New Strap Day

[JaySwear]

Somebody on the Seymour Duncan forums posted a link to this site (www.couchguitarstraps.com) a while ago that had a great selection of good looking straps. I needed a new guitar strap pretty badly and decided to try one. I love this thing! It's not designed to lessen the stress on your shoulder or be super non-slip, but just a nice no nonsense sort of strap. It's the first real strap I've had. The others I've used have been cheap straps bought from local music stores, but nothing really made to last. Anyway, pictures!

It's actually much more off-white than I had thought it would be, but I love that. I was really torn between this one and a beige/gray strap, so I feel like I got the best of both worlds.

OH, and it's a vegan strap if you're into that sort of thing. I couldn't care much less personally, but I might as well throw that out there.

 

[RIPeturs]

Nice combo, I got a strap going on 15 years old. Probably time to pull the trigger on a new one. Is that strap stiff or pretty well broken in out of the box? I'm guessing the later is an advantage of recycled materials.

 

[JaySwear]

It feels very much like leather. Actually I forgot it was vegan, and not anything close to leather at all, until i opened the thread at the Seymour Duncan Forum to post that I had gotten one. It feels like a well broken in leather strap. Not stiff at all!

 

[erogenousjones17]

Looks good. And Matt S. of the Alkaline Trio is an endorser! Call me a loser, but I love that band. :laughing7: I wonder if Couch ships to Canada...

Also, I love love love that Tele. Tough I do kinda miss the zebra pickups you used to have on there. Guess I'll have to build my own.  :evil4:

 

[kboman]

There are some seriously good looking straps on that site, thanks for the tip! :icon_thumright:

I too miss the zebras but that is still a smashing Tele you've got there!

 

[JaySwear]

I loved the look of those zebra pickups! But wasn't a fan of how they sounded. I'm thinking about replacing the Super Distortion and Air Norton in the tele with an Air Norton bridge and probably a PAF Pro neck one day. If i don't go with chrome covers I think I'll go with another zebra set.

Anyway I saw a video "tour" of their "factory." :laughing11: They have a small set up in a house somewhere in California I think. Anyway in the video he points to a strap and says he's shipping it to Spain, so it seems like they'll ship anywhere!

 

[mayfly]

I had a look at the FAQ and it does specifically say they ship to canada.

Seriously nice straps!  I'm going to order some and some belts - and maybe a wallet!  it's nice looking stuff.  :headbang:

 

[mayfly]

ok, just ordered two straps, two belts and a wallet. 

My (on order) wallet already feels lighter 

 

[smjenkins]

Funny this thread came up, I bought a couch seat belt strap for my strat a few weeks back.  They are very well built.  My only complaint is that they make them a bit longer than normal straps and when adjusted to my normal length, the buckle hits my shoulder.  I ended up flipping the strap around to solve the problem.

 

[JaySwear]

i did the same thing but hated having the two strap layers in front instead of behind. so i'm just living with it. they really do make their straps pretty long though... but i still love it

 

[AutoBat]

I wear my strap lower than most players. Not quite Billy Joe Armstrong low, but close.
Mark Hoppus has his bass about the level I keep my guitar in this pic:

 

[Cagey]

According to the site, 6" longer, for the oversized emotionally unstable vegan. I can't imagine encouraging those defectives by spending money on their products. Although, it would be tough to get a stronger strap than something made of seatbelt webbing. Still, even a Les Paul rarely weighs more than 10 lbs. Is strap breakage really a problem for anybody? Because if you cut a strip of cow hide to the right length and punch some holes at the ends, it'll hold up a helluva lotta weight. As an added bonus, you get to eat the cow once it bleeds out.

Don't get me wrong; I'm all for treating animals properly. I believe there's room on the planet for all god's creatures - right next to the mashed potatoes <grin>

 

[Cagey]

I wear my strap lower than most players. Not quite Billy Joe Armstrong low, but close.
Mark Hoppus has his bass about the level I keep my guitar in this pic:

That's pretty low, if you ask me. But, he's pretty low himself. I doubt he's much more than 4 1/2 feet tall, judging by his friends. Still, relatively speaking, that's a good way to develop carpal tunnel syndrome if you play much at all. Shouldn't have your wrist bent that far, if at all.

 

[JaySwear]

i've had multiple straps break, but never because of what they're made out of. the problem is always what they're held together with. the seams rip and the strap won't hold any weight. i don't much care what the thing's made out of, but more (in this order) whether or not it's well made, whether or not it's slip resistant, whether it'll look good (not a big fan of fancy designs myself, so no tribal tramp stamp tattoo guitar straps for me), and i guess what it's made of would be the bottom of my list.

good thing Couch doesn't do a background check on their customers. i'd hate for them to deny me a sale because i order a box of Omaha Steaks almost monthly :icon_biggrin:

and funny you mention carpal tunnel. i've been having a bunch of trouble myself recently.

 

[Cagey]

Mmmm... Omaha Steaks...​

On a more serious note... bending your wrist while working your fingers will abrade the tendons that run through the carpal tunnel in your wrist, which is what causes the inflammation and subsequent pain. Need to keep that baby straight, which means either sitting while playing or keeping your guitar higher on your body. If you work with a keyboard at a desk a lot, the same thing applies - gotta keep those wrists straight. Lotta tendon activity in typing.

Buddy of mine developed a different problem. He plays in the proper orientation, being a classical/jazz player, but he practices like most people breathe, which is all the time. As a result, he developed "trigger finger". Drugs, steroids, cortizone haven't worked, now he's going in for surgery. Poor bastard can't play at all at the moment.

Not that lotsa practice isn't a Good Thing, but he was a bit nuts about it, I think. On the plus side, he was very good, and made some pretty long dollars plying his trade.

 

[AutoBat]

a third of the time i play it's on my lap whilst i'm on this board.  playing any higher than i do is uncomfortable as heck.

 

[Cagey]

a third of the time i play it's on my lap whilst i'm on this board.  playing any higher than i do is uncomfortable as heck.

Plus, it looks goofy. That's why many guitar players wear their instruments lower than a rapper's pants. But, that's ok. Thins out the herd, reduces competition.

 

[Firebird211]

The strap I am getting for my new build is going to be MOOOO...Leather. :laughing7:

 

[Firebird211]

and funny you mention carpal tunnel. i've been having a bunch of trouble myself recently.

I have battled a lot of intermittent wrist pain, and nerve damage to my left ulnar nerve a long time ago makes my hand go hot and tingly if I over do it.  I don't have problems as much anymore because I use a gyroscope exerciser, which can be a form of therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome.  You can check them out at:http://www.powerballs.com/

 

[mayfly]

Just got my straps, belts, and wallet.

Everything is great.  The straps are very high quality and very cool to look at.  Ditto with the belts, one of which I'm wearing right now.  The wallet won't fit all my cards, but it was time for a card culling anyway.  Customer service was top notch, and shipping up to Canada was very fast.

Only one comment - the straps are too slippery to be used with a b-bender.  Gotta use cow for that application.  However, the couch straps will be great for those Warner guitar flip moves  :headbang:

Exec summary:  Great product, great price, great service.  Go get 'em.