Trouble with my mandolin not agreeing with my straps

Hey there. I, like many others, have a simple little Eastman MD305 mandolin. I've been trying to work on my technique, which involved the purchasing of a basic strap.

However, I cant seem to find a way to get the mandolin to just stay put on the strap. If I loop it around under the raised fingerboard, it tips toward the headstock. If I loop it behind the nut its a bit better, but the mandolin still just wants to swing around to my right hip instead. Its possible that my mandolin is just poorly balanced, but I've never heard that complaint about Eastman mandolins.

I have also purchased a moderately differently designed strap to try and it has the same issues.

Has anybody ever experienced this? A solution would be greatly appreciated. I want the mandolin to float nicely so I can adjust the angle with the strap and play without worrying about holding it up at the same time.

I have a Banjolele that would swing to the right. I stopped it by putting a piece of that sticky rubber for sunglases on the dashboard, on the back of the banjolele.

I had a guitar that did the same, so I put the strap on a strapbutton on the lower neck, then the head tilted, so I fastened a thin string to the strap at shoulder height and fastened the other end on the guitar head.

Take a look at this video it my help you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Z1IGsemW8

I have found this video on my own before making this thread. I also am familiar already with attaching straps to acoustic instruments with a single strap button. But I've never encountered one that did not want to just stay put. I'm fairly perplexed.

I put my strap at the headstock rather than by the scroll or the end of the fretboard. I found using the headstock allowed the strap to actually hold my mandolin in place so I don't need to use my left / fretting hand to hold it up. You can see where I place it in the attached picture. I haven't had any issues with tuning or etc using this setup over the last ~5 or so years. I highly recommend it.

Attachment 202586

If it swings around to your right hip, you may be applying too much pressure with your right hand behind the bridge. Your torso (or hip) would act as a fulcrum. You might want to take a look at your right hand technique.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mbruno

I put my strap at the headstock rather than by the scroll or the end of the fretboard. I found using the headstock allowed the strap to actually hold my mandolin in place so I don't need to use my left / fretting hand to hold it up. You can see where I place it in the attached picture. I haven't had any issues with tuning or etc using this setup over the last ~5 or so years. I highly recommend it.

Attachment 202586

---

I also attach my leather strap at the headstock and over the strings just like in your picture. I might be wrong but it sounds like the OP is talking about when he’s standing his mandolin is moving left to right with his strap over his shoulder and his hands off the mandolin. My mandolin also moves just like that but besides the leather strap I also have an armrest on my mandolin that my right forearm always rests on and it keeps the mandolin in a stable playing position. I don’t know if that helps but you might look at getting an armrest for your Eastman.

I found that some straps were too smooth on the side that makes contact with your shoulder and would move around a lot more than other straps. The straps that were the least slippy for me have been: Bailey straps, Randy Hogan straps, and my current one made by Mandolin straps of Montana - the leather is a wee bit rougher on the inside of the strap so it seems to be more stable. FYI I play an A style and attach the strap at the headstock just behind the nut.

Are we talking here of the strap round your head or just over your right shoulder?

I use mbruno’s method on my A’s. My F seems to ride okay on the scroll.

This is with the mandolin around my head/neck. I tried the method of looping it around the headstock some folks mentioned but the same problem is occuring.

I really appreciate all the help but I just can't figure out why it wont stay put.

The issue seems to be the weight balancing of the mandolin, which is unfortunate for such a widely regarded entry mandolin. I'll post some pictures this weekend so folks can conceptualize what I'm trying to say a bit better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Falconerguy

The issue seems to be the weight balancing of the mandolin, which is unfortunate for such a widely regarded entry mandolin. I'll post some pictures this weekend so folks can conceptualize what I'm trying to say a bit better.

---

Have you also experienced this issue with other brands of mandolin? I don't think it's something that is unique to Eastman mandolins - I just picked up my Girouard Concert A, and with the strap over my head/shoulder if my hands are not on the mandolin it swings towards my right hip. Luckily I'm not in the habit of having both hands off my mandolin because that is a recipe for disaster - even when we think a strap is well attached you never know when the perfect storm of events may occur and before you know it a mandolin could be taking a dive onto the floor. When playing both my right arm and left hand keep the mandolin where it needs to be. Now if this is happening when you're holding the mandolin trying to play then it would likely be an issue to do with where you're placing your right arm/elbow.

This Pete Martin video is one of my favourites as far as tips on holding the mandolin in place in an ergonomic manner:

I totally agree with Pete Martin. I've got two Collings mandolins set up this way. But I strongly suggest a 'back up' thong going from a hole in the strap to under the tailpiece. There have been other threads about that issue.

The lighter mandolins don't move as much in this situation. And the key issue is, as Jill mentioned, is how well the strap grabs to your clothing on your back and shoulder. Pete has a nice suede looking strap at the beginning of the video that I'd love to have.

I've got old leather belts as straps, and they are NOT slick but have a rough side, sort of Velcro like on the side that touches my back and shoulder. The mandolins move a little but they are in the right position as Pete describes.

And heck, you could be playing a bowl back mandolin! That's a real challenge.

I use this wider dobro strap: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...sin_title?th=1

First I tried tying at the neck/body joint and found that the headstock was dropping when my hand wasn't holding it. As a guitarist of many decades, I knew I wouldn't be happy with this. So I tried attaching it at the headstock, but it put the instrument too far to the right on my body, which felt unnatural and clumsy to me.

Using the wider strap attached to the neck/body joint and shortening the strap a bit so the instrument sits higher solved the problem. A thin strap might work if it was rougher.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Falconerguy

The issue seems to be the weight balancing of the mandolin, which is unfortunate for such a widely regarded entry mandolin.

---

I don’t see that the issue is any reflection on Eastman. They’re building the standard mandolin forms that the customers expect. The reality is that mandolins have relatively small light-weight bodies and big heavy heads with eight tuners. (Hmmm, I do add arm rest and metal tonegard to my mandolins, so that actually makes the body side heavier and maybe balance better? Still wants to do head dives, but probably not as much?)

I was reading Jill’s post above and that made me go back and analyze my mandolin hold. Sure enough, my right forearm keeps the mandolin from pivoting toward the headstock. My left hand provides a little stability, but I try to keep that hand loose for quick movement around the fretboard.

I was able to mitigate the problem significantly by merely shortening the strap. I didn't think much about it because the only adjustment my strap has is choosing one of three different holes to put over the endpin. I appreciate all the help and advice from everyone, I am now playing my mandolin much more comfortably

My octave mandolin, an Ashbury E32 has a moderately heavy neck while using the strap setup that I have.
I’ve learned to use my pick forearm pressure to push against the straps to hold the instrument firmly in place.
Ive found that when the mandolin is held firmly, but also relaxed, the flow stabilises.