I’ve added 1 or 2 since this pic. :dood:
TVvoodoo's Straplab
- Thread starter TVvoodoo
- Start date
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- guitar straps
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Welcoming member @GrooVey who's got about nine or ten days wait. @Don O and @Jethro Rocker you guys are up Monday. Just feeding the
tiger a little meat and poking him with a stick over the wekend to get him good and mad. Nobody wants a wild thing strap that just lays around sleepin'
Still plugging away at custom work, nothing special to show right now... but also taking pics and uploading stuff that's sitting here waiting...
Eye In the Sky E2 Hawkeye, from the BattleFront is now up, this time in brown with the olive. Not much is said, written or done the E2 teams don't know about.
And "Grief-Stricken" - A Genocide series in bright reflective silver... though i did tone the brightness down with black antique... it was a little much. Also added a small gothic "coffin" feature to the upper front. Some black leather, a couple of studs and a smallish floral concho with a black stone center.
This one goes nice and long.
Last night I also ordered in some more booty bands so I can make more "BeastMasters"
tiger a little meat and poking him with a stick over the wekend to get him good and mad. Nobody wants a wild thing strap that just lays around sleepin'
Still plugging away at custom work, nothing special to show right now... but also taking pics and uploading stuff that's sitting here waiting...
Eye In the Sky E2 Hawkeye, from the BattleFront is now up, this time in brown with the olive. Not much is said, written or done the E2 teams don't know about.
And "Grief-Stricken" - A Genocide series in bright reflective silver... though i did tone the brightness down with black antique... it was a little much. Also added a small gothic "coffin" feature to the upper front. Some black leather, a couple of studs and a smallish floral concho with a black stone center.
This one goes nice and long.
Last night I also ordered in some more booty bands so I can make more "BeastMasters"
fitz
Ambassador of DIY
Eric the Red is making his way south across the border from the Great White North.
W-H #9 inbound.
fitz
Ambassador of DIY
I'm glad he survived the gauntlet at the show - looking forward to a NWHD.
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
got a couple of customs going here today for a couple of TTR VIPs
@Don O on the right, @Jethro Rocker on the left, (his is going to be about five inches more well-hung)
Don's will be punched for straplocks. Such a beautifully comfortable strap! Fellas, I just need to paint and burnish
the edges on these, make tail straps and punch ladder slots on the back end and they will be mailable tomorrow
before noon. I'll PM you for cost. Same price for both of course, reasonable too, as they are mostly a heavy fabric.
Tonight I plan to list "Tombstone" which is a tweedy body with fancy leather strip and a little bling. I took extra
care to make a "burst" sort of effect on the leather front and back, turned out pretty sweet.
The black and blue Mid-Evil straps will be going up on Reverb this week too.
Fun day today, first thing I did when I got into my shop? Spilled a container holding maybe 800 rivets.
It got a little better after that
@Don O on the right, @Jethro Rocker on the left, (his is going to be about five inches more well-hung)
Don's will be punched for straplocks. Such a beautifully comfortable strap! Fellas, I just need to paint and burnish
the edges on these, make tail straps and punch ladder slots on the back end and they will be mailable tomorrow
before noon. I'll PM you for cost. Same price for both of course, reasonable too, as they are mostly a heavy fabric.
Tonight I plan to list "Tombstone" which is a tweedy body with fancy leather strip and a little bling. I took extra
care to make a "burst" sort of effect on the leather front and back, turned out pretty sweet.
The black and blue Mid-Evil straps will be going up on Reverb this week too.
Fun day today, first thing I did when I got into my shop? Spilled a container holding maybe 800 rivets.
It got a little better after that
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Broke out a strap nose last night with some abusive guitar-shaking and neck-bending tomfoolery, which is probably not recommended by anyone, for anyone. But, in this case with the "tame the monster" challenge, I was fooling about trying to force feedback into something musical, playing around with ideas on that. And as a result of that, here's what happened - a big 'ol nose leather bust-out!
This is one of the few cheapy hootenanny straps I keep around here for kicks, also to remind me why I started building straps over dozen years ago for myself, and now for many others. I was asked if it was chrome-tanned leather or vegtan, and I suspect chrome. There is a burn test to find out but I don't want to stink up my shop worse than it already is LOL. Doesn't matter much anyway. It's not the type of tannage here in my opinion, but the choice of leather the manufacturer decided was "good enough" for a strap end.
Here is a measurement, I estimated it was 2mm, but it turns out more like 1.75 mm thick.
