Re: Mandolin strap for f style
Quote:
Originally Posted by
D C Blood
I've used old belts, mostly from thrift stores, for a long time. Generally the buckle end has the hole which fits the end pin real well, then add leather bootlace cut to size for the scroll end...I have snake skin straps, alligator skin straps, crocodile skin straps...
great idea.. I'm going to a thift store after work to what I can find! :grin:
Baileys look very nice, $55 is just a little pricey
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
I had great fun going to a crafts store and buying some long strips of leather, a cheap book on how to weave and making my own strap. It was fun and now I have an original for under $20.
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
I got the idea from the Mike Marshall DVD. I went to a leather shop and bought a piece of leather about 1/2 inch wide, then on one end I took a razor knife and made a slit as long as needed to fit over the scroll. On the other end I mad another slit to fit over the end pin.
This beats all other straps, costed me about 4 bucks and 10 minutes worth of work and there's no bulky tie on the scroll end.
~o)
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
I really like my Long Hollow. I've got the 71070 Softy; it's a pretty simple strap that's very comfortable. Check 'em out:
http://www.longhollowleather.com/catalog_dobro.htm
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
I like the Long Hollow softies.
Webb(nylon&cloth) mando straps are my fave. No worries about leaving the strap on the mando when in the case.
Maybe it's OK to leave leather strap on mando while in the case;I don't though.
~:>
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
Be careful though! The leather strap I bought when I got my F5 was only 'finished' (for want of a better word) on one side... The rougher side has completely taken the finish off the inside of the scroll on my mando. It's now rough as you like in there! Didn't occur to me at all that that might happen till it was too late.
I'm not planning on getting rid of it though so not the end of the world. Mind you...if you're after that 'distressed' look it might be worth rubbing the whole thing down with the back of a strap, an old shoe, the back end of a cow etc!
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
some players like the balance of tying to the headstock a cord also tied to the end of a guitar strap, the button end can be held in place with a following O ring , or even a plastic bag clip from the Produce section.
scroll or none..
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
I went to my local Tandy leather store and bought a 1" wide by 60" long strip of suede leather and cut my own strap.....for $5.00 NO TAX! :D It's as soft as a baby's bottom. ;) I used a hole punch and an exacto knife to make the holes for the end pin, and cut a circle with slot for the f scroll. It's a bit wide, but very comfortable. I'll try 3/4" on my next one, and cut it to 1/2", using neatfoot oil to darken and soften the leather.
Re: Mandolin strap for f style
Plenty of good ideas at this thread. This was my contribution:
My favorite DIY strap was modified from a nylon dog leash that I picked up at a yard sale for two bits - that's right, a quarter. You know the kind - wrist loop at one end, metal clip at the other. All I did was cut the clip end off to length plus about two inches, folded the extra over itself and glued it with Krazy Glue, threaded a thick insulated wire (matching color) through the small loop that resulted, wrapped the wire around the endpin, slipped the wrist loop over the scroll - TA DA!!! :mandosmiley: I know some people are leery of letting anything plastic touch their mandolins, for fear of chemical interactions with the finish (I think that pertains mostly to vinyl), but I never noticed any problem. I lucked out with a snazzy design and color combination, too. And talk about sturdy - if Rover can't break a leash, what's your Hoss gonna do? ;)
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Re: Mandolin strap for f style
I've been messing around making straps from leather belts I find in markets, and having fun and getting some satisfaction out of it. My latest is a one-off, as I found a single suitable gents belt of braided leather that was long enough and soft enough for me to try and learn how to do four-strand, round cross-section braiding. It was hard work, but worth the effort, and is now the favourite one of my slowly-growing collection. Total cost of manufacture, about $3 and some sore fingers.
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