Coolstraps' Blog
Coolstraps Custom Handmade Guitar Straps Random Thoughts
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When Your Kids Grow Up To Be Musicians
Published: 05-03-2013 08:04pm
I write this for all of you whose parents or wives or husbands haven't thrown you out of the house, those of you whose families have encouraged and supported your pursuit of a muse that only people like you can understand. Be sure to thank them.It's a funny thing when your kids grow up to be musicians. I have two sons and their entire lives they have been immersed in music. When they were tots, I sang them to sleep at night; when they were in the bath, their dad would sit by the tub and play his guitar and sing to them; when they were in pre-K, we would take them to children's shows, stage performances by Sesame Street, small local theatrical musi... » Read More
Reading the Fine Print and A Reminder of What It Means to Render Good Customer Service
Published: 05-03-2013 05:35am
I sell handmade guitar straps on the internet and am as much
a customer as I am a seller. I buy almost all my fabrics on the internet, my
strap foundation material, threads, beads, plastic adjustment bars, almost
every component of my guitar straps is bought online. I am always aware of the
risk and that’s what makes me try very, very hard to give outstanding customer
service when someone buys from me—I know what a risk it is, how vulnerable
buyers are to shoddy sellers. Truthfully, I haven’t encountered much in the way
of unscrupulousness among the internet sellers I’ve done business with and it
made me complacent. When I’ve had... » Read More
Daddy's Junky Music Closes with an Object Lesson For Us All
Published: 11-13-2011 09:43am
Daddy's Junky Music Closes--An Object Lesson For Us All
Daddy's Junky Music, a
New Hampshire icon since 1966, recently closed its doors for good. To
hear Daddy's owner, Fred Bramante, tell it, they were unable to overcome
a poor economy but, even more importantly, they could not overcome
their internet competition and the lack of sales taxes charged by many
internet businesses. A costly labor dispute also contributed to Daddy's insolvency. Troy Richardson of LA Guitar Examiner has a particularly insightful article that closely scrutinizes and dissects Daddy's explanations of their demise:In
order to survive, every business... » Read More
Embroidery Versus Appliques
Published: 11-09-2011 04:37pm
I love to embroider. It's like painting with threads. I can create
images on a guitar strap that you just will not find anywhere else and
that makes my customer and me both feel very special; however, in
addition to being enormously gratifying, it's also time-consuming,
detailed, and expensive. So, the balance I have to strike as an artist
is this: I want a certain look; now, how do I achieve that and still
keep my straps affordable? One thing I can do is forgo creating that
look (which is not an acceptable solution to me) or I can look for the
most cost-effective way to render that look. Sometimes, nothing will do
but to hand embroider w... » Read More
Thinking Outside the Usual Guitar Strap Box
Published: 11-09-2011 04:37pm
Stepping
Outside the Stage Image Box
I've worked with a lot of guitarists who have a mental picture of what they want
to look like onstage and stage image is probably one of the most important
things to decide as a performer. They think that since they play a certain
"type" of music, they must sport a certain "type" of image right down to their
guitar straps. But, when they go through my guitar straps, they'll often say,
"Oh, I really like that one but I could never wear it. It's too (insert your own
adjective here--pretty, classy, quiet, odd, weird, unusual.")
A very successful musician who had bought... » Read More
Christmas Shopping on Artfire and Maybe a Cool Guitar Strap
Published: 11-09-2011 04:37pm
Christmas
will be here soon and, like most of us, you're probably trying to figure out how
to buy gifts that have quality and meaning without breaking your Christmas
budget. It's tough times right now. Most of us understand that. Being immersed
in the local and regional music scene, I am especially sensitive to the fact
that there are fewer gigs out there, smaller draws, less money at the end of the
night. What was once a struggle to move forward has become a battle just to
survive.
When I started making handmade guitar straps in 1998, those musicians were
exactly the ones I had in mind-- people who were getting st... » Read More
Colorful Mexican Serape Guitar Straps--An Appreciation of Culture
Published: 11-09-2011 04:37pm
Guitar
Straps As A Tool of Cultural Awareness
I've
made my fair share of guitar straps with flames and skulls and anarchy
symbols and such and I love making them. They convey something, create
an impression, that the wearer thinks is important. Some artists have
things like "No More War" emblazoned on their straps or "Don't Tread On
Me" or other slogans that, again, say something the artist wants to say
without having to actually say it.
