What's the best strap?

[TheLowDown]

I think a 3.75inch wide soft leather strap is ideal. It grips well even when used on a 6 string. When i see them on Amazon or eBay they rarely show the underside and tghe edges, but that's the most important part as it shows the material that will grip(or not).

Edited November 11, 2020 by TheLowDown

[Al Krow]

Really useful thread - just been reviewing your recommendations; I'm particularly after a wide strap to spread the load as much as possible and the following caught my attention in terms of value / quality:

Ibanez BWS90 3.54" - £27 (Muziker - black Friday sale)

Gruv Gear Solo Neo 4" - £52 (Gear4Music)

Minotaur Padded Leather (Black) 4.3" - around £41 (Thomann)

Levy Leather 4.5" - £77 (Thomann)

(prices incl. P&P - although this can be saved if you spend above a min or for additional items from some of the above).

I was recommended the last two by Mark from Talking Bass who I am huge fan of for his online tuition. He finds the Levy to be a little more comfortable than the Minotaur but, as with many things, he said it's not worth twice as much!

Well I have a birthday coming up, trouble is investing in a decent strap I suspect is just going to open the door to certain slightly heavier basses that I've had my eye on but balked at getting, so could actually prove to be a very expensive investment 😁

Edited November 16, 2020 by Al Krow

[walshy]

On 26/08/2020 at 13:03, Dan Dare said:

Pinegrove 4" padded leather bass strap for me. The padding is firm, so not spongy feeling. Looks and smells nice, too.

Ive just bought a couple of these, arrive tomorrow. I will let you all know what they are like. Hoping they take the weight of the RD Artist better than my MONO Betty

[walshy]

Both arrived today, absolutely superb quality. They look and feel amazing! Smell pretty good too! Not the cheapest but I reckon the lifespan will be pretty lengthy on these 🤘

[CameronJ]

That looks delightful!

[knicknack]

@walshy looking forward to a report once in use... somehow! 

[walshy]

Just now, knicknack said:

@walshy looking forward to a report once in use... somehow! 

3 hour full on band rehearsal Sunday so will report back. So far using it at home for an hour here and there is amazing. Really hugs and takes the weight out. Very impressed so far. I’ll report back after this weekend 

[Al Krow]

Levy and Minotaur straps both at depot for me to pick up, hopefully tomorrow and so we should have a veritable strap feedback frenzy over the weekend.

(Hint: we're both going to say they're amazing / best thing since sliced straps. Walshy will then have have his up for sale in 6 weeks as he doesn't have any gear more than two months old in his den as far as I can tell 😁)

[Frank Blank]

 

 

Any strap with a BC strap lock attached, obv.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Frank Blank

[Al Krow]

59 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

 

 

Any strap with a BC strap lock attached, obv.

Teacher's pet 😂

Edited November 20, 2020 by Al Krow

[walshy]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Levy and Minotaur straps both at depot for me to pick up, hopefully tomorrow and so we should have a veritable strap feedback frenzy over the weekend.

(Hint: we're both going to say they're amazing / best thing since sliced straps. Walshy will then have have his up for sale in 6 weeks as he doesn't have any gear more than two months old in his den as far as I can tell 😁)

Ha ha nah these are very good and getting old they help support the back lovely! I’ll tell you how good Sunday evening. Ah I’ve got stuff older than that, it’s just not for sale 😉 Welcome to visit the den anytime dude 🤘

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, walshy said:

Ha ha nah these are very good and getting old they help support the back lovely! I’ll tell you how good Sunday evening. Ah I’ve got stuff older than that, it’s just not for sale 😉 Welcome to visit the den anytime dude 🤘

Now that's an offer I look forward to taking you up on next time I'm way uuup north (or south if you're a Scot).

[walshy]

Just now, Al Krow said:

Now that's an offer I look forward to taking you up on next time I'm way uuup north (or south if you're a Scot).

Northumberland mate and you’re welcome anytime. We should put a NE Bass Bash on at @cd_david place. It’s cracking! 

[Al Krow]

23 hours ago, walshy said:

Northumberland mate and you’re welcome anytime. We should put a NE Bass Bash on at @cd_david place. It’s cracking! 

It's a 608 mile round trip to Hexam from E London. I'm not convinced I could get away with it being referred to as "essential travel".

PS just remembered these two straps are supposed to be my birthday pressie from the missus, so I'd best not open the box for a few days yet then! 😁

Edited November 21, 2020 by Al Krow

[walshy]

Well used the Pinegrove 4” leather strap for the 3 hour rehearsal today. Fitted the strap locks and popped it on the Lakland Bob Glaub. It was super good and didn’t get any back/weight issues throughout the 3 hours. Non stop no breaks. So it’s a thumbs up from me, Rod makes them pretty much to order, takes a couple of days but they are excellent and well worth the cash. I’ve ordered a couple more too. 

