The Dare Guitar Strap Now Available Through Planet Waves
The Planet Waves Dare Guitar Strap is designed to improve guitar playing ergonomics by distributing the weight of the instrument across both shoulders as seen here:
Available for several years directly from designer Troy Dare, effective this month it is being distributed through major player D’Addario’s accessories arm – Planet Waves.
This is a great triumph for Troy Dare as well as a positive evolutionary step. Although not as radical as a redesign of the instrument, the availability of this ergonomic guitar strap suggests progress toward embracing the need for improving the physical concerns of playing guitar.
An interesting development, but it does appear to move the playing position of the guitar further to the right, as the front strap button becomes the pivot point. It also doesn’t make for easy guitar changes mid-set! I’d sooner plump for a nice, wide cushioned strap – and a light guitar!
Rob Fawcett
Images of blues guitarist Walter Trout suggest otherwise – http://www.waltertrout.com/photos.htm. The guitar is in a typical position. Keep in mind that the additional shoulder support is a supplement to the normal strap pin positions.
Not a guitar player (although I do play guitar hero on PS2) but I could definately see how it would help those with already sore shoulders!
awesome.
http://www.bigrockfinish.com
Hi Robert,
I love this concept, since it is inexpensive and works with any off-the-shelf guitar. But I couldn’t get my strap to sit properly: the right-side strap never held any weight, but just slipped off my shoulder (I am a standard right-handed guitarist). Could this be because I like to play with the neck angled very high (unlike the blues guitarist in the photos you linked to)? I’d love to find a way to make the strap work for me.
In any event, your blog is wonderful and much-needed.
@James – I’m working on a review of the Dare Strap and will have more to add shortly. Thanks for the compliment and thanks for commenting!
I would like to thank Troy Dare personally for this design. This strap puts me in perfect playing position while standing. The angle of the neck and the distribution of weight are both a vast improvement over traditional designs. I play a standard 20 fret bass, and my access to all parts of the instrument is now unhindered. Unbeatable, especially at this price point.
Sorry for weighing in very late on this.
At the moment we are into the WIGGLING thing of headless guitars, and I remember very vividly those cheap acoustic guitars with no strap pins where you had to tie your strap around the headstock just behind the nut. Now, this ought to be more stable, but it kept the (that) guitar neck wiggle in and out even more since the strap actually helped to move the headstock in and out all of the time since your body moved while standing. Bouncing around.
Just a reminder: Do not attempt to produce any harness or strap or strap knobs at the head, or at the headpiec on a headless…