Do you use Straplocks?

Do you use Straplocks?

  • No, never

    Votes: 10 14.9%
  • Sometimes, some have them, others don’t

    Votes: 17 25.4%
  • Yes, all of them

    Votes: 39 58.2%
  • Rob Option

    Votes: 1 1.5%

  • Total voters
    67
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

I bet you put a Jazz/JB combo in it and put a few stickers on it too. :D

You know I did! :D

I'm not saying they are bad things, I just think they are a bit like spoilers on cars, some people with little experience think it's a valuable upgrade regardless of the situation. An example would be a kid I met once trying to show me how cool his custom modded axe was. He put locking tuners on it (behind a locking nut, which mitigates one of the two reasons to get them, but that's for an different day) and strap locks. This was a kid that plays sitting down 95% of the time. He didn't take his guitar or himself into consideration and spent $100 for a couple of mods that did very little for him.

Did you point out the locking tuners + locking nut thing to this kid and give him a tip? If you did, he might have appreciated the favor. When I was younger and less experienced, I always appreciated little nuggets of knowledge from people who had more experience and skill than me.

The way I see it, strap locks are cheap insurance. My Mexi strat cost about $420 plus a few upgrades that made it a better guitar for a live playing situation and it's my cheapest guitar, but I really like it. For 5% the price of the instrument, I'm gonna build in some peace of mind.

You keep hitting on this thing about 'novices' or 'little experience'. There are novices on here but theres plenty of seasoned players too. Exercise caution about assuming which user is in which category. Is it OK for the latter to have their upgrades but not the former?

At any point, why does it matter?
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

I'm not saying they are bad things, I just think they are a bit like spoilers on cars, some people with little experience think it's a valuable upgrade regardless of the situation. An example would be a kid I met once trying to show me how cool his custom modded axe was. He put locking tuners on it (behind a locking nut, which mitigates one of the two reasons to get them, but that's for an different day) and strap locks. This was a kid that plays sitting down 95% of the time. He didn't take his guitar or himself into consideration and spent $100 for a couple of mods that did very little for him.

Ah ha, he might not need it now, but he's ready for the future. Give him credit for being visionary.

Actually in the 80's I had a guitar with a locking nut that didn't work well. Even clamped strings would slip but then be clamped out of tune after that. Had to clamp down harder to work, but then it broke strings at the nut when I threw the whammy a handful of times. I tended to not clamp it down all the way after that and rely on the tuners and how I wrapped strings on the post, in conjunction with the locking nut, to help keep it in tune and that method did work well on that guitar. So some of the nonsense things guitar players do, they do just because it works at the time. I was more focused on playing than learning the most effective mods.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

I hate the creaking and squeaking that the metal strap locks do and don't like the modification to the guitar screw holes. Now I just use the plastic disc ones, or good straps with small openings. I don't remove my straps so they stay tightly attached.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

Have you ever heard of a Dunlop strap lock becoming so corroded that it wouldn't release?

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
Nothing a little WD-40 squirt can't fix. I just lubed mine the other nite.
Conversely ive heard stories for years about the old Schaller design nut backing off the threads & the strap coming off even when using thread lock. The new design shouldn't have that problem but for me the new design is 15 years too late.
 
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Re: Do you use Straplocks?

You keep hitting on this thing about 'novices' or 'little experience'. There are novices on here but theres plenty of seasoned players too. Exercise caution about assuming which user is in which category. Is it OK for the latter to have their upgrades but not the former?

I'm really more talking about the justification for the modding rather than lack of experience. Putting strap locks on a guitar because you like them or find them a requirement to make it through a show without dropping your guitar is different then putting them on a guitar because the clerk at Guitar Center said you needed them to have a pro level instrument, am I making sense now?

And I did point out to the kid that he was using the locking tuners wrong, as he was winding his strings the same way you would with non locking tuners.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

Now he knows, and knowing is half the battle.

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Re: Do you use Straplocks?

I hate the creaking and squeaking that the metal strap locks do and don't like the modification to the guitar screw holes. Now I just use the plastic disc ones, or good straps with small openings. I don't remove my straps so they stay tightly attached.

Good news is that the new Schallers are dead silent.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

I have had my guitar fall a few times from either a twisted strap or the Les Paul position. $15 on Amazon seems like a good way to upgrade my main players.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

While we are on the subject, how is the new Schaller S-Lock an improvement over the old design?
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

Nothing a little WD-40 squirt can't fix. I just lubed mine the other nite.
Conversely ive heard stories for years about the old Schaller design nut backing off the threads & the strap coming off even when using thread lock. The new design shouldn't have that problem but for me the new design is 15 years too late.
I actually once had to cut a set off with a hacksaw.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

I saw from earlier that they have a threaded locking wheel instead of a bolt, I was wondering if there were any other improvements. I don't know the specifics, but it seems to me like that's the only substantial difference.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

Personally I think strap locks are over engineered, especially the new s locks. All my guitars have their own strap and I simply put the strap on, put a washer over it, and then screw the strap pin in. The strap will never fall off and if you need a less permanent solution, the beer washers work as well as was said before.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

I bet you put a Jazz/JB combo in it and put a few stickers on it too. :D

I'm not saying they are bad things, I just think they are a bit like spoilers on cars, some people with little experience think it's a valuable upgrade regardless of the situation. An example would be a kid I met once trying to show me how cool his custom modded axe was. He put locking tuners on it (behind a locking nut, which mitigates one of the two reasons to get them, but that's for an different day) and strap locks. This was a kid that plays sitting down 95% of the time. He didn't take his guitar or himself into consideration and spent $100 for a couple of mods that did very little for him.


To be fair, there are some very expensive guitars that do just the same thing:

http://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/electrics/core/floyd_custom_24_2018

Custom 24 Floyd Rose
Floyd Rose Tremolo & Locking Nut

Tuners PRS Phase III Locking Tuners
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

Don't forget about the pickups. A \m/ in both the neck and bridge.
 
Re: Do you use Straplocks?

Personally I think strap locks are over engineered, especially the new s locks. All my guitars have their own strap and I simply put the strap on, put a washer over it, and then screw the strap pin in. The strap will never fall off and if you need a less permanent solution, the beer washers work as well as was said before.

Agreed. This is my solution as well.
 
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