the control-cavity; just might be enough weight to tip the balance, right there... (I say "make", because I'd be surprised if any aftermarket replacements were an exact fit.) Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virtual Jim Posted January 21, 2006 Author Share Posted January 21, 2006 Thanks guys! I don't really have much experience playing SGs with straps, so this is really helpful. Shows you once again that when you assume, you make... you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Yeah, when you assume, some annoying person will always bring up that old saying as if they're being clever, right? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Geoff Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Here's a tip. Go to the Low Down Lowdown and do a search for 'strap button'. Lots of basses are top-heavy and some of the guys over there have techniques (and pics) for extending the strap button to compensate for the light body/short upper horn. Geoff "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the World will know Peace": Jimi Hendrix http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=738517&content=music The Geoff - blame Caevan!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Originally posted by Geoff B.: Lots of basses are top-heavy and some of the guys over there have techniques (and pics) for extending the strap button to compensate for the light body/short upper horn. Ohhh.. yes! I've seen pictures of that too. Some guy in "Guitar" had put the strap button on a piece of metal tubing and cured some guitar's top heaviness. What about the rear button? Does moving THAT make much diff? A luthier suggested it for my baritone, but I can't see how that would work. Have any of you tried it? Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Geoff Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Extending the *rear* button outwards would move the centre of gravity back towards the rear and make neck-heaviness worse, wouldn't it? G. "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the World will know Peace": Jimi Hendrix http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=738517&content=music The Geoff - blame Caevan!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Originally posted by Geoff B.: Extending the *rear* button outwards would move the centre of gravity back towards the rear and make neck-heaviness worse, wouldn't it? G. No, the luthier was talking about moving the strap button further up along the body, ie not having it dead centre. OT: Was Malaga Ok? Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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