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Clear guitar straps are back!
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
Uh-oh, a chink in the armor...for the first time since I got it, my clear strap gave me shoulder pain. I was fine for two sets, then in the 3rd set, I had to stop after a song and switch to my big wide padded orthopedic Levy's strap. I guess I should have known it would happen...it always does eventually with thinner straps. Even 3" straps will do it to me. Only that Levy's strap that's 4 1/2" inches wide has never given me pain. But frankly, I'm surprised it took this long. Might come back to it one day soon, but for now, I'll have to settle for looking cool but not quite as cool as I do with the clear strap 
Uh-oh, a chink in the armor...for the first time since I got it, my clear strap gave me shoulder pain. I was fine for two sets, then in the 3rd set, I had to stop after a song and switch to my big wide padded orthopedic Levy's strap. I guess I should have known it would happen...it always does eventually with thinner straps. Even 3" straps will do it to me. Only that Levy's strap that's 4 1/2" inches wide has never given me pain. But frankly, I'm surprised it took this long. Might come back to it one day soon, but for now, I'll have to settle for looking cool but not quite as cool as I do with the clear strap
Go with the clear strap for the first set - orthopaedic for the 2nd - and back to the clear for the 3rd.
When you eventually get really old and decrepit ; orthopaedic for the 1st set - clear for the 2nd - and back to the orthopaedic for the 3rd.
I'm sure it's only a matter of time before "musicians wanted" adverts are less concerned with backing vocal ability, and more interested in neck, back, and shoulder massage proficiency.
Not as young as I used to be. My slam dancing days are by and large over.
Not all of us are giants, bro
Not all of us are giants, bro
Strap length is a function of height and age. I'm tall, and in my 20's, I couldn't find straps long enough - young folks wear their instruments low, it was the 80's (some guys had to lunge at their instruments in that era, as they wore their guitars so low they couldn't reach their strings without doing that). Anyway, I didn't play with things quite that low, but still, I needed to find extra long straps, given my preferred playing position and height.
Over the years, it seems the bass is moving up about an inch a decade - so an inch on each side means every decade I need 2 inches less straps. I've been at this quite a while, and now a standard length strap is just fine.
I play in churches, and at one of the, occasionally, we have the youth band play the first tune. To make the switch fast and easy, I let the young bassist play my bass. The first time, I brought an extra strap, so he could adjust the bass to his liking - he's about a foot shorter than me, so that seemed to make sense. The second time around, I realized he wore the bass really low (for his height), and...i turns out that 4 decades and a foot of height cancel each other perfectly - we used the same strap.
It’s actually because of an old injury that hurts when I bend my elbow too much, I’m only 5’10”. Most strap makers disregard players who need longer straps and it really sucks! It *really* sucks.Not all of us are giants, bro
Some years ago I had a local leather worker make me a custom strap. Didn't cost any more than an off-the-rack strap, was exactly what I wanted, and helped support a local artisan.
True, but you can buy long tails for your straps on Amazon. Can't get them in clear, but you can get them at least.
Do they make a cool clear strap?
I hate long tails, they look sooooo bad dude. You both are being nice and trying to find the positives BUT THERE ARE NONE! I am screwed and that’s that.
Of course I can get an Etsy strap that goes to however (which I have), but they’re not going to have clear.
Everytime, EVERY TIME I see a cool strap, it’s too dang short. Boo!
Oh yes by the way - last time I tried to get two fancy pants local small company’s straps, they stole my $185. Just stole it, and because I didn’t save the USPS receipt my CC claim was denied. That company is called Get’m Get’m and they are among the only company whose straps go long enough. But they ripped me off and then ghosted, so those straps are out of the picture. I wrote a big diatribe about it and posted it here a little while ago.
So yes, straps are a sore subject for me.
If I could bend my arm without experiencing burning in my elbow, I’d have ordered several of these. These clear ones are cool!
Sorry for the derail.
So yes, straps are a sore subject for me.
If I could bend my arm without experiencing burning in my elbow, I’d have ordered several of these. These clear ones are cool!
Sorry for the derail.
Well I certainly don't blame you for being upset at that company. So other than clear, define "cool" for me. You CAN get straps that long, and some may fit your definition of cool and some may not.
I'm pretty sure the local leather workers would, except that those clear cows are very very stealthy and the clear leather is in extremely short supply.
Dunlop has some fancy patterned straps. Some go to 65", some go to 61". Or you can just get used to long tails. Or you can just realize that cool is in your shoes and not your strap.
I feel certain that if you and I don’t let this thread die, every major strap manufacturer will read it and change their unfair ways!
#STRAPSFORALL
Geez, those guys are packing spare tires since their younger days.... like me!
I wore Levi's in 32x34 back in my first band. Went up as high as 38x34 (relaxed fit), and now at 36x34; hoping to get even at 34x34.
Oh, not to derail your topic, yeah those straps look cool, but I cannot see my self moving away from the comfort of broken-in leather.
I wore Levi's in 32x34 back in my first band. Went up as high as 38x34 (relaxed fit), and now at 36x34; hoping to get even at 34x34.
Oh, not to derail your topic, yeah those straps look cool, but I cannot see my self moving away from the comfort of broken-in leather.
The struggle is real. I dropped 40 lbs over the past year and gained 20 of it back this summer.
And yeah, I went back to my padded Levy's strap for the most part, too. The clear is cool but with a Fender it gets uncomfortable for me with repeated usage.
So, you are through being cool?Uh-oh, a chink in the armor...for the first time since I got it, my clear strap gave me shoulder pain. I was fine for two sets, then in the 3rd set, I had to stop after a song and switch to my big wide padded orthopedic Levy's strap. I guess I should have known it would happen...it always does eventually with thinner straps. Even 3" straps will do it to me. Only that Levy's strap that's 4 1/2" inches wide has never given me pain. But frankly, I'm surprised it took this long. Might come back to it one day soon, but for now, I'll have to settle for looking cool but not quite as cool as I do with the clear strap
