Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

What's the best strap?


Pamberi

Recommended Posts

I've got one of those nylon straps that looks more like a tourer awning storm stabiliser thing. It's uncomfortable and slides on my shoulder, plus the eyes look imitation leather and flimsy. I would hate for my guit to become detached mid song leaving me looking like a prat. Looking for recommendations for a strong strap. Where? I'm not planning to go crazy cash wise. So has to be reasonably priced.

Edited by Pamberi
Typo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you want the widest, thickest, most padded strap money can buy, the Gruv Gear Solostrap Neo is one of the best out there.

If you don’t need or want such formidable padding, a Comfort Strapp is bloody excellent. Way less wide than the Gruv Gear but depending on the shape/angle of your shoulders it may actually be more comfortable. Also, its design means there is no need for strap locks on your bass.

If you like the concept of the Comfort Strapp but want something more premium feeling, the Sandberg Flexstrap ticks that box. The body of the strap itself is very very similar to the Comfort Strapp but the leather ends and buckles are much higher quality. You do sacrifice the in-built straplocking feature though.

All of the above straps have a strong element of “soft neoprene” to their feel. If that’s not up your alley and you prefer the slightly more “solid” feel of leather, my two recommendations would be the Maruszczyk leather straps and the Dingwall Levy’s leather strap. Both incredibly well made but the main difference is that the underside of the Maruszczyk straps is grippier due to having a suede surface, whereas the Dingwall is smooth leather on both sides so is more likely to slide. Depending on your tastes you may prefer one over the other and as you said your current strap is slippy (which you don’t particularly like) I suspect you’ll lean towards the Maruszczyks. They come in 2 different widths so make sure you pay attention to that when ordering. Some very nice colours on offer too.

Edited by CameronJ
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're worried about your bass coming off your strap, then why not invest in:

Other Strap Locks are available of course, some prefer Schaller's, some prefer Dunlop's, some prefer one of the other solutions available.

Straps are a personal thing, do you want cheap, do you want comfy, do you want padded, do you want grippy, etc., etc.

If you just want a bas(s)ic strap, then a plain, 3" wide leather strap is easily the best you can get. Grippy, comfy and cheap, at around £15.

If you want padded or something else, there's plenty of options, like the ones mentioned above. I use a Mono M80 GS1. Wide, padded, grippy and comfy. Not cheap though, but not the most expensive either.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My best strap is a leather one I had made by somebody local I met at a car boot sale; it's just a strip of leather with a Straplock at each end.

I don't need an adjustable one; all I do is measure them to the right length and then hope they don't slip.

So I had mine made to the right length to start with and never think about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, ped said:

These are the my fave, very comfortable, padded area is massive and starts early after the pin, and the strap is super lightweight. 
 

826030AF-9A0A-4D63-BFED-3DDB917D173E.jpeg

 

19 hours ago, mcnach said:

 

+1 on these

Me too. Great straps at a reasonable price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/08/2020 at 11:33, CameronJ said:

If you want the widest, thickest, most padded strap money can buy, the Gruv Gear Solostrap Neo is one of the best out there.

Slight hijack but in terms of ergonomic/"weight-relieving" straps would this compare favourably to the Mono Betty, if you have had experience of it?

Looking for hopefully a one strap solution that will do 4, 5 strings and even a (gasp!) Les Paul type skinny stringer...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Dapper Bandit said:

Slight hijack but in terms of ergonomic/"weight-relieving" straps would this compare favourably to the Mono Betty, if you have had experience of it?

Looking for hopefully a one strap solution that will do 4, 5 strings and even a (gasp!) Les Paul type skinny stringer...

Actually, the Mono Betty is the one strap I completely forgot to mention, but I do own one!

The Mono is narrower than the Gruv Gear, though still a good width with generous padding. It even has a handy “pick pocket” if you have a use for it - I suspect you will if you intend on playing skinny stringers as well. 

