Guitar Strap

[alerich]

I have this black leather guitar strap. I bought it in 1981 at an auto salvage yard. I was there buying a part for my 1968 Dodge Dart and I saw the strap hanging on the wall behind the counter. I asked it it was for sale and the guy said "Everything here is for sale, including her" as he pointed to a somewhat mildly annoyed woman sitting at a desk. I asked how much the strap was (the woman was a bit too old for me) and he said "five dollars". Sold.

The strap is plain black leather. One piece - no stitching. The main body is 3 1/4" wide and 37 1/2" long. The "tail" is about 26" long. The leather is about 1/8" thick. Originally the front of the strap was smooth and the back side was soft and slightly fuzzy. After 36 years of being my main strap the back side where it rests on my shoulder has been rubbed smooth just like the front. The strap has no manufacturer markings of any kind. It may have been a nicely cut homemade strap. I also have a brown Guild strap I picked up in 1978 but it is not as wide. I use it for my Charvel and my Strat.

The strap is perfect for a Les Paul or other heavy guitar because at 3 1/4" wide it distributes the weight of the guitar evenly across your shoulder without digging in or causing fatigue or soreness. I have been looking for another strap just like this for about twenty years to no avail. I have some basic leather working tools and have even attempted to make one for myself but I cannot find and leather stock that is suitable for this. It is either too thin and stretchy or too stiff. I'd love to have a duplicate for my Charvel and my Strat. They are not uber heavy but a wider strap would be nice. Try and find a 3 1/4" plain leather off the shelf guitar strap. I dare you.

Damn, I wish I could find either another identical strap to my black one or leather stock identical to the leather which this was crafted from.

I bought the button in 1978 in the height of the disco wave. Heh.

[jjasilli]

Great straps and stories.  And I agree about disco.  Got some promising leads googling "wide leather guitar straps"; "custom guitar straps"

[alerich]

The only promising search lead was " Gibson Black Leather GUITAR STRAP Extra Wide for Les Paul Standard" but nobody selling them (mostly Stratosphere) seems to own a ruler. "Extra wide" can mean just about anything. I have a query pending. Maybe it will pan out. Doesn't look like it will match my black one but it might be a little better than the brown one.

[sluckey]

My '72 335 came with a strap just like that but it was only approx. 2-1/2" wide. It was the most comfy strap I ever had. It's still on the guitar. The LP probably really needed the extra width. Here's the only pic I have. Too bad the strap was not the center piece.

[Willabe]

Just go on reverb.com search guitar straps, lots of them.

I spent a good 3 hours sifting thru several hundred different leather straps. I like a wide leather strap that's smooth on the back side so it will more on my shoulder when I want it to. 

I just bought a 3 1/2" wide strap made out of garment leather by Levy. Franklin is another leather guitar strap maker.

It may be a little too wide. But I like at least 2 1/2".

[Ritchie200]

Alerich,


Do you happen to have a Tandy Leather store close to you?  I have been using their unfinished straps for years but it may not be wide enough for what you are looking for.  HOWEVER, each store is usually run by an accomplished leather worker - at least the one I go to is.  The guy does amazing work.  You could go in and ask what they would charge to match what you have or do something custom for you.  You could pick out the leather, finish, color, style, tooling, etc....  There are some beautiful leathers out there and if it's a forever strap, it may be worth the expense.


Jim

[Ritchie200]

351 Thornton Rd, Suite 104
Lithia Springs, GA 30122
Manager: Paul Gierzewski

AtlantaWest173@tandyleather.com
Phone: 770-941-8975
Fax: 770-941-8957
Toll Free: 855-330-3050
Store Hours:
Monday-Friday: 9am - 6pm
Saturday: 9am - 4pm
Sunday: Closed




6725 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Suite D
Norcross, GA 30071
Manager: John Pribbenow

Atlanta120@tandyleather.com
Phone: 770-449-0711
Fax: 770-449-0751
Toll Free: 800-261-4119
Store Hours:
Monday-Friday: 9am - 6pm
Saturday: 9am - 4pm
Sunday: Closed

[Ritchie200]

Also, if the leather you are looking at seems too stiff, there are loads of products out there to give it some flex - like a good ol ballglove!  Tandy has some great leather finishing products as well.


Jim, no I dont work for them.....

[drgonzonm]

Alerich,


Do you happen to have a Tandy Leather store close to you?  I have been using their unfinished straps for years but it may not be wide enough for what you are looking for.  HOWEVER, each store is usually run by an accomplished leather worker - at least the one I go to is.  The guy does amazing work.  You could go in and ask what they would charge to match what you have or do something custom for you.  You could pick out the leather, finish, color, style, tooling, etc....  There are some beautiful leathers out there and if it's a forever strap, it may be worth the expense.


Jim

Darn you took my thunder +1

[Ed_Chambley]

Alerich,
I ran across a selection of 3.5 and 3.25 inch straps.  Here:
https://www.elderly.com/accessories/straps-accessories

[alerich]

Thanks for all the input. I was at the Tandy store in Lithia Springs just before I posted this. Huge place and an enormous selection of leather. I handed my strap to the gentleman and he got that "Hmmm, I probably don't have exactly what this guy is looking for" look on his face and he didn't. I laid my strap down on the table and pulled on it lengthwise. It does not stretch. Every piece of leather he had stretched. Beautiful stuff, though... as long as it isn't supporting a guitar around your neck.

I have a couple Franklin straps. My girlfriend lives near him and picked a few on discount for me to try. Very nice straps but they are both two pieces stitched together. Maybe that's what gives them strength. I want something that is one plain piece of leather. I found a "Gibson Extra Wide Leather Guitar Strap" on eBay but the width is not listed and the seller can't be bothered to break out a ruler for me. I've looked at the Levy's straps. Nice products but two pieces, stitching, padding. Not what I am looking for. I can live with the Guild strap for my Strat style guitars if need be.

[G._Hoffman]

Finding decent straps for half decent money these days is the bane of my existence.  And when you DO find a company making decent straps, the next time you order them they've changed their leather, and you receive absolute junk.  Of late, I've been having very good luck with Steph straps, which are carried by WD.  The good ones are stitched, but not unreasonably expensive for what they are, and the leather doesn't suck, which is the major problem with straps these days.  Most of the other decent straps are vastly overpriced.  Planet Waves had some really good ones from Argentina for a while, but when they moved all their production back to the USA they stopped making them.  For the most part, I applaud the decision to move production back to the USA, but I do miss those Argentinian straps.

The major problem is that most of the leather out there these days just sucks.


Gabriel

[Willabe]

Found this company, leather straps, $25 to $40 range, look pretty nice;

Walker & Williams – Fine Leather Goods Since 1894