Has anyone used the 3M sticky fasteners to secure their ukulele strap?

estreya

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Good morning, everyone!

I've got a Pono ukulele that is currently without strap buttons. Installing buttons (or having them installed) is on my "things to do" list, but in the meantime, i'd like a short term solution in anticipation of a visit from my mother (she vastly prefers playing with a strap).

I've been toying with the notion of trying those 3M fasteners. I'm a bit concerned about the possibility of them leaving a permanent blemish to the finish when they're removed. Does anyone have any experience with this approach?

Cheers, all!
 
Thank you so much for your responses, everyone! They were supremely helpful.

Kypfer, thank you for the video - that's what i'm going to do. Not the least bit elegant, but totally functional and most importantly, should result in no long-term damage as long as i use a soft enough material.

Bill1, while i do have the spirit of a do-it-yourselfer, my practical results have been mixed. Once, i ended up having to call a plumber after an overzealous episode of, "I can do this myself! Really i can!" What a mess. I would hate to have something happen to that Pono, so i'm hesitant to tackle this little project myself. We shall see ... i'll revisit the issue when i'm feeling a little more courageous.
 
There is only a 50/50 chance that you would need to call a plumber after attempting to add a strap pin yourself. If you aren't comfortable doing it, bring it in to a music shop to have it done. It won't cost much.
 
When I'm doing my lutherie thing at festivals, I charge all of ten bucks to put in a metal strap button...includes the button.

So you do it with sticky stuff, and the uke gets warm...let's say it only hits 120 in a car on a hot day. Yes, it can go a lot hotter under those conditions, but... Is that adhesive good to 120? How about 110? You pick up the uke and strap it around your neck...and the stickum lets go. Did you catch it before it hit the concrete? No? Awwww, too bad for you. But I guess it's job security for your luthier...

So go ahead and make your luthier's day...
 
Rick Turner, what a wonderful thing for you to do! I'll probably take it to a shop in downtown Portland at some point. In the meantime, i'm not risking the 3M approach. The "string-up" in the video Kypfer linked should do the trick for now.

Doug W ... Ha! Aren't you glad i spared you the gory details? :)
 
I'll agree with Rick ... not a solution I'd consider.

This young lady http://youtu.be/AuFD4IKz6bk has an economic and serviceable solution to this problem :)
That right there would be my solution. I love it. That said, I agree that screwing a button into the uke shouldn't be a big deal, and it shouldn't take but five minutes to do. As far as the 3M sticky stuff, I've just had that stuff give it up too often. I've put those up, and hung stuff on them, just to find it all on the floor the next morning. I wouldn't trust them with a really nice uke.
 
You could start with one of my Uke Leashes, and then if you get a strap button, you can add an adapter to make it a full strap. I was in your position 5 years ago, so I know the problem well. Straps are great, but I know how daunting it is to take a drill to a really nice instrument. I can only remember how many surprises I got when drilling into a wall (hard time making it directly on that pencil mark, and then there is the wandering that can happen when you first break the surface). Makes me cringe to picture the same on the uke. It is best to have somebody really experienced doing the button installation.

–Lori
 
The other option is to learn to play without a strap. I don't use one with my tenor, though I probably would with a baritone.

Roy Smeck did OK without one!
 
You could start with one of my Uke Leashes, and then if you get a strap button, you can add an adapter to make it a full strap.

–Lori

I tried the UkeLeash Half-Strap today and think it's a great solution, especially if you don't need/want to use a strap all the time.
 
The other option is to learn to play without a strap. I don't use one with my tenor, though I probably would with a baritone.

Roy Smeck did OK without one!
I bought one of those cheap straps that go around the bottom and hook into the sound hole. I realize that some people don't want to do that because it might damage the finish where it hooks in, but I really don't care. But I figure if it works for Willie Nelson, it should work for me. I bought it, tried it out once, and it has sit in my case since. But it is nice to have, and it works.
 
You want your uke to look like Willie's guitar? Go for it!

BTW, I made and installed the bridge that's on Trigger.
 
You want your uke to look like Willie's guitar? Go for it!

BTW, I made and installed the bridge that's on Trigger.
That is cool that you worked on it. I'll just say that if I play my uke long enough and hard enough for it to look like Willie's guitar, I'll be good with it. I doubt that is going to happen though. The thing is, I don't abuse my uke, but scratches and dings are just part of the journey. However, I know that people are very particular about their ukes, and I respect that. But that isn't me. My point is though, that strap works pretty well, and it just clips on, clips off.
 
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