The better spot for strap.

zztush said:
Headstock is better than heel for strap to me. It is more stable more easy on soprano and tenor.

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Seeing as this is in the beginners section and people reading this might take it a gospel I am going to disagree. For "ME" the better spot for a strap is on the heel of the neck, your green line.

Do an experiment with an instrument that has it strap tied to the head stock, let go of it. The uke will slide downward diagonally with the but end sticking out and the headstock now close to your body, it is completely out of playing postion. Let go of a uke with the strap attached to the heel and it does not move, it stays in it's playing postion. This to me is more stable.

But everyone needs to try it both ways and see what they like better for themselves. Like most things with the ukulele there are very few hard and fast rules and you should do whatever works best for yourself. Just a counter point :D
 
Thank you for the reply, Dave!

It is very simple thing. But I think it is hard to discuss. Because I can not see your situation. I have my strap button on my heel too. I have never seen headstock slide downward even on guitars with a strap tied on headstock. How can I see your situation? Do you know any photos in the internet?
 
:stop: There is no right or wrong place to attach straps.

It will depend to a degree on how you play - I rarely use a strap but when I do, it is a neck loop attached to a button on the heel, it supports the weight, whilst I hold the uke in position.
 
Here are two pictures. Sorry for the poor quality but they were quickly taken while standing in front of a mirror. I play tenor and baritone mostly but even my soprano and concert will "slide" down and back when let go if tied at the head stock.
 

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zztush said:
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Dave, what makes the difference between mine and yours? I am quite happy with my situation with my guitalele (exactly same size of tenor).
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It could be any number of things. Most of my ukes are high gloss so they are slippery. Most of my tenors are made with heavy woods like rosewood, cocobolo and macassar ebony. This would make them bottom heavy, maybe my shirts are slicker then yours.

That is why I said there are no hard and fast rules and everyone should do what works best for them. Experimenting will usually enlighten one to what is best for them. Good conversation as always zztush
 
I prefer the heel on a soprano and the headstock on a tenor.

I have a harder time holding on to a soprano, so being on the heel gives me an extra bit of control. And, when I bought my Opio from HMS, that is where they put it, so that is kind of the holy grail for me :)

The tenor just needs a little stability, and having it tied on the headstock gives me more room to move.
 

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Hi, Laura! Thank you for the reply!

A friend of mine has changed his strap from heel to headstock on his soprano today. Hence I watched the difference in his case. He is big guy and strap on his heel was bit too tight for him. And his soprano tipped over when he was rest position. He is quite happy with headstock strap now.
 
Hi zztush - straps definitely are an anatomy dependent item. I think the reason I have a hard time holding a soprano as a female is not an issue found with most males.
 
actadh said:
Hi zztush - straps definitely are an anatomy dependent item. I think the reason I have a hard time holding a soprano as a female is not an issue found with most males.
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So true about the anatomy issue. There was a thread by a female member a few years back titled "Playing with Boobs". This was the actual title, it got a lot of views, the thread was all about being a women and the complexities of using a strap.
 
I like to attach the strap to the heel. I've had the same experience as DownUpDave. Also, when the strap is attached to the headstock it feels as if it's in the way of my fretting hand. I play concerts, BTW.
 
actadh said:
Hi zztush - straps definitely are an anatomy dependent item. I think the reason I have a hard time holding a soprano as a female is not an issue found with most males.
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DownUpDave said:
So true about the anatomy issue. There was a thread by a female member a few years back titled "Playing with Boobs". This was the actual title, it got a lot of views, the thread was all about being a women and the complexities of using a strap.
Click to expand...

That thread title still makes me chuckle. 3rd-ing the consensus that it's anatomy-dependent - and I'll go further and say it's not necessarily gender-dependent. Female here, and the only comfortable strap configuration for me is strap button on the bottom, other end fastened to the headstock.

But - there is no one size fits all solution. Take a look at how Janet Klein plays - she's definitely female, doesn't use a strap at all, and holds the uke up very high in a way that many women would be unable to do. She also doesn't play very complex things, and I think that makes a difference as well - strumming vs. fingerstyle.
 
I play tenor and bass uke and prefer the heel for all my straps, which are leather with a rough suede back that prevents sliding.
 
Thank you,Dave,Mike and Gary. I still can not experiment the slip on my uku. I will try to figure it out.

Thank you Laura and janeray. Comfortable location of the uku defer from person to person.

Top figure is Yoshio Tabata, who is Japanese famous singer. Bottom figure is Robert Trujillo, Mexican American heavy metal bass player. They are the two most highest and lowest example for me.

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Janet Klein... not sure very many other women could do this! :)

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I use the headstock, but never right next to the nut. It seems to interfere with my left hand when I play in first position, so I tie it on above the first and fourth tuning pegs. My reso-uke came with a heel pin, so I left my strap there.
More important is how you wear the strap. I wear mine over my right shoulder rather than sticking my head through the strap. I also wear my mandolin this way, but stick my head through the banjo and guitar straps.
ukestraps.jpg MLCwithresouke.jpg
 
Two weeks ago I put strap buttons on all my ukes (tenor and up) because I was tired of sitting. Every single one of them got a heel button as well, and they all got new straps. I use guitar straps on them (Couch straps to be specific) I hated the headstock arrangement completely. My Mandolin is strapped to the headstock only because I fear I will hit the truss rod drilling....
Ukes, not a problem there. They position the Ukes perfectly and tilt them toward my body, and there is no stress on the neck...because I like to rock. I am not sure why I waited five years to do it (though drilling my ukes was scary the first time)
 
I use the mobius strap, one loop under the strings, round underneath and up round your neck and back again.
 
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