Italia 5" Strap first impressions

JimmyM · #1 06-22-2007, 11:12 PM

I've been wanting a 5" or 6" strap and could never find one until I saw this strap on Ebay. So I bid $30 on it and bought it for $26. That was 6 weeks ago. Friday it came.

It doesn't look like the one on this page:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...6023&rd=1&rd=1

There are fewer adjustment holes cut in it than the one in the picture. Mine has 3. The one in the picture looks like it has at least 5. And at the adjustment end, my strap is cut straight across and digs into my back a little while the one in the picture is more rounded off. I have a theory that this guy puts more effort into the straps that sell with higher bids than mine. Like if I had paid $75, I would have gotten more adjustment holes. Fortunately, though, it adjusts at a height I like. And I only paid $26 for it, which I think is very reasonable for a leather strap.

It feels a little stiff now, but I'm sure it'll break in. Not sure if I want it to break in to where it's really pliable, but a little less stiffness would be cool. I think I'll need to put something on the bottom surface to keep it from grabbing my shirt, too. However, it does what I wanted it to do, which is to spread the weight of the bass more across my shoulder. I haven't got to try it out at a gig yet with my heavy Jazz Bass, but I practiced with it on for a half hour and my shoulder feels pretty good. I have a feeling that I'm going to need some neoprene padding glued to the bottom, but maybe as it breaks in, the need for that will be less.

So my initial feelings about this strap is that I got what I paid for, but other than the 5" width, I don't consider this on the level of the handmade straps I've seen other companies make. But again, for $26, it's a very good value.

And now let me add a diatribe to strap manufacturers...you need to offer 5" and 6" widths. You may not sell as many 5" straps as 2" straps, but you'll sell plenty to old farts like me

Steve S · #2 06-25-2007, 02:14 PM

I had one of those, not as wide but just as thick. I put it in the dryer several times while I was drying my clothes and it helped soften it.

dave64o · #3 06-26-2007, 10:36 AM

Cool. I tried a ComfortStrapp on my Stingray but didn't feel like it made that much of a difference. I found a 4 1/2" Leavy's leather strap at Musician's Friend recently and that seems to work much better for me. However, it's been a while since I played for 3 hours at a time so if this one doesn't work out maybe I'll have to give that one a shot.

Wider is better! *

* your results may vary

lefty007 · #4 06-26-2007, 11:16 AM

I have the 4" Italia strap, a Comfort Strapp, and the Levy's 4-1/2" strap. The Italia is good, but it is also really heavy! Almost 1 pound. I imagine the 5" is even heavier. The last thing you want when trying to get relief from a heavy bass is to add another pound to it!

The Comfort Strapp, as mentioned, is not wide enough. So, I've been using the 4-1/2" Levy's, which is pretty light, and it works great. It is very stiff, so I'm working in breaking-in it.

I actually have been using the Levy's with the Comfort Strapp at the same time, one on each shoulder, for maximum comfort.

A 4" + wide Neoprene strap would really be the ultimate strap, but nobody makes them.

JimmyM · #5 06-27-2007, 12:37 AM

Yeah, I've tried them all...Comfort Strapp, Levy's 4 1/2", Planet Waves 3" neoprene with a padding, Slapstrap. None of them have worked with my Jazz. The Levy's, the Planet Waves and the Slapstrap work with my Precisions, but my Jazz is really heavy and always hurts my shoulder.

But tonight I did a 50 minute set with my Jazz and the 5" Italia, and I didn't have any pain at all, and I always get pain in the first 15 minutes. So I think I might have found a strap that actually works for me. I would love to see Planet Waves make a neoprene strap with a pad that's 5", though. These leather straps do get a little heavy. The Italia isn't so bad, though. Now that Slapstrap...it's really heavy.

Wish I could get the two strap thing to work. I end up putting the weight of the bass on one shoulder or another depending on how I move, and I can't figure out how to balance it out and still be able to play it.

Stuggi · #6 06-27-2007, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lefty007

I have the 4" Italia strap, a Comfort Strapp, and the Levy's 4-1/2" strap. The Italia is good, but it is also really heavy! Almost 1 pound. I imagine the 5" is even heavier. The last thing you want when trying to get relief from a heavy bass is to add another pound to it!

The Comfort Strapp, as mentioned, is not wide enough. So, I've been using the 4-1/2" Levy's, which is pretty light, and it works great. It is very stiff, so I'm working in breaking-in it.

I actually have been using the Levy's with the Comfort Strapp at the same time, one on each shoulder, for maximum comfort.

A 4" + wide Neoprene strap would really be the ultimate strap, but nobody makes them.

Fender makes a pretty wide neophrene strap. Dunno if it's 4 inches, but it certainly doesn't need to be much wider than it is...