How long should a guitar strap be?
A guitar strap should be exactly as long as the distance from the tail strap button, over your shoulder, to the neck strap button with the guitar sitting where you want it. That is the whole answer. Everything else on this page is about how to get that number and what to do with it.
Measure it
- Put the guitar where you like it. Standing, with the guitar at the height you actually play, not the height that looks right in a mirror.
- Run a soft tape or a piece of string from the tail button, up and over your shoulder, down to the neck button. Keep it flat to your body.
- That number, in inches, is your strap length. Most players land between 45 and 55.
What we sell: one strap, the Soldier double-layer cowhide strap, in black, dark brown, tan or white. Suede-finish back, length set through a row of slots on the tail. £54.95 with free UK delivery.
Why a "one size" strap so often feels wrong
Straps are sold as an adjustable range, and the range is where the trouble starts. Plenty of them adjust with a plastic slider that only bites in the middle of the range, or carry a shoulder pad positioned for one setting. Set that kind of strap to the short end and the pad ends up behind your neck with a foot of tail flapping at the front.
A slot-adjusted leather strap does not have that problem. The tail is cut with a row of slots, the shoulder end feeds through, and the strap is the same shape whichever slot you use. It is the same mechanism as a belt, and it is what the Soldier double-layer cowhide strap uses.
Sitting versus standing
If you mostly play sitting down, measure sitting: the guitar rests on your leg and the strap only needs to stop it sliding forward, so you will land at the short end of your range. Players who do both should set the strap standing and accept that it goes slightly slack when seated; a slack strap is harmless, a tight one is not.
Bass
Bassists wear the instrument lower on average, so a bass player will usually end up several inches longer than a guitarist of the same height. That is a reason to buy a strap with real adjustment rather than one with three holes in the end of it.
What we can't tell you about ours
We don't publish the shortest and longest length our strap reaches, because the maker has not given us the figures and we asked on 14 September 2026. If your measurement is at an extreme, wait for us to publish them or ask us and we will tell you what we know. The fit guide covers setting the length once it arrives.