[Dan Dare]

Very happy with my 4" padded Pinegrove. Not cheap, but high quality leather and beautifully made.

[Al Krow]

Finally unpacked and tried out the Levy 4.5" and the Minotaur 4.3".

The Levy was first out the packing and took a little getting used to after using my Steph 2.75" straps with added JFT shoulder pad a combo I've been using for a couple of years, and improved on the Steph by itself - the JFT both increases the width and made the strap a fair bit more comfortable.

I found the Levy to be a little too firm / unyielding and given that I don't have the largest frame actually a little too large - and I get the point about straps potentially being too wide and digging into your neck made by a couple of folk on this thread:

On 31/10/2020 at 14:10, Aalin said:

Currently I'm using the Gruvgear Solo Strap Neo in 2.5” cause 4” are too large for me, too close form my neck and have a tendency to hurt it.

On 11/11/2020 at 01:11, TheLowDown said:

I think a 3.75inch wide soft leather strap is ideal. It grips well even when used on a 6 string. When I see them on Amazon or eBay they rarely show the underside and the edges, but that's the most important part as it shows the material that will grip (or not).

The Minotaur is a less "firm" leather than the Levy, and felt more comfortable from the off. I think the Levy will, as with any quality leather become more comfortable with time and probably outlast the Minotaur, but my preference is to get something that works straight away particularly if it's half the price. The Minotaur made my heaviest bass (a Yamaha BBNE2) feel very comfortable to wear and I suspect will be just fine for a 2x1 hour sets with that strap - so I'll definitely be holding onto it. The Levy will be heading back to Thomann.

Oh and as a final thought - I did give the Gruv Gear Duo a try out last year and absolutely couldn't get comfortable with it! Very limited adjustability - so you if you don't have the perfect shaped frame for it, I'd say it's one to avoid! 

Obligatory pics:

Levy

Minotaur

Steph + JFT pad

Edited November 25, 2020 by Al Krow

[Sven]

There is definitively a difference in intital feel and rigidity of the leather. I had the same experience when getting a Minotaur (one of the larger ones) and a Harvest within a few months time. The Minotaur was much more rigid from the begining, or the other way around the Harvest was very soft and flexible. I ended up using both in different basses, not very appart in actual weight, but the Minotaur was much more efficient in compensating for a fender styled 4 strings that had the most tendancy to neck-dive, and the Harvest for a more compact and modern style 5 strings that I wear higher up.

[Al Krow]

Really liking the 11cm / 4.3" Minotaur!

The Levy has been returned and swiftly refunded (well done Thomann - and the exact opposite of the experience a couple of us have had with Bax on returns) and a second Minotaur ordered to replace it. Can it give it a better 👍 than that! 

[Collin Bass]

You must have the rolled edges on that Minotaur? I had a Minotaur strap, but the edges weren't rolled, they were just cut straight and sewed and I found the edges dug into my shoulder still.

[Al Krow]

On 07/12/2020 at 18:40, Collin Bass said:

You must have the rolled edges on that Minotaur? I had a Minotaur strap, but the edges weren't rolled, they were just cut straight and sewed and I found the edges dug into my shoulder still.

It was this one: Minotaur Bass Strap Black – Thomann UK

[knicknack]

These two beauties arrived from Ergo straps in Chile this week! I've tried an absolute ton of different straps, and these seem awesome so far, on a par with the Gruvgear/Mono for comfort but real works of art. Not exactly cheap though! 

[Baloney Balderdash]

With my new Ibanez306EB 6 string bass being quite heavier (about 6kg/13lbs) than my previous main, a 4 string Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass (don't have the exact weight but properly close to half the weight), I think I might need to get over my aversion for wide straps in the most common "ultra wide one side/super narrow other side" design, and get one of those, and with shoulder padding as well, so this actually seems attractive to me the brown Minotaur SPB08 Steampunk Timemaker strap (would normally also have gone for the black one, but in this case I think the brown one looks cooler and fits the theme better) :

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/minotaur_spb08_steampunk_timemaker_br.htm

 

10,5mm width, 7mm padding.

 

Even if I probably am going to sit down and play most of the time. 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Baloney Balderdash

[Silky999]

+1 for the Pinegrove Leather strap. Super comfortable and personalised with the band name, real proper craftsmanship .

[Bigguy2017]

My newest Pinegrove Leather strap arrived yesterday

This will go on my Yamaha Revstar RS502 6 string due to arrive beginning of Feb.