Guitar Harness/Double Straps

What's Hot
bob21bob21 Frets: 170
Does anyone have any experience with any of the (few) harness-type straps on the market at the moment?

I'm aware of three main ones:

Unfortunately, there is very little on the internet about them in general, and almost nothing about the second two!

I suffer badly from shoulder, neck and upper back pain when playing - part of this is down to my 11lb+ Telecaster, which I'd really rather not give up playing, so I'm looking into ways to support it across both shoulders..

The Mundo harness looks to me to be the best bet as it won't twist/pull the guitar at a strange angle - but I'm not entirely convinced by their suction cup attachment mechanism; and at £55, it's quite pricey to try out if it's rubbish!

Any thoughts/experiences?
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    A stool, and not the type you donate for luck around here.

    Seriously uncool but just perch a cheek on a stool and all the tension goes. You don't even have to spend all night on it, slip off and on as the need/desire/groove takes your fancy.



    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Walter Trout uses a similar thing...I'll see if I can find any quotes

    *quick Google*

    Ah, you may have already seen this, as it's on the Dare Strap's website:


    "For any guitar players out there I’d recommend it. I was watching Danny Bryant and thinking... he’s young and I see me in him at that age and he can’t imagine that some day he’ll hit fifty and his shoulder’s gonna go out. But when he’s doing hundreds of gigs a year like he is, it ’s gonna happen."




    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • If I had a Tele that weighed over 11lbs I'd be looking to get shot of it asap and find one that was a more reasonable weight!
    250+ positive trading feedbacks: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/57830/
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • bob21bob21 Frets: 170
    @ESBlonde I've thought about that.. Most of the work I do is fronting (and doing all the vocals) in a trio, so I think I'd really struggle to give it any energy sat down. Not a bad coping strategy in the short term though, I suppose!

    Yeah, I know the tele's a boat anchor, but I love it. It's a Custom Shop, so I'm not about to start attacking it with tools either to lighten it! I do have a 335-type that I'm trying to play more, and I'm considering buying the Parker I've always fancied as they're incredibly light!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • A Fender Custom Shop Tele that weighs over 11lbs? I've never heard of such a thing! Most Custom Shop Teles these days weigh 7-7.5lbs.
    250+ positive trading feedbacks: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/57830/
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • paulkpaulk Frets: 318
    I recall seeing Big Black many years ago and both Steve Albini and Santiago Durango both had their guitars sort of belted on. Basically an extra long wide strap wrapped once around the waist. Zero weight on the shoulders but you're sort of limited to a set height.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3300
    edited November 2013
    Yeah I saw Albini playing in shellac and he had the belt thing going on looked unique for want of a better word
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • As @RocknRollDave I thought of Walter Trout .

    Or those ones that allowed Billy and Dusty to spin their furry guitars.
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ESBlonde said:
    A stool, and not the type you donate for luck around here.

    Seriously uncool but just perch a cheek on a stool and all the tension goes. You don't even have to spend all night on it, slip off and on as the need/desire/groove takes your fancy.
    This ^  I don't play a gig without one
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Ahh, the Mundo one allows you to do the ZZ Top thing. I would have to buy a wireless set up though.
    The Dare one is pretty cheap on amazon although looking at it and reading the reviews it feels cheap too.
    Wearing a (suit type) jacket helps a bit too, very common amongst ageing rockers ( and helps hide the gut too). Goes to wardrobe... :-?
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • bob21bob21 Frets: 170
    Interesting.. I think I'm going to take a punt on the Mundo one.. although not for ZZ Top antics.. Not entirely convinced by the suction-cup attachment to the guitar though!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • bob21;78535" said:
    Interesting.. I think I'm going to take a punt on the Mundo one.. although not for ZZ Top antics.. Not entirely convinced by the suction-cup attachment to the guitar though!
    Me neither, how did it work out?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Thread necrophilia but we're all a year older! Looking at the dare strap I would have thought that with a pop riveter and two cheap nylon straps you could make your own .....  
    www.maltingsaudio.co.uk
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • bob21bob21 Frets: 170
    @PeterWilliams ;
    I didn't buy one, but my housemate and opposite number did, so I've used it a bit..
    The suction cup thing is fine - I tried swinging the guitar by it, pulling, pushing it.. It holds fine.
    The strap itself certainly does the job of spreading the weight out. There are two issues that make me not hugely keen:

    Balance - where you attach the suction cup head hugely affects the balance of the guitar. Unfortunately, on my Jazz Bass (where I rather wanted to use it) the balance point is under the neck plate, and half way round a body contour - and you can't use the suction head there, because it needs to be on the flat..

    Angle - the strap tends to pull the guitar entirely flat (parallel) to the body - whereas I tend to prefer my guitars slightly on an angle, close to my body at the bridge end, further away at the neck end. Pretty sure this is something that I could adjust to - also, i think using the extra suction tethers, you can modify this a bit..

    All in all, not a bad product, certainly does the main job of reducing weight on the shoulders. Main reason I'm not using one myself is that I've bought an ultralight Parker Fly, which appeases the shoulder somewhat, and I now use Comfort Strapps on my basses, which just about make it okay. I've also taken up pilates, and modified the way I do rehearsals, so it's all come together to mean that 90% of the time, I don't have an issue!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • HHwarnerHHwarner Frets: 137
    edited December 2014
    I bought one of these, The Slinger harness Strap. I suffered from left arm/shoulder pain and severe LH hand cramps until I purchased one of these. Expensive but it saved my live playing career. I was seriously considering giving it all up.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.