I've got 3 regular Racer X straps, a custom order extra wide Racer X, and an extra wide automotive dead stock strap from Couch. All of them are grippy enough on my shoulder that I have no problems with slip, they remind me of the upholstery on a booth in a dinner, where you always have to shimmy a little more than you think you need to getting in. The deadstock one switches to seatbelt material down where it adjusts, and it's become my go to for the guitars that don't have a dedicated strap, as the adjustment is super easy, but the wide padding is enough for the heaviest and/or most neck-dive-y instruments.
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The Strap Snob Discussion Thread.
- Thread starter el murdoque
- Start date
I've used a 4 5" padded leather strap by Levi for well over a decade (likely two). My bass weighs a bit over 14 pounds. I've worn out quite a few strap lock buttons, but the strap itself remains intact and comfortable.
Just went thru big change as need total support for shows as I age
Used only Moody's for past 15 years but w a new heavier Sadowsky ME got a Levi's 4 1/2" inch leather one.
Leather is nowhere near the quality but after a few gigs and some abuse is wearing in great and feels much better at end of the night. Get it on Prime day for around $70. Moody is twice that
got Italia a while ago from all the talk here and hated it (IMO). Really poor leather which actually smelled. But that
's my experience
Was also snobbing out Levy's but learned lesson...
Used only Moody's for past 15 years but w a new heavier Sadowsky ME got a Levi's 4 1/2" inch leather one.
Leather is nowhere near the quality but after a few gigs and some abuse is wearing in great and feels much better at end of the night. Get it on Prime day for around $70. Moody is twice that
got Italia a while ago from all the talk here and hated it (IMO). Really poor leather which actually smelled. But that
's my experience
Was also snobbing out Levy's but learned lesson...
I have ever enjoyed my Gruv Gear Damien Erskine Signature. I got a closeout tan color about 5 years ago for i think around $70. It has held up great and it very comfortable. The second shoulder strap is way overkill for any bass less than 11lbs unless you are standing for more than an hour. Their solo strap or John Pattitucci Signature would probably be awesome, though.
I like the Moody 4" leather strap for a fancy option and they are of the utmost quality but honestly, after having expensive straps from many different makers, I actually prefer the 3" wide Levy cotton adjustable straps. They're very lightweight and flexible, they have some give, they distribute weight very evenly, they're durable, and they're very affordable compared to leather. I have eight of these with matching Straploks for all my basses.
levysleathers.com
Signature Cotton Series
The Signature Cotton series showcases guitar straps made from soft and breathable cotton fabric, known for its comfort and durability. These straps are meticulously designed with Levy's signature leather badge, a mark of quality and craftsmanship that sets them apart.
levysleathers.com
I use the Gruv Gear Solo strap in black leather. It IS awesome.
It’s 3” wide, it has heavy leather rolled edges, so nothing sharp to abrade your neck. It has a cool center layer on the inside, not quite rough suede, but not slippery either, and after a couple hundred gigs, I can say it holds up just fine.
They also make a much less expensive neoprene model that is very comfortable with the stretchy thing happening, but I like leather
.
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Say, would you mind telling me where you got that extension?
For the op, check out Brookwood leather, Bob makes some very nice straps.
It was part of a strap system that was designed to counteract neck dive [it didn't]. The main center section of the strap was cut on a bias and both ends incorporated the swivel coupling. Sorry, can't remember the name and I'm sure the company is long gone.
You can probably find similar at a leather tack shop.
I've had my eye on Anthology Gear straps for a while - their "Straight Up" design really pulls the room together, man...
Leather Guitar Straps
Every Anthology Gear leather guitar strap is handmade with full grain leather and is padded to maximize comfort. With a high value placed on quality workmanship and design, our premium leather guitar straps are created to be functional, everlasting works of art.www.anthologygearwear.com
Each of my basses also gets its own strap.
Pinegrove Leather! Mom & Pop (actually Husband & Wife) business out of Church Stretton, Shropshire, England. Very well made, lot's of options, very high quality leather. Excellent fair pricing, much lower than other straps of equal or lesser quality. I ordered a strap from them a few years back with a custom option. Rod was a pleasure to deal with.
