Acoustic Guitar Construction

I'm trying to find a comfortable classical-style playing position, and I've tried a foot stool to elevate my left leg but it makes my back hurt after a while. That seems to be a common complaint and I found a comparison of various other ergonomic guitar support options to prop the guitar up above the left leg: http://www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/er ... -ergoplay/

It looks like all of them, except for the Dynarette cushion, suffer from the same basic problem - there's no good way to attach them securely to the guitar without possible damage to the finish etc. Some people love the cushion but others complain that tends to slide around.

I'm wondering, have any of you built or considered some kind of integral mounting for a classical guitar support? No owner is likely to feel good about drilling holes in the side of their guitar and a retrofit might pose structural problems if not done very carefully, but if it were designed in from the beginning I think it could look good and perform much better than the aftermarket options. A few small threaded inserts could be a simple and almost invisible solution that would be very sturdy, and not aesthetically objectionable if done well. I thought of using rare-earth magnets inside and it would be invisible but not quite as secure - and prone to attracting stray paperclips! Anyone have experience with built-in support mounting, or any other ideas?

Jay - did you happen to see the vid demonstrating the Barnett magnetic support? The demonstrator said it was the best he'd ever used.

No I hadn't seen those but they look pretty nice and very flexible as far as positions. That's one of the ideas I was considering but it does seem like the magnets would attract stray metal. Maybe no big deal though, and I don't have a pacemaker (yet!) so it should be safe enough. I do like the idea of very quick attachment/removal and no marks on the outside of the instrument.

Edit - after reading all the positive reviews about it I decided to go ahead and get the Barnett support along with a couple of extra magnet sets for my next guitars. Thanks for the suggestion.

Having tried several guitar supports myself. , I settled on the Murata (clamp on).
I rotate my guitars frequently having to switch the support often
I am going to want to buy a second support, and would appreciate your experience with the Barnett.

thanks, Renee

That magnetic unit is really clever!

I've played classical style (resting on left knee) for as long as I can remember -- Noad (1960's!) was the first instruction series I really followed. But recently I came to the conclusion that the common tail block to heel "strap" really provide great stability and control -- sitting or standing.

ken cierp wrote:That magnetic unit is really clever!

I've played classical style (resting on left knee) for as long as I can remember -- Noad (1960's!) was the first instruction series I really followed. But recently I came to the conclusion that the common tail block to heel "strap" really provide great stability and control -- sitting or standing.

It would indeed Ken. Unfortunately the classical guitar community views the strap as non-traditional and therefor not widely adapted. And then there is the drilling of the holes that some perceive as adversely affecting resale value. I have seen how some of the straps attach through the sound hole. T.hat would be even more frightening. certainly workable tho.

Yeah those sound hole thingy's are an accident waiting to happen.