a couple of strap options

janeray1940

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Some of you already know I'm a big fan of straps with strap buttons. I've been happy for quite some time with a Levy's Leathers mandolin strap on all of my ukes. But recently, moving to my biggest uke yet (my Kamaka Ohta-San) I started to think I needed something with more stability.

My teacher has been recommending that I use a 2" guitar strap for years now. I've resisted, because it always seemed like too much strap - I didn't want a strap that weighed more than the uke itself!

But after having some difficulty with the Ohta-San, I decided to investigate guitar strap options. My criteria started pretty simple: made in USA, and of a natural fiber. One thing led to the next and after seeing all the options out there, I decided it had to have a rose floral pattern. Picky, picky.

Turns out I found not one, but two options, that fit all of the above. The first is a company called Legacy Straps, based (and made) in Pennsylvania. Their website uses plug-ins that don't play well with my Mac, so I had to find another way to look at their stuff. Turns out they sell via Amazon. I bought this one, sold as a "girl's" strap but it doesn't seem particularly kid-sized toe me - adjusted to the shortest possible length, it's perfect for me and my concert-scale ukes. It's made of cotton and faux leather and has the roses that I wanted, and plastic hardware that seems less likely to scratch than metal would. And the price of under $20, shipped to my door, is unbeatable.

Then I found the high-end option: Feedback Straps on Etsy. I bought this one. This one is hemp, with ribbon trim and metal hardware. It was made to my size specifications and shipped within 2 or 3 days. At almost $80 with shipping, this one is no bargain - but it's a beautiful, handmade work of art! The downside is the metal hardware, which makes it almost as heavy as the uke, and considering my tendency to be clumsy, I'm a little worried that it will scratch. So I'm saving this as my special-occasion strap :)

All of that to say that I'm really happy with both of these. The sellers were super easy to work with, and I liked knowing that my purchase was supporting a small business rather than a big-box store. So - just passing it on in case anybody else is looking for other strap options.
 
ive been having an issue with straps lately too!! Ive always been happy with just a plain old generic black guitar strap, or a rigged up strap fom a backpack or gig bag plus a shoe lace lol not pretty but it worked! Now that im coming up into the world of nicer higher end ukes i want something better its just so hard for me to drop that kinda money on something that in reality i barely see while im playing and once i set it down its outta mind. Eventually when i have more disposable income ill get me sumthin purdy but as of now ill probably have to stick to my shoelace and gigbag strap!
 
just a plain old generic black guitar strap

Funny thing, I've always been pretty much a generic basic-black person when it comes to this sort of thing myself. (Tried the shoelace really early on, didn't work for me.) But once I started looking I decided why not get something with a little personality. Very unlike me, but I'm glad I did it, because what I got is both functional and nice looking.
 
Souldier straps in Chicago make some very nice fabric straps - they do guitar ones in the standard 2inch width, but I found the mandolin one the perfect size for my tenor. Fabric with any range of patterns on top, so comfy too. On their website the sample shows metal buckles, but mine has plastic: http://www.souldier.us/CustomMandolinStraps.aspx

I'd love to be able to find this sort of thing here in the UK, but they always seem to be in the US - you are all very lucky!
 
Souldier straps in Chicago make some very nice fabric straps - they do guitar ones in the standard 2inch width, but I found the mandolin one the perfect size for my tenor. Fabric with any range of patterns on top, so comfy too. On their website the sample shows metal buckles, but mine has plastic: http://www.souldier.us/CustomMandolinStraps.aspx

I'd love to be able to find this sort of thing here in the UK, but they always seem to be in the US - you are all very lucky!

Oh wow, they have some really good options too. I've seen their guitar straps at my local shop but didn't realize they also did custom orders - will keep them in mind next time. Or maybe I need the 1" width one for my soprano now... :)
 
I like a thin strap so I make up my own using a Levy 5/8" cloth strap and add a Martin leather button extender to one end. I'm waiting on a custom u-bass and have already put together a 1" strap from a shoulder bag strap and two Martin extenders.

uke strap.jpg


Strap bass.jpg
 
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Souldier straps in Chicago make some very nice fabric straps - they do guitar ones in the standard 2inch width, but I found the mandolin one the perfect size for my tenor. Fabric with any range of patterns on top, so comfy too. On their website the sample shows metal buckles, but mine has plastic: http://www.souldier.us/CustomMandolinStraps.aspx

I'd love to be able to find this sort of thing here in the UK, but they always seem to be in the US - you are all very lucky!

I went with the mandolin strap with two strap buttons
 
When I play, I have found that sometimes having only one strap buttons makes the strap get in the way of my right hand..or at least it feels that way to me....When I have two strap buttons, I never notice the strap at all, and I feel free when playing.
 
Those Feedback Straps look very cool!

Not to hijack this thread, but since others are making strap recommendations or posting what they themselves use, I thought I'd put in a word for Sherrin's Threads on etsy. These are one-inch (ukulele) or two-inch (guitar) straps, made in the USA (California) with some very cool designs. I have this one in the one-inch (pictured) size.

attachment.php


I attach it to my headstock using this headstiock attachment adapter loop.

attachment.php
 
I went with the mandolin strap with two strap buttons

I have a couple of leather mandolin straps that I like. They are dark brown and I think they are made in Canada. I bought them at my local guitar shop. I only have one strap button on the bottom end.
 
Janeray -

Great that you find straps that work for you. As for two buttons, That is what I have on my guitars, but I don't know about them on something as small as a ukulele. I would think that they would be quite stable, considering a ukulele's relative size and weight.

