Interview with Lee McAlily of Original Fuzz about their Handwoven Peruvian Guitar Straps

I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the great things for me about this blog, is meeting businesses and builders making great gear. Just like you, I like to find new things and new people related to music. Recently, I had a chance to talk with Lee of Original Fuzz a nice site providing some top notch gear – straps, cables and more.

I had a chance to send Lee a few questions and ask about their handwoven Peruvian guitar straps.  These are quite cool and wanted to learn more. Doug Martsch of Built to Spill uses them… and that piqued my interest for sure!

– Can you tell me more about Original Fuzz?
Original Fuzz makes high-quality products for guitar players. We were founded by Zach and Lee, two long-time friends that met in college and started playing in bands together. We eventually moved on to designing the type of  guitar accessories that we wanted to use, but couldn’t find, and Original Fuzz was born.

Our most popular product is our handwoven Peruvian guitar strap. The fabric in this strap is made according to fair trade guidelines in Peru. Each strap is as unique as the artisan that made it. We use traditional patterns that have been passed down for generations in different regions of Peru such as Cusco and Cajamarca.

We also make solid straps, leather straps, cables, and gear bags. We blog about music and guitar, and we often throw shows with local bands. We’re a guitar brand for the 21st century.

– Where are you located and how long have you been in business?
We’re based in the Riverside neighborhood of Jacksonville, FL. We launched the brand in September 2013.

– Do you only offer straps, or do you offer other types of musical gear.
Yep, our straps are our most popular item, but we also make high-end instrument and microphone cables, and a unique gear bag called The Fuzz Bag. The Fuzz Bag is sort of like a “camera bag” for your guitar gear. There’s a padded zip-pocket for your pedals, custom slots for your strings, a special pouch for your picks, and it has a waterproof layer. It’s a great way to

– Are the Peruvian straps actually woven in Peru?
The primary textile used in these straps is woven by hand in Peru according to fair trade guidelines. The fabric is also dyed by hand. It’s 100% wool. The artisans use traditional backstrap looms to make patterns that have been passed down in their area for generations. Because they’re made by hand each one is unique. You can find out more about the artisans here: http://www.originalfuzz.com/blogs/fuzz/12085793-how-to-make-a-peruvian-guitar-strap

We reinforce the Peruvian fabric with a 100% cotton backing and finish it with full-grain leather and antique-style hardware.

– What lengths do you offer for these straps?
Our Peruvian straps are fully adjustable. They are 60″ when fully extended.

– Is the leather only on the ends or throughout the strap
We use full-grain leather on the end tabs.

– What is the weaving material?
100% wool, hand-dyed in Peru.

– Can I request a custom print?
Not currently. Our focus is on brining the traditional patterns to market that have been passed down for generations in Peru.

– You have a strap called ‘Doug Martsch’. Why is that? BTW.. big fan of BtS here.
We’re huge BTS fans as well. Doug Martsch was one of the main reasons we got into guitar to begin with. So we named our first Peruvian strap after him. We managed to get an early prototype to him and he started wearing it on stage. Any photo you see of Doug after 2013 has him wearing our strap. Last time we saw Doug he said that the strap “smells nice.” Maybe that’s because he has the only one made out of hemp in existence. You can see photos and video of him rocking it on our blog: http://www.originalfuzz.com/blogs/fuzz/7026804-doug-martsch-continued-rocking-the-fuzz-strap-on-built-to-spills-fall-tour

– How can I buy a Peruvian strap? How much are they?
The Peruvian strap is $85. The best place to buy one is on our website right here:
http://www.originalfuzz.com/products/peruvian-straps

You can also find them on Etsy and Reverb.com.

– Do you offer a guarantee?
If your strap breaks due to normal wear and tear, send an email to help@nulloriginalfuzz.com and we’ll fix it for you.

– Do you have more designs in the works?
We have lots of new designs coming out this year. We’re really excited about a huge line of straps that use hand-stamped patterns from India. So stay tuned!

Original Fuzz.. making cool things! Be sure to check out their website, follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook!