I have been playing mandolin for 15+ years and I have felt lucky to never encounter any of the dreaded issues with a strap falling off of the end pin. I have read some horror stories here on the cafe and have seen the solutions that people use but it never really was an issue that was anywhere but in the back of my mind. A couple of years ago I ordered a custom mando with the tailpiece drilled out for a pickup, I had been using a schertler and a few microphone configurations and a built in pickup seemed like the logical solution to the whole amplification problem.
With the pickup the size of the end pin that the strap needs to hang on is significantly larger then the usual end pin I have been used to for years, so my usual strap (a rather thin levi's) doesn't really work all that well.
I had read a thread (that I can't seem to find now) about a similar issue and some solutions people had used and I stole an idea - or adapted one - to tie a small piece of leather shoelace to the end of the strap and then tie this around the endpin so that I could fit it around the larger metal end pin. Kind of an adaptor. Worked great for months...
Then last night it came untied 5 mins before it was time to go on stage. Super small audience, less then 100 people, I was only helping a buddy play a few songs so he wasn't alone... but I felt like an idiot tying my mando on right at that moment.
So I was hoping someone could tell me the secret knot that doesn't come undone? Or how to enlarge a strap button hole in a way that isn't just "cut it larger." Is there a certain size leather punch to buy? I think I am going to have to go for a wider strap then I have ever used. Any input would be appreciated, looking for a pretty solid solution, I would have hated to have that come untied while I was on stage!
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