Music shop owners have told me strap manufacturers have steadily gone to thinner and thinner ends because the #1 reason guitar straps get returned to stores is, "It's too hard to get on the button." When a guitar strap gets returned, retailers return it to the strap company for compensation. Strap companies HATE that. Music stores don't mind these thinner ends because selling straps with flimsy ends gives them a fantastic opportunity to bundle in strap locks, which are high margin items, But anyone with any sense should know this absolutely does NOT address the problem, and only gives guitarists a false sense of security.
Here's one of my typical nose ends on a strap I built yesterday, shipped to Californy this morning.
Not the best camera angle, but it's a little under 4.5 for millimeters, or about 3 times as thick. Try as I might, I'd probably bust the neck bolts out of my strat, before this nose would give way. I'm pretty sure I would not pull the button/screw out, because i have Well-Hung Pro-pins installed (a jumbo strap button of my own design). Here's the two nose ends side by side.
As you can see, a SIGNIFICANT difference. The broken nose leather, even doubled-over by the rivets is still not as thick as my strap nose leather - but it is at least one piece of leather.
But, in looking even closer at the other end I found another concern I didn't even realize.
On the tail end, (and I believe this is fairly common construction in nose or tail). See how the leather is two pieces sandwiched together? Combined, it is a bit thicker than the nose leather, say that 2mm, but that is built up of two thin pieces laminated together.
I also laminate leather in my shop from time-to-time. But there's no way I'd say two 1mm pieces of leather, no matter what kind of glue, how much sewing, or how many rivets is enough. But still, so far it has held my guitars. A broken strap end is no big deal for me. I have all the materials, tools and know-how to repair. Now that I have to swap in new nose leather, I'll change out the tail side leather for better too. once I get to it.
Anyway, all that is just a little food for thought. I never thought to look closely at the strap ends, and I'm in the friggin business LOL!
New in the reverb store today was "SwaggerMan" Mahogany. Custom order, sorry. I build these out of a special 3" wide fashion belt as I can source them. I love this strap so much, I've kept back two of them for my personal collection, a black and saddle brown. When this belt came in, ordered for a special customer in the UK, I so wanted to say.. "Deal's off" I'm keeping it for myself LOL
It really is something special. Patina is so great.
Mid-Evil Black is now in the Reverb store. An original Well-Hung design. Bold, macho, padded! That's sometimes an issue with "aggressive-looking" straps. They can feel aggressive on the shoulder too.
This is one of the few cheapy hootenanny straps I keep around here for kicks, also to remind me why I started building straps over dozen years ago for myself, and now for many others. I was asked if it was chrome-tanned leather or vegtan, and I suspect chrome. There is a burn test to find out but I don't want to stink up my shop worse than it already is LOL. Doesn't matter much anyway. It's not the type of tannage here in my opinion, but the choice of leather the manufacturer decided was "good enough" for a strap end.
Here is a measurement, I estimated it was 2mm, but it turns out more like 1.75 mm thick.
Music shop owners have told me strap manufacturers have steadily gone to thinner and thinner ends because the #1 reason guitar straps get returned to stores is, "It's too hard to get on the button." When a guitar strap gets returned, retailers return it to the strap company for compensation. Strap companies HATE that. Music stores don't mind these thinner ends because selling straps with flimsy ends gives them a fantastic opportunity to bundle in strap locks, which are high margin items, But anyone with any sense should know this absolutely does NOT address the problem, and only gives guitarists a false sense of security.
Here's one of my typical nose ends on a strap I built yesterday, shipped to Californy this morning.
Not the best camera angle, but it's a little under 4.5 for millimeters, or about 3 times as thick. Try as I might, I'd probably bust the neck bolts out of my strat, before this nose would give way. I'm pretty sure I would not pull the button/screw out, because i have Well-Hung Pro-pins installed (a jumbo strap button of my own design). Here's the two nose ends side by side.
As you can see, a SIGNIFICANT difference. The broken nose leather, even doubled-over by the rivets is still not as thick as my strap nose leather - but it is at least one piece of leather.
But, in looking even closer at the other end I found another concern I didn't even realize.
On the tail end, (and I believe this is fairly common construction in nose or tail). See how the leather is two pieces sandwiched together? Combined, it is a bit thicker than the nose leather, say that 2mm, but that is built up of two thin pieces laminated together.
I also laminate leather in my shop from time-to-time. But there's no way I'd say two 1mm pieces of leather, no matter what kind of glue, how much sewing, or how many rivets is enough. But still, so far it has held my guitars. A broken strap end is no big deal for me. I have all the materials, tools and know-how to repair. Now that I have to swap in new nose leather, I'll change out the tail side leather for better too. once I get to it.
Anyway, all that is just a little food for thought. I never thought to look closely at the strap ends, and I'm in the friggin business LOL!
