What Is A Guitar Backstrap? (How & Why It Can Improve Your Guitars)

Learn about the guitar backstrap overlay and how (and why) adding this element to your next guitar can improve its strength, beauty, and sound.
👉Learn step-by-step how to make a backstrap with our full course: The Art Of The Guitar Backstrap here: theartofluther...
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theartofluther...
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[@anaphylastiks]

Yep..I completely get it. It needs to be beautiful. It needs to be art. Thankyou heaps. I am going to video my progress for a mate, so if you're interested let me know.

[@mustangjohnny2755]

Clear and on point !

[@WILSHIRE25]

I wish I knew someone like u. Id love to be able to go to my buddies house and build a guitar together. I absolutely love Wood working! Luthiering has gotta be the hardest thing to do w/ wood. Acoustic atleast. Electric seems much easier.

[@colthayhurst4199]

I had my Tom Ribbecke halfling stolen from me 💔. Such an amazing jazz guitar, I can’t afford another. I miss her every day.

[@jeanpieerjean7356]

Thanks Tom

[@anaphylastiks]

This was a channel I needed to find. Does it have to be veneers? Could it be a shaped bit of hard wood? I could probably make some veneers. But a solid bit of nice iron wood or Jarrah is my plan.

[@garylantinen2819]

Great video makes perfect sense thanks tom

[@VortexGuitarBr]

Nice!

[@Casey3-P-O]

I gotta say, they look cool with the backstrap. I had an Ibanez semi hollow and the head stock broke. Really sucks. My LTD M403ht has a really thick joint where the neck meets the headstock. It feels much more sturdy than my Jackson Dinky Archtop, which has a really thin neck joint (I think that's what it's called). Anyways this is very interesting, because he's right, it can be a serious problem with certain guitars. I was able to reattach the headstock using wood glue and screws, and the intonation was still fine. But over time, it broke off again. I don't even know what happened to that guitar. Maybe someone else ended up with it and was able to fix it.

[@masonhamlin8239]

So you’re saying that instead of headstocks being a hard angle from the neck, they should be a gentle curve down? Now I have to build this 🙃

[@kylepelley3793]

How is this different or any better then a volute? Actually wondering.

[@mcannon749]

I would imagine it would possibly be stronger because with his back strap you have grain that is going from the headstock all the way into the neck.

[@TheArtOfLutherie]

Hi Kyle, Good question! Different luthiers prefer different methods, so there is no right or wrong way. As Michael said in his comment, this way makes more sense to me because it adds extra layers of wood going all the way through the potential weak point down into the neck shaft. The traditional volute is just adding a little extra wood there at that point, and a volute with back veneers still leaves this central area of stress focus under the nut open. The way I think about it and do it on my guitars is just the way that makes the most sense to me and has worked very well for me on over 100 guitars over the last 20+ years. We have to keep in mind that many great guitars have been made with the volute method as well; the fun part and the art of it all is finding the way that gives you the best results and seems right for you and your style.

[@nitrostrikeblade3395]

Nice video!

[@dougbish5533]

So instead of carving a valute in the first place, add layers of glue and veneer.... Well, you could layer different colors for effect, but wouldn't solid wood be stronger?

[@wolfsguitarden740]

Actually dude believe it or not wood glue in layers of the veneers are much stronger than a solid piece of wood. I'm sure you've heard of guitar necks being stronger after they are repaired then they originally were.and this isnt a cocky comment.i used to think that too

[@dougbish5533]

@@wolfsguitarden740 yeah, I was thinking about it last night before bed. They started using laminated floor joists and roof trusses because they're supposed to be lighter and stronger. Weird.

[@bernhardbayi7812]

Is it possible to buy books fromyTom Bills?

[@TheArtOfLutherie]

Hi Bernhard, you can buy my book "The Art Of Lutherie" over on amazon here: geni.us/YyZWH You can also join my online luthier school called The Luthier's EDGE to get personalized help from me and access all my courses here: theartoflutherie.com/luthier-school/

[@DanielRodriguez-eh1qd]

Damn Gibson started 16 different accounts just to give you thumbs down.

[@GTA-qv8pk]

Every product out there claims to add more sustain the way I see it by now you should just be able to play a note and it should last forever.

[@iwokeupthismorning2]

Sadly

[@joeyfontana7859]

6 minutes in and you haven't shown what it is yet...I dont get it, and I'm a musician...

[@francolast1993]

Go to 20 seconds

[@jcripp7974]

If it aint broke.........

[@stuartmccrossin6424]

Install shower

[@-MyNameHere-]

Minimize breakage, absolutely. Sounds like a great idea. “Increase sustain”, “more responsive”? Mmmm… probably no.