how to attach guitar strap?

Question

i jsut got a lyon/washburn guitar yesterday and it cam with a strap. i know how to attach it to the bottom but i do not know how to attach to top. it has strings and i am afraid if i put it on wrong it will mess up the sound of the strings by rubbing against the? can anyone help me?

Answer 1

Tie the string (it usually looks like a shoelace) to the strap first, and then slide the strings underneath the strings, just above the neck nut, between it and the peg box. Tie the string underneath the neck if you can, to keep the excess out of the way when you are trying to play. Some people even put the string through the neck first and tie it off at the strap, but that never worked out for me. The other option is to get a second end button attached tot he Guitar around the heel (where the neck attaches to the body of the guitar) The heel is usually formidable enough to suffer a small hole from a jeweler's drill, and the advantage is that the strap is much easier to remove when you put the guitar in the case. If you are worrying about the strap coming off while you are wearing it, they sell a locking end button that releases with a catch. If you get one installed, I would recommend using a luthier and getting them both replaced. The peace of mind you feel from then on is more than worth the cost. If you want to do it yourself, you can get the parts from Stewart MacDonald, http://www.stewmac.com but be very careful where you drill the hole and never try to force the screw in without drilling one. It can often split the wood. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

OK Cass, you have 2 choices. 1) Get a length of thin cord, if one didn't come with the strap (it should have.) fold it in half, and push the fold thru the end of the strap so you have a loop. Push the 2 end thru the loop and pull tight, so the cord is attached to the strap an=d you have 2 loose ends. Pass one of those ends under the strings at the head end, behind the nut where there is a gap. Tie the 2 ends in a knot, and your strap is attached This makes the strap go the full length of the guitar.
2) Go back to the shop and ask them to fit a strap button (or buy one and fit it yourself) somewhere at the base of the neck so that the strap just goes round the body.
There is no "right" way. It's just whatever you feel most comfortable with. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Washburn Guitar Strap

Answer 4

You can play a classical guitar in any position that you want to. I play mine sitting in a chair, laying on the bed, and standing up. If you want to put an end pin on it, have a music store do it for pennies to make sure that it is on right. The other end of the strap will go under the strings on the headstock. the end pin will not damage your acoustics, that is mainly obtained by the woods used, mainly on the top. For top notch acoustics, get a cedar top classical and make sure that it is not a plywood top. The Cedar top, like all tops, will be a bit bright at first, but with some age on it, it will mellow down to a nice warm, rich sound. I would not use an under the bridge type of pickup. If you want to amplify it, I would use a mike and a stand. Under the bridge pickups are usually Piezo pickups and Piezo does not handle base tones well at all. Willy Nelson plays a classical standing up and so can you.