New in the reverb store today was "SwaggerMan" Mahogany. Custom order, sorry. I build these out of a special 3" wide fashion belt as I can source them. I love this strap so much, I've kept back two of them for my personal collection, a black and saddle brown. When this belt came in, ordered for a special customer in the UK, I so wanted to say.. "Deal's off" I'm keeping it for myself LOL
It really is something special. Patina is so great.
Mid-Evil Black is now in the Reverb store. An original Well-Hung design. Bold, macho, padded! That's sometimes an issue with "aggressive-looking" straps. They can feel aggressive on the shoulder too.
GrooVey
Well-Known Member
Dibs on starry night !
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
What a combo! Striking @Don O - proud to be a part of it.
While on the subject of strap/guitar security, mentioned above, I mentioned I was using my own design strap buttons above.
Would be pretty silly if I wasn't LOL! This morning out the door towards Jesse in Oregon, went eight pairs of Well-Hung Pro-Pins
I was thinking this morning that my comfortably-hung "philosophy" of guitarin' is not just about padded comfort in a strap.
It's also about having supreme confidence in the safety/security of your rig.
I can see by my Reverb stats this is J-mans third time back for my jumbo strap buttons.
Happens a LOT actually. He's a builder and fully all-in. Dropped me a feedback even before I shipped!
Something else to look at, for your weighin' and measurin' pleasure.
Bear in mind, once fellas finally decide to slap that straplock monkey off their backs, they'll often find that larger screw left a bit of a hole to fill. Unless you practice a little toothpick & gluthiery, you often find can't go back to stock. And, you'll that you probably opened up the button holes in your strap pretty good to accept the locking mechanisms. Pro-Pins are there to save the day. The screw works fine in that hole, and you'll find the jumbo Pro-Pin button feels perfectly secure for widened-out strap holes.
All I can say is, once you get under 'em, it's hard to get over 'em! They come in black, nickel & gold.
New in the Reverb store today is Mid-Evil Blue... I don't make blue straps that often, but it's fun to have a couple in the store for all you blues-men!
B-1"BattleFront" also did a supersonic low pass, then landed in the store.
Capable of handling any deadly payload you can load onto it.
And then there's also this! Bandido Turquesa!
If I was doing it right, I'd include a sexy senorita, a bottle of tequila and fast horse! Alas, if I had any of those, you'd think I'd give 'em up?
While on the subject of strap/guitar security, mentioned above, I mentioned I was using my own design strap buttons above.
Would be pretty silly if I wasn't LOL! This morning out the door towards Jesse in Oregon, went eight pairs of Well-Hung Pro-Pins
I was thinking this morning that my comfortably-hung "philosophy" of guitarin' is not just about padded comfort in a strap.
It's also about having supreme confidence in the safety/security of your rig.
I can see by my Reverb stats this is J-mans third time back for my jumbo strap buttons.
Happens a LOT actually. He's a builder and fully all-in. Dropped me a feedback even before I shipped!
Something else to look at, for your weighin' and measurin' pleasure.
Bear in mind, once fellas finally decide to slap that straplock monkey off their backs, they'll often find that larger screw left a bit of a hole to fill. Unless you practice a little toothpick & gluthiery, you often find can't go back to stock. And, you'll that you probably opened up the button holes in your strap pretty good to accept the locking mechanisms. Pro-Pins are there to save the day. The screw works fine in that hole, and you'll find the jumbo Pro-Pin button feels perfectly secure for widened-out strap holes.
All I can say is, once you get under 'em, it's hard to get over 'em! They come in black, nickel & gold.
New in the Reverb store today is Mid-Evil Blue... I don't make blue straps that often, but it's fun to have a couple in the store for all you blues-men!
B-1"BattleFront" also did a supersonic low pass, then landed in the store.
Capable of handling any deadly payload you can load onto it.
And then there's also this! Bandido Turquesa!
If I was doing it right, I'd include a sexy senorita, a bottle of tequila and fast horse! Alas, if I had any of those, you'd think I'd give 'em up?
Jethro Rocker
Ambassador of Live & Loud Action
I do have a bunch of the Well-Hung pro strap pins. To be honest, the newer roundy Gibby ones seem fine and I have issues getting the straps to fit around the larger pro pins. Now, if one left them on all the time, that would be great but I have to take mine off and put them on and off for gigs, sometimes sharing strap with a different guitar (not at same show). I even find the Gibby style rounder muffin top ones hard to get strap on and off at times.
Is there a way around this? Cut a larger strap hole? Does that defeat the purpose?
