Souldier (company)

Souldier is a company founded in Chicago, Illinois, primarily known for its hand-made guitar straps.[1][2]

For the album, see Souldier.

In 2004, Jen Tabor, music teacher and band-member, made guitar straps as birthday presents for the other band-members, using fabric and recycled seatbelts. This idea turned into a business. She started selling the straps at gigs, then contacted local music stores, who started selling them. She says that "I would just walk into a store and have a bucket of straps and ask people to buy them, and once they saw them they said, 'Yes.'" Tabor sold straps at Lollapalooza. A break came when Jeff Tweedy in the band Wilco used a strap he had bought in a Chicago music store on a 2008 episode of Saturday Night Live. Tabor says she got calls about the strap the next day. The business grew, and Tabor stopped teaching by 2010. As of 2017, the company had c. 5 employees.[2][3]

Souldier's straps are hand-made, using used seatbelts, vintage fabric and leather.[4][1] The company also produce straps for other string-instruments, belts, dog-collars[5] and, as of 2020, protective face masks.[6]

Apart from Wilco, Souldier straps have been used by bands like Aerosmith, The Black Keys and The Lumineers.[3][7] Guitar makers like Reverend Guitars have released guitars with custom designed Souldier straps.[8]

References
  1. Arndt, Rachel Z. (5 July 2013). "Souldier Straps: Play Guitar Like Your Dad". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  2. Brown, Jake (3 September 2017). "Michigan woman's business creates vintage guitar straps". The Detroit News. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  3. Konkol, Mark (31 July 2014). "Souldier Straps Sold at Lollapalooza Are 100 Percent Chicago Made". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  4. "Vintage Fabric + Recycled Seatbelts = Souldier Guitar Straps". CBS Chicago. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. "About Us". Souldier. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  6. Long, Zach (6 August 2020). "How to buy face masks from local Chicago businesses". Time Out. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  7. Evans, Emily (1 April 2019). "Made in Michiana: Souldier Straps". ABC57. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  8. "Reverend Guitars Unveils the Charger 290 LE". Premier Guitar. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
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