In all honesty I actually find the Mono just as comfortable despite not being as wide. Beyond the width of something like the Mono I feel like there’s a law of diminishing returns comfort-wise, unless you’re someone who suffers from chronic shoulder discomfort and/or back pain. Another thing you will notice is that the Gruv Gear grips the shoulder noticeably better than the comparatively smooth material of the Mono. There are situations where I’d prefer one over the other for reasons of grip.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, CameronJ said:

 In all honesty I actually find the Mono just as comfortable despite not being as wide. Beyond the width of something like the Mono I feel like there’s a law of diminishing returns comfort-wise, unless you’re someone who suffers from chronic shoulder discomfort and/or back pain. Another thing you will notice is that the Gruv Gear grips the shoulder noticeably better than the comparatively smooth material of the Mono. There are situations where I’d prefer one over the other for reasons of grip.

That's very interesting as I currently own a Betty although unfortunately it is too long for me. If the Gruv is more of a sideways move rather than a step up I may crack out some cable ties and have a play before splashing out on a short Betty!

The shoulder grip isn't too much of an issue for me, a little movement can actually be beneficial sometimes.

Thanks for the reply, most illuminating!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/08/2020 at 10:31, cgg199 said:

I have a RightOn strap and have used it a lot over the past 3 years. Got mine from Bass Direct, definitely worth checking out!

I've got RightOns on both my basses - the latex padding is nice and comfy, and the microfibre lining is just the right amount of grippy-not-grabby.

Also got an extremely nice plain leather one from Pinegrove for guitar, but for bass I like something with a bit of squish.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/08/2020 at 14:02, ped said:

These are the my fave, very comfortable, padded area is massive and starts early after the pin, and the strap is super lightweight. 
 

826030AF-9A0A-4D63-BFED-3DDB917D173E.jpeg

I bought these quite a long time ago on ped’s recommendation, and they are great, they are nice and light and the padding is very comfortable 🙂

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Without a doubt,.my favorite straps are from a reverb store I found called "Well-Hung Straps".  By far they are the most comfortable straps I have ever slung over my shoulder.  And with a torn rotator cuff, comfort is a must.  On top of that, they look fantastic as compared to other comfort straps.  I currently have two from Well-Hung, but I know it won't stop there.  Here are some pictures of what I have.  And the reverb link:

https://reverb.com/shop/well-hung-guitar-accessories

Note: while I am fonder of the coral corduroy paisley, the puppers is definitely digging the black velvet paisley!

 

 

 

20201027_231126.jpg

20201027_231111.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ive always liked the Harvest straps - http://www.harvest-guitar.com/en/Straps-fuer-Bass-Guitar/

Also a bit fan of Ethos straps in the US - https://www.ethoscustombrands.com\ - but they are defo not a budget option.

Cool vegan offerings from here - https://www.couchguitarstraps.com/

For Neoprene stuff I like the Comfort Strapp - https://comfortstrapp.com/ or https://www.neotechstraps.com/mega-strap.html (although the latter could be a bit bouncy)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 28/10/2020 at 08:35, Aalin said:

Has anyone ever used the one strap offered by Scott Devin, and can compare it with the Gruvgear eg.

I've not used the SBL strap but I know thst they are made by Ergo Straps, so it might be worth checking them out. I'm very tempted by one.

I've been using a Gruv Gear Duo Strap for a few years and love it. I've not been using the 2nd strap part lately, but it's still a wide, padded and very comfy strap.

I like the Comfort Strapp too, but I've found that if I have to wear blacks for a show, and I sweat a little, Neoprene straps tend to leave a white mark on my shirt, so I prefer to use leather straps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/08/2020 at 11:33, CameronJ said:

Depending on your tastes you may prefer one over the other and as you said your current strap is slippy (which you don’t particularly like) I suspect you’ll lean towards the Maruszczyks. They come in 2 different widths so make sure you pay attention to that when ordering. Some very nice colours on offer too.

I like these a lot.  I find them very comfy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...