Bass guitar straps

A bass is heavier than a guitar and it is played lower, so a bass strap needs to be wider and longer. Ours is 3.5 inches at the shoulder with a padded core, and the Regular length starts 2 inches longer than our guitar straps.

Bass straps and the wide strap

Extra-wide padded leather bass strap edge and stitching

Padded 3.5 inch leather bass guitar strap

£94.00 each

A 3.5 inch padded strap that spreads the weight of a bass or a heavy single-cut across the shoulder.

Wide padded full-grain leather guitar strap with suede backing and adjustable tail

Wide padded 3 inch leather guitar strap

£84.00 each

A 3 inch full-grain shoulder pad with a suede back that stays put, for heavy guitars and long sets.

Strap tail fitted with a strap lock on a guitar strap button

Guitar strap locks (pair)

£14.00 each

A pair of steel strap locks that fit any standard strap button so the strap cannot slip off the guitar.

Why width matters on a bass

Pressure is weight divided by area. A 10 lb bass on a 2 inch strap puts about 5 lb of pull on every inch of shoulder it touches; the same bass on a 3.5 inch strap puts under 3 lb on each inch. That is the whole trick. The padding softens the edge, and the suede stops the strap creeping toward the neck when you lean into a line.

If you play a lighter short-scale bass, the Wide padded strap at 3 inches is enough. Guide: choosing a strap for a heavy instrument.