Hello, All! Greetings from the modern metropolis Southaven, Mississippi.

I've been looking around on and off for the past year and a half or so, and have found many wondrous and educational materials on this incredible instrument and many brilliant performances of music from several players here and on Youtube and Facebook. And I've enjoyed it all.

After many years of research and work, I recently put down a deposit on a new instrument, and I'm looking forward to seeing it sometime this year.

However, I do have a question or two; I've looked around on this site, the Stick Enterprises website, and have done a miscellaneous search, and can find no definite answer to this question.

As I'm preparing to begin to integrate this instrument into my musical life whenever it arrives, I have found an alarming topic which needs to be addressed and I only have a somewhat limited time and limited information with which to address it.

To put it rather bluntly, I am physically what medical practitioners would call "morbidly obese." My poundage is in the 4-5 hundred range, and I've noticed that many photographs of many players that I have seen are much more normal and slim-sized.

And hey -- more power to them! No complaints here, as my size is my own doing, but while I AM attempting to take steps toward this, I severely doubt that I'm going to be able to just drop a couple hundred pounds any time before my instrument arrives, whenever it does.

I've seen a few alternative methods for straps and how to deal with the belt hook, and i've taken note of some of those, and have much more to do, but I cannot seem to find the answer to one simple question:


CAN ANYONE TELL ME THE LENGTH THAT THE SHOULDER STRAP MEASURES AT?


In preparation for this, I've had the area under my right armpit around to the top of my left shoulder -- the area the strap has to go around -- measured, and from the photos I see, I doubt that that strap is long enough to fit around me. But I don't know, as I can't find that bit of information.

At one point a long time ago, I think I saw this measurement as 26' on the regular SE website, but can no longer find where I got that. The online accessory store curiously has no option for purchasing straps or strap alternatives; I seem to recall that years ago they did, but I cannot find that information now.

Plus, I've seen an excellent alternative to straps, but failed to properly bookmark those results. I'm about to search that again, but I'm still missing the basic measurement of the standard strap SE sells with the instrument itself.

Can anyone recommend any alternatives on that end?

If anyone passing by can drop me some answers to these questions, I'd very much appreciate it. I want to be as prepared as possible to hit the ground running on learning the instrument -- I have some pressing needs to learning and practising this instrument as quickly as circumstances permit -- and I find myself woefully underprepared here.

Thanking anyone/everyone in advance for any help possible, and extending greetings and good wishes to all.


Respectfully,
Senex Discipulo
(that's "old man student" in the older vernacular)

You probably could purchase a cheap leather belt and add it to the existing strap that comes with the Stick.

The strap that came with my grand is 3/4 wide and slightly greater than 1/8 inch thick. It has 14 premade holes at 1 inch on center on the shorter leg. starting at the body side of the two rivets the shorter length with the holes is 21 inches to it's bitter end. the first hole being 1 inch back toward the rivets. starting at the body side of the two rivets the longer length center to the buckle is 29-3/4 inch. out to the edge of the buckle will add just short of 3/4 inch of additional length. From the two rivets (body side of the pair) to the connection device to the Stick is 1-1/2 inch.

The strap 2 x 24.5 = 49 inches around using the largest premade hole. would likely want some slack to allow the instrument to not be jammed up to your shoulder.

I make a "strap strap" for players with more girth. It's usually about 10" long, cut off an older Stick strap. I punch about 7 holes along the length. It has the original buckle and the other end is cut round and buffed. I can make it any length up to about 2 feet. There's no charge.

If you needed an even wider loop, an ordinary belt can be buckled onto the existing strap as an extension.

You say you're "in the 4-5 hundred range". There's a vast difference between those extremes.

I have another helpful hint. You could try a "Stick stick", so named by Bob Culbertson. It goes across your lap and through the belt hook for seated play. It introduces another angle to the tilt and twist of the instrument relative to your body. You can rest it almost at your knees with the headstock leaning toward you, almost at your left shoulder.

Better yet, we can equip your instrument with Mike Johnstone's "LapDawg", which is adjustable with folding extendable arms for comfortable seated play. That extra leaning angle could come in handy.

To stickyfingers: Thank you! I will take that suggestion under serious advisement. IF it can be done, that does sound like the most straightforward way, and I would rather do something simple that works.

To StickBam: Thank you! That is very much the kind of detail I do need, and it was very helpful. I measure at 60" around in the area in question; maybe the strap x 3 with some slight cutting here or there. Very much appreciate that information and suggestion!

To BSharp: I think your suggestion of an ordinary belt being added to the strap may work the best out of all of this, and neatly dovetails in with the other two suggestions. I'm all for trying the "LapDawg," but I would like to make sure that I can stand with it strapped or sit with it strapped or unstrapped. But I've bookmarked that in the accessory shop; thank you!

To all of you -- thank you for your information and your replies; I very much appreciate the time and thought you all put into this. Thank you all for answering this so quickly and practically.


Respectfully,
Senex_Discipulo

You may want to look at the Tagg interface as well. It allows you to play without the Stick physically attached to your body.

There’s numerous threads on it on this forum.

Cheers,
Kevin

+1

In case you haven't found it here's a FHF talk about it.