Straps

Straps to a bass player are like shoes to a woman.  <yep here it comes - I am going to catch hell for that opener>  There are as many straps as there are basses.  Long straps, short straps, leather straps, nylon straps, padded straps, and that doesn't even begin to touch the tip of the iceberg on colors.  Which one is right is purely a subjective exercise - what works for one may not work for another.


I have found that I prefer a wide strap and it just so happens a wide nylon strap is one of the cheapest straps on the rack at my local national guitar chain. <bonus for the founder of the CBC>  I know a few bass players who prefer wide straps because it helps distribute the weight of the bass across their back.  I don't have back issues but I do find that a thin strap ends up digging into my shoulder so a wider strap really is much more comfortable in that respect.

Back in the eighties I made a fixed length custom leather guitar strap with a thick wide piece of leather from the local leather shop.  In the spirit of Iron Maiden I installed chrome pyramids on the strap after first dyeing it black. It was a conversation starter and was actually quite comfortable.  The raw unfinished underside of the strap helped keep my bass from shifting around and stopped neck dive.  Ultimately I gave it to our guitarist and never saw it again once the band went our separate ways.

Now I am considering making another wide strap for my bass - something around four inches wide.  This time around I would not make it out of leather.  I think I would probably go with nylon or some similar, durable material.  I have not seen anything online that strikes my fancy but maybe you have some suggestions.  Shoot me an email at dasjugghead@gmail.com with any ideas or suggestions.