Top 10 Coolest Guitar Straps in History

In 2021, Fender released a study that said approximately 7% of Americans (over 16 million people) picked up guitar playing as a hobby in the previous two years. 

Whether you're one of these new guitar players, or you're just in the market for new guitar accessories, you're going to want cool guitar straps for your collection. Not only are they practical for your playing, but a style and design you love will help boost your confidence and improve your playing!

We're here to help with choosing a guitar strap, as well as learning how to put on a guitar strap - two necessary components for beginning and advanced guitarists alike.

How to Choose Cool Guitar Straps

Before we get into the coolest guitar straps in history, you should consider which options are best for your guitar. 

First, do you play acoustic, electric, or bass guitar? Each one has a different weight to it. If your instrument is on the heavier side, try looking at a wider 3.5" strap. For lighter instruments, a 2.5" width will likely suit you fine.

Consider your budget as well, as guitar straps have a wide variety of prices. Polyester straps are often on the cheaper end but are still sturdy enough to hold an instrument. Leather guitar straps, on the other hand, will be more expensive depending on the style of leather available to you.

1) Custom Guitar Strap

There is nothing cooler than having a guitar strap that is custom-made to your specifications. At Strap Graphics, we have custom guitar straps where you choose the length, material, and design. 

Your design will be digitally printed onto our high-quality polyester or leather straps. Our sublimation process ensures no amount of sweat or spilled beverages will ruin the print. You can even put them through the wash when you need to clean them.

We make it easy to create one-of-a-kind guitar accessories you are sure to love. We accept .png or .jpg image files to create your design. You can even download our Illustrator or Photoshop templates to make it simpler to save your patterns - just save the image to 300 dpi and send your artwork to us in an email.

We also offer a visual preview for your design when you use our online custom designer. That way, you can be sure you're going to be happy with your pattern before we make it and ship it out to you.

2) Embossed Guitar Straps

An embossed guitar strap looks and feels classy - it's a unique experience to be able to feel the design on your fingertips. 

We use the finest English bridle leather in black or rich brown with a soft suede back to make it comfortable to wear. Pick a 2.5" or 3.5" width depending on your preference.

With Strap Graphics, you can even emboss your own custom design. Like our other custom guitar strap options, you can send a .png or .jpg image to our website and we handle the rest.

3) Distressed Leather Guitar Straps

Distressed leather is another classy option for those looking for cool guitar straps. The distressed look is simple - the artificial wear on high-quality leather brings a country look to your guitar accessories. 

In addition, all distressed leather is unique. This means you can be sure you're getting a strap that's unlike any other on the planet!

4) Christian Cross Leather

Our specially-made Christian Cross leather straps are perfect for guitar players who love to play gospel music, and want to show their love for their religion or both! These are made from English bridle leather with a custom-cut leather cross. They also have bronze rivets adhered to the cross to make the design stand out.

5) Burlap Leather 

There are more options for leather than a simple English bridle and suede. Classic burlap bonded to nubuck leather is a unique choice for a simple, yet sophisticated look.

The difference between suede and nubuck leather is that nubuck is typically made from the outer layer of calfskin. This allows for imperfections in the leather, but it gives this option more character.

6) Standard Leather

Though these guitar strap options are made from standard leather, there is nothing standard about this classic choice. You can never go wrong with high-quality, custom-fit leather made in the USA. 

Take your pick of black, Havana standard, or brown colors as well as two width options, 3.5 or 2.5 inches. 

7) Tactical Woven American Flag

Nothing is cooler than showing off your American pride in your guitar accessories. These straps are made from standard leather, but they have a tactical woven American flag design stitched on. They make the perfect gift for military veterans, citizens, and aspiring citizens alike.

8) English Bridle

The English bridle leather style is a labor-intensive process. We stuff both the grain and flesh sides of the leather with grease and finish off the process with wax. It's a strong and durable leather that comes in a wide variety of finishes and colors.

At Strap Graphics, we sell this style in the same colors as the other layers - that is, black, Havana brown, and brown. You can also choose from more unique colors like chestnut, slate blue, and plum. The high-quality English bridle leather is what allows us to make these rich colors.

9) Graphic Polyester

If you can't decide on a custom design for your cool guitar straps, choose something predesigned from our store instead. It's easy to print graphics onto our high-quality polyester straps. You even get a taste of the leather we offer in our store, as the ends come made with our full grain leather.

Choose from classic designs like plaid, camo, or houndstooth. There are also quirkier premade patterns, like our guitar strap options that look like pizza or outer space.

If you like the tactical woven American flag design, you can pick our Old America polyester strap to make your patriotism more visible to your audience while you play.

These polyester straps make a great gift for children as well as adults because of the possibility for fun designs. They have a cheaper price point while still being durable. When your child or guitar beginner learns what guitar accessories they prefer, they can choose something more expensive with a higher quality later on.

10) Straps With Guitar Pick Holders

If you're a guitarist, you more than likely have a big collection of guitar picks. Consider putting a guitar pick holder on your strap for a stylish and utilitarian option. Our keychain holders come in many colors and hold up to five picks inside.

With this, you never have to search in your case or your pockets for such a necessary accessory. It's a great storage option for any time of day, especially if you drop your pick during a performance! No more awkwardly stopping a gig to look for a pick on the floor.

How to Put on a Guitar Strap

When you have picked out the perfect guitar strap, it's time to learn how to put one on.

Most guitars will have metal buttons that stick out of either side of the guitar. One will be at the bottom of the body, while the other will be either in the neck or near where the neck meets the body of the guitar. If your guitar doesn't have these buttons, you will have to install them yourself.

There will be two slits at either end of your strap. Slip the slits over the button on either side. Pull at the strap firmly to test that your guitar is secure.

Your guitar strap should be long enough that you can stand and play with ease. Most come with an easily adjustable buckle, much like a seatbelt in a car. Try playing around with the length to decide the best size for you.

Once you've adjusted the strap to your liking, you are ready to play your instrument standing up or sitting down. Happy playing!

Choose Your Perfect Guitar Strap Today

Now you know what the best guitar straps in history are, as well as how to put them on your instrument. Now you can take this knowledge and run with it to make the most informed choice for your new guitar accessories.

When you need cool guitar straps, look no further than Strap Graphics. Our made-to-order straps are certain to meet your exact specifications - whether you're looking for polyester or leather guitar straps, or a totally individualized custom design. 

Contact us today to order the guitar strap of your dreams!