When practicing on your guitar, it is common to sit on a chair or even your coach, but when playing in front of a crowd or even jamming out with your friends, most of us stand and play. It just sounds better and is way more comfortable. There might be one problem, though, and that is keeping your guitar strap from falling off.
To prevent your guitar strap from falling off, you can use strap locks to keep it in place. You can also create your own locks using guitar picks, bread bag tags, and rubber washers. For a strap that is slipping off your shoulder, you can use a thicker strap or Guitar Gummy to keep it in place.
In this article, I will discuss eight ways to keep your guitar strap from falling off. So whether you are battling with your guitar strap coming loose from your guitar or slipping off your shoulder, I have a solution for you!
Related: how to attach a guitar strap, guitar tuner not working? common causes and fixes, and guitar capo. For the full overview, see our list of essential guitar accessories.
1. Ensure Your Guitar Has Two Pins To Secure the Strap
Not all guitars are created equal, and if you want to stand and play, you need to be able to secure your guitar with a strap.
Some guitars have two guitar strap pins, while others only have one or maybe even none. Having two pins is ideal, as it makes installing a strap much easier. If your guitar only has one, or no pins, don’t stress too much; all is not lost.
It might seem scary to install your own strap pins, but it isn’t difficult.
Most guitars will have two pins, though, usually at the heel and neck of the guitar. If you have two strap pins installed on your guitar, you simply have to hook your strap on them, and you are ready to go.
However, if you only have one pin, then you have three options. The pin would usually be at the guitar’s heel, leaving you to make a plan at the neck end.
For a guitar with only one pin, your options are:
- Take a piece of lace material, pull it through the pinhole on the strap and tie it around the neck of your guitar. Make sure to tie the lace behind the zero frets so it doesn’t get in your way when playing.
- You can get a special strap that has hooks on the ends. You clip one hook under the guitar’s body, and the other goes in the soundhole. This is not the most secure option, and your guitar will be off balance, so you will have to ensure that you have a good hold on it while playing.
- Your final and best option is to install a pin at the neck of your guitar. You can do it yourself or take your guitar to your local guitar shop to have it done.
If you have a guitar with no strap pins, you can use the special strap with the hooks or have strap hooks installed.
2. Invest in a New Strap
One of the reasons why your guitar keeps coming loose from the strap is that your strap might be old and worn out. The pins can easily slip out if the strap holes have become too big from wear and tear.
The best solution is to buy a new strap and remember that electric guitars need thicker straps because of their weight.
You can get this Ernie Ball Polypro Guitar Strap (available on Amazon.com), which you can adjust in length and is super comfortable and durable. It has stylish black leather ends and comes in various colors for you to choose from.
If you are still worried that your strap will come loose, you can invest in this D’Addario Accessories Locking Guitar Strap (available on Amazon.com). The length of the strap can be adjusted, and it has a Planet Waves patented Planet Lock system installed, which fits most guitars. It will lock the strap in place, ensuring that it never comes loose unless you release it. The best part is that the locking system will work with your existing pins, so you don’t have to change them.
3. You Need Bigger Pins
It is possible that your strap is perfectly fine, and your pins keep coming loose from your guitar. The pinhole can get worn and cause the pin to fall out when you pull on it.
If this is the problem, you can invest in bigger pins so that they can fit securely into the pinholes, or you can drill a new pinhole that is tighter so that your pin does not keep falling out. You can even use a screw as a pin.
Installing a new pin is easy, but if you don’t want to take a chance by doing it yourself, you can take it to your local guitar shop to have it done by a professional.
Here is an interesting and informative YouTube video showing how to install a strap button: