Chris et al, I'm going to take a chance and cut to the chase. All arcane and archaic solutions aside, a good and wide guitar strap hanging from proper strap buttons at the end cap and under the extreme forward end of the body is a most secure and comfortable solution. I've tried lap chamois, ribbons, gut and string, all pale in comparison to a good strap. They are relatively inexpensive, most luthiers will put strap buttons on your lute for a reasonable charge and they are so solid that one can play standing as easily as sitting. I've stood behind a small consort and hammered away with my little 120 theorbo hanging from a strap with no problem. It also aids consistency in playing for a beginner in that it pulls the lute into a consistent position every time, regardless of what you are sitting on (park bench or soft sofa).
Put strap buttons on your lute if it doesn't have them. If you don't have access to a luthier, you can order a couple of buttons from LMI (http://www.lmii.com ) or Stewart-MacDonald (http://www.stewmac.com) get out the old drill and put them in. A 1/4 (6mm) drill will probably get it (measure it before you drill). Wax the shaft, no glue is needed usually, and stick it in firmly. Of course, the button's shaft is usually built at a 1/30 taper like a peg so if you can get a peg reamer or an industrial reamer at or near 1/30 taper, it's infinitely better. Best, Rob Dorsey http://RobDorsey.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
