I have two Brookwoods. One cut-to-size, one adjustable with conchos, carving, etc. Yep. Good stuff.
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The great strap shootout thread! Post your strap reviews here.
- Thread starter JakobT
- Start date
KLIQ air cell guitar strap review:
after reading about this from these forums I decided to finally try one, ordered one off of reverb.
First impressions, looks like your typical neoprene guitar strap but with those little pockets of air on the underside. Aeshetically, not very pretty overall, just very basic black and plain. Construction is okay. Nothing special. The leather ends look good. The rest is just average.
Wearing the strap: because it's a 3" wide strap all throughout, the positioning of the strap is quite different for me. It seems to climb up towards my neck more than my other straps, which sort of bother me. The strap is SLIPPERY!!! Be careful when first trying it on! Compared to my comfort strapp it's even more slippery!
Compared to the comfort strapp, when you put this on, you will feel the whole weight of the instrument like most straps. But with the comfort strapp, the instrument feels lighter. I'm beginning to think only the comfort strapp's design has this sort of 'feature'.
So does the air cell stuff work? Yes. I rehearsed for 2 hours, took a short break and played again for an other hour and a bit and I can definitely tell you that it does what's advertised. Long term playing, you'll definitely feel better and feel that you can go on all night!
There are some cons however:
1. Super slippery, might not be for most people especially those who are used to grippier straps.
2. The width of the strap or just how it's designed, when positioned on my shoulder, rides up too close to my neck, and I don't like that feeling.
3. The design is pretty plain. Most of these straps aren't lookers, i know that, but this one, from an audience perspective or when it's strapped on. Just looks meh.
Conclusion:
Compared to my comfort strapp, I still, believe it or not, have chosen the comfort strapp. It serves the same purpose, but isn't as slippery, and doesn't ride too close to my neck. Yes I still fatigue with the comfort strapp after 3 hours or so of rehearsing but I'd rather have that fatigue come in during long practices than have a strap ride on my neck and also slip a lot during the entire rehearsal. I also prefer the instrument 'feeling lighter' as soon as you put it on. Which only the comfort strapp's design seems to offer. And to me, the comfort strapp looks slightly better, aesthetically, ever so slightly!
All that being said KLIQ customer service is great! Asked for a refund, and since i'm in canada they just refunded me the strap minus shipping and said to keep it as a gift! How nice!
7/10
after reading about this from these forums I decided to finally try one, ordered one off of reverb.
First impressions, looks like your typical neoprene guitar strap but with those little pockets of air on the underside. Aeshetically, not very pretty overall, just very basic black and plain. Construction is okay. Nothing special. The leather ends look good. The rest is just average.
Wearing the strap: because it's a 3" wide strap all throughout, the positioning of the strap is quite different for me. It seems to climb up towards my neck more than my other straps, which sort of bother me. The strap is SLIPPERY!!! Be careful when first trying it on! Compared to my comfort strapp it's even more slippery!
Compared to the comfort strapp, when you put this on, you will feel the whole weight of the instrument like most straps. But with the comfort strapp, the instrument feels lighter. I'm beginning to think only the comfort strapp's design has this sort of 'feature'.
So does the air cell stuff work? Yes. I rehearsed for 2 hours, took a short break and played again for an other hour and a bit and I can definitely tell you that it does what's advertised. Long term playing, you'll definitely feel better and feel that you can go on all night!
There are some cons however:
1. Super slippery, might not be for most people especially those who are used to grippier straps.
2. The width of the strap or just how it's designed, when positioned on my shoulder, rides up too close to my neck, and I don't like that feeling.
3. The design is pretty plain. Most of these straps aren't lookers, i know that, but this one, from an audience perspective or when it's strapped on. Just looks meh.
Conclusion:
Compared to my comfort strapp, I still, believe it or not, have chosen the comfort strapp. It serves the same purpose, but isn't as slippery, and doesn't ride too close to my neck. Yes I still fatigue with the comfort strapp after 3 hours or so of rehearsing but I'd rather have that fatigue come in during long practices than have a strap ride on my neck and also slip a lot during the entire rehearsal. I also prefer the instrument 'feeling lighter' as soon as you put it on. Which only the comfort strapp's design seems to offer. And to me, the comfort strapp looks slightly better, aesthetically, ever so slightly!
All that being said KLIQ customer service is great! Asked for a refund, and since i'm in canada they just refunded me the strap minus shipping and said to keep it as a gift! How nice!
7/10
for those still looking for a comfortable weight relieving strap, think I may have just stumbled upon something:
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basically, the shoulder pad of a KLIQ guitar strap with the air cells, but attachable to any strap.
I had previously stated how I'd want to marry the comfort strapp to the KLIQ, this might be the way to do it!
