Installing strap button off center

Edspyhill05

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I have an Islander concert ukulele and I plan to install a strap button just above the tail binding stripe, rather then drilling through the binding strip. The tail block is wide enough.

Any Aesthetic reason I should install the strap button centered in the tail binding?

Ed
 
It's your uke; you should do what you want. But since you're asking advice, it's not a look I would want. If you're doing it to preserve the end graft, I don't think the visual appeal of a clean end graft would make up for how unattractive an off-center strap button would look. Aesthetically, I think you're between two choices: putting the strap button in the center or not putting one in at all. It's better to pick one and not do it halfway by installing it off center. But that's me, do it the way you want; I'm not the boss of you.
 
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I'm with snowdenn, it's not a look that I would want. I know that an off-center button would bother me. If you ever wanted to sell it I'd bet that it would put a lot of people off.

I just installed a strap button on one of my ukes with a tail binding stripe. I think that a centered button would look infinitely better than off-centered.

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I say screw the aesthetic arguments. What about function? If a button placed anywhere but the centerline would afford a better hang or a better angle, I would be all for it. Of course, that would mean more work for the luthier/button-installer. For instance if you installed a button between the centerline and the waist of the body, you'd need a block of wood to be placed at the appropriate place inside the instrument to receive the screw.
 
I have an Islander concert ukulele and I plan to install a strap button just above the tail binding stripe, rather then drilling through the binding strip. The tail block is wide enough.

Any Aesthetic reason I should install the strap button centered in the tail binding?

Ed

Ultimately it is your instrument and you can do whatever you choose with it. To my eyes an off of centre strap button would look wrong and I believe that typically such a second hand instrument wouldn’t sell easily. If the arrangement might appeal to you and if the end block is wide enough (to support off of centre drilling) then turn the Uke on its head and rest the strap button in your preferred location(s), take some photos and think on it. Also place the button on the centre too and take photos for comparison(s).

I was very hesitant to install my first strap button but wouldn’t gladly be without one now. Whether a traditionally placed strap button detracts from a Ukes resale value or not isn’t clear, and certainly any ‘knock’ on an ordinary instrument isn’t going to be too bad, so I take the risk and enjoy the functionality.

In the worst case you’ll likely very much reduce your instrument’s value to others so if you can stand the ‘knock’ and the look pleases you most (and if it’s mechanically viable) then why not just do it? Obviously it’s your choice and please don’t take my comments as encouragement to do something that I believe you’ll likely come to regret.
 
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Thanks all,

I have to agree with everyone that installing the strap button anywhere other than centered would look amateurish, crappy. I’ll install it today.

I’m learning some classical guitar pieces on the new concert size and it is impossible to play accurately without a strap. I have straps on all my other ukuleles. The Islander concert is smaller than my tenors but with a nice voice.

Ed
 
Why would you want to install it above the tail binding stripe? I do think visually it would look off, and would be off-putting to any future buyers. Get one in the same wood color as your tail stripe and it will blend right in.
 
I installed the strap button in the normal place, centered on the tail block seam. I drilled through the plastic strip with a hand twist drill, then put tape over the area and drilled the hole for the screw using a slow speed. All went well and I now have a strap on the ukulele.

Thanks to all for advice.

Ed
 
I've often thought that a wooden strap pin such as found on acoustic guitars would look better than the metal buttons most people install on ukes.
 
I've often thought that a wooden strap pin such as found on acoustic guitars would look better than the metal buttons most people install on ukes.

StewMac has some nice Waverly wood strap buttons that look great. I have the snakewood ones on a couple of my ukes. They're too damned expensive but they sure look good! :cool:
 
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