I am still very happy with the Levi's leather mandolin straps I am now using on both my ukuleles (one of which is the Ohta-San). I had a passive Schatten UKE-1 pickup installed on the Ohta-San, and that provided an end pin jack that I attach one end of the strap to. The other end has a shoelace that I tie behind the nut. That is a very stable arrangement, and works equally well on both of my ukuleles. Also, these straps roll up and fit very nicely in the hard cases that came with the ukuleles. I remove the end that is attached to the end pin, leaving the shoelace tied and simply roll the strap up and put it under the headstock. Since the straps are only 1/2" wide, they fit under the headstock with plenty of room to spare.

Tony
 
Thank you for all the info. Have a few questions. Where are your strap buttons located?
Did you just order a guitar strap? Don't the ends of the guitar strap too big?
Isn't a guitar strap too long? How did you measure for the length?

lol. I know. Too many questions
 
Thank you for all the info. Have a few questions. Where are your strap buttons located?
Did you just order a guitar strap? Don't the ends of the guitar strap too big?
Isn't a guitar strap too long? How did you measure for the length?

lol. I know. Too many questions

No such thing as too many questions :)

I just have strap buttons on the bottom of the uke, as pictured below; at the headstock I attach my straps with a "shoelace." Both of the ones I linked in my original post are guitar straps. The Legacy ones are about 50" long; for the custom order I asked for it to be 48" long - I'm short, so I don't need a lot of length. But for comparison, I measured the mandolin straps that I've been using for years - they are all 48" long when fully extended.

The ends of the guitar strap fit over my strap button and "shoelace" attachment on the neck just fine.

Hope that covers it!

photo 4.jpg
 
Janeray -

Great that you find straps that work for you. As for two buttons, That is what I have on my guitars, but I don't know about them on something as small as a ukulele. I would think that they would be quite stable, considering a ukulele's relative size and weight.

I am still very happy with the Levi's leather mandolin straps I am now using on both my ukuleles (one of which is the Ohta-San). I had a passive Schatten UKE-1 pickup installed on the Ohta-San, and that provided an end pin jack that I attach one end of the strap to. The other end has a shoelace that I tie behind the nut. That is a very stable arrangement, and works equally well on both of my ukuleles. Also, these straps roll up and fit very nicely in the hard cases that came with the ukuleles. I remove the end that is attached to the end pin, leaving the shoelace tied and simply roll the strap up and put it under the headstock. Since the straps are only 1/2" wide, they fit under the headstock with plenty of room to spare.

Tony

Thanks, Tony, for the info re: two buttons. I'm just not really in a hurry to drill a second hole in my ukes - I see the point for guitars, but as you noted, with ukes being small and light it seems like overkill.

Those Levy's straps have served me well for several years, and I'll continue to recommend them. But what I was finding was that in order to compensate for my small hands/short reach, the closer in I keep my fretting arm to my body, the better angle/reach I could get when trying to span 5+ frets. Probably not a problem most people have, but I need all the help I can get when it comes to getting the most distance out of my stubby fingers!

And that's good advice re: removing the end of the strap that attaches to the end pin and rolling it up. I may borrow that idea :)
 
Those Feedback Straps look very cool!

Not to hijack this thread, but since others are making strap recommendations or posting what they themselves use, I thought I'd put in a word for Sherrin's Threads on etsy. These are one-inch (ukulele) or two-inch (guitar) straps, made in the USA (California) with some very cool designs. I have this one in the one-inch (pictured) size.

attachment.php


I attach it to my headstock using this headstiock attachment adapter loop.

attachment.php

Not hijacking at all :) And those headstock adapter things look a bit... classier than the shoelace things I've always used. I had no idea such a thing even existed!
 
Not hijacking at all :) And those headstock adapter things look a bit... classier than the shoelace things I've always used. I had no idea such a thing even existed!

I love threads about straps. I am a strap junky and always enjoy it when others post great ideas and products. I am already planning on ordering 2 of the 1" Sherrin Uke straps. Just have to decide on which colour/pattern.
 
Don't forget the uke leash made by one of our members, Lori.

http://ukeleash.com/
Thanks nongdam! Yes I offer a Uke Leash Guitar Style Strap, and it is made by me personally in Los Angeles. I have both one button and two button options, as well as strap and tie options. The half inch width doesn't make much room for patterned straps, but the polypro straps can be special ordered in your choice of 13 colors. If you want to make your own strap, I can supply the leather end pieces separately on request.

–Lori
 
Thanks, Tony, for the info re: two buttons. I'm just not really in a hurry to drill a second hole in my ukes - I see the point for guitars, but as you noted, with ukes being small and light it seems like overkill.

Those Levy's straps have served me well for several years, and I'll continue to recommend them. But what I was finding was that in order to compensate for my small hands/short reach, the closer in I keep my fretting arm to my body, the better angle/reach I could get when trying to span 5+ frets. Probably not a problem most people have, but I need all the help I can get when it comes to getting the most distance out of my stubby fingers!

And that's good advice re: removing the end of the strap that attaches to the end pin and rolling it up. I may borrow that idea :)

I can definitely see you continuing to experiment with straps for the best fit for your situation. If the Mobius strap could work with the Ohta-San's shape a bit more securely, it would probably do well for you. Unfortunately, that strap slips away from the proper position too easily. I looked at the Ukeleash on the web site, and though I went with the Levi strap you recommended, it looks to me as if the Ukeleash might juat suit your situation well. It is certainly worth a try.

Tony
 
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