Strap this on to my existing comfort strapp and maybe I'll finally have the best of both worlds!
Invalid Link Removed
basically, the shoulder pad of a KLIQ guitar strap with the air cells, but attachable to any strap.
I had previously stated how I'd want to marry the comfort strapp to the KLIQ, this might be the way to do it!
Strap this on to my existing comfort strapp and maybe I'll finally have the best of both worlds!
I make my own. Take a 3" wide strip of 6 ounce cowhide, cut to 56" length. I choose color based on the appearance of each instrument. Slightly taper each end, punch holes. I use an empty .38 casing for plain buttons, or a .44 for endpin jacks. OK, it works because my basses average about 5 pounds each.
Thick enough to be comfortable the material is soft vinyl that feels good, definitely good for a 50s P bass
Burwabit
Likes guitars that tune good and firm feelin women
I have too many straps 
Moody - best 4" strap available, period; subtle leather, comfortable and super durable; one 4" and two 2.5"
El Dorado Suave - favorite 2.5" strap, slightly better than Moody; these are phenomenally soft and they're double sided so you get two colors in one; not thickly padded per se yet still SOOO comfortable; two of these are same color with straploks direction reversed so I can tell them apart (because 1 is longer for my acoustic)
El Dorado 50s style - best 50's style strap on the planet, one "original" style and one "vintage" style; thick and super comfortable wool-lined pad; incredible customer service
LM - only experience is a 2.5" Laredo style, and it's one of the finest straps I've ever had, tied with Suave for comfort; has a cool "hidden tail" that is more comfortable than the normal fold-through attachment
Couch - all five are 2" straps in various flavors; great style and easy to wear; synthetic leather slips a lot if you have a bass with neck dive; my favorite is black with Buick trunk liner underside
Italia - great colors but 4" is a little too stiff/thick but good for bad neck dive with suede underbelly; one 4" and one 2.5" (that I use with my Ric); I'd like to try one with smooth leather underside
Levy's - love the MSS90 in brown/black... still one of my top straps (and IMHO Scott's SBL One Strap is a slight rip-off of this design, though never owned one); also prefer them when they had the old logo (less stiff), but MSS2-4 is a decent strap (not a Moody); I've also had MSS1, MSS2, MSS2-4, and M4GF
Mono Betty - cool modern strap, very light weight; ends are almost unnecessarily thick though and pick holder is on inside instead of outside; also dislike the large logo for live gigs, so I mostly use for band practice because it folds well into gig bag
Reunion Blues - 2" merino wool straps with leather ends are far superior than any nylon strap
Souldier - seat belt straps slip around a lot; I don't mind them for my guitars and some look pretty cool with wide leather ends; I personally like Couch better though; only have one left after selling a few
Straps I hated - Comfort Strap (y'all like the springy?), NeoTech gel strap (again, too bungy), GruvGear Solo (ouch, uncomfortable), Gibson Switchblade (came with a used bass, ok)
Moody - best 4" strap available, period; subtle leather, comfortable and super durable; one 4" and two 2.5"
El Dorado Suave - favorite 2.5" strap, slightly better than Moody; these are phenomenally soft and they're double sided so you get two colors in one; not thickly padded per se yet still SOOO comfortable; two of these are same color with straploks direction reversed so I can tell them apart (because 1 is longer for my acoustic)
El Dorado 50s style - best 50's style strap on the planet, one "original" style and one "vintage" style; thick and super comfortable wool-lined pad; incredible customer service
LM - only experience is a 2.5" Laredo style, and it's one of the finest straps I've ever had, tied with Suave for comfort; has a cool "hidden tail" that is more comfortable than the normal fold-through attachment
Couch - all five are 2" straps in various flavors; great style and easy to wear; synthetic leather slips a lot if you have a bass with neck dive; my favorite is black with Buick trunk liner underside
Italia - great colors but 4" is a little too stiff/thick but good for bad neck dive with suede underbelly; one 4" and one 2.5" (that I use with my Ric); I'd like to try one with smooth leather underside
Levy's - love the MSS90 in brown/black... still one of my top straps (and IMHO Scott's SBL One Strap is a slight rip-off of this design, though never owned one); also prefer them when they had the old logo (less stiff), but MSS2-4 is a decent strap (not a Moody); I've also had MSS1, MSS2, MSS2-4, and M4GF
Mono Betty - cool modern strap, very light weight; ends are almost unnecessarily thick though and pick holder is on inside instead of outside; also dislike the large logo for live gigs, so I mostly use for band practice because it folds well into gig bag
Reunion Blues - 2" merino wool straps with leather ends are far superior than any nylon strap
Souldier - seat belt straps slip around a lot; I don't mind them for my guitars and some look pretty cool with wide leather ends; I personally like Couch better though; only have one left after selling a few
Straps I hated - Comfort Strap (y'all like the springy?), NeoTech gel strap (again, too bungy), GruvGear Solo (ouch, uncomfortable), Gibson Switchblade (came with a used bass, ok)
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I discovered two things that ended up being deal breakers.
