Headstock strap button

[BottomEndian]

I've noticed that some Fender Jazzes (seems to be early 60s and before, and also reissues) have a strap button on the back of the headstock.

What's that all about? How would the bass sit if you connected your strap there? Any pics/vids of people playing like that? Seems to me that you'd end up with the 12th fret round your navel...

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='512659' date='Jun 13 2009, 10:32 AM']I've noticed that some Fender Jazzes (seems to be early 60s and before, and also reissues) have a strap button on the back of the headstock.

What's that all about? How would the bass sit if you connected your strap there? Any pics/vids of people playing like that? Seems to me that you'd end up with the 12th fret round your navel...[/quote]
I don't know how the bass would sit strapped at the headstock but that was the intent. In the 1950s many guitarists used a strap tied behind the strings at the headstock. Leo Fender thought the new electric bassists would do the same.

Edited June 13, 2009 by EssentialTension

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='512687' date='Jun 13 2009, 11:11 AM']I don't know how the bass would sit strapped at the headstock but that was the intent. In the 1950s many guitarists used a strap tied behind the strings at the headstock. Leo Fender thought the new electric bassists would do the same.[/quote]
So would these basses have shipped without a button on the top horn? Can't tell from the pic...

Edited June 13, 2009 by BottomEndian

[chris_b]

Leo Fender and his team were designing an instrument that no one had ever played and so no one really knew what those players would want. The surprise is that, given Leo's strong practical attitude, he continued to put them on for decades after he must have seen that this strap button was never going to be used!

[jezzaboy]

I beleive that the strap button was put on the headsock so that upright players could play it upright, doghouse style as they say. This was back when they were trying to get upright players to swap to electric basses and Fender must have thought that the ability to play the bass in the upright position would sway players.


Of course, I could be talking complete b***ocks!
Jez

Edited June 13, 2009 by jezzaboy

[Balcro]

The bass would sit very well and you wouldn't get any complaints about neck-dive. Perhaps Gibson should go back to that arrangement.

It's good physics, but just doesn't look cool!

Balcro.

[ezbass]

The reasons for the placement have already been given, but it occurs to me that if the bass had massive neck dive you could have a 3 point fixing strap. It would look weird though.

[BarnacleBob]

I feel like a total d*ck - I have seen that tons of times and never realised it was a strap button!!!



BB

[The Bass Doc]

Somewhere in the big wide world there is a photograph of the Beach Boys in their early days and it shows Brian Wilson using the headstock strap button on his light blue 60s P-bass. Can anyone find that pic?

[ahpook]

[quote name='BarnacleBob' post='512774' date='Jun 13 2009, 01:17 PM']I feel like a total d*ck - I have seen that tons of times and never realised it was a strap button!!! [/quote]

i thought it was a bottle opener !!

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I used to hang an onion from mine which was the fashion at the time. Anyway, about my washtub. I just used it that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking bird. We’d always have walking bird on Thanksgiving with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, and yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we’d all watch football, which in those days was called baseball.

[beerdragon]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='512895' date='Jun 13 2009, 05:55 PM']Somewhere in the big wide world there is a photograph of the Beach Boys in their early days and it shows Brian Wilson using the headstock strap button on his light blue 60s P-bass. Can anyone find that pic?[/quote]

Trawling through the web looking for that pic brought up some interesting stuff, Carol Kaye played on Pet Sounds and a lot of other Beach Boys stuff, damn woman's everywhere!.

[BarnacleBob]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='513257' date='Jun 14 2009, 12:37 PM']I used to hang an onion from mine which was the fashion at the time. Anyway, about my washtub. I just used it that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking bird. We’d always have walking bird on Thanksgiving with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, and yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we’d all watch football, which in those days was called baseball.[/quote]


If you dont start making more sense, we're gonna have to put you in a home......



BB

[jezzaboy]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='513257' date='Jun 14 2009, 12:37 PM']I used to hang an onion from mine which was the fashion at the time. Anyway, about my washtub. I just used it that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking bird. We’d always have walking bird on Thanksgiving with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, and yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we’d all watch football, which in those days was called baseball.[/quote]


I think that you will be gettin one of those white jackets with the sleeves that fasten round the back so that you can go quietly into the van with those nice men from the NHS.


Jez

[Tait]

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='512723' date='Jun 13 2009, 12:06 PM']I beleive that the strap button was put on the headsock so that upright players could play it upright, doghouse style as they say. This was back when they were trying to get upright players to swap to electric basses and Fender must have thought that the ability to play the bass in the upright position would sway players.


Of course, I could be talking complete b***ocks!
Jez[/quote]

spot on, according to "the fender bass: an illustrated history" -

[i]"In 1960, Fender added the strap button to the back of the Jazz and Precision headstocks. (Traditional players used this button to help strap the bass vertically, allowing them to play as they were accustomed in their transition from doghouse to electric bass.) By 1969, the button dissappeared, creating yet another Fender mystery, To enable the Kluson gear to mount flush to the back of the headstock, in late 1964 two small divots were added per gear, which corrected this flaw and probably increased performance.[/i]

[BarnacleBob]

I thought that was going to say


[quote name='Tait' post='513323' date='Jun 14 2009, 02:24 PM']spot on, according to "the fender bass: an illustrated history" -

'Jez is talking bollocks.....'[/quote]

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='513257' date='Jun 14 2009, 12:37 PM']I used to hang an onion from mine which was the fashion at the time. Anyway, about my washtub. I just used it that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking bird. We’d always have walking bird on Thanksgiving with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, and yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we’d all watch football, which in those days was called baseball.[/quote]

Priceless, and one of my faves.

[Telebass]

However, the button on THIS bass was a mod...
That's Freddie Tavares, and no SCPB ever had a HS strap button fitted...

[jezzaboy]

[quote name='Telebass' post='513538' date='Jun 14 2009, 08:00 PM']

However, the button on THIS bass was a mod...
That's Freddie Tavares, and no SCPB ever had a HS strap button fitted...[/quote]


Two questions:1 What recreational drugs was this man taking when this photo was taken. 2 Where can I get some.

Further to the above post by Tait, it appears I was correct in my explanation. Well, there`s a first and last time for everything!

Jez

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Telebass' post='513538' date='Jun 14 2009, 08:00 PM']

However, the button on THIS bass was a mod...
That's Freddie Tavares, and no SCPB ever had a HS strap button fitted...[/quote]

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='513552' date='Jun 14 2009, 08:27 PM']1 What recreational drugs was this man taking when this photo was taken. 2 Where can I get some.[/quote]
I thought he was happy because he'd found the one and only SCPB fitted with a headstock strap button!

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Telebass' post='513538' date='Jun 14 2009, 08:00 PM']However, the button on THIS bass was a mod...
That's Freddie Tavares, and no SCPB ever had a HS strap button fitted...[/quote]
Forgive my ignorance... SCPB?

Silver-coloured Precision Bass? Sexy c**t's Precision Bass? I'm lost...

[bythesea]

Single Coil Precision Bass

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='bythesea' post='513689' date='Jun 14 2009, 11:07 PM']Single Coil Precision Bass [/quote]
AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Ta. I'm such a dips**t.

Edited June 14, 2009 by BottomEndian

[BigAlonBass]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='513692' date='Jun 14 2009, 11:07 PM']AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Ta. I'm such a dips**t.[/quote]

No you're not. You just happened to be the first to "stick you head above the parapet." I didn't have a flipping clue what it meant either.

[biro]

i really have to point out that, to me, a bass hanging on someone that way is one of the worst looking things ever. to say nothing of the potential neck issues!