Please recommend good under fretboard A style strap

[shaundeane]

Hi - I have a great strap from Alan Gelman in Montana that attaches to the headstock. For any first or second fret action, the back of my hand hits the string connecting to the strap - not restrictive, but annoying. I just moved it under the fretboard and around the neck, which for playing is way better but man, the exercise to get it on over my head is a lot more effort. Is there some solution that I am missing or do people tend to put the strap on and off the endpin each time? I have avoided that because I figured that over time, that connection at the end pin would get looser and looser. I don't want to add a strap button to this beautiful instrument, so not going there. Thanks for any suggestions or advice.

[Gary Leonard]

I have a thin strap from pine grove leathers I like. I just loop a leather chord around the neck below fretboard, and attach to my strap in the button hole. I keep my strap on the mandolin at all times. I am at the point where I will need to add a plastic washer on the endpin to keep the strap secure, it is getting looser after a year and a half. The strap will rub on the finish under the neck, and my gloss black Collings MTO is showing it a bit. I will put a strap pin on my new A style Girouard to avoid that.

[TN Picker]

I went through the process of finding an A style strap about a year ago, specifically one to loop under the fingerboard extension. I landed on the Pinegrove MS50 and couldn't be happier. The website shows it on an F style but it works great under the extension on my A.

https://www.pinegroveleather.com/Lea...p/pg161050.htm

Good luck on your search!

[shaundeane]

Thanks, guys. Very helpful.

[Doug Brock]

The last time I attached a strap under the fretboard on an A-style, I used a soft boot lace and ran that around the mandolin, under the fretboard, and then through the strap-button hole on the end of a mandolin strap.

[Mike Buesseler]

I like the idea of a strap under the fretboard extensions on my As, but it always seems to make the neck feel heavy. The second I take a rest and remove my left hand from under the neck, my mandolins tilt neck-down. Anyway, I’ve settled on attaching the strap under the strings, between the uppermost two tuning pegs. Works fine for me...just doesn’t seem as cool.

[Br1ck]

Bailey straps are great. I did go ahead and buy a turned hardwood button and have been very happy with it. Much nicer than shiny metal.

[pops1]

Even when I had an F style mandolin it went on the peghead. Much better balance and easier to get on and off.

[Steve Ostrander]

You can make any strap "under the FB". Just take a shoelace or leather thong and tie it under the FB. Then attach it to the strap.

[LadysSolo]

I use a thin bootlace-type strap on the peghead under the strings on all of my A-style mandolins too, due to the above-mentioned problem of the neck tipping down if attached under the fretboard (which is supremely annoying to me.) And I also have 2-Alan Gelman straps - I love them! Great straps as you said!

[Denny Gies]

I bought a book on weaving leather strips, ala laynards, at a craft store and made braided a strap from 4 strips of leather for my old A2. It goes under the strings above the nut and attaches to the end pin. Easy to get over my head. Or you can make it a bit shorter and just have it rest on your shoulder. Good luck.

[yankees1]

Bill Bailey Straps ! The best !