Martin Strap Button

Aloha!

This may seem like the lamest product I have ever reviewed, but stick with me on this one. I had not seen one of these Martin strap buttons before I took the Martin factory tour awhile back, and I wish I had found them earlier. I bought one at their gift shop and it is maybe the best 6 bucks I have ever spent.

Most of my acoustic guitar playing is done while standing, so a strap is a must. Unfortunately, many acoustic guitars only have one strap button, so one has to improvise. On my cheaper acoustics I usually drill a hole at the heel of the neck to install a second button, but I have never had the stones to do that to one of my Martins. So I go with the old standard shoelace behind the nut and hope and pray that it does not come untied or break.

Well, this made in the USA Martin accessory works perfectly, and looks a bit more professional than a shoelace too. It installs easily: just thread it behind the strings by the nut, and button the ends together. Then a strap can be attached to the other button, and you are good to go.

The leather is a bit stiff when these are new, making them a bit harder to put on. Of course this makes it a bit harder for it to accidentally come loose as well.

When installed, there is a decidedly horizontal strap angle, but I did not have too much trouble adjusting to it. I wonder a bit about whether it is good to leave the suede part of this strap in contact with the finish on my headstock for extended periods of time. I will need to check with my more knowledgeable friends about this.

As I said earlier, the Martin strap buttons are around $6 ($5.95), and they come in fashionable black, tan or brown. You can find them through any of the major online retailers such as Musician’s Friend or Sam Ash.

Mahalo!