Dennis Russell - Posted - 06/05/2012:  06:40:32

DEar Music Freinds I bought a Washburn Mandolin a while back it has a bowl back, I bought a strap the kind that hooks into the sound hole then comes up around the back side of the instrument and goes around my neck, unfortunately it slides off the bowl and I cant get it to stay in the middle is there any device I could use to hold the instrument in place so I could play it with out it moving or slipping out..........................Dennis in AZ

TI_USER - Posted - 06/05/2012:  18:37:39

I'm curious to see any responses on this.  I have never, personally, seen anyone play a bowlback standing up.

Jim Yates - Posted - 06/05/2012:  20:16:14

My first mandolin was an old Martin bowl back.  I took one of the screws out of the tailpiece and replaced it with a screw in end pin.  I then tied a braided leather boot lace strap (We called 'em thongs in those days, but that seems to conjure up something else these days) to the endpin and the tuning head between the 8th and 7th and 1st and 2nd string posts.  It worked fine for me, but then I had a concave belly.  It's more convex these days and might not work as well on a tater bug mandolin.

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 06/06/2012:  03:41:01

Mr. Yates.... how the times the language and the shapes do change. A thong ...... hahaha ... I can just picture a bright green one..... I still make my mandolin straps out of a leather shoelace. With a hangmans knot of course. Some things stay the same...... R/

TI_USER - Posted - 06/09/2012:  20:24:55

quote:

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Originally posted by UsuallyPickin..... I still make my mandolin straps out of a leather shoelace. With a hangmans knot of course. Some things stay the same...... R/

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Same here.  36 years of playing mandolin and I have never bought a "mandolin strap".  Boot laces always seemed more comfortable to me and allow more freedom of movement.  Plus. they're cheap.