David Gilmour Guitar Strap – From One Legend To Another

When it comes to progressive rock, you take the best band you can think of, then you look up about ten to twenty levels, and there you will find Pink Floyd.

That’s how it was when they first appeared, and that’s how it will probably always be. They are the kind of band that you just can’t replace, no matter how good the other side is.

One of the people who is heavily responsible for Pink Floyd’s sound and success is David Gilmour. It was his creativity and incredible guitar skills that put them in spotlight.

How famous is this man needs no special explanation. His music can be heard literally everywhere around the world where there is radio. People won’t know what rock and roll is, but they will know about Pink Floyd. It’s rare that a band reaches such a level of popularity, but it happens from time to time.

The topic of our article today is not Pink Floyd, nor the legendary music which this band graced us with over the years. Today we are going to talk about David Gilmour guitar strap.

An Overview

Every famous musician has a type of signature that is unique to them. Some have a unique voice, others a technique they spearheaded. David Guilmore’s trademark is his black Stratocaster.

Don’t get us wrong, we are not saying that he is not unique in terms of his music. After all, he is the emperor of progressive rock. What we are saying is that every time you see him on stage, he is rocking a black Fender Stratocaster. Until 2006 no one really payed too much attention what kind of strap he was using. After 2006 that changed to a degree.

Noticing what kind of strap a guitar player uses is something only a handful of dedicated guitar enthusiasts will remember to pay attention to. Those who attended a Pink Floyd concert after 2006 were probably left in a mild state of shock when they saw a leather strap with white crosses on David Gilmour. At this point you are probably wondering what is the significance of this specific strap, and there’s a very good explanation.

From One Legend to Another

In 2006, David’s wife gave him this guitar strap as a present. What makes this guitar strap so unique is the fact that it used to belong to Jimmy Hendrix. It was the strap he wore during just about every live performance.

Since it’s a custom made piece, chances of you finding one that is the exact replica are very slim. Although there are some people who sell pretty decent versions of this strap.

Having a piece of rock and roll history such as this guitar strap must be overwhelmingly satisfying for Gilmour. For a man of his wealth, there’s probably not much that longs for. But this strap, it’s something money can’t buy under normal conditions.

Stars basically had to align just right for his wife to stumble upon this strap, and get the chance to buy it. It used to belong to one of the biggest rock legends that ever walked the earth, only to become the property of another legend of the same caliber.

The strap itself is very simple in design. It’s made of leather, with white leather crosses that are sewn from one end to another. The replicas we were talking about earlier got the design relatively close to the original. The only thing that no manufacturer will ever get right is the wear. It’s an old strap, and the fact that Hendrix wore it upside down, created unique wear patterns.

It’s not easy to artificially age leather. It reacts years of friction and exposure to elements. Every time you handle the strap, you leave your own oils and sweat on it. All of this accumulates over time and wears out the leather in a specific way. You just can’t replicate this effect.

Conclusion

This strap is pretty unique to say the least. It’s a piece of rock and roll history that needs to be protected and cherished. Who can do that job better than David Gilmour.

Sure, it could have sat in a glass case somewhere in some museum, but we believe that Hendrix would have preferred for someone like Gilmour to keep using it. After all, it only adds to the value of the strap itself.