A cradle strap is a type of banjo strap that the ends of the strap weave under the j-hooks on your banjo rim and the two ends meet and hold the actual rim of the banjo.
The cradle strap is made up of three pieces of leather. There is a long, broad, flat piece( made of leather or woven material like cotton cinch) that is connected to leather ends with adjustment slots. Each end has a long thin piece of leather with smaller holes and a slender black shoelace. The shoe laces will be used at the end of the attachment process to bind the loose ends of the strap together. The 1” wide, thinner pieces of leather that will be threaded through the channel formed by the j-bolts/hooks that you will find around the rim of your banjo.
- Hold the banjo with the strings facing you and the neck straight up at the “12 o’clock position.
- Think of the banjo head as the face of a clock.
- Think of the j-bolts as the belt loops on a pair of slacks.
- Lay the cradle strap out flat so that you have one of the slender 1”pieces going to the right and the other going to the left. REMOVE both of the shoe laces from the strap ends.
- You want the “finished” side of the leather to face OUTWARD.
- Locate the second j-bolt on the right hand side of the banjo neck as you face the banjo. This is where you will begin threading the slender end behind the j-bolts until you reach the 4 o’clock position. Pull the excess through a bit.
- Now, take the other thin piece of leather. Starting on the SAME RIGHT HAND SIDE, locate the j-bolt to the right of the tailpiece and thread the other end of the strap up to the 5 o’clock position to meet the other strap end you have already threaded.
- Adjust the strap to the proper length by pulling the ends until they meet and you have a comfortable fit around your neck.
- Join the two thinner ends by threading the black laces through both thin leather pieces using the small eyelet holes provided. You may overlap them or you can “sandwich” them…the choice is yours. Tie them securely.
Your banjo is now ready to play!