How to Attach and Adjust a Guitar Strap
How to Attach a Guitar Strap to your Electric, Acoustic or Bass Guitar:
There are two ways to attach a guitar strap:
- Attaching to the buttons or endpins on your guitar
- Using one button and a string or acoustic loop through neck of guitar
These are the two main ways to attach a guitar strap to your guitar or bass. The first and most common way is with strap buttons or via guitar strap end pins. Most guitars these days come with two strap buttons – one at the bottom end and one at the top of guitar body.
The other way is using one button on the bottom of guitar and using a string or acoustic loop through the neck of guitar. This is most common with acoustic guitars.
Before attaching your strap to the guitar, get a general sense of how long or short the guitar strap needs to be and adjust the length accordingly.
If your guitar has buttons (endpins) for attaching a strap, simply attach the strap on the buttonholes. If your guitar has only one strap button, you will need to tie a string or acoustic loop around the neck of the guitar and feed it through the other end of the strap.
Now that you know how to attach a guitar strap, get out there and start practicing. Experiment with different lengths and styles until you find what works best for you!
These are the two general adjustment styles of guitar straps:
- Tail guitar straps (smaller tail piece adjusts through slots on guitar strap body. This style is generally seen with leather guitar straps).
- Slider guitar straps (adjusts length with a tri-glide buckle or slider. This style is found most often as a seatbelt guitar strap, denim or fabric guitar strap, vinyl or vegan guitar strap and most ubiquitous as a nylon or cotton webbing guitar strap).
Adjusting a guitar strap and style is a personal preference. Some guitarists like their guitars low, some high. It really varies from person to person and what feels comfortable to them as well as the guitar or bass that you are attaching it to. If you have a Gibson Les Paul, it will sit differently than a Fender Stratocaster for example. The weight on these instruments may vary as well so you may look for a strap that not only compliments the style of the instrument though is comfortable as well.
How to wear a Guitar Strap:
The most common way to wear a guitar strap is over your left shoulder with the neck of the guitar propped up on your left side and held by your left hand. For the less common lefty guitarists (like Jimi Hendrix), this would reversed and you would wear the guitar strap over your right shoulder.