Pinegrove Leather home page
Hand-built in England. Professional quality straps, cases and accessories for guitar, mandolin, harmonica, bass, drums.www.pinegroveleather.com
I did look at Anthology and at Pine Grove, and must say that I do like both styles a lot.
Here's what happened: I surfed across both websites and while Pine Grove really struck a note with me, I could not find THE strap that screamed my name. Anthology, on the other hand, has the Reticent 3" strap in a color called aged steel.
Not wanting to overthink this, and given that a lot of people recommended Anthology, I quickly tossed it into my shopping cart and headed towards the check out where I was given three options for shipping, ranging from $65 to $100.
I know I said money is not an issue, but spending 2/3rds on the retail price for shipping is a bit over the top in my book - especially since import tax is calculated on the grand total, including shipping cost.
Reading on the Pine Grove website, I came across their request to shoot them a mail for suggestions and options, which I did.
I quickly got a reply, offering me a slightly different shade of colour, one that I immediately jumped on.
Pine Grove Strap inbound!
Oh that’s too bad, I didn’t realize you were not in the CONUS. It’s pretty hard for small US-based companies to do business overseas unless they have decent volume that warrants it. Anthology ships for free in the US (which probably costs them around $10).
I think it's about the shop system those small companies use.
I've been running into that problem multiple times now, where a rather small and light article is extremely hard to ship, it seems.
I wanted to buy a bracket for a Pedaltrain, a single sheet of metal, which cost something like $13 and would fit in an envelope, and the shipping cost was $69. Or would have been. I did not purchase it, of course.
Same with an 18' instrument cable.
Weirdly enough, I buy US made pedals all the time and those usually are shipped for less than $30. By small brands.
...but at the end of the day, I think all I wanted was someone who is obsessed with leatherworks and driven to create the best quality straps possible - and I think that you'll find a few of these around the globe.
Rod from Pine Grove seems to be one. I hopefully will be able to judge that soon.
Yeah its complicated - bottom line is you have to work hard if you want to make it happen. My son has a business that relies on FedEx for shipping (like $250K per year) and its heavily negotiated each year. Rates depend on what you are shipping, and where the bulk of your packages need to go. Its not worthwhile dealing with the occasional outlier. The only model that I have seen that works for small businesses that occasionally want to ship overseas is something like Pirateship.com, which I have used personally for items I've sold and shipped overseas. But you have to want to mess with the customs forms and such, which can take time and be a headache if you are not careful. The other factor is duty charges which can take time to deal with. And with UPS, they often add a brokerage fee which boosts rates even more.
My favourite is this basic black leather strap which I've used for 40 years, it's worn in just right and is very comfortable.
With my main P-Bass I use this strap made by the lead guitarist in my band, leather work is one of his hobbies.
look up Nova Post (Nova Poshta), they're in Germany.
they ship from US/UK to Ukraine for 15 bucks (you ship to a local address in the country of origin and they do the rest), I think, they would do the same to Germany.
1. Obtain a nice piece of American bison hide
2. Determine your exact optimal length and width (I use 56"x 4")
3. Cut to width and length, rounding and tapering ends
4. sand all edges
5. Punch holes
6. Decorate with cow or antelope leather as desired
7. Use it forever
2. Determine your exact optimal length and width (I use 56"x 4")
3. Cut to width and length, rounding and tapering ends
4. sand all edges
5. Punch holes
6. Decorate with cow or antelope leather as desired
7. Use it forever
I love the "Right Height" adjustable. I think Levy's must have bought them out, as theirs are the only straps I see now that have that feature. I do own a Fender-branded one, but that's sold out on the Fender site.
It is super nice to adjust strap length on the fly. Some songs I prefer the bass higher, and some lower. Also great when you go from standing to sitting or vice versa. Just a tug, and the strap is at your perfect length!
I will not buy another strap without this feature, PERIOD.
It is super nice to adjust strap length on the fly. Some songs I prefer the bass higher, and some lower. Also great when you go from standing to sitting or vice versa. Just a tug, and the strap is at your perfect length!
I will not buy another strap without this feature, PERIOD.
