Anyone else tried the new Schaller S-locks? As far as I can tell they are fully replacing the old style, although old and new mechanisms are cross compatable.
The release button/ post (on your strap) seems to have improved with a nice chunky finger locking wheel instead of the old nut and washer. It’s meant to be quieter too.
I’m not so sure about the strap button though. It’s now an all in one design with a chunky, built in screw which takes an allan key, not screwdriver. On the old buttons I kind of liked the option (on many guitars depending on the original screw size) to use the original screw with the Schaller button. It seemed neat not always having to alter the original screw hole with the Schaller screw. Now you have no option but to drive the all in one Schaller pin into your guitar... In many cases this won’t be reversible as the original hole will be re-tapped wider.
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I can see why they would do this, because the problem with the old ones is that the Schaller screw is just too thin for some guitars - the rear button on Gibsons in particular - but the original screw won’t go through the Schaller button. (Although I’m not convinced the S-Lock screw is big enough for that either.)
It also avoids the problem that the Schaller button can tip sideways and cut into the finish, because the pull from the strap is too far from the surface of the body. And if you use felt washers to stop this, it’s possible for the screw to snap as the button tilts, which is a much more serious problem to fix, as well as dropping the guitar... very rare, but I’ve come across a couple.
I still think the Dunlop ‘Ergo’ locks that fit over the original strap buttons are a better solution than any replacement straplocks.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
On the back of the body however, I’ve used an old style Schaller button with the original screw (thinner and quite a bit shorter than s-lock). Couldn’t bring myself to use the s-lock there.
btw I know you can reverse with mods, don’t like the idea of toothpicks etc if it can be avoided!
The key is actually to put the glue and toothpicks in, then put the screw in immediately without waiting for it to dry or drilling it out again - that way the fibres