TVvoodoo's Straplab

LOL! @GrooVey my favorite part is when it builds to a peak, dude singing... "...no need to co-exist. When you... seize.... destiny.... by the... WRIST!!!
then there's this TOTAL S&M / bondage-looking strap coming right at ya. That's maybe a bit twisted, but I chuckle every time.

Anyway, some of that so-called "TV voodoo" in there for all y'alls. I've been out of that game since 2004, but it's nice to return to attempt it again, even with a bunch of still pics. These days all the basement video editors and youtubers have so many cool tools we never even dreamed of back then. We were just hardly starting to toy with aftereffects filters and all that neat stuff when I dropped out to take on other things.

I was more a Producer/Director at the end, working mostly on local commercials, hype videos... with the division of labour in the business, I directed in the field, picked the best shots, then sat in edit bays "overseeing" many hours a week, but never got to learn the buttons with the non-linear edit tools, graphics, etc.... so I ended up having to pick it up almost from scratch myself. Luckily, just like modern audio recording, us everyday dudes have incredible access to a lot of post software and imaging far beyond most of the tech I worked with as a pro twenty years ago - Today, to think of us all just walking around with hi-def video cameras stashed in our pockets seems nuts in retrospect.
 
new in the shop today is No Prisoners: "FAFO" - somewhere between 48" - 67" of full-on BADASS!

And look at that GORGEOUS brassy "tooled" buckle. Oh my! People are gonna ask you where you found this sling, likely covet it. YOU get to tell 'em "Tough luck, bud! It's the only one like it in the entire world!"

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"FAFO" is a simple leather weave strap, I think 13 strands but hard to count. Plenty strong 2-3/4" wide. It's a very open weave, that is, there's lots of space between each strand. Hold this up to your eyes and look right through it. That means it'll breathe like no other strap in existence. Naturally aerated! And, because of that I chose to NOT pad it. It feels a just tad rough on the inside though, not soft and luxurious like most of my stuff. You won't want this on your bare skin, or the thinnest of T-shirts. But, that roughness also adds a good amount of grip to it, will ably brake any neck diver guitar you have, I think.

I added black croc embossed leather nose and tail, reinforced too. You have about ten inches of adjustment travel up front, ten inches in the back.

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As a strapmaker, I have PLENTY of straps here for my own use. Roughly two for every guitar I own. But sometimes still, I'll make something once-in-awhile that the power of strap compels me to add to my collection. Yeah, like this beast. Somebody please buy it, while I'm still ready to let it run off into the wild! Thankfully, no black and gold guitars here, but this is one of those straps a dude buys BEFORE they buy the companion guitar. Seen it happen many times.

Have a great weekend my brothers, party like you were Artemis crew!
 
Rare ladies-specific strap - Actually, I was talking with a regular W-Hungarian here about making a custom for his bandmate, a singer/guitarist and I jumped the gun, started the project early. Then we did something different for her, so I was left with this shortened leather base... So, I added some left-over circling raven ribbon with contrasting stitching, leather nose and tail section... bingo: "That's SO Raven!"

2-3/4" wide (3" seems a bit much on a lady's frame), nicely padded, 36-48.

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Then there's "Chocolate Bar," done up in my Class Act form factor with a back buckle...

As you may know, my pop passed a few months ago, my brother has been going through his closet - he handed me a bunch of his leather belts the other day, some of them more fun than this one, but this perfectly matched some fun garment leather I had stashed in my leather library, so I decided to combine the two for a new luxury-padded strap. One thing I will say about the old man, he did buy good belts, but it seemed like every time he traveled to the tropics, he must have been on the hunt for a new handmade belt. You will see some of them eventually.

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Class Act has a few advantages. Easy to adjust, you don't have to remove your guitar. Also, it leaves the back of the strap very smooth, no "knot" where a regular tail strap loops through itself. I know that irritates some people. Plus, it looks dang classy, I gotta say! I make a "pass-thru" so the bucke is nicely protected from any contact with your instrument. A generous 3 inches wide, sits between 43-60 - oh right!... that's the other advantage... VERY wide range of adjustment!

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I call it Chocolate bar for two reason.. the colour, and the unusual texture built into this leather, which was why I stashed it away in the first place. It's has these segmented ridges where this rather buttery soft leather was pinched then stitched. This leather was once part of a large men's overcoat which I deconstructed many years ago, I had kept this piece aside for a rainy day.
 
Thanks @GrooVey nice of you to say... the stark white stitch does add a little something/something!

Major mash-up going on between two of my series here...

This is along the lines of my "Soul Collector" line with the black cabochon hardware. But, with the fine pre-owned leather belt stitched on featuring a menacing croc emboss, it could technically also fit in my No Prisoners series too. No matter how you stab it, "Tolling Bell" packs the sort of vibe that'll scare away small children while attracting mysterious types of ladies who wear way too much lipstick and really keep you on your toes.

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You low hangers who complain nobody makes a long strap? This one goes fully 63" - pretty dang long! The minimum here is 46" - Lotta factory straps end at about 50" hole to hole but if you need longer, they offer to sell you an "extension" tail strap which can look a bit strange on the back end.

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Beautiful leather, tons of texture, 3" wide, padded better than a pricey casket! "Tolling Bell" is loaded with dark visual interest;
add your own bad attitude, pretty sure it'll add extra growl to your rig.
 
One of those back-office spreadsheets and numbers kind of days here in the shop, but I did start on an important re-issue set of four, another blast from the past, I hope to finish and show tomorrow.

But... I did get some nice words in from Tom and Carlos...

Texan Tom has been waiting in the wings for me to open up to US business, and he picked up one embroidered Dragon silk strap with the regular grippy backing, had me build him a custom matching versioni with a slippy interior - then, he added a sexy "Lunch with Lucifer" besides. Quite a haul!

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Just today I got a nice message and a bunch of photos on instagram from Carlos in Ontario who picked up a No Prisoners "Hardware" strap last week...

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That picture without throwing horns, just for a better view of that Fuscia LP... YOWSA!

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I think I got all my numbers done for the first quarter, filing for the taxman soon.
 
It's a rather sad, sordid tale, I won't dare detail here... but the local legend of the Burntwood Saloon what once served Sulphur Springs, Saskatchewan continues on. It involves nervous cowpokes, the bordello next door, a preachers' daughter (so some claim), a deluxe leather and horsehair sofa, and a big old three-alarm fire.

I'm keeping that tale alive with a re-issue of my much-loved "Burntwood" series, returning to the Well-Hung Reverb store in the next day or two. Just completed these four this afternoon, no time to take more pics, or make the listing or re-spin the yarn. But watch my store on Reverb, it'll come. Wonderful sling that'll instantly make you 'n yer guitar more handsome than you already are!

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Wishing everyone a fab weekend, m'lady and I are going out tonight! Local dinner theater put on by locals.
I have promised to be nice and not heckle.
 
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