Hello TGF Warriors, and warriors-in-waiting! I've made myself scarce for a bit, stuff has happened. Lost my poppa early in the New Year, my first time being through that emotional / administrative ringer, now sorting through all that stuff assisting my mom.
Been looking for a new job to try to continue to provide here as recent trade rules have severed me from way too many of my regular tribe members to be able to continue at this full time. Such a massive waste of the many years I've spent building things up. But I'm still picking away at projects 'cause I do have a LOT of time on my hands... and as they say... "the devil finds work" so I best keep busy!
Likely be posting here less, but it's by now become so much of a habit, I can't outright quit!
Fresh in the Reverb store for 2026 are a couple of new SwaggerMan straps... both somewhat similar this is #7, #8 looks much the same - a worn, distressed mahogany leather look. It is kind of rare for me to have two similar in the store at the same time. This here is one of my personal favourites, I've now kept back three of these for my own selfish gear hoarding purposes, one just like this, one in black and a saddle tan. These are 3" wide link leather, no padding, but a nice little flex so still very comfy. Sends off 1974 vibes like crazy with a convenient and safe back buckle adjustment.
It's the kind of strap that looks really at home on a vintage form factor. Don't put a modern newish looking strap on your old relic'd historic instrument. We both know that's just plain wrong!
Speaking of throwback styles, I build another "Whippin' Post," this one with a 4.25" wide ring rather than the 5.5 incher, (more true to the original). I find the larger ring clunks into a fellas fretting arm a bit too much, so I favour the smaller bronze ring for practical use. This one also 3" wide, oil tanned leather, padded and features a handy back buckle adjustment too, way better than the original style. Nicely aged ring on this too, and it's even padded and stitched.
Canadiana fans will dig this "Mad Trapper" style strap... made primarily of historic virgin wool blanket and leather... These are a reissue of what's become quite popular with W-H Tribemembers of my home country. Running a bit short of the material though, it's getting rather expensive to source.
Also new in the store, a brand new version of my popular long-running 1969 series... this one called "Ruby" named for the Kenny Rogers and the First Edition Hit of that year. "You've painted up your lips and curled your pretty golden hair..."
I developed my "1969" design back around 2016 as a way to showcase a vintage hootenanny strap effect, but also incorporate my own Well-Hung comfort padding, with rolled edges. To do this, I sew the old school ribbon onto 3" wide leather base, then pad and line it underneath, with a ladderback adjustment system. I feel this is a more a grown-up version of the typical 2" wide shoulder-pounder starter pack type strap, and it really puts 'em to shame when it comes to being under one for more than four or five songs. Super comfy, and with the leather it just boosts it up a big step visually.
And finally, this beaded beauty named "Spotlite." Glass beads in a leopard pattern, plenty of black leather, and a ladderback adjustment. This one goes near 60" long, is 3-1/4" wide, padded and just might be the sexiest guitar strap I've made in quite a while. It's craving a rig like a badass black beauty or something similar I think. Amber, black and dark topaz beads. Got a bit of heft to it, so if you are counting ounces in your rig, this is not the strap you are looking for
Hope all is well for my tribe members, I wish I could open my store up different to continue serving my USA brothers, but new rules have basically doubled your cost. Not MY PRICES mind you, just the extra dough I'm required to collect from buyers then submit to your betters before I can even ship. In effect I'd be working even harder to make less, with more cost, admin work on my shoulders. I don't feel that's right for either party involved. Perhaps our officials can figure out some sort of workable solution inside the next six months.
