ROB CAGGIANO, BEN COTE, FRANKIE LINDIA AND PHILIP SHOUSE COLLABORATE WITH FAIRFIELD ON ARTIST SIGNATURE STRAPS THAT UNIQUELY ADDRESS GUITARISTS’ NEEDS
By Chris Gill
ARTIST SIGNATURE GUITARS, amps and pedals designed in collaboration with guitarists are common these days. However, Fairfield Guitar Co. (fairfieldguitarco.com) might be the only company that offers artist guitar straps designed with similar input and attention to detail. Earlier this year Fairfield Guitar Co. released a trio of custom straps designed with Ben Cote (the Ben Cote Band), Frankie Lindia (Atomic Punks, David Lee Roth, Ratt) and Philip Shouse (Accept, Ace Frehley) that prove that there’s much more to guitar strap design than cool looks.
“Who better to instruct me about designing a strap than someone who is using one constantly on tour?” says Fairfield’s Louis Costa. “I work for a men’s clothing company and started making straps for friends during Covid. I eventually got my straps into the hands of some artists, and it snowballed from there.”
Costa asked players what they really needed from a guitar strap. “They all have a vision of what is important to them,” he says. “Philip said he needed something wide and comfortable. His strap is so comfortable that he told his chiropractor to recommend it to other guitarists. Ben Cote wanted an Eighties-themed strap that was cool looking — he was less concerned about comfort. He’s young so he doesn’t know about backaches yet. Frankie likes to take his shirt off while he plays, so he wanted a strap that felt smooth against his body. He als
