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Hi Randy, The Tau strap is a light but strong webbing strap (like a typical guitar strap) It is worn around the neck (like a saxophone strap) and the swivel attachment clips in to to the Tau allowing it to sit comfortably balanced and yet can still be swiveled whilst playing.

The leather strap is more substantial. It supports the instrument across your shoulder and around the waste and allows you to swivel the instrument, angle away from you and lock in position.

Hi Randy

To follow that up with a more qualitative explanation, the webbing strap is a lot more like having a guitar hung around your neck - its smaller and less intrusive and requires one to be a bit more mobile with the hands to keep it where you want it to be, very like a guitar in fact. It has a little padded 'kicker' plate that tilts the instrument toward you a bit - we experimented for a long while with variations on that theme before we got it just right.

The leather strap provides a perfect centre of mass pivot around several axes, which is great for playing as one can in theory just remove your hands from the instrument at any point and it'll stay where it's left. The price you pay for that is that the strap and balljoint system is a lot heavier and stiffer as the physics means that the torsional forces on the system tend to make it pull away from the upper body and it tends to feel less fluid a mount as a result.

If I were a Tau player I'd probably own both, I like the webbing strap for running around stage, its less 'virtuoso player' and a bit more rock 'n roll. If I had to pick one, I think the webbing strap is the way to go - its cheaper and you can use your own style guitar strap with it if you want - the important bit is the end section and it only takes a screwdriver to change the strap part out so you can out whatever funky guitarist thing you want on instead. It does also feel a lot freer when standing.

BTW, I'd probably get a 'cello spike for it as well - they're expensive (and we make almost nothing selling them believe it or not - they're just really pricy to make as they have a lot of fancy engineering in them) but great when seated. When you fit it you take the heavy foot out, so the instrument stays balanced.

John