But, every now and then, I,
your humble guitar strap maker, have something to say, too. A friend on
Myspace suggested I should look into making guitar straps from Mexican
serapes, t... » Read More
Certified Handmade Artisan Artifact
Published: 11-09-2011 04:37pm
Artfire Breaks New Ground with Handmade Artisan Certification
What makes the "handmade" trend terrific is that it is the return to an almost forgotten era of individual investment in quality. There was a time in history when "handmade" was all there was and each individual that produced a handmade item and sold it was totally invested in the quality of their product. Then, "store bought" became sought after, at least until the quality of store-bought began to suffer under the variable, and sometimes "iffy", standards of mass production. Returning to the individual standard of quality is a return to, usually, a higher standard of qual... » Read More
Is There A Difference Between Bass, Acoustic, and Electric Guitar Straps?
Published: 11-09-2011 04:36pm
In a word, no. There is no difference between bass, acoustic, and electric guitar straps. Traditionally, bass players sling their guitar a little lower and need to have a strap that is long enough to accommodate their playing style. But the actual construction of the strap is no different from any other guitar strap.
When I started making custom guitar straps, the first thing I did was research types of guitars, guitar bodies, strap pins, and comfort and function considerations. Because I'm not a musician, I, too, had that question... do various guitar types need different kinds of straps in terms of strength, construction, length, width, e... » Read More
Can The Leather Tabs on a Guitar Strap Be Repaired?
Published: 11-09-2011 04:36pm
Can this guitar strap be saved? When you have a guitar strap you love,
that's the first question-- perhaps the only question-- you have when
the dreaded "Rip of Death" happens to your leather button tab. The
answer depends on how your guitar strap is constructed. If the pin hole
is punched in a solid leather strip that adjusts only at the back, then
no, you're out of luck. If, on the other hand, your strap is
polypropylene or fabric that is riveted or stitched to the leather
button tab, then yes, perhaps your strap can be repaired. It just takes a
little creativity and some puzzle-solving skills on the part of the
person unde... » Read More
Decorating Your Own Guitar Strap
Published: 11-09-2011 04:36pm
Decorating
Your Own Guitar Strap
I
recently had a buyer contact me about making a guitar strap she could
decorate herself. As we talked through what she wanted, I realized that
there are a number of people out there who want something customized
but can't afford to pay someone else to do it. Also, the more I thought
about it, the more sense it made to provide that kind of guitar strap.
There is so much on the market, pre-designed layouts and appliques and
lettering that people can use to personalize their guitar strap. Now,
granted, it's not the same has having something hand embroidered but so
what? I've used those sam... » Read More
What the Customer Wants, The Customer Gets... Usually
Published: 11-09-2011 04:36pm
I get a lot of requests for custom designs on my guitar straps and I am generally happy to oblige as long as the design is not a copyrighted image. Guitar straps are one place where one is allowed to say something very personal about themselves without having to actually say anything at all. And, I am constantly amazed as what lurks beneath the persona of some of the musicians I work with. The death metal guy who wants a single red rose, the demure little folk singer who wants a "bouncing Betty" bomb. I absolutely adore the people I work with because they are such a constant and wonderful surprise.
One thing I will not do is make a strap... » Read More
Going Vegan With My Guitar Straps
Published: 11-09-2011 04:36pm
This is the first year anyone has ever asked me to customize their guitar strap by making it "vegan." I have been aware that there's a trend toward vegan everything, including guitar straps, but have resisted until this year, preferring real leather, with a special affection for suede because it is so darn tough and looks so good. But, as the old saying goes, "You snooze, you lose," so when I received the request, I went off to research my options.
My greatest concern was the durability of synthetic substitutes. My guitar straps are not cheap and they absolutely have to last. Aside from any artistic considerations, the most important th... » Read More
Striving For Excellence In My Craft--A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Published: 11-09-2011 04:36pm
Nothing is more important than the
quality of your product, whatever it might be. What you make, whether
it's music or guitar straps, must reflect not the standards around you,
but your own absolute standards of excellence. And if your product
doesn't meet your own exacting standards, you chuck it in the trash and
start over. Never, ever say to yourself, "It's good enough." You must
be able, always, to say, "This is really excellent." That is the
starting premise of my guitar straps.
I use 3-inch wide
2,000-pound test polypropylene strap material, cut into 6-foot lengths,
as the foundation for my straps. I then stitch onto it the mater... » Read More
Gibson Guitar and the Heavy Hand of the Federal Government
Published: 11-09-2011 04:35pm
In late 2009, Gibson Guitars was raided by the federal government and a
little over $500,000 in wood and other materials were seized. The
premise of the 2009 raid was that Gibson was importing and using
Madagascar wood, primarily ebony and rosewood, for their fretboards.
Supposedly, the imported wood Gibson was using violated the Lacey Act
(http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/index.shtml). The
Lacy Act was first introduced and passed Congress in 1900. Its primary
target was the movement of game and wild birds from one state to another
for hunting purposes in an effort to preserve those species in their
natural habit... » Read More
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