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The Ernie Ball ones suck all the tone out of your guitar. If you're a serious guitarist, you won't use them.

I use whatever cheap black strap the shop I'm buying a guitar at has. I usually cut off the fake leather bits on the end, and tie the strap to the pegs using bootlaces. This is as sturdy as straplocks but a lot less fussy about twists and such.

I hate leather straps or straps that are too grippy. I like them to move around a bit.

BacchusPaul wrote:I use whatever cheap black strap the shop I'm buying a guitar at has. I usually cut off the fake leather bits on the end, and tie the strap to the pegs using bootlaces.

"I say old chap, i simply love what you've done with that guitar strap! Is it from Conran?"

I do use suede guitar straps...all the time....

I got one of these during the Music123 free stuff fiasco of '09. It's unbelievably comfortable.

http://www.music123.com/DiMarzio-Ultra- ... 3.Music123

I like having straps that have funky designs on them, like so




But I also got a black Fender strap that I used to use for my bass.

Just these:



I have a couple of them in black. One of them I've had for about 23 years. The other one I picked up recently, to replace one that I gave to a friend of mine who was tight for money, and needed a strap for her Strat. They're cheap, and they're durable. I don't find them to be too uncomfortable either (heck, I used to do 3 set shows with the oldest one, being used to carry a 1980, Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, that weighed about 13 pounds!). The main reason I use them, is due their infinite adjustability. I don't sling guitars down low for that "rock & roll look." I carry them pretty high (like a jazz player). The suede strap I was using in the 80s wouldn't go high enough for me, and drove me up the wall. It worked for some guitars, but for others, just wouldn't cut it. So, when I bought my one and only shredder guitar in 1987 (a Gibson Q-4000 - their take on the super-Strat [I wish I still had it for collectability, I found out recently, that maybe only a dozen were made, which explains why mine had a custom shop sticker on it]), I got the Ernie Ball strap, so I could hang the guitar high enough, for my playing preferences. And, that did it for me.

The type that LRC's brother makes for you when you from a belt he bought during his trip in Ecuador. His girlfriend sewed the leather parts, and I do believe they even made the buckle To me, it represents some amazing love found between friends that transcends meeting via shortscale!

Off the market, I LOVE Couch guitar straps. Made cruelty-free from vegan or recycled materials! I respect what they stand for and they are some high quality and awesome looking straps!


Couch Guitar Straps Website

I have a grey earnie ball strap like the ones ellen posted, I got it for free in a promotional wheel of fortune type thing outside a GC in '98 and immediately put it on my straplock'd Jaguar where it remains to this day.

I have the AV strap on my AV Strat

Apart from those 2 guitars (both of which have Schaller straplocks and it'd be a pain to use different straps) I just use a "Levy's custom" suede strap for Guitar Center. Tan on the back and brown on front. It stops my beatle bass and SG from neck-diving and matches my Les Paul aesthetically pretty well. They don't seem to make this exact style anymore but they were Levy's "shop strap" for retailers, you'd see 'em at other shops with their logos too.

The next strap I buy is probably going to be a Couch one. Thanks, Roachello.

James wrote:The next strap I buy is probably going to be a Couch one. Thanks, Roachello.

+1 Thanks.

Haze wrote:nothing wrong with the standard fender ones. a friend of mine has a huge leather strap but it gets hot and sweaty and rubs against my shoulders really hard. and to think he carries around a les paul on that thing
So yeah these guys

My favourite is fender too.

I find length more important than brand.
I have 2 fender monogramme and they're different lenghts.
I have long ape like arms, wide shoulders and like my guitar quite low.
I definately struggle with length (no pun!)
All my other straps are at full length and are still a bit short.

Are the Fender straps still vinyl backed? That's why I never bought them. The vinyl backing made the straps too stiff for my taste.

Thom wrote:

James wrote:The next strap I buy is probably going to be a Couch one. Thanks, Roachello.

+1 Thanks.

Yep, they're lovely, but expensive as all get out here in the UK, unfortunately.

i've always struggled finding a comfy strap. i currently have 3-4 different ones that get regular use.

the standard fender one is ok, it's really stiff to adjust the length on it.
the black fender extra long strap, not for the length mainly the logo on it. i like this on lighter guitars like my hollowbody.
levys black leather strap, slightly padded though not very long. use is on the strat or tele, which ever is the main guitar.
dickies strap, digs in my shoulder a little, but ok for my acoustic.

how high/low do people wear their guitar? can't seem to find the comfy spot, either too high or too low. is there a certain way your arm has to be to reduce strain etc?

I go for the XL Levys normal jobs, nice and long. I'm a tall bastard and like a low guitar, these fit the bill nicely.

I play my guitar pretty high, but mostly because I'm a noob and have to watch what I'm doing. I can't wait until I'm comfortable enough to play it lower so I don't look like such a tool. All my guitar idols always sling it like crotch level, I wear it across my belly button pretty much.

Between crotch and belly button level when standing, sometimes a bit lower.

Whatever stands up to gigging, so that usually means strap locks or sorts as well.
I use Fender straps on my Fenders and Levys with other stuff. It matters. I used a cheap strap once and it shred on the button hole at rehearsal, luckily i caught the neck before the headstock hit concrete.

benecol wrote:

Thom wrote:

James wrote:The next strap I buy is probably going to be a Couch one. Thanks, Roachello.

+1 Thanks.

Yep, they're lovely, but expensive as all get out here in the UK, unfortunately.

How much roughly? I was looking through their site and it seems that if you order direct most are $35-45 with $9 shipping to the UK so about £27-34 which would come in without customs fees unless they put too high a value on the package. Though, I'm probably going to wait until I get to America to buy one.

whatever suits the guitar best, it's all about the looks not the feel

suede straps look nice, but because they're not smooth like leather straps they stick to your shoulder so the guitar stays in position and the neck doesn't 'drop' when you reach for something when you're not playing (mic, pedals etc) so that's a bit irritating when the neck is in your way.

on my mustang i have :


the blue one, but i dyed it black and turned out grey

on my p bass i have:


and my hondo II