I think I wear it at a normal position, it is kind of in the middle, not high not low.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Need recommendations on strap that is comfortable the entire back
- Thread starter otto B
- Start date
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
I've tried a lot of straps, and all my basses have 4" Moody leather straps. Nothing comes close, including all the neoprene and CFG straps. YMMV, of course.
I have a heavyish P bass a tad over 4kg and I use a suede back Levy's 4" wide garment leather strap that doesn't slip and doesn't dig because the seams are soft. It's padded. The bass is heavy but it doesn't neck dive. But I have no back issues yet.
My other P bass only weighs 3.5kg and it drives so once again a suede back strap is non slip but it tugs on clothes and fatigues my shoulder more.
I find anything more than 4" digs into my neck so 3.5"-4" is the sweet spot for bass straps.
The Fender worn leather strap is 3.5", thin and very supple, with suede backing. I have used it on bass but the wider straps are better.
All the above straps have the thin adjustable end woven through the wide section so there are no buckles to dig into me.
One strap I had to return is a Levy's cotton strap. It had a seam that dug into my mid back. So annoying.
My other P bass only weighs 3.5kg and it drives so once again a suede back strap is non slip but it tugs on clothes and fatigues my shoulder more.
I find anything more than 4" digs into my neck so 3.5"-4" is the sweet spot for bass straps.
The Fender worn leather strap is 3.5", thin and very supple, with suede backing. I have used it on bass but the wider straps are better.
All the above straps have the thin adjustable end woven through the wide section so there are no buckles to dig into me.
One strap I had to return is a Levy's cotton strap. It had a seam that dug into my mid back. So annoying.
DuoStrap Signature
The proven ergonomic double strap. The first and only professionally-tested double strap in the world - The DuoStrap Signature patent-pending balanced weight distribution offers comfort like no other! Significantly reduces shoulder pain and strain while playing, and helps keep a natural and...
gruvgear.com
I use the Gruv Gear leather version of the Duostrap. Love it. Wear it in the high, traditional mode. However, I do notice the absolute level of comfort depends on the particular bass body design. For example, the Fender P-bass (for me) is slightly more comfortable than the Fender J-bass. As a right-handed player, the upper bout of the Jazz extends further to the left, so the strap lock terminates the strap further out than a P-bass. This affects the balance. As usual, recommendations by lovers of other straps might not always fit your use case.
I'm sure you could find these at a tack shop. Here's a similar one I found on a quick search:
I got one of the bass specific models from Pine Grove Leathers, which happened to have a notable discount owing to a minor cosmetic defect. I find that it rests comfortably on the shoulder and the back. At that time, a friend was visiting from London and I could thus have it without paying an additional import tax on it in the EU.
www.pinegroveleather.com
Bass
100mm (4") wide straps with double & triple padding. If you get a sore shoulder from long gigs, these straps will help. They fit any guitar too.
www.pinegroveleather.com
It seems that most of the recommendations are leading toward the leather instead of the neoprene.
I have two questions:
Is there a noticeable difference between the straight leather strap and the leather padding strap?
It seems that some leather straps are cost friendly, but others are expensive. Is there a real difference on a strap because of the price and also were the leather come from?
I have two questions:
Is there a noticeable difference between the straight leather strap and the leather padding strap?
It seems that some leather straps are cost friendly, but others are expensive. Is there a real difference on a strap because of the price and also were the leather come from?
If you have lots of basses and (thus) you need to buy a lot of straps, then the price difference can add up. But if you only need one strap or just a few, then it seems to me the premium straps do give you more.
Straps like Moody's and Ergo are more expensive than Souldier or Dunlop (whose straps are roughly comparable), but the more expensive ones have higher-quality construction in terms of stitching, hardware and the finishing of the leather.
None of that is gonna make the music sound any better.
well, there’s a difference between a single-ply unstitched leather, stitched leather, padded leather straps and other designs.
it’s hard to generalize them tho, as different leather and different padding feels differently, but generally the 1-ply leather is the one that stretches most over time and the padded one will be most bulky and often the stiffest. sometimes padding works like charm for very heavy basses (I’ve had one where a solostrap neo 4.0 didn’t work, but an mss2-4 did), but for lighter ones a flexible, but wide strap IME will be more comfortable.
my ~4kg instruments are fine with a 3” unpadded soft strap (another nod to Lakota Leathers — velvety soft and very comfortable), after 4.5 kg I need more. with a padded 2.75” my 4 kg axes are notably heavier on my shoulder than with a 3” unpadded.
well, to some extent yes. a 30 bucks leather strap will likely have pleather components, around 60 bucks pretty good natural straps exist. will a 200 bucks strap will be better than a 70 bucks one? it’s up to you to decide.
True, there is no direct sonic advantage to one style or the other, but ergonomics can significantly impact your ability to play your best.
I had shoulder surgery back in the 90s to repair the cumulative damage of football, wrestling and rugby.
It was very successful, and 30+ years on, I have less issues with my left shoulder (the shoulder they repaired) than with my right.
But one issue I still have is that if an instrument is too heavy or neck-dives, it will put my left arm to sleep!
Trust me, that has an immediate impact on my ability to fret the notes.
So, listen to what your body is telling you: long-term, gravity always wins.
I used Italia 4" leather straps for years, and I liked them a lot. Lately I've been using a ZERO-G Pro strap and I like it even better. Doesn't soak up sweat or discolor like a leather/suede strap, and makes my heavy bass feel good even on the longest gigs. And no animals had to die for it.
www.cablefreeguitar.com
ZERO-G Pro Guitar & Bass Strap | Zero-Gravity Weight Relief
ZERO-G Pro is a professional zero-gravity strap for guitar and bass. Get pro weight relief and durability for heavy instruments, backed by a lifetime warranty.
www.cablefreeguitar.com
So far I have tried: comfort neoprene strap, ergo strap and my current Gruvgear neoprene/leather strap.
The comfort and ergo strap are good but not for all my basses. On some basses it makes the neck drop kind of feel like neck dive, on this basses the Gruvgear strap work perfectly, on other basses the other straps work perfectly except the leather part hits my back were the shoulder blade is and after 45min of playing I started to feel the pain.
The comfort and ergo strap are good but not for all my basses. On some basses it makes the neck drop kind of feel like neck dive, on this basses the Gruvgear strap work perfectly, on other basses the other straps work perfectly except the leather part hits my back were the shoulder blade is and after 45min of playing I started to feel the pain.
