The importance of your guitar strap

To be honest, straps are something I have never thought about til now. I have two... one I bought with my first electric guitar circa 1984. That's the one I still use. I have another, ratty, falling apart one that I must have found at a gig or something, that has lived in the case with my backup guitar since the early nineties. They're the cheap (?*) ones with embroidered patterns on them.

*I have no idea how much they cost.

 

This exactly...
I found a leather smith in a small town close by who does custom straps for around $50 each. The rest of my straps about the same price from a couple of different sources like Jodi Head or Levys.

 

I have straps for each guitar, but the money units get expensive ones , strap locks on every thing!

 

While I don't have any real expensive straps, each guitar has it's own and it lives in its case or gig bag so it's there when I need it.

 

I've used the same (£3 in 1982) wide leather strap for nearly 40 years.

 

I have two OTC straps with leather ends, and one "Monkey Man" brand strap which is exactly like the others, but much longer cause I'm 6'-2" and I need my guitars just below my ever-increasing gut line.

Sometime around the late '90s I gave up on strap locks and just screwed washers on top of the strap buttons. Simple problem, simple solution. I've always wanted a guitar strap made from that wide slick grey nylon stuff they made seatbelts from in the '70s.

 

I use the the Fender cotton webbing ones with leather ends, one on each axe. They are light and comfortable .

 

I have 5 or 6 straps but only really use two. One of them was originally a 2.5" suede banjo strap I bought years ago with my first guitar. I converted it to a guitar strap by removing the hardware, punching new holes and putting strap locks on.

Oddly, despite having bought 5 or 6 straps since, it's my favourite strap for guitars under 7.8 lbs. Here it is on the same guitar.



What I like about it is that it is fairly thin soft suede that has a little give and conforms very comfortably to my shoulder. The raw underside is quite grippy too.


My other strap is for heavier 8 lbs plus like my Les Paul. Tat is a Neotech Mega strap. It's one of those 4" thick neoprene ones with memory foam padding which comes in several sizes including a short bass version. Works well for heavy guitars, has some stretch but doesn't bounce around. I mostly play lighter Fender or PRS guitars and still prefer my banjo strap overall.

 

Best strap I have ever owned, Lock it brand, cotton or Bob Masse, also best guitar I have ever owned.
Hate leather straps, have plenty to sell. PM me.

 

Polly Samson , Dave Gilmour's wife gave this strap to Dave on his birthday it once was owned and used by Hendrix

 

Every guitar is strapped up just right..all LP's have same strap length...same for SG's-tele's-strats & bass .Each guitar shape sits on me just where it needs, I noticed each year..bring guitar tighter to my body ..like a controlled hug..used to play the darn thing so low way back when..must of been cooler

 

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Most I have are from guitar trades, a range from barely a strap to nicer than expected on a "First Act" kind of thing.
However, I do have a couple of hand made custom straps.

There is a pretty good 'history of guitar straps' youtube video in two parts by 'guitologist' I believe.


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Every guitar gets its own strap .

 

I use Lakota Leathers straps on all of my instruments. They vary from 2 - 3 inches wide and are the most comfortable straps I have ever seen. Very soft Bison hide and made by the Lakota Sioux tribe in South Dakota. These hold everything from my heavy 5 string banjos to my dobro, acoustic guitars and a B Bender tele. Great straps that have never let me down in any way.

Phil

 

I felt like maybe I was a minority, not seeing a one strap/guitar option.

But what these folks say. Each guitar gets a strap. And straplocks. I own 5 electrics, only 1 has dunlop style straplocks, the others are all schaller style. Every one has its own strap. I like the texture of the levi ones that are like seatbelt material, and would probably keep on that style later. Strat has a gaudy pearloid leather and studs levi strap, tele has a non marked leather strap I feel is comfortable, and the mustang has a course texture levi plaid front one that I like the looks of but not the feel, but with light guitars it doesn't matter as much as a heavy one. I remove locks before parting with a guitar. Teles locks were on an esp v100, and the duosonics on a mustang bass.

All about texture on heavy guitars, bo need to get bitten by course nylon, no need to overspend. If the custom leather is on budget, and is kozy, cool. If not, plenty of choices.

 

Cheapies. I have one red nylon strap that I bought in the 80s. Miraculously, it somehow still manages to suspend the guitar on my shoulder. Amazing.

 

I mainly choose based on looks, as I find not much difference between the different styles when it comes to real world use. I particularly like the old-style Fender ones that came with the '50s and '60s instruments when they were new. They aren't quite long enough for bass, but they are perfect for guitar (and I do use one on my my AV '58 Precision anyhow).