Is there a way around this? Cut a larger strap hole? Does that defeat the purpose?
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
@jethro, I am not a gigging fellow, and rarely swap straps between guitars so that's my experience. I do keep two strap buttons permanently screwed to the edge of my work bench. Before boxing any of my straps to send out, I try to make sure my straps go on both pins with relative ease.
If you have trouble removing my straps in particular from Pro-pins, I suggest cutting a slit another 1/8th inch upwards from the hole and spend 30 seconds on-offing a few times to "train" the ends. Sometimes being a bit more aggressive and quick with the action is the trick required. You may want to take a Pro-pin button and screw it into a fence post or door jamb to do this.
My strap ends are typically thick enough to not just flop off a button with a longer keyhole slot. But others, I cannot say.
I do partially go by all the successes and good stories others tell me, but that doesn't make your points invalid. In fact I'll bet if you check, you may find that all buttons on your own G-brand guitars are not equal. But in the end we all gotta do what what *feels* right.
Personally, I will never again spend dime on mechanical straplocks unless maybe at gunpoint.
If you have trouble removing my straps in particular from Pro-pins, I suggest cutting a slit another 1/8th inch upwards from the hole and spend 30 seconds on-offing a few times to "train" the ends. Sometimes being a bit more aggressive and quick with the action is the trick required. You may want to take a Pro-pin button and screw it into a fence post or door jamb to do this.
My strap ends are typically thick enough to not just flop off a button with a longer keyhole slot. But others, I cannot say.
I do partially go by all the successes and good stories others tell me, but that doesn't make your points invalid. In fact I'll bet if you check, you may find that all buttons on your own G-brand guitars are not equal. But in the end we all gotta do what what *feels* right.
Personally, I will never again spend dime on mechanical straplocks unless maybe at gunpoint.
Jethro Rocker
Ambassador of Live & Loud Action
Makes sense! An excellent idea. Ok will do!
I have some older guitars with lame pins. The current Gibby ones really seem to work well given the good straps. On a cheap strap, no.
A couple more came with strap locks stock.
Nothing worse than a guitar falling off the strap while playing!!
Got that right. Many years ago my Ovation went all the way down when a strap end came loose. Got a good leather strap and never happened again.
GrooVey
Well-Known Member
That’s a sweet pair! Well done, Sir.
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
New in the shop a rare Well-Hung B-stock.
For the life of me I could not figure out a way to attach this super shiny metal scale belt to a padded leather base. Frankly, it kind of beat me up. I ended up simply contact cementing it along the length, and sewing it both ends. How long will it last that way, before needing to be re-glued? Only whomever who picks it up will know for sure. Seems pretty secure. With care, should last a good long while, unless it's going on a world tour or something.
Approx. sixty bucks less than I'd charge if I could have figured it out proper! Quite striking and really frickin' gleams.
These are not for dudes with long hair though. I hear it can get tangled in these scales and it can end up being kind of a nightmare.
got this custom Baby Leo done yesterday, on the way to 'bama this morning. One of my favourite straps. Good thing I kept one for my Paisley Royale!
Forgot how to build it, it's been so long, but so glad I had one here to go by. I do keep a "recipe book" here of many of the builds I like to repeat, with
cut sizes and other details that would bore most of you to death, but Leo wasn't in there. It is now!
Effectively the leopard print vibe divided by genre give a fella 44% rockabilly/ 20% metal / 18% Krazy Kountry / and the balance Funky PimpStyle. This sling has a pad that WILL NOT SLIP AROUND and looks super sweet on, and cools-up most any guitar, or guitar player by a un-measureable amount. Heck even a super-hip fella like @Ku² could attain an even greater degree of coolness wearing this, if you can imagine that. I started two of them, the second one should show up in the store probably next week.
Speaking of unchartable cool, this pic came in this afternoon from forum brother @fitz who needs no introduction around these parts, being kind of a legend in the making
Made "Erik the Red" for the guitar show, a braided leather No Prisoners strap. Fitz asked about it but I told him if i didn't sell it at the show, it was his. At the show at least four people handled it, almost had it off to one fella, but I think maybe I got a little greedy with the price. Seems I can push the envelope when people are able to hold and try my stock on, because Well-Hung straps are a fair bit "more" in person than what seems to show up in photos. Anyway, ended up no takers, so off it went to Fitz's Luxury Gear Bordello. It all worked out kind of perfect, right? Sittin' there on that Vee? Just look how it ties the room together!
Up here in the Frostlands, as we head into Thanksgiving weekend, my kids are coming home from the big smoke! I'll be giving thanks for my family, my amazing Warrior Tribe/clientele and anyone else interested in my craft. Can't forget my home and community (including the online buds), and the fact there'll be plenty food on the table and some cool ones in the fridge - wishing the same for you all.
