Looking for suitable padding for guitar strap

[GuitarLeatherDopeFiend]

Hi there, and thanks for taking the time to help me out! I'm looking at making my first (Padded) guitar strap, just as a display piece to let my customers know that padding is an option. I've got the strap made, stitching spacing marked with a pricking iron, and a great chrome free pigskin lining cut and ready to sew on. My problem? I can not, for the life of me, find a suitable form of padding! I've spent hours on the internet looking for a suitable padding, foam, sponge neoprene, wool, memory foam, etc, nothing seems right. I've seen loads of padded guitar straps that look great, that have some form of cut-able foam stitched on under a lining, but I can't get a straight answer out of anybody! What I want is a single piece of padding that I can cut to shape, and stitch on, that will retain it's "sponginess or bounce-back" over extended use. The best thing I've seen so far is 1/8" thick sponge neoprene, my concern though, is that it will smell bad and absorb odors, defeating the smell of leathery goodness. If anyone can speak from experience on a good form of padding, I would really appreciate your expertise! Thank you!

[ChriJ]

I've never made a guitar strap so this may have no merit.  Could you sandwich the padding between the leather and the pigskin then just sew the outside layers together?

 

Chris

Edited April 1, 2016 by ChriJ

[Johanna]

How about batting from a fabric store?

[Colt W Knight]

Neoprene, foam rubber, and other types of rubbers and vinyls will melt Nitrocellulose lacquer, a common finish on expensive guitars. Keep that in mind.

 

Best and most practical padding I have used on a guitar strap is to line the strap with a sandwhich of wool felt and deer skin on the back.

 

[Colt W Knight]

I use shearling and deer skin on my really nice straps

 

Wool needs trimming to really make it look right

http://s299.photobucket.com/user/coltwknight/media/Leather%20Work/received_10103120989528890_zpskx605clj.jpeg.html

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Leather%20Work/PA%20strap%204%201%20of%201_zpsq1lsukja.jpg.html

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Leather%20Work/FrenchStrap3_zps2530050a.jpg.html

 

Here is the super soft and squishy felt and deerskin

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Leather%20Work/VanFlowersStrap2C_zpsa4a774b6.jpg.html

[Colt W Knight]

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Leather%20Work/received_10103120989528890_zpskx605clj.jpeg.html

[Wizcrafts]

Colt. I edited your links as best as I could with the options currently available under this new format.

[GuitarLeatherDopeFiend]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help! ChriJ that's exactly what I want to do, sandwich the padding so it's not exposed. Johanna, that might work pretty well, is batting very fibrous? I need something that won't fray, because I want it to be just behind the line of stitching, so you don't see the padding on the edges. Colt W Knight, your comment makes me really glad that I posted this question, I almost just went with the neoprene, thanks a ton! Thanks for all the good links, that wool felt looks like a pretty good option, do you think that an extra layer or two of it would help compensate for the difference in squishiness between this pigskin and your deerskin? Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it!

[thunter9]

you could use several things 

1. 1/8 plastzote  pink   try a shoe finding store ,, orthotic shop 

2   1/8 felt   old school   orthotic shop

3  1/8  sponge rubber 

thing is you want it soft enough that it works under the lining leather

and just that little bit can make it seem to firm

another chose is spenco  and ppt   spenco is what wet suits are made of 

and PPT is shoe insole materal

check with mac pherson  leather co.  in seatle

[thunter9]

I see colt has used sheep lining get with 1/4 nap mac person should have that if you go that way

[johnv474]

I have had some success using a military wool blanket cut into strips. It's just under 1/4" thick and 80% wool 20% nylon or thereabouts.  I found them (new) for about $30 in charcoal and navy at the local military surplus place. I do not mean the itchy old green kind.

[steelhawk]

I have some white closed cell foam I salvaged from a package I received a couple of months back. It is about 1/8 inch thick. I saved it with the thought of eventually using it on a sling. I might still use suede stuffed inside, though. 

Uline sells sheets and rolls, of the stuff, I think. They also have some 1/4 inch thick, but you need to buy an entire roll.

[David8386]

Go to a hobby shop and get some of the foam sheets that kids cut up to make stuff out of it comes in about paper size sheets and about a 1/16 thick and sandwich it between the strap and lining.

 

David

[GPG]

pool noodle, just cut it to whatever size and thickness you need.....

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

I don't make many guitar straps, but; I have made some for friends, and I used sheep skin.  The owner of this one was especially pleased and he has been pickin' since our Vietnam days together.

 

[Albob]

On ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 7:27 AM, BondoBobCustomSaddles said:

I don't make many guitar straps, but; I have made some for friends, and I used sheep skin.  The owner of this one was especially pleased and he has been pickin' since our Vietnam days together.

 

Welcome Home

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Thank You!

Bob