Firstly, the Planet Waves strap could be incredibly slippy. I didn’t notice this at first, because it happened with some clothes and not others, but sometimes my bass just skidded around - a very uncomfortable feeling. The second problem was that the pad tended to move around inside the strap during use, often ending up at one end.
It was a pity, as I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately these two problems made the strap unusable for me.
I used to sew a little tiny stitch through it where the pad ended to keep that from happening. Nowadays I don't think too much about it when I'm using one of them. As long as the pad goes over the shoulder, I'm good with it. And I actually like that it slides around on the shoulder. What I didn't like, however, is how the adjustment buckle allows it to slowly lengthen as the show goes on when you've used them for a few months. So I don't use them as much as I used to. Mostly just around the house.
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I thought about that, too - but it was the slipperiness that did it for me, so I decided not to bother, and gave it away. A suede backing works perfectly, so one more point to the Italia straps.
I like my bass to move around a little on the shoulder so that would not be a problem for me. I like having the strap the same width from end to end. I'd probably stitch the pad to stay where I want it and find a way to affix the length so its not adjustable, put it on 1 bass and leave it there!
- Oct 22, 2015
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That perfect strap is a bit of a will o' the wisp, yes? ... like many things ...
and what I find works well for me are straps that stay where I put them.
As reported upthread and elsewhere, part of The Great Strap hunt has its genesis in a sore left shoulder. A bit of physical therapy and some learninating with the PTs means much more attention paid to my body as a whole as it relates to my bass. It seemed to me an odd thing after telling the doctors that I play electric bass that none ever asks to see how I use my limbs when I play. And show the physical therapists: this is how I tune, this is how I put it on and take it off .... Once they see the range of motion it's simple enough for them to work out what needs work.
Pleased to report no shoulder pain now as I play. And it wasn't the strap ....
Yet I find what works best for me is a strap that conforms to my shoulder. Haven't yet found a padded leather strap that really does that. It may exist. Three inches works, 2.5 doesn't, 2 definitely doesn't, 2.75 does and haven't tried 4 or 3.5.
Fabric when I can get it, suede on the back if available, and no blatant advertisements ... from one who cut the "alligators" off her Lacoste clothes in the 70s yet happily wore a shirt with a purple cow on the left breast picked up one weekend at Williams College <ahem>
and what I find works well for me are straps that stay where I put them.
As reported upthread and elsewhere, part of The Great Strap hunt has its genesis in a sore left shoulder. A bit of physical therapy and some learninating with the PTs means much more attention paid to my body as a whole as it relates to my bass. It seemed to me an odd thing after telling the doctors that I play electric bass that none ever asks to see how I use my limbs when I play. And show the physical therapists: this is how I tune, this is how I put it on and take it off .... Once they see the range of motion it's simple enough for them to work out what needs work.
Pleased to report no shoulder pain now as I play. And it wasn't the strap ....
Yet I find what works best for me is a strap that conforms to my shoulder. Haven't yet found a padded leather strap that really does that. It may exist. Three inches works, 2.5 doesn't, 2 definitely doesn't, 2.75 does and haven't tried 4 or 3.5.
Fabric when I can get it, suede on the back if available, and no blatant advertisements ... from one who cut the "alligators" off her Lacoste clothes in the 70s yet happily wore a shirt with a purple cow on the left breast picked up one weekend at Williams College <ahem>
Ethos leather straps. Pricey (like a Moody,) very soft leather (like a Moody) but available in many cool designs.
I think I posted my love of Italia straps already and still love ‘em. I also just received 2 Couch straps and I’m really digging them. I usually use 4” straps and the Couch straps are 2” but they are incredibly well made, adjustable and very soft. I’ve done two four hour club gigs with my Ric and Geddy Jazz with zero comfort issues from the Couch. Highly recommended.
I just love my Italia straps, 4", and now have 4 of them. For me they are the right amount of stiffness, the underside is nice and "grippy" so no sliding around on any type of shirt I've had on. I like how the weight of any instrument is distributed over a wide 4" strap too, doesn't feel like its digging in as much. I have tried nylon straps and several Levy's- they seem to slip around and dig in uncomfortably for the most part. My first two Italias are 6 years old now, and going strong- I bet they will do great for decades to come.
I seem to always come back to Levy's. My main strap is a Levy's I bought in 1988.
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OK, I see. I was just wondering if there was a cool-looking denim strap out there I hadn’t heard about.
