Quiet strap?

[Solipsistik]

I have a Richter strap for my Maruszczyk and ... well, it's loud. I can hear it grinding at the strap button through the amplifier/s and it's both annoying and off-putting. I think it's just the leather material doing it, but I don't know, I don't have another guitar (of my six total) that does this. Perhaps it's the stiff body and hot pickups on the bass but whatever it is, I need to deal with it.

I have locking pickups on the Warwick. Maybe that's how I should go. What do you think?

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

I have Levy's Sundance leather strap with Schaller strap locks, and this combo is pretty quiet. The strap lock cuts direct contact between the leather and the guitar's body. Worth a try.

 

[Five or Six]

Show us a picture. Never heard of this before.

 

[yodedude2]

i think the first thing to do is try a different strap from another of your basses that does not have the noise issue and see if the issue persists.

 

[Lammchop93]

I’ve had a couple basses that do that. It’s like a microphonic sound. The pickup is picking up squeaking and creaking from the strap.

I’ll be honest, I just learned to live with it. I assumed it was a pickup issue, but maybe not?

 

[Thumpin6string]

The only thing I got from this thread is "locking pickups". I want to see those.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It's the leather rubbing against the wood. Either a little powder or clear shoe polish will allow it to slide, or just raise your bass slightly so the strap isn't so taught when you move.

 

[Aloe]

I like strap locks for additional clearance between my bass and the strap.

they allow the cord to tuck nicely and, well, some straps might be abrasive.

 

[JamesGrant]

Solved that problem by using normal strap studs and those rubber ‘Grolsch’ strap ‘don’t-fall-off’ washers (there’s probably a proper name for them, but I refuse to look it up). Before that I had fancy strap locks - squeaky!

 

[Goatrope]

 

[Solipsistik]

Locking pickups... posting when I'm distracted always works out this way. Kind of a shame that TB removes the edit feature so quickly, it's hard to fix problems like this if you don't notice right away. Locking strap buttons is what I meant of course.

Thanks for the input, I will look into a couple of these and see how it works out. I'll also try the strap that I put on my Gretsch, though it's not wide enough for the Maruszczyk, it's well padded and made of a different material. I am thinking I might just put an Ernie Ball Polylock strap or Rok Loks on it, doing research on it right now, but it looks like that material wouldn't squeak/grind.

Speaking of my locking straps on the Warwick, they make noise only when I'm picking up the guitar and the strap moves a fair bit. On my shoulder there is very rarely any noise/squeak. Being metal, they can easily be lubricated to stop that anyway. I'm sure that most of you know about these, but I rate them pretty highly.

 

[Wyvern]

I’ve had a couple basses that do that. It’s like a microphonic sound. The pickup is picking up squeaking and creaking from the strap.

I’ll be honest, I just learned to live with it. I assumed it was a pickup issue, but maybe not?

Supposedly you can scream into a microphonic pickup and you can hear it through the amp.

That would be a disturbing scene at Guitar center.

 

[Solipsistik]

Supposedly you can scream into a microphonic pickup and you can hear it through the amp.

Steve Kudlow from Anvil does it at every gig, and it's not even a microphonic guitar. He also plays it with a vibrator, Talk about your disturbing scenes at the guitar shop...

Caution: spicy amplified language...

 

[Solipsistik]

Update: Ernie Ball Polylock straps are only $50 to my doorstep on Amazon right now, and they're a whole $2 more expensive than buying Rok Loks for my existing strap as an alternative. The economics work better. While there I also bought some D'Addario strap locks with cord carrier, for $6.87 to my door, I'll put one on my Jackson and my Gretsch which don't have locks and have never caused me an issue... but peace of mind is always good and these units look useful + inexpensive, so why not?

Hopefully the Ernie Ball strap will solve this issue and also give me a bit more confidence with the strap. All the reviews say that it's also a relatively wide and comfortable strap for a heavier bass. The only detrimental review I've seen says it isn't long enough for tall players (which may be subjective).

 

[yodedude2]

thanks for the update. you always have my permission to spend more of your money on bass gear 8) might want to pick up a 4-pack of grolsch while you're at it, for backup 8)

 

[bassfran]

Treat the strap tabs with a little rub of leather conditioner, work it in and wipe off any excess.

 

[Solipsistik]

might want to pick up a 4-pack of grolsch while you're at it, for backup 8)

Not a fan of Pilsners or Lagers for the most part.

I have some Rochefort 8 in the fridge, though!

 

[klyph]

Is the Marusczyck chambered? I’ve had this with hollow body basses, and a matte finish seems to be noisier, too. I rubbed a little bit of dry bar soap on the strap hole, it fixed it.

 

[Solipsistik]

Is the Marusczyck chambered? I’ve had this with hollow body basses, and a matte finish seems to be noisier, too. I rubbed a little bit of dry bar soap on the strap hole, it fixed it.

I will try that today, since my new stuff won't likely show up until Monday and I plan to spend a couple of hours practicing. I'm just enjoying the learning process of playing a 5 string with proper damping and use of the B string too much, lol

And no, I'm pretty much certain it is not chambered.

 

[Gluvhand]

Steve Kudlow from Anvil does it at every gig, and it's not even a microphonic guitar. He also plays it with a vibrator, Talk about your disturbing scenes at the guitar shop...

Caution: spicy amplified language...

I think his guitars have been hollow/semi-hollow bodied for years now. May not be the pickups.