new strap

I bought a strap and the sound quality has improved greatly. I strum better too. I should have bought a strap sooner, the down side the hook is a bit big though.

it's a strap that fits like a neck tie. if the hook can't be moved out of the way i'll get a different strap.

Straps - a significant benefit!

For far too long I believed what I'd read ... that a strap wasn't necessary sitting down, especially on something as small as a ukulele. I tried for months to balance my five-string banjo on my lap, like they showed in the books, but the thing was always tipping over and making my arm ache. In desperation I fitted an old piece of webbing "to see if it would make a difference" and the results were like a whole new instrument

So I tried a similar solution on a ukulele and my whole style "loosened up" and I can now play for hours with no discomfort ... still haven't figured out how to fit a strap successfully to a balalaika

I found some small-size strap buttons on eBay and fitted one to every wooden body, fastening the other end of the strap to the top of the neck by the tuners, a significantly beneficial upgrade

At first I moved one strap between several instruments ... the novelty of that arrangement soon faded. I then purchased a length of decorative cord, as used for curtain ties or dressing gowns, from a local haberdashery and fashioned a strap for each instrument, with a loop at one end for the button and a tie-off arrangement at the other. The light weight of the average ukulele means that even a relatively thin cord is not uncomfortable around the neck, especially if tucked under a shirt collar.

The "neck-tie and hook" style straps only work well on a body with a "waist", not really any good for a pineapple or a banjolele.

4stringjonty said:

I bought a strap and the sound quality has improved greatly. I strum better too. I should have bought a strap sooner, the down side the hook is a bit big though.

it's a strap that fits like a neck tie. if the hook can't be moved out of the way i'll get a different strap.

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If you decide to try something different you might want to check out the Mobius Strap http://www.mobiusstrap.com, which also gives support without having to add strap buttons -- and you can even let go with both hands, which you can't do with the one you now have.

It sounds like you have one of those "classical guitar" style straps like Willie Nelson uses. I got one of those once, but did not like it. It made me VERY paranoid. It clips on the sound hole, goes under the instrument and then around your neck like a lanyard. Those have one BIG disadvantage. You MUST keep at least one hand on the instrument at all times. If you let go it tumbles to the ground.

i have way to many other stringed instruments with proper two button straps on them. On those, hanging on is very optional. I'm always afraid that my mind will go on autopilot, think I have a two button strap and let go. MAJOR disaster.

Those things work fine for Willie Nelson. But I'd have to smoke more weed than Willie to be comfortable with one.

Good luck.

OP, what uke do you have? I would only use one of those style straps on a cheap laminate.

The reason being that it puts all of the pressure (weight of the uke and your arm on it) directly pulling out on the sound hole. That's not something you want to do with a solid, thin wood, which is more delicate than a lam.

If having a strap helps you, by all means take the plunge and install a strap button.

I'm thinking of trying the Mobius strap on my next uke . Anyone not like it?

I think a strap is very helpful. You might look at the selection I have created at Uke Leash. The UU members helped test my prototype in 2010, and it has been selling well ever since. The original design doesn't need a strap button, and since then I have added banjo uke straps and Uke Leash Guitar Style Straps (for ukes with buttons). All of them are made by me in sunny California. These are straps made for specifically for all types of ukuleles, and I should have at least one design that would suit your needs.

–Lori

At the Reno Ukulele Festival, none other than Daniel Ho said to play with a strap so your fretting hand could concentrate on fretting rather than on holding up the ukulele's neck and to avoid the straps that hook into the soundhold because they don't stablize the ukulele the wau more conventional guitar-style straps do.

Another disadvantage to the hook-around-into-soundhole or Mobius Strap-type straps is they wrap around the uke's body and suppress the resonance somewhat.

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I don't believe that's accurate. My tests of my own ukuleles with and without the Mobius Strap using the iPhone "dB Volume" app show no measurable difference in volume. I also am not aware of anyone who has actually tried the Mobius Strap reporting that it causes any diminution of volume, and, on the contrary, have had several users report that it does not affect volume or tone. The strap touches the ukulele body at each edge and it puts no pressure on the soundboard. There is actually a hair of daylight visible underneath. Intuitively, it seems to me that one's forearm on the face of the instrument would have more of a deadening effect.

Icelander53 said:

I'm thinking of trying the Mobius strap on my next uke . Anyone not like it?

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I tried to answer this in a private e-mail, because of everyone pimping their particular strap designs. I don't know if my e-mail actually went through though, so here we go...

My first attempt at "uke control" was some gritty stickers someone in my ukulele club gave me. That worked well enough as long as I stayed seated. When I got comfortable enough to start walking around while I play I spent about an hour peeling the #*%& things off my uke.

I bought my first thong without doing a lot of research. It had a hard plastic hook that damaged the wood around the sound hole of one of my ukes. Then I found a local guy who makes them with a padded hook. Awesome for casual play! Unfortunately I really kind of need to be hands free because I often play while I'm walking around in crowds.

When I realized I needed hands free I looked at the Mobius design because I didn't want to drill holes in my ukes to install guitar strap buttons. The Mobius is clever, but not difficult to reproduce. Essentially it's a looped strap, and presumably it has a means of adjusting the length of the strap. So, I built one to test the idea out. I didn't like my Mobius test model enough to even want to build a better version, let alone order one.

Last month I took the plunge and added strap buttons to all of my walkin' ukes.

Best

Decision

Ever

Thanks. I've been very happy with all my ukes that have full straps. They even work well when I sit.

How Now Brown Strap ?

Tim's fantastic Mobius strap only has two things against it. (1) He thought of doing it, and I didn't (2) it only works on an 8 shaped ukulele with a pinched waist. He is correct in saying it does not affect tone or volume. The term 'effete snobbery' comes to mind about ruining the value of an instrument by putting a tail button and/or a neck button on it. Several of my expensive ones came with a button already in place.
Wearing a strap "Cowboy Style" where it goes across the back definitely changes volume and tone because it presses the instrument tightly to the body of the player, and the back is dampened. Around the neck allows a player to rotate the instrument away from their body so the back produces sound. A third version is to put the strap in front and behind the player and only hook to the tail. When the strap is fitted correctly to the tail button, the instrument hangs at the side when released. Prejudice being what it is, seems to be allowable in some areas. Until someone changes how they think, they cannot be expected to change how they act.

TheCraftedCow said:

Wearing a strap "Cowboy Style" where it goes across the back definitely changes volume and tone because it presses the instrument tightly to the body of the player...

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The instruction I've always seen or heard is to hold the butt of the uke in place with your forearm and elbow, which automatically presses the back against your body. With or without a strap, I can't play holding it away from my body, I don't see how that's possible.

Good to know, I've always liked the pins in a uke and can't imagine a company voiding a warranty if you have them installed. I would stay far away from such brands.

I'm going to have to try a mobius strap. They don't look pretty to me but then I play mostly in private.

The problem with the Mobius strap is that if the uke is built with a domed top, as most are these days if made by a luthier, the strap will touch the top and it will affect the top performance and wear the finish.

Jake seems to do pretty good with the wrap around the back to the sound-hole type straps

Icelander53 said:

I'm thinking of trying the Mobius strap on my next uke . Anyone not like it?

Click to expand...

It isn't that I don't like it. I've tried it and I just have to say, with fuller boobs, it doesn't sit flat against your chest and didn't feel comfortable or stable.

don't have that problem (yet)

Icelander53 said:

don't have that problem (yet)

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LOL Well, here's to hoping you never do... :cheers: