Lets Talk Guitar Straps

[Wade Hampton]

I have mostly leather straps. My previous favorites were Levy’s Leathers but now I favor Walker and Williams. Most of my straps are padded. Some are fancy but most are fairly plain, especially the Levy’s.

Walker and Williams’ website is really worth checking out. They have a section for one offs that are pretty amazing for the price they charge. Their prices in general are excellent.


Wade Hampton Miller

[The Bard Rocks]

How many of you use a strap?
Everyone who answers. Personally, I don't use them often but always have one with each guitar.

What is your favorite maker and material?
No favorite.

How wide do you like your strap?
2-3" - depends upon it's weight to some degree.

If your strap is leather, do you use any type of conditioner on it?
No
Do you like a fancy strap or a plain one?
Plain or interesting fabric

Do you have your name on a strap?
No way

Padded or Not?
Usually not, though it's nice.

Do you attach the strap at the heal or the neck?
Heel

Is the strap kept inside the guitar case when not in use?
If it fits.

Yes, I am bored this morning.
How could I tell?

[Nicky Parrish]

How many of you use a strap? Me

What is your favorite maker and material? LaKota Resonater Buffalo

How wide do you like your strap? 3 inches

If your strap is leather, do you use any type of conditioner on it? No

Do you like a fancy strap or a plain one? Plain

Do you have your name on a strap? No

Padded or Not? Not

Do you attach the strap at the heal or the neck? Neck

Is the strap kept inside the guitar case when not in use? Yes

Yes, I am bored this evening .

[Guitars44me]

How many of you use a strap? Me, always, standing or sitting.

What is your favorite maker and material? Levy’s stretch #1. Sadly discontinued

How wide do you like your strap? 2”

If your strap is leather, do you use any type of conditioner on it? NA

Do you like a fancy strap or a plain one? Pretty plain.

Do you have your name on a strap? No thanks

Padded or Not? Stretchy, so feels kind of padded.

Do you attach the strap at the heal or the neck? Heel

Is the strap kept inside the guitar case when not in use? These straps have no thick parts or buckles. I cut them to the length I like and attach semipermanently. I use Strapjacks and a bit of gaffers tape.
They are carefully folded around the axe when going in a case.

Yes, I am bored this morning. Hahahaha….

Time to play!

Paul

[YamahaGuy]

How many of you use a strap?

I use a strap -- each guitar has its own

What is your favorite maker and material?

I like Perri's baseball glove leather

How wide do you like your strap?

I prefer about 2 - 2 1/2" wide

If your strap is leather, do you use any type of conditioner on it?

I've got some cheap "leather" strap from Amazon I used conditioner on


Do you like a fancy strap or a plain one?

Plain is fine, although my Takamine P5DC has a very nice one

Do you have your name on a strap?

No

Padded or Not?

Not necessary. A few of mine are though

Do you attach the strap at the heal or the neck?

Heel. Drill baby drill. Dunlop straplocks too.

Is the strap kept inside the guitar case when not in use?

Not attached to the guitar, but in the case

[Ed66]

I use a strap all the time. It gives me security and I can move around as needed with no worries. I like Native Sons (hemp backed), Levy (suede variants), and Franklin (suede) straps. Levy is probably the most economic. I don't treat them with any product. No padding in general as I play only acoustic and thus the weight is fairly light.

[FatFingerCharli]

Although I have many brands of straps for guitars and banjos, my favorite brand is Lakota Leathers. These supple but strong straps are reasonably priced and are handmade of Bison (Buffalo) hide on the Lakota Sioux Pine Ridge Reservation in North Dakota, U.S.A.

Small point but I believe The Pine Ridge Reservation is in South Dakota.

[sstaylor58]

Yes, always. Walker and Williams, 2-1/2” padded.

[EZYPIKINS]

I bought a 3" strap in the late 70's. Not sure of brand.

Was two piece soft leather w/faux fur lining.

For adjustment it only had multiple holes on each end.

No slip friction adjustment. No belt on the end. Was 3" end to end.

As Leather would ware out I'd cut end up to the next hole.

So strap became shorter and shorter over the years.

I used that strap for over 20 years. Still have it somewhere.

I'd love to have a new one like that, but alas can't find one.

Now just use 3" leather Levys. Only have one as soft as I like.

[Nymuso]

OK, I'll play.

