Strap button positioning

[whyseye]

How much does the position of the strap button have to do with the angle at which the bass hangs?

I prefer playing my fretless at about a 45 degree angle, but when I let the bass settle into a natural position, it's at about 80 degrees, no matter how I adjust the strap.
The strap button is right at the end of the upper bout - like the very lip of a wave, if you're looking from the front...if I moved it, inside the the wave- just under the lip, as it were - would it then cause the bass to hang at a different angle?
How do you all get your basses to balance in your comfort zones?

Oops - that's "strap" button....silly fingers...

[meev992]

Originally Posted by whyseye

if I moved it, inside the the wave- just under the lip, as it were - would it then cause the bass to hang at a different angle?
How do you all get your basses to balance in your comfort zones?

Change the strap button location, if you're up to it. I only had to do it on one of my basses because the old locations could support the button anymore.

But I change both buttons, and now bass fits me like a glove

[whyseye]

...this is a pic that I found on CL of a different bass with the button in the location that I'm thinking - it seems that this would give the bass a more vertical orientation, doesn't it?

[BeyondFiredUp]

i've had to change the strap button locations on all four of my basses. it seems to me anything NOT in a traditional shape like fenders etc, and a lot of middle priced basses are neck heavy, and hang down too far when you let go of the neck and they "settle in" as you say.
I've had success by changing the one closest to the neck first; then if necessary, move the one down on the heel. holding it in place by your strap hooked on one botton (OVER A BED, so if it falls) and move the strap around the heel area until it hangs right and drill it right there (very carefully and slowly...do NOT drill too deeply)!
i've got two ibanez icemans i had to do this to, one thunderbird copy, and a bc rich bich that all were neck heavy with the way they came from the factory. unless someone wears a bass very high up (by the stomach or higher) the neck just falls down if you don't relocate the buttons.
good luck.

[Erick Lam]

Place the bridge button like in the picture below, at least an inch or two above the bridge.

[whyseye]

Thanks - I hadn't really considered how much difference changing both of them together would make - it makes perfect sense that you'd want to move both in conjunction with one another!!
I'm really excited about doing this in the near future .... of course, predrilling will be important....are there any potential problems with drilling and screwing at an angle across the previous button screw location on the upper bout? Should the old one be filled in first, before drilling the new pilot hole?

[Erick Lam]

Personnally, I don't know why you would change the horn button. The bridge button is enough.