For the life of me I could not figure out a way to attach this super shiny metal scale belt to a padded leather base. Frankly, it kind of beat me up. I ended up simply contact cementing it along the length, and sewing it both ends. How long will it last that way, before needing to be re-glued? Only whomever who picks it up will know for sure. Seems pretty secure. With care, should last a good long while, unless it's going on a world tour or something.
Approx. sixty bucks less than I'd charge if I could have figured it out proper! Quite striking and really frickin' gleams.
These are not for dudes with long hair though. I hear it can get tangled in these scales and it can end up being kind of a nightmare.
got this custom Baby Leo done yesterday, on the way to 'bama this morning. One of my favourite straps. Good thing I kept one for my Paisley Royale!
Forgot how to build it, it's been so long, but so glad I had one here to go by. I do keep a "recipe book" here of many of the builds I like to repeat, with
cut sizes and other details that would bore most of you to death, but Leo wasn't in there. It is now!
Effectively the leopard print vibe divided by genre give a fella 44% rockabilly/ 20% metal / 18% Krazy Kountry / and the balance Funky PimpStyle. This sling has a pad that WILL NOT SLIP AROUND and looks super sweet on, and cools-up most any guitar, or guitar player by a un-measureable amount. Heck even a super-hip fella like @Ku² could attain an even greater degree of coolness wearing this, if you can imagine that. I started two of them, the second one should show up in the store probably next week.
Speaking of unchartable cool, this pic came in this afternoon from forum brother @fitz who needs no introduction around these parts, being kind of a legend in the making
Made "Erik the Red" for the guitar show, a braided leather No Prisoners strap. Fitz asked about it but I told him if i didn't sell it at the show, it was his. At the show at least four people handled it, almost had it off to one fella, but I think maybe I got a little greedy with the price. Seems I can push the envelope when people are able to hold and try my stock on, because Well-Hung straps are a fair bit "more" in person than what seems to show up in photos. Anyway, ended up no takers, so off it went to Fitz's Luxury Gear Bordello. It all worked out kind of perfect, right? Sittin' there on that Vee? Just look how it ties the room together!
Up here in the Frostlands, as we head into Thanksgiving weekend, my kids are coming home from the big smoke! I'll be giving thanks for my family, my amazing Warrior Tribe/clientele and anyone else interested in my craft. Can't forget my home and community (including the online buds), and the fact there'll be plenty food on the table and some cool ones in the fridge - wishing the same for you all.
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That’s a downer…what’s left of mine is pulled back 90% of the time, but…that’s a downer. Looks great though!
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Topping even the worst of the third world dictators, @fitz proudly parades his fearsome arsenal of Well-Hung weapons as a way to instill terror into the hearts of his enemies. At time of writing he has no enemies, for obvious reasons. Those who know Great Leader Fitz know while he walks softly, he carries a big.... stick.
Peace through strength! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving my brothers!
Peace through strength! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving my brothers!
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fitz
Ambassador of DIY
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Took some time off to get yardwork done, patio furniture, bikes put away... and the woodshed full-up. I live in a converted church, not well insulated so I run a wood stove in the main area to cut heating costs a bit. We had a few flakes of snow fall already yesterday! No joke!
Some pics came back. Boy I love when you guys send these!
Tony in BC, sportin' two customs with a Mid-Evil in saddle on his Taylor, and a special "Tombstone" on his salad bowl
Check out John Paul's SG. This is a VERY clever/inspired match!
New in the shop, a Jungle python, a Baby Leo, and a L'il Swagger
The L'il swagger above is not quite as wide as my "SwaggerMan" strap, but it's the same basic design. No padding, a little spring. Back buckle design. Chris in London, England just got his yesterday. Mate seems rather chuffed, i daresay!
Got some custom work on the bench right now, a couple more Mid-Evils, I'll show a pic tomorrow.
Some pics came back. Boy I love when you guys send these!
Tony in BC, sportin' two customs with a Mid-Evil in saddle on his Taylor, and a special "Tombstone" on his salad bowl
Check out John Paul's SG. This is a VERY clever/inspired match!
New in the shop, a Jungle python, a Baby Leo, and a L'il Swagger
The L'il swagger above is not quite as wide as my "SwaggerMan" strap, but it's the same basic design. No padding, a little spring. Back buckle design. Chris in London, England just got his yesterday. Mate seems rather chuffed, i daresay!
Got some custom work on the bench right now, a couple more Mid-Evils, I'll show a pic tomorrow.