**Stupid Question Alert** - Straplocks?

You might want them if you are a very active player and enjoy jumping around, on the stage.
Guitar straps tend to wear and stretch, even the best quality ones. The result is, that the strap can slip off the button and leave your guitar bouncing off the floor. Straplocks prevent this.
There are basically 3 types of straplock - Schaller, Dunlop and homebrew. Schaller and Dunlop are similar in concept - the add a locking mechanism to the strap ends, which lock onto special (read different size to normal) buttons, installed in the guitar (usually with a different sized screw, as well, so you have to bodge the screw hole, on your guitar). I was lucky, the Schaller screw is exactly the same thread and diameter as the stock screw, used by Burns.

You release the lock by pulling on the stalk.
The homebrew is any other method, that helps fix the strap to the button. One pretty good method, is to use the rubber ring, found on beer bottle stoppers (those with the wire-frame mechanism). You may find them at your local beer homebrewing shop (the ones for the old lemonade-type of bottle are too big).

I believe the question has be answered very well. about all I could add would be that I wouldn't be without them. I once had a rare Gibson Les Paul come off, being their a bit on the heavy side it just seem to slip. I did manage to get my left had around the neck to try and get some control of it, luckly it landed on the top of my foot and not on the concrete floor. I figured it was a sign and have put them on any guitar that I use to perform with.

Joe

Thanks guys :)

That's a great answer greybeard, special thanks for that :)

After dropping my vintage Musicman to the floor once too often and damaging the paint job badly, I fitted it with straplocks even though I don't jump around much. They are great, cheap insurance.

I play jazz sitting down and I use them.

They're worth every penny to keep your instrument secure.

i concur, cheap investment for priceless peace of mind,

The homebrew is any other method, that helps fix the strap to the button.

2 variants that I have seen of the "homebrew" method:

1) using a plastic bread bag closure thingie clipped onto the strap button.

2) un-screw the strap button, put a really large washer on it, put the strap under that, then screw it all back onto the guitar. This has the side effect of having the strap become pretty much a permanent part of the guitar, but it ain't slipping off.

More great advice, thanks guys :)

however, you have to be careful, they do sometimes come loose, make sure the lock part on the straps are screwed on tight all the time

If you end up putting strap locks on your guitar I have a suggestion. It was pointed out that the can (and do in my case) come loose. There's a threaded shaft part that goes on the strap. after you put the nut on or even before, super glue it. I did it to mine and it has not come loose in 3 years. Before that the nut would losen every few weeks.

That's a great idea :)

Providing I'm careful not to get any directly on the guitar's finish is there any reason why superglue would damage the guitar in any way? I know we're only talking about the smallest of amounts here.

You don't need superglue - a dab of clear nail varnish works well. There is also a product, specially designed for keeping nuts and such-like in place. The original came from Loc-tite, but I imagine that there are other firms producing similar stuff. The advantage of Loc-tite is that you can take the nut off again, if you need to.

If you want to do something a little less permanent, companies like Stew-Mac sell a removable strap lock that consists of two rotating disks that change the size of the center hole from larger to smaller. You make the center hole large enough to fit over the strap button and then rotate the disks to make the hole small enough to lock behind the wide part of the strap button. Since it's made of plastic I can't tell you how long it will hold up though.

If you decide to remove your strap buttons, when you go to reinstall them. lightly turn the screw backwards in the hole until you feel a small "bump" and then slowly screw it in, this should line the screw up with the old threads that are already cut into the wood and will give you a more solid hold.

One of the very best kinds of improvised straplocks, truly, are the strong rubber castrating rings used for lambs & calves. :shock: Honestly. If you know any livestock farmers I'm sure they'd give you a handful - bought in bulk they cost very little. Difficult to get on (unless you have the purpose-made pliers) but once they're on they're on. Very secure indeed.

And yes, slips can happen for no apparent reason. Once I dropped a Tele off a perfectly good nearly new Levy's strap and I wasn't even playing, just shifting it round to get at the mic. Carpeted floor, fortunately, and Teles are tough - but it scared me ****less. If it'd hit the foot of the mic stand it would have been a nasty ding to say the least.