Hello everyone,
I am looking for a new strap that is comfortable and fairly inexpensive. I am currently looking at these options. Does anyone any experience with these straps. I would trust you all more than a “paid review” on youtube or something.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Gruv-Gear/DuoStrap-Neo-Ergonomic-Double-Guitar-Strap.gc
@Ezekielrfernando - I don’t know any of these straps personally, but my advice is this: The wider the strap, the more weight is distributed across your shoulders, and the width - regardless of material (though pads and softness do help immensely) - has been tremendous in helping my arms and back when I’m playing.
I haven’t used any of those, but I do use the 4" Neotech Bass Strap, and it’s great. Highly recommended. You might look at that, and the ComfortStrapp, too. You can get either one at lots of places online.
I love the Gruv Gear Solo Straps! I use the 4" wide one on my Cirrus and it’s great. Nice and neoprene-y, but not all crazy stretchy like the Comfort Strapp I had (also stopped using Comfort Strapp since they use leather in the ends, which I’m not down with). I’ve been using the Gruv Gear like crazy since Aug 2017 and it’s in perfect condition.
Kind of a related question - I just got an AirCell strap and it feels great but has these crazy thick end straps. Like 1/4" thick leather. To even get them to go on at all I had to cut a bit of leather away from the holes to let them fit over the nut at all, and even then, after clipping them on with strap lock clips it’s a tight fit:
The clip is pretty snug, and will only rotate about 45 degrees before getting too snug to comfortably rotate.
Is this a terrible idea? The last thing I want is to strip out the strap nut screw holes because it’s too tight.
Hmm, maybe a false alarm. I put my old strap back on and it was pretty snug too, only a little less snug.
The AirCell seems nice so far. Good feel to it, definitely easier on the shoulder. Still a 3" strap though, so the Gruv Gear 4" ones look like they are quite a bit better.
I’ve never seen a strap lock clip like that, who makes those? I’ve only ever used strap locks that are actually attached to the strap, sometimes involving replacing the existing strap button on the bass too.
I don’t see how any of that would strip the screw hole on the bass though, as long as the strap+lock aren’t rotating the screw?
D’Addario makes them. It’s these:
Definitely not rotating the screw, they just felt pretty snug, like they might be putting a bit of pressure on the screw. But I think it’s actually getting better. The strap leather was pretty thick and relatively stiff but I think it is breaking in already.
I use the same strap and love it!
Thanks! Wow, interesting concept. Definitely looks a lot clunkier than traditional strap locks, I don’t know if I’d take them on a gig, but seems useful for around the house/rehearsing type stuff.
I absolutely love my Levy’s Leathers strap. I have the 3.5” padded model. It is super comfortable. I love playing my bass just to feel the comfy strap on my shoulder! Highly recommended!
Same here! 
I have their 3" DM1PD black strap and definitely would not get anything narrower than that. You can find it for ~$31-35.
Kerusso
I accidentally saw it and they looks tough. I hang with them and feeling good.
I just installed Schaller S-Locks on my bass to get a good strap lock. The system seems nice.
The bottom strap button screwed in fine and snugged up nicely.
The top one screwed in nice and snug but then didn’t tighten down and felt like it was spinning (and probably stripping) as it began to snug down the felt washer. Obviously I stopped rather than continue to strip it. It didn’t overtighten and strip; it simply never snugged down.
The button is finger tight and won’t turn but a hex driver will immediately turn it.
Pretty sure it’s starting to strip. So I guess my options are to see if it holds or the nut begins to loosen, or take it out and do something with the hole - either add wood or get a larger screw. Anyone ever deal with this before?
oh yes
I’m using Schaller strap locks since at least 20 years, if not more. I have them fitted on more or less all my guitars and of course my main bass.
Sometimes the provided screw won’t fit properly, the hole in the guitar/bass body is just a little bit too wide. In this case you might have to find another screw. The other solution is to glue a piece of wood into the hole (I use toothpicks and wood glue) so the hole gets tighter and retains the screw properly.
Yeah thanks, I figured it was common. I am probably going to do the toothpicks and glue thing tomorrow on the stripping one. I heard that using super glue is the recommended way now.
The new S-Locks have the screw built in to the button so you need to buy a new button to get a bigger screw 
I use wood glue to glue wood on wood but I guess it’s not much a critical choice here ! the tootpick won’t go out when the screw is in !
Oh I did not knew that : I only use vintage strap locks, they sound much better 
This is actually true! Schaller’s marketing blurb for the new design is that it is “silent”
Got the best of both worlds
However this is weird. When I took off the S-lock the wood was still visibly threaded:
and it is really snug screwing or unscrewing the thing. In fact so snug it makes the tonewood sing when I do it. And then it gets finger tight but if I try and tighten it more, it doesn’t.
A bit of wood comes out each time I unscrew it. What I think is happening is it is very close to stripping and would if I tried to tighten it more, but it still has wood to grip on.
I screwed it back in for now and it is finger-snug. The wood coming out when I unscrew it bugs me but I am not sure if it is a good idea to do this repair unless it absolutely is stripped - one toothpick fills most of the screw hole if I put it in.
I’m wondering if the hole is deep enough ?
