# How to attach a strap to an acoustic guitar with one button

> Most acoustics have only a tail button. Three ways to attach a strap: a headstock tie, a fitted neck button, or a strap with a built-in lace. Pros and cons.

Published 8 September 2026. Updated 15 September 2026. By [Julian Corman](https://setliststraps.com/about/), Setlist Straps.

Electric guitars leave the factory with two strap buttons. Many acoustics leave with one, at the tail, and a strap that has nowhere to go at the other end. You have three options.

## Option 1: a headstock tie

A leather lace loops around the headstock between the nut and the tuners, and the strap attaches to the loop. No tools, no holes, reversible in ten seconds.

**Pros:** nothing is drilled, it moves between guitars, it is the cheapest of the three. **Cons:** the guitar hangs at a slightly different angle because the anchor is at the headstock, not the heel, and the lace must be kept snug or it creeps toward the tuners.

We do not sell one. Any music shop has them, and so does any saddler with a strip of thin leather lace.

**What we sell:** one strap, the Soldier double-layer cowhide strap, in black, dark brown, tan or white. Suede-finish back, length set through a row of slots on the tail. £54.95 with free UK delivery.

[See the acoustic guitar straps](https://setliststraps.com/acoustic-guitar-straps/)

## Option 2: fit a neck button

A repair shop drills a pilot hole in the heel of the neck and fits a strap button. It takes fifteen minutes and costs about the price of a set of strings. The guitar then hangs exactly like an electric.

**Pros:** the most secure and best-balanced option. **Cons:** a permanent hole in the heel; on a vintage or high-value guitar, ask before you drill. Do it yourself only if you are comfortable drilling into a neck; the heel is thin on some guitars and the screw must not reach the fingerboard.

## Option 3: a strap with a lace built in

Some straps end in a thin lace at the neck end instead of a button hole. It is option 1 sewn on. Fine if you only ever use that strap on that guitar; less useful if you swap straps.

## Which to pick

| You | Pick |
| --- | --- |
| Want to try a strap before committing | Headstock tie |
| Play standing up regularly | Fit a neck button |
| Vintage or valuable guitar | Headstock tie, and ask a luthier about the button |

## Where our strap fits in

The [Soldier double-layer cowhide strap](https://setliststraps.com/wide-leather-guitar-strap/) has a button hole at each end, so it needs two anchors: two buttons, or one button and one of the fixes above. It is not a lace-ended strap and we will not sell it as one.

## Do not

- Tie the strap around the neck at the nut with the strings. It mutes the first fret and marks the finish.
- Hang the strap from a tuning peg.
- Use a metal clip on the headstock. It chips lacquer.

## Related

- [How long should a guitar strap be?](https://setliststraps.com/guides/how-long-should-a-guitar-strap-be/)
- [Strap locks: do you actually need them?](https://setliststraps.com/guides/guitar-strap-locks-explained/)
- [Leather vs nylon guitar straps, honestly compared](https://setliststraps.com/guides/leather-vs-nylon-guitar-strap/)
- [Guitar strap fit guide](https://setliststraps.com/guitar-strap-size-guide/)

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Publisher: Setlist Straps (Julian Corman, trading as Setlist Straps), hello@setliststraps.com. Published 8 September 2026, updated 15 September 2026.
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