INTERVIEW: Homegrown Companies Like Nikisaga Is What You Should Be Supporting

Last year we were lucky enough to be hit up by brand new Indonesian guitar strap company Nikisaga who wanted to send out some product us to test out. They knew that not only did we write about heavy music, we actually play heavy music in a band called Dagger and thus would require straps that were ultra-durable and can withstand the demands of a high energy, super chaotic live show. As we did some research we realized Nikisaga not only makes straps but also these INSANE wireless guitar packs as well! Holy shit…we will never have to duct tape our wireless to our strap ever again!

The picture below shows exactly what our wireless packs USED to look like on our guitar straps…and what they look like now. What a HUGE difference. We all know that these wireless units are not cheap, and so to have it be so protected in these Nikisaga wireless packs brings about huge peace of mind.

Both the bassist and guitarist of Dagger have been using the straps and wireless packs ever since and recently placed another order for more straps. We decided it was time to give some love back to Nikisaga.

Check out an interview with the owner below! And if you’re down to pick up some product – this is the site to do it at. They ship WORLDWIDE: https://reverb.com/shop/nikisaga

The company is also highly active on social media so follow them here: https://www.instagram.com/nikisaga/

Dagger [Hong Kong]

Tell us about the main inspiration to start your own guitar strap brand.
What inspired me to start my own brand is simple – money. Here in Indonesia, the price of a similar product like this has always been ridiculously expensive because these products are imported. So I thought, why not start my own brand? It took me about 6 months to research carefully the possibility of making these types of products from disassembling straps to get familiar with what goes into them. Then I spent time ordering parts, upgrading and modifying the straps to make them more durable and ideal for my own particular needs. The whole idea was really to create something that I would personally want to use. But since I had extra parts and materials leftover, I made some more. My friends started asking for them and even wanted to buy more from me. Due to this, within a month all the straps I made were completely sold out. The quality of what I was making AND the price of what I was selling them clearly had a HUGE demand. So I saw this business opportunity and also wanted to help local musicians get affordable and good quality products.

That’s it. That’s how it started!

Waterweed [Japan]

What does the name Nikisaga mean?
Nikisaga is my son’s name: Niki Saga. As simple as that. I guess having kids motivated me to do this and to continue to do it better.

Where are the straps manufactured and how did you decide on the process of manufacturing?
It’s all manufactured here in Jakarta, Indonesia. As mentioned above, I compared similar products and disassembled them, and once I did that I got really familiar with the parts and started sourcing them locally. It took time to find some vendors that could provide the parts needed but I contacted a few, met them and started looking at and comparing samples. Actually, some of the parts that I use for my products are from automotive companies. Then I worked with a local tailor nearby that could handle the cut and sew process. After that, we assembled the parts and put them in the packaging. So basically, these straps are pretty DIY and handmade.

Wow! For them to be so DIY and handmade but STILL super durable is amazing! There are two things about the Nikisaga straps that we love – the ease of locking and unlocking the straps AND the BRILLIANTLY designed wireless holder. How did you decide on making that wireless pack?
You know it’s hard to find wireless packs not only here in Indonesia but also overseas. Nothing was available at the moment. Again, since I’m a guitar player and I really needed one, and I’m not a big fan of using duct/masking tape, I started to do some research again. All I could find were pictures online so what I did instead was imagined my own design and did rough sketches. After some trials and errors, I was able to come up with the final product that you see now. I’m pretty proud of the end result.

Last Child [Indonesia]

Tell us your own background in the Indonesian music scene.
I started getting serious with music in late 2005. I used to play guitar for Sweet As Revenge, a post-hardcore band from Jakarta. I now do music full time (besides managing Nikisaga of course) and play guitar for Last Child, a pop/rock band.

What are some bands that you have sponsored/endorsed and how did you choose them?
We have a long list of bands because we’re lucky to have friends that support this. Nikisaga has grown because of word of mouth, friends recommending it to other friends. Not all of them are officially endorsed or are getting the products for free, many are actually buying it for themselves.

EdanE [Indonesia]

But here are some that we’ve supported: Agung from Burgerkill, Andre from Jeruji, Stevi Item from Deadsquad, Eet Sjahranie from EdanE, Ridho Hafiedz from Slank, Ricky from Seringai and many more. Some of them are from bands that we love and have admired for a long time. So it’s a pleasure to work with them. How did we choose which bands to work with? Simple, as long as we love them and the feeling’s mutual, we’re glad to work with them.

What is your hope/dreams for Nikisaga?
We hope we can sustain our business and keep making quality products that are affordable for our loyal customers. We will always try to support our local music scene and hopefully, we can expand our business and reach the international market.

Check out some testimonials from musicians who swear by Nikisaga:

Andre – Jeruji

“For me personally, Nikisaga makes me forget about other brands. My left shoulder is only for Nikisaga!”

Ricky – Seringai

“For the past 5 years, I’ve been a loyal user of Nikisaga straps and can’t say enough how satisfied I am with the products. Well made, taking a constant beating like a champ night after night with zero fails. Nikisaga is a definite go-to if you’re looking for durability and looks.”

Eet Sjahranie – EdanE

“Guitar strap for me? Can’t get better than this! Nikisaga!”

David – Fingerprint

“I have used Nikisaga strap locks and are my prized possessions, they have never failed me yet. Easy and straightforward installation requiring basic tools and can be performed quickly even by an amateur.”

Stevi Item – Deadsquad

“Been using Nikisaga on the road for years. Looks good and feels good in all my guitars and my guitar tech loves it! We made a solid team with Nikisaga.”