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Got a heavy bass? What strap do you use?

#81
I've got this old 4" strap made of amazingly supple leather. I actually had to sew a strip of leather on the front to keep it from wrapping around. That's my personal favorite for heavy instruments.

I also have an old sling for an M-60 machine gun. It was getting tossed and I just kept the parts and eventually got around to sewing it back up, putting some ends on it and using it. It's fine, but I prefer the leather.

normal_strap2.jpg
 
#85
I bought an Italian leather strap from e-bay years ago for real cheap, it's wide and made of nice black suede leather works great. The only thing is I didn't read the fine print in the ad where it said it would be custom made and it took like 3 or 4 weeks to receive my strap. I think the seller is still in buisness, I get e-mails occasionally from them. They might be called Italia leather straps? If you can wait there straps are quality and probably alot cheaper than most.
 
#88
ultimately, i think you will find that the best way to deal with a heavy bass is to just get a lighter one. a comfy strap can make it a little better, but at the end of the day you still have a heavy bass hanging off your shoulder.
 
#90
dontcallmeQRACK said:
I gotta get me a comfort strapp :crying:

Whered you guys get yours?
Click to expand...

I got my first one from Elmore's Music Warehouse (RIP) in Peoria, Illinois. November 1997 along with my new Eden WT-400. The second one came from Eden in January 1998 (it has the Eden logo on it, and I ordered it after being blown off several times by the original distributor of the Comfort Strapp who now sells "Brooklyn Gear"). Third one came from Elderly Instruments.

John
 
#92
madbassplaya said:
The title pretty much says it all...

I've got a couple of basses that are on the heavy side and I am needing a comfortable strap to help my back and shoulders after playing a couple of hours.

I'm a big guy, so it needs to be a longer strap...at least 60 inches or so.

I'm currently looking at getting this levys strap. Have you guys had any dealings with that strap?

http://accessories.musiciansfriend....er-Guitar-Strap-wTri-Glide-Adjust-?sku=360437
Click to expand...
Geaux Saints!!!! Hell has officially frozen over!!!! Hoodat say dey gonna beat dem Saints!!! Hoo-DAT!!!

<ahem> Now that I've got that out of my system...

I've got an Alembic Epic 5 and a Bongo 5. They are both heavy basses. Wide, soft, flexible leather is the key, and you'll spend $50 or more to get it. I tried one of those padded neoprene stretchy straps, and I returned it after one rehearsal. It was pretty inexpensive, and it felt OK over my shoulder, but every time I moved it went boingy boingy boingy, and I just hated it.

But how 'bout dem Saints, eh? Aaaaaa-EEEE!!! Poo-YI!! :D
 
#93
This was a timely thread, thanks to everyone for posting their strap info!

I've been using a Monocase GS1 (sharkskin) for a while, it's 3" wide and been OK on a MIM Jazz bass but not as comfortable as the 4" leather Moody on my bud's Spector.

Italia Leather Straps (http://www.italiastraps.com/) still has their 2-fer sale going on until April 2nd; so I just ordered (two of) their 4", which at 1/2 price makes these sure look like the can't-miss-this-deal.
 
#94
Update: both of my 4" Italia Leather Straps arrived two days ago. Wow, the grade of leather and workmanship on these is excellent, I definitely scored a major deal on them. Comfortable right away, and it's not even broken in yet; these are last-a-lifetime, heirloom-grade goods here. They smell real nice, too.

They are so thick that it does make installing straplocks a real squeeze, even after trimming the hole in the leather to size (I probably should have specified the correct hole diameter when I ordered, but I have a set of hole punches, so it was DIY no prob).

These are really great. My wife took one look at them and was immediately impressed. Thanks again for the word on these.
 
#97
As someone who's had recent disc surgery, I'd work on developing good posture and strong core muscles. A good strap will help, as will a lighter bass, but you are still standing for long periods supporting your weight and that of your bass.

Wearing a bass around your shoulders tends to make you slump, putting extra stress on discs and muscles. Strong, flexible core muscles support you so your bones and discs aren't doing all the work and keep you from "settling" into your poor posture.

I try to do some core work every morning, and if I miss a few days, I can surely feel it. I'd also try to pay attention to your posture as you practice to work on keeping your lower back in the correct position.

Here is some more information:

Link Removed
 
#99
The Levy's Ergonomic Bass Strap has some worthwhile advantages: the 3 Velcro points allow the shoulder pad to remain in a fixed position, while the suede underlining aids in keeping the strap from moving in either direction with no slippage. The 1st Velcro contact point (from the front exit point of the strap) allows the player to choose the distance between left shoulder and the instrument. The 2nd point at the entry point of the back end of the strap serves also to lock that position in place, and the end of the strap that loops through the end allows the height of the bass from the rear to be fixed, so the bass can be set at the proper angle for the right arm to rest upon the bass. It's a great tool to use when the bass player doesn't want to move the instrument around on the shoulder. The Bass Player magazine review covers the product in good detail. Success invites a lot of criticism for such a great product. Some say that's the price to pay for having a favorable review in the greatest magazine in the World of Bass!
 

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