When I was a kid first transitioning from acoustic to electric, I was also purchasing a lot of music mags, lots of pictures and centerfold posters of my fave guitar gods. Had lots of posters on my walls, many of Jimmy Page/Zeppelin. I could not understand why rarely if ever there was a photo of Jimmy playing a straight bar chord. I was noticing it in other players as well. What gives, where am I going wrong? It was a revelation to finally understand why. I came to the realization, mistakenly I might add, professional guitar gods don't play straight bar chords, straight bar chords are for nerds, or the uninitiated who don't know their way around a guitar neck. I was wrong, of course. There is no one size fits all, you do what works, whatever/whichever serves the task at hand, serves the song. Straight bar chords, or thumb over the top of the neck, whatever works in the moment.
Back to guitar straps. I've had all types, but I grew to dislike or not prefer the wide (leather) straps. Particularly if ever reaching for a strap for an acoustic without a strap button where body meets neck, you have to attach/tie at the headstock behind the nut. Wide straps, or even say the standard modern straps, they're bulky, can obscure vision of position of fingers on the neck, and, they look, well, retarded. A mandolin, fugetaboutit. The guitar gods, what do/did they use? Long story too late to make short, I discovered vintage type thin straps, thin straps with the shoulder pad. Good enough for Jimmy Page, them fab four boys, good enough for me. Black, or dark brown. I get it, fancy embossed leather straps can be cool. But in my view, straps are for utility purposes, at times a necessity. To each their own, personally, I don't go out of my way to purchase make a statement strings for my shoes. As long as they are functional, keep my shoes on, blend in not particularly noticeable, I'm good. The photo above of Page he's using/wearing one. Did I just say that? I think maybe that is my point, guitar straps are for using rather than wearing.
