@Frylock I practice a good amount sitting down (honestly most of the time) and even then, I still have the guitar weight mostly in the strap. When I played an LP-style guitar the majority of the time, the weight was totally in the strap (which started to aggravate my shoulder / back after a while). Having a lighter Strandberg with the cool “middle” lower cutaway means I can transfer a good amount of weight to my thigh!
That’s why I also always keep the strap on (no locks though lol)
It’s not just about protecting the guitar, either. I’m typically barefoot or in socks when I’m practicing, and the last thing I need is a crushed toe.
+1 here too. I always play with a strap whether standing or seated.
+1 here as well, I also play either sitting or standing with a strap. I have a tall body and I just cannot sit with the guitar on my lap without putting my wrist at a painful angle. I play with the guitar “high” on my chest too a lot like Frank Gambale. This is just normal and comfortable for me.
Re: strap locks, I’ve got some straps with them, some without. I just came across this though
I picked one up the other day. It’s comfortable (I got the padded option), just as easy as the more traditional strap locks but you don’t have to do the slight mod on your instrument (installing the locking strap pins).
As long it doesn’t result in slouching (excessive thoracic flexion with shoulders protracted and internally rotated), I think playing with a strap while seated is fine.
Sometimes the weight of the guitar on the strap results in fatigue which encourages slouching, and sometimes slouching occurs because we’re trying to relieve pressure from an uncomfortable strap.
I really like these KLIQ AirCell straps:
I dont have the same issue but yesterday i decided to experiment and readjust my guitar strap so the guitar sits a little lower when standing. Not super low like Hendrix just a bit lower than what i had. I have long arms so my thought is it might make string tracking easier if i can adduct my shoulder and elbow without my arm being bent as much
This looks cool. I am a fan of the dimarzio clip lock straps and have them on all my guitars but i might give this one a try
I find after a while of practicing, I start to slouch, and find it very hard to not slouch at that point. It then becomes harder to play accurately or keep the guitar in the right place.
@joebegly man I wanted to try this strap but apparently it doesn’t work well with pins that are behind the neck “SG style”.
@Tom_Gilroy I was looking at KLIQ but they’re too long for me on bass (and guitar last I checked). Was gonna check out either a signature John Patitucci one or something equally super short + wide, maybe comfort strapp? Any recommendations?
Even the short length version?
If it were me I’d just get the KLIQ and get an alterations shop to make it shorter.
Semi-related question:
Has anyone bought (or built?) a guitar stand like those Claus Levin uses in his YT videos?
In a nutshell, it should be like having the guitar on a strap without needing to hold the guitar weight with your back/core etc.
No experience, but here’s a review of the Konig & Meyer “Guitar Performer Stand”, which looks pretty close to what Claus uses:
I use a 3 inch wide cotton strap from Levis. Slouching is the reason I use one, as I mentioned before because of my tall body. I sit in a chair with my back straight. My guitar weighs about 8.5 pounds and I don’t get uncomfortable with the wide strap (with OLD Schaller strap locks, I don’t like the new ones).
It’s gonna vary from person to person of course. Stands are neat for live performance, but standing up for hours on end without moving around is also not good for your feet and knees.
I much prefer to play standing up. My strap is short so the guitar position really doesn’t change when I sit vs when I’m standing, but I just feel more engaged when I’m assuming a good posture while playing. I also get restless sitting in one spot for too long. Whenever I practice, I’m not just standing in place; I’m continuously wandering around the room.
One more observation on my end:
For 25.5 scale guitars (e.g. strat), I definitely prefer to play them standing with a strap. When Playing a 25.5 sitting down (using either leg), there’s always something that feels “too far to one side” (either fretting or picking hand)
I also have a 22’5 guitar (squier Jazzmaster mini), which conversely is pretty comfortable sitting down, and a little weirder to play standing up.
So my current solution is:
Sitting down - > play the 22’5
Standing up → play the 25’5
Body shape, neck to body weight distribution and strap button locations affect ergonomics. I have a Prisma Sunset that wants to swing to the left of my body center; the left strap button is located near the 22nd fret and is not comfy on a strap. Then my telecaster has a strap button near the 16th fret, and is cozy on a strap.
Great question!! Claus is awesome… love that stand.
My practice sessions are hours… that would be tough for me but I think it’s really important to practice standing.