I like wide leather ones - 3, 3 1/2" whatever - no frills, no carvings, no initials or messages, no conditioner. All attached at the heel or upper horn of electrics; none of this "headstock" stuff since I was twelve or so.

I have Straploks on all except the one for my HD-35. All of them are old with the exception of one I recently got for my bass, a massive padded thing which would probably stop RPGs.

The oldest one I have is a tan one I bought in 1977. I don't know the makers for any of them, but the one for my bass is some well known brand I can't recall right now.

I keep the straps with each instrument, usually rolled up and stuck in the cutaway if there is one, or folded along side of the neck.

I always use a strap when performing, whether standing or sitting. At home practicing, it's hit or miss.

[Jim Comeaux]

I like the skinny straps with a padded shoulder patch. I use Strap-Locks on both ends of all of my straps and I detach the strap from the guitar before putting it back in the case. I also wrap all metal buckles and fittings on the strap with some of that bandage wrap that the Nurse puts on your arm after you get a blood test. I’m not sure what you call it, but it really works well for this. No sticky residue when you remove it and it stays put when you put it on. No, I don’t use conditioners on the straps. No, I do not like a lot of bling, so just a plain strap for me. That being said, I AM careful about what color the strap is. I like an oxblood or reddish brown for my Rosewood guitars and a dark brown for the Mahogany ones. Yes, I attach it to the heel of the neck and yes I replaced the old strap button on the lower bout with one that is like the one on the neck, so that I can completely remove the strap from the guitar to prevent scratches etc. I have plans for one that I am going to make for myself, (yeah, I do some leatherwork too) and it will have bling. It will be a skinny strap with a padded shoulder pad made from a Skate skin (No, not a rollerskate, the fish like animal that lives in the sea.) the strap will be an alligator print cow hide and there will be no, zero, not any metal parts on the strap except for the Strap-Locks. It will not be length adjustable, but if I make it the right length initially, why is it necessary adjust the length?

[pieterh]

I use Levys straps when I can get them (usually from Thomann these days) or similar if not. My favourites are the suede ones and I try to get a colour to match or at least complement the guitar it’s going on.

All my acoustics have heel buttons - I don’t like the balance of an acoustic with a strap attached at the headstock. Stability wise I’m sure modern guitars are strong enough but it seems odd to me to add stress to the neck and the neck-body joint.

Some of my electrics have strap locks - all the Fenders and the G&L. I’m thinking of strap-locks for the PRS: the strap buttons are so large that the small hole in the strap is a challenge to get over the button! It defeats the object of having large buttons if you can’t get the strap on properly… I have a spare set so it’s just a question of doing it.

My son has a beautiful PRS SE 35th Anniversary and he bought a padded PRS strap for it. Like most products from PRS it is very good quality and I might just treat myself to one down the line…

[gmax150]

I've had lots of straps over the years but to me Sully's are the best.

[menhir]

How many of you use a strap?
All of me.

What is your favorite maker and material?
No preference, I have cotton, artificial materials, and leather straps.

How wide do you like your strap?
No preference as long as it's comfortable.

If your strap is leather, do you use any type of conditioner on it?
So far, mink oil...Mostly because already I have it on hand. I use it on my boots

Do you like a fancy strap or a plain one?
I have both, but unlike my guitars, I enjoy some bling on my straps.

Do you have your name on a strap?
No. Not now. Not ever.

Padded or Not?
Not.

Do you attach the strap at the heal or the neck?
At the heel.

Is the strap kept inside the guitar case when not in use?
Yes. More specifically, they are always attached to their particular guitars, and I don't take the straps off when they (rarely) go back in their cases.

Yes, I am bored this morning.
Yeah. Me, too. This helped.

[Msedg]

How many of you use a strap? - Yes, nearly always. I started out playing electric so it feels weird not to.

What is your favorite maker and material? Heistercamp, leather.

How wide do you like your strap? 2.5 or 3 inches.

If your strap is leather, do you use any type of conditioner on it? Nope.

Do you like a fancy strap or a plain one? Depends on the guitar - I have a few with buckles etc, mainly on the electrics.

Do you have your name on a strap? I have initials in one of them (it was ordered as gift…)

Padded or Not? Not really- I have had before, for particularly heavy Les Paul.

Do you attach the strap at the heal or the neck? Heel.

Is the strap kept inside the guitar case when not in use? Most of them are on the wall.