If you play the guitar then you will at some point play while standing up, for this you are going to need a guitar strap. The guitar strap is probably the most important bit of kit that a guitarist has, other than a guitar of course. If you go to a gig and don’t have your strap in your guitar case, then you will be in quite a tricky spot. When it comes to buying guitar straps there is so much for you to choose from, what one do you buy and what one is right for you? Hopefully the following will help you choose the perfect guitar strap.
Electric Guitar Straps
When you do into a guitar store like Guitar Center or look online at Musicians Friend, or even at Amazon.com you will be faced with a huge choice of guitar straps that can be used with electric guitars, they are probably the most common straps sold. This means that you will have a harder choice choosing the right strap. There are loads of different materials to choose from, lengths and widths and designs. A lot of guitars will come with a strap when you buy them, but normally they are quite boring so you will no doubt want to change it up for something that is a little more interesting, or that matches the person that you are.
Bass Guitar Straps
Because bass guitars a normally quite a bit heavier than the average electric guitar bass players need a different type of guitar strap. Many bass players will go for a much wider strap, so that the weight of the guitar is spread out over a larger area on the shoulder, if you use a thin strap you will feel the pain after an hour or two playing.
Acoustic Guitar Straps
With most acoustic guitars there will only be one end pin on the bottom of the guitar for a guitar strap, for this reason there are guitar straps that are made specifically for acoustic guitars. These straps have got string, lace or a strap at one end which wraps around the headstock/neck. If you are using a strap that has string or lace at the end make sure you tie a good knot, you don’t want it coming undone while you play and your guitar falling to the ground.
There are some people who don’t like the feel of guitar when using the type of strap so the other option is to buy a guitar that have a pin for the strap when the neck meets the body, or install one yourself. Personally I would never try to drill holes in my guitar, especially if I had spent quite a lot of money on it, so if you already have a guitar and want to use a regular strap then take the guitar to a professional to have the end pin installed.
Materials And Other styles
Nylon Guitar Straps
Nylon guitar straps are some of the cheapest that you can buy. If you just need any type of strap then you should consider these. Nylon is really durable too but it can dig into your shoulders after you have been playing for a while, so might not be the best choice if you will be playing long shows. Right now at Amazon.com the Ernie Ball Nylon strap shown on the left is only $2.94, it is an absolute bargain.
Leather Guitar Straps
Leather is the first choice for many more serious guitar players, these straps cost a little bit more than nylon straps but they are well worth the extra cost. They last longer as leather is very durable, they look great and once they soften up they are really comfortable. You will find a massive selection of leather straps in any guitar store and they span from relatively cheap to the silly prices of custom guitar straps.
Padded Guitar Straps
If you play your guitar for hours at a time, either at home or playing shows then a padded guitar might be ideal for you. There is a extra thick, soft layer of padding on the shoulder giving you some much needed extra comfort. I use a padded Levys strap on my bass guitar, as mentioned before they can be quite heavy, so that padding gives my shoulder a bit less trouble when playing shows compared to an unpadded strap.
Guitar Strap Locks
When you buy a new guitar strap you will find that they stay attached to your guitar without any trouble, but after you take it off and put it back on a few times you will see that the material gets softer and it comes off really easily. This is why I would recommend using guitar strap locks. Strap locks, as the name suggests, will keep the strap locked on to your guitar, they don’t come free unless you want it to. Schaller strap locks are perhaps the most popular ones on the market, but Dunlop do a good range as well.
Or you could opt for the Planet Waves – Planet Lock Strap, this is basically a regular guitar strap that comes in a number of designs and materials but they lock directly right on to the guitar end pins, you don’t need to replace the end pins to suit the strap lock.
Wearing Your Guitar
When it comes to how you wear your guitar, the height that it sits on you body, it is totally based on your tastes, though many people will copy what their favorite guitars do. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you play the same style of music, some guitar positions suit some types of music better than others. If you will be playing punk music or something like that then a low slung guitar is the thing to do. This position is OK if you are not playing complex parts, after a while some people will find that their wrists get sore. If you are going to be playing more technical pieces then a higher position will be better suited to you. It will be easier to play and it is also going to be less sore on your wrists. Many people see this position as being geeky, but I wont worry about what other people think, I don’t anyway, this is how I play my guitar.
As you can see there is actually quite a bit to think about when you are choosing a guitar strap, but I hope what you have read will help you make the right choice. If you are looking to buy online then check out Musicians Friend or Amazon.com, they both have a great choice and unbeatable prices.