I like a nice length of leather when I’m slapping away on the bottom end . . . and thus ends my poor innuendo in honor of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie coming out next week. I really ought to actually read that book.
I’m not a paid endorser, I’m barely and rarely even a paid musician – so my endorsement comes from my actual usage. I used to think about as much about my straps as I do my strings – I avoided the cheapest offerings, but beyond that, I didn’t see that it mattered a whole lot. I would typically go for some poly-backed Planet Waves strap that had a cool design; I had a Planet Waves leather strap and a Levy’s suede strap for those times I wanted to class it up, but really didn’t give it much thought.
It was actually an acoustic guitar that inspired me to upgrade – that, and an insane buy at Guitar Center (which was possibly the first domino to fall, years ago, in the chain that led to their demise). I found this nice, thick, wide, soft leather strap for under $20, can’t remember the actual price, but I remember that I was expecting the price to ring up significantly higher when I checked out. The quality was noticeably superior to everything around it. The price turned out to be correct.
Thus was born my fascination with Franklin straps.
I think I’ve picked up a Franklin strap for every bass or guitar I’ve bought since then. I passed initially on the Franklin strap for a recent acquisition; the sunburst finish and loads of chrome had me thinking 70’s funk machine, so I picked up a decent black leather strap with a funky, western-style stitching (I think it’s a Levy’s); it’s a nice strap, but I was still just monitoring ebay auctions, and just today picked up another Franklin strap that will go with this bass; the honey strap with chocolate ends, and the floral print tooling, will complement my funk machine quite appropriately.
But it’s not just the style that appeals. First, the leather is soft. Like, baby’s bottom soft, or rabbit fur soft. It feels luxurious. I have a couple of cotton straps as well, and again – softest material in the guitar accessory world.
Not only does it feel nice to the touch, but it wins where it counts – it’s a dream to wear, especially for a bass player. Most of my Franklin straps are 3″ wide, and the leather is thick, yet supple. The thickness I feel absorbs some of the weight better, while the width better distributes it. Whether jamming or gigging, when I’m going to be playing for several hours, I know my fingers will probably wear out before my shoulder does. The more comfortable I am, the longer I can play.
The only complaint I have is in the length. It’s a purely leather strap, and the adjustment is done by weaving the tail end on the end of the strap – but this can only do so much, there is no adjustable buckle like you find on other, cheaper straps. For style, I love it – but with a bass, the Franklin strap forces me to wear it slung low. Looks cooler, but does detract a bit from the comfort I described above.
So there’s my unsolicited, unpaid product pitch. Your strap does make a huge difference, and you can’t go wrong if you go Franklin.
The Book of Five Strings 