grayghost - Posted - 03/09/2008:  18:37:47

evening to all. wondering what you folks would suggest for a strap for my new Festival. the nylon strap with plastic clips was fine for the light wieght of my starter mastercraft, but weight difference is considerable and want to make sure strap to instrument connection is secure, as well as comfort aspects.
i've seen the Levys, neotechs ,etc, just need a little picker input as to finer points.
thanks, and have a great Sunday evening.

banjerpickor - Posted - 03/09/2008:  18:52:10

Anti Gravity strap by Hatfield music.



2007 goldstar gf 100 fe

jbalch - Posted - 03/09/2008:  19:00:20

I like my Dogwood Designs Straps. I prefer the "professional" style, custom-made to my preferred length, with riveted or sewn ends.

http://www.dogwooddesigns.com/


www.johnbalchmusic.com
www.myspace.com/johnbalch

Sheldon - Posted - 03/09/2008:  19:01:21

I made my own. Go to your local leather shop and get a belt blank and a strip of similar leather about 1/2 inch wide and 18 inches or so long.
Punch a couple of holes in the both ends of the narrow leather about an inch apart and similar holes in the belt blank.
Run the narrow leather between the rim and the hooks on the under side of th banjo.
Lace each end of the strap and belt blank together. Voila, a cradle strap that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
It will be necessary to size the resulting strap to suit you.


Sheldon

eagleisland - Posted - 03/09/2008:  19:10:15

Greyghost, like many things banjo, this really comes down to a question of personal preference.

There are two areas in which personal preference comes in - the way it feels and the way it looks. Let's talk appearance first, since it's the easier of the two. You can get all fancy with a wide variety of fancy tooling. You can see some good examples of this by looking at Dogwood Design straps. Lots of Hangout members swear by them, and they sure are pretty. But you pay extra for all that lovely leather work.

The real job of a strap is to safely and securely hold your banjo in a comfortable playing position and be comfortable on your shoulders and back. For the safety and security part, many players agree that a cradle strap is the way to go. Generally, these thread under the tension hooks and either join at the bottom (or come darned close). They fold back on themselves and are fastened either with laces or 'chicago screws,' which are essentally a system comprising of a bolt and a 'nut' that looks like a hollow screw. Leathersmiths and saddlemakers keep them around; hardware stores sell them as 'barrel bolts.'

Your best bet is probably to start with a fairly conventional strap and see if that works for you. Bear in mind that the wider it is where it goes over your shoulder, the more comfortable it's likely to be. If it's well padded there, your comfort is likely to increase.

My own strap - I bought it from Arthur Hatfield - is a simple leather cradle strap, unornamented, and the bulk of it is about 5/8" wide; there's a sheepskin-lined pad that fits over the shoulder (2 1/4" wide). It's pretty comfortable. It's not one of the "Hatfield" straps - IIRC he joked that those straps were actually designed and made for Williams - but I liked the wide, padded shoulder pad.

It works for me. Were I you, I'd find a simple, high-quality cradle strap and see if it works for you. You wanna upgrade from there, follow your bliss.

eagleisland

It ain't where you are that counts. It's how far you traveled to get there.

TMarshall1 - Posted - 03/09/2008:  19:31:50

Give Long Hollow Leather a look while you're shopping "www.longhollowleather.com"
The Banjo Softy Sueded (cradle style) SWEET!!!


It's a gDGBD (Gosh Darn Good Banjo Day)!
Tony

Proud Member of

The Gibson Chapter

"...if ya got time to breathe, ya got time for music..."
Briscoe Darling - Apr.29,1963

Edited by - TMarshall1 on 03/09/2008 19:35:13

SJL - Posted - 03/09/2008:  19:35:46

I have had good luck with pretty simple Levy's. I have one that is padded, the other one isn't. Quite frankly, after the non padded one softened up a bit I haven't noticed any comfort difference between the two. I sond most of my practicing seated though, I'm not sure how much different they would feel if I played for a long while standing up.



"If the woman is alive at the end of the song, it ain't Bluegrass".

2007 Hatfield Walnut Custom

1976 (?) Aria Pro Tree of Life

SamM - Posted - 03/09/2008:  19:39:18

My kids got me a strap from Dogwood Designs for my birthday (I have nice kids). I think it is the same strap that he made for Steve Martin. It is very well made, soft and comfortable. I recommend Dogwood Designs, as have many others.

gunnar02 - Posted - 03/09/2008:  19:58:50

I noticed the heel of my teachers banjo is all dented and scratched from his strap. That is the reason I will not put one on my banjo. He uses a nylon strap with plastoc ends. Does this happen with all straps? I would never forgive myself if I did that to a high end instrument. I think he sees his stealth as a tool more than a cherished posession. Any thoughts. Again I have never used a strap.

waystation - Posted - 03/09/2008:  20:58:49

I really like unlined leather straps, the softter and wider the better. My favorite strap is 3 inch wide black leather that I bought at a music store yard sale for 25 cents in 1978. It's been on almost every banjo I've had since. I have a white leather strap 2 inches wide that I use now, mostly because I got tired of the black strap staining my shirts when I played shows in the summer heat. Either one would double as a handkerchief. Stiff leather straps with padding are still stiff leather, and you'll feel the edges cutting into your neck after a few hours. I fasten all my straps with leather laces, doubled over so if one strip of leather breaks (they always do) the banjo stays attached. I never use a strap with any metal in it, and I've never had a strap damage a banjo.

A good strap will stay with you longer than a good banjo. Sounds funny, but both of my main straps have been on at least three banjos over the years.


Rich Stillman

Banjo - it's what's for dinner.

Skype "banjoteacher"
http://www.americanmadebanjo.com: home of Kel Kroydon banjos, Dannick tone rings and cryogenic strings
http://world.std.com/~muller/SR/index.html: Home of Southern Rail.

SamM - Posted - 03/10/2008:  11:48:38

I have a wide cowhide strap made for me by Jeff Mosby that is beautifully handtooled. He put metal hooks on it which did concern me but I have used it for about five years now and it has never left a mark on a banjo. This strap is sheepskin lined and it is very comfortable. The strap is such that I could not put my banjo in a case with it attached, so the hooks are more convenient than chicago screws or ties. Jeff's leather work is truly exceptional but expensive.