Schaller Security Locks - Safety First!

[Jimi75]

I don't know what your way is to keep your guitar safe and firm on the guitarstripe, but I have been using Schaller Security Locks for years now. The system is easy to install. Remove your guitarpin, install the Schaller Pin, and install the counterpart of the pin on your stripe. There you go. Less than 5 minutes of work. You can kind of click the stripe onto the pin and you can not remove it unless you pull up a littel round knob on the part that you install on your stripe. The lock system is available in chrome, black and gold and in my opinion it does not destory the look of your guitar - well, it looks better than a broken guitar in any way! Playing live at least 2 times per month and sometimes being a little wilder on stage, this is a great system to keep my guitars safe, but also at home....you grab something to drink, tipp sometinh into your computer, and you can be sure the guitar will not fall to the ground, but stay fix around your neck. An investment that everyone should make. I have seen people with huge vintage pins on their guitars and...they dropped.

 

[bigG]

Another way to go

The poor...er, frugal man's strap-lok: take an old credit card and cut out a circle abt 1" in diameter. Punch a hole in the middle of the circle just large enough to fit the git's stock strap buttons. Put your strap over the button as usual, then pop your home-made strap-lok on after the strap. Will NOT come off til you take it off. No mods, no expense...voila!

 

[Gutmann]

Another good & cheap thing is the rubber ring of those beer swing top bottles / clip-top bottles (howevver it's called)

I had the Schaller straplocks for years - they are good if you want to use several guitars with one strap - but they can fall off if you don't take care.

I think, these are the best ones available:

Great things, I equipped all my guitars with those.:AOK:

 

[marnold]

Back in college the strap on my bass came loose. Somehow or the other I had the presence of mind to catch it before it went crashing to the ground. I've had Schallers on everything ever since. I still need to get a set for my Spector.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I have the Dunlop version installed on my guitars. I just wish they sold the strap part only, so you could equip more straps. I have used a variation of the beer washer idea too, with some rubber plumbing washers.

 

[Jimi75]

Some nice ideas here. My opinion was and is if I spend so much money on a new guitar, 20USD for the security sytem don't make me any poorer, plus I got a three years manufacturer guarantee here in Germany.

 

[just strum]

Some nice ideas here. My opinion was and is if I spend so much money on a new guitar, 20USD for the security sytem don't make me any poorer, plus I got a three years manufacturer guarantee here in Germany.

Jimi,

I have the same locks on two of my guitars (Wildkat and Strat). What I like about them is the fact that they also have a gravity safety to them. If for some reason they are not fully locked, the design is such that gravity plays a part in keeping them in the "U" portion (or cup). I also have a set of Dunlop, but I feel safer with Schaller.

The other thing nice about Schaller - after you buy the first set ($14.75 US), you can buy just the button $1.50 US$ (plus $0.21 for the screw) and don't have to buy a complete set

I should add, there are some pretty good alternative suggestions in this thread.

 

[markb]

I just use the free ones that come with a loaf of bread

 

[Rocket]

I just use the free ones that come with a loaf of bread

+1

 

[Perfect Stranger]

I used to use nothing but the Schaller Locks for all my guitars, however in the past six months I've switched them all over to the Marvel Locks. So-o-o much easier to use than the Schaller, with the added benefit that that don't stick up and inch and a half. I can get 3 sets of these for $25....chrome, black, or gold.

 

[just strum]

Marvel Locks: I can't tell how they work - how is the belt portion connected to the button on the guitar?

 

[Perfect Stranger]

Dunno if this will help. It very simple to understand when you have it in your
hand. When you try to explain it to someone else...not so much.

 

[just strum]

So, the part that would stay on the strap of the other locking systems doesn't do that on these? It appears the entire unit stay with the guitar and allows you to switch straps more conveniently.

How does one portion connect to the other (screw on, quick disconnect)?

 

[Perfect Stranger]

The connection is similar to the way tools are connected to a compressed air
hose. So, yes...it is quick connect if that makes sense. As for attaching to
the strap. The first two plates squeeze the strap between them and is
tightened down by the thumb screw. I'm doing a terrible job explaining them
but trust me, they are them simplest, fastest, most secure strap lock you could
ever want.

 

[just strum]

They sound similar to the Dunlops. The one thing I don't like about Dunlop, I find them very difficult to fasten the one end to the strap. If the strap is thick, it is a b***** to get it secured to the strap. Maybe the ones you suggest are better in that department.

As for describing, as soon as you mentioned the compressor hose, the picture was crystal clear.

 

[Rocket]

Marvel Locks: I can't tell how they work - how is the belt portion connected to the button on the guitar?

 

[just strum]

your point?

 

[Rocket]

No point... just a close-up look at how they work for anyone that didn't know.

 

[duhvoodooman]

The Schallers are on all my guitars except the SG I just bought, and they'll be on that one soon. I like the safety afforded by the Schaller design. It's a lot harder to accidentally release a mechanism that requires pulling out rather than pushing in, which bumping into or leaning against something could conceivably do. And when installed correctly, even if the mechanism did release accidentally, gravity works in your favor, holding the strap button down in the u-shaped holder on the strap. Quite a clever design, I think. :AOK:

Photo from StewMac site:

 

[Perfect Stranger]

The Schallers are good, no doubt about it....

 

[just strum]

No point... just a close-up look at how they work for anyone that didn't know.

Ah, no picture are work, just the quote - thought for a moment you were speechless.

 

[SharkUSMC]

I use the marvels also, but primarily because they are inexpensive.

 

[Rocket]

...thought for a moment you were speechless.

Sure... that happens!

 

[marnold]

The other thing nice about Schaller - after you buy the first set ($14.75 US), you can buy just the button $1.50 US$ (plus $0.21 for the screw) and don't have to buy a complete set

Do you have a link to buy the buttons/screws? I was going to get Schallers for my bass and my guitar, but it'll save me a fair amount of coin if I only have to get one set. The black ones are also more expensive for some reason, which would make the difference even greater.

Update: nevermind, found them at StewMac.

 

[just strum]

Update: nevermind, found them at StewMac.

Yep, that would be the place I would have posted.

 

[red]

The Schallers seem the safest bet for a guitar so far, I'm using them on my Les Paul guitar and they're great. I've heard that they can get detached if you're not careful (I'm assuming people were talking about the part that goes on the strap), but I've always checked the strap and the guitar buttons before putting the strap on so it's worked out fine so far.

I'm also using Dunlop Dual Design on my Telecaster. They work like regular Dunlops, the "dual design" part means that they finally thought about making strap buttons that you can use with a regular undoctored strap. So that's a big help right there, because I forget my strap at home sometimes.

I've not had any problems so far with the Dunlops either, but I can see how it might be easier to release the locking mechanism by mistake than it would be with Schallers. However, if you'll check out a Rolling Stones concert, everyone in the band uses Dunlops and I haven't heard about one of their instruments dropping. Springsteen seems to favour them too.

As for less expensive solutions, Eric Clapton uses the plastic Dunlop locks all the time, and they go for about $1.50:

 

[mainestratman]

I've always used the Schallers.. LOVE them. Never had a problem with them, and don't expect to. I do need to get some for Fat Girl. I have the strap parts but not the guitar parts.

 

[FrankenFretter]

My Epi Tribute LP came with Epi branded strap locks. With an LP style guitar, I can see why these are a necessity, and I went ahead and bought some Schallers for my Agile AL3000. One thing that did bother me was that when I tried to put them on the new strap I bought at the same time, the leather seemed to be too thick. I couldn't get the nut started on the threads. I ended up using a strap that I already had, a slightly thinner one. Now that I'm using strap locks, I have the inclination to put them on all my guitars. I've had some near misses in the past, and I'd hate to break a neck, even on the low-budget members of my family. I see that Guitar Fetish has strap locks that look somewhat similar to the Marvel locks for $9.95. I may have to order a few sets at that price. Has anyone here ever used the GF locks?

 

[mainestratman]

Thick leather can be squashed down. I use a regular hammer and a block of hardwood... put the strap on the hardwood then smack it with the hammer until the locks fit.

 

[bcdon]

One thing that did bother me was that when I tried to put them on the new strap I bought at the same time, the leather seemed to be too thick. I couldn't get the nut started on the threads.

I had the same problem with the strap I got from Otaypanky and he suggested this:
- get a 1/4" bolt (or whatever matches the lock size), 2 washers and a nut
- moisten the strap and put [bolt+washer]-->strap<--[washer+nut]
- tighten the bolt/nut up really well
- wait 15 minutes and repeat if needed.

It took several repeats but now those locks are on for good!