Strap buttons look like a minor detail, but their placement affects how a guitar balances and feels while you're standing up and playing. Here's what's worth knowing about strap button placement and how it relates to the way a neck is built.

The two standard positions

Most acoustic guitars have one strap button at the base of the body (the endpin) and a second either at the heel of the neck, where the neck joins the body, or higher up on the upper bout of the body near the neck. Where that second button sits has a real effect on how the guitar hangs and balances on a strap.

Neck heel vs upper bout placement

A strap button at the neck heel tends to let the guitar hang a little lower and more neck-heavy, which some players find comfortable for a relaxed playing position. A button on the upper bout brings the guitar up higher and shifts the balance slightly, which some players prefer for a more compact playing stance, closer to how they'd hold the guitar seated.

Why it connects to how the neck is joined

The way a guitar's neck is attached to its body, commonly either a bolt-on joint or a traditional glued dovetail joint, can influence where a strap button is practically placed, since a bolt-on neck heel is generally sturdier to drill into directly than some traditional glued joints. This is one of the reasons builders make different choices here depending on their construction method.

Can you move a strap button?

It's possible to add or relocate a strap button, but it's not something to attempt casually. Drilling into the wrong spot on a neck heel risks the structural integrity of the joint, so this is a job worth having done by someone experienced with the specific construction of your guitar.

Does it actually matter that much?

For most players, strap button position is a background detail rather than a dealbreaker. But if you've ever felt a guitar hang awkwardly, neck-heavy or oddly balanced while standing, strap button placement, combined with the guitar's overall weight distribution, is very often the reason. It's worth paying attention to next time you're trying a guitar with a strap on, rather than only sitting down with it.