Three Ways to Be Sure Your Bass Guitar Straps Can Handle the Job

Three Ways to Be Sure Your Bass Guitar Straps Can Handle the Job

No doubt bass guitars can be pretty heavy since most are of a solid-body design. They have to be built tough in order to handle the stresses put on them with thicker strings. With such stout instruments, you want to be sure your bass guitar straps, can handle the job. We’ve got three sure-fire things to check before you make your next purchase.

• Materials: Bass guitarists tend to be a chill bunch, pretty laid-back and soft, with a heavy back-beat; kind of like their guitar straps should be. Leather has always been first choice for a material that can handle the solid weight of a bass. If the leather look doesn’t do it for you, the advent of burlap straps with a leather backing could help fit your image better. Either way, you want to make sure the strap is soft and pliable. Some guitar straps are made of cheaper materials and don’t have much give to them. You’ll also want a bit of padding in the strap to help cushion the weight of your guitar. Lacking these, you could be in for a long uncomfortable evening.
• Width: Since your shoulder is ultimately going to handle most of the weight, you want to make sure the width of the strap fits your shoulder properly. It should be wide enough to distribute the weight evenly, yet not so wide as to hang off your shoulder. It also shouldn’t be so thin that it digs in to the soft spot, or that the edge ends right on your shoulder bone. Either of these mis-fits can be become painfully distracting during a gig. Popular widths for bass guitar straps are 3″ and 3 1/2″ wide.
• Style: You spend a lot of time not only honing your skills as a musician but getting your stage look just right. The last thing you need is one of your accessories to look like an afterthought. After your guitar, your guitar strap is the most noticed accessory you have. Some time should be taken to pick out a strap that compliments your stage appearance.

Making the right choice in purchasing your new guitar strap is easy after taking into consideration the materials, widths and styles offered. After all, on stage you wear your guitar as a badge of honor, the strap you hold it with shouldn’t be a reminder of the pain it took to get there.

If you’d like to Contact Us. about your bass guitar needs, we’d be happy to hear from you and get your feedback on ways we can help you make music. Thanks.