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Guitars of the Month
G&L Bluesboy • Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum
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Comparison: Fender American Performer Telecaster Hum G&L Bluesboy
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Travel Guitars
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Martin D JR-10E, Taylor GS Mini, Alvarez LJ2
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My Favorite Things: Chris Capitanio's PRS 513
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The Strap that Changed My Life
My mother, who has the admirable quality of being loving while direct, would probably say that I was born stubborn. Recalcitrant was a word familiar to me at a young age, as it was frequently used to describe my behavior in our household. As a child, I would refuse direction, famously saying, “I am the boss of my very own self!” Thus, my childhood and formative years were littered with unnecessarily difficult and frustrating incidents stemming from my innate defiance and insistence on doing things my own way. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Westwood, evidently told my mother, “Lindsay is a smart boy and a good student, but he just doesn’t like being told what to do!” I was also fired by at least one piano teacher. And, good lord, how I clashed with my poor father, who possesses a brilliant and inquisitive mind and a natural impulse to teach, but a similar (if not greater) measure of stubbornness or, in his case, what may be more aptly described as “uncommon determination.”
Naturally, my bullheadedness carried over into my life with the guitar. Looking back, one of the most oddly significant revelations for me was the importance of a good strap! In my teens, I definitely adhered to the principal that at least half of rock n’ roll is looking cool, and I bought straps accordingly. Being a devoted heavy metal fan at the time, my first significant strap acquisition was a bright red leather strap embossed with a golden skull that had snakes coming out of its eyes—tasteful, right?! Boy, that strap called my name from a display at the 1993 Summer NAMM show…. However, at that time, I didn’t appreciate the fact that my dream heavy metal strap was made from relatively inflexible tooling-grade leather, which is not at all comfortable at the outset and takes forever to break in. My next strap was a much more pliable, but equally uncomfortable nylon strap, complete with sexy aquamarine and purple lizards. Like most nylon straps I’ve encountered (with the exception of seatbelt straps, like those made by Souldier), this lizard strap had rather abrasive edges that would grate against my neck and my nerves. In keeping with my persistent trend of buying straps that were cool looking rather than functional, my next acquisition was a wooden strap that I purchased in my late teens. Yes, you read that correctly—a wooden strap! Of my three poor strap choices, this wooden strap was surprisingly the most comfortable, and it certainly appealed to the nouveau-hippy-who-maybe-listens-to-too-much-Rusted Root persona that I had adopted at that point in life. Yet, this strap was literally too slick, allowing the neck to fall when I was playing. This was quite irritating, and thus this strap joined my growing collection of guitar-strap-shaped ornaments.
In light of my poor strap selections, I eschewed straps in general and became increasingly committed to playing and performing while seated. Of course, this practice is perfectly acceptable, being the standard for classical and flamenco guitarists, and quite normal for a wide array of players in other genres, including singer-songwriter types (like myself). Yet, there are times when it is very useful to be able to stand and play—for instance, scenarios where you are playing with an ensemble in a really confined space. It is also undeniable that one commands more attention on stage when standing. And, as any vocal coach will tell you, your ability to project and control your voice improves a great deal if you are standing (so you folks who sing and play the guitar take note!). Finally, using a strap in general (even when seated) can demonstrably improve playing posture by elevating the neck to a more ergonomically correct angle—for this reason we often recommend that young children start with a strap.
To be honest, I remain pretty damn stubborn to this day—this is partly as I maintain that creativity and artistic perspectives are at least partly born of defiant streaks and urges to go against the grain of societal norms. Yet, life and the passage of time have taught me to accept one’s own fallibility and to embrace the suggestions of those older and wiser. Thus, I gradually realized that my refusal to use a strap was occasionally impeding my performances, including hindering my ability to play with others in a live setting. I ultimately decided that it was essential that I train myself to become comfortable using a strap, so I went strap hunting. For the first time in my strap buying career, I heeded the advice of an older friend and prioritized comfort and quality. The strap I selected was a very plain but supple, chestnut, double-milled Pinnacle strap from Long Hollow Leathers. Not only did this strap immediately conform to my shoulder like an extra layer of skin, but it’s super soft nature and good design allowed it to easily fit over my acoustic guitar’s strap jack—this is a major issue with straps made from heavier or stiffer leather! Within a few hours of field-testing my new strap while wandering around my apartment, I was completely at home (pardon the pun!) with the use of a strap and playing while standing. Needless to say, I love this strap and use it to this day!
The impact of that strap was a revelation to me, and I mostly attribute my ability to adapt to a different playing posture so quickly to the quality and comfort of the strap (though I suppose I deserve some credit for working to correct my shortcomings with straps). Following my experience, I now evaluate the straps we stock or consider with a much different perspective. Moreover, I now encourage customers to select straps based on comfort, first and foremost; because, as silly as it sounds, I’m here to testify that the right strap can indeed change your life! - L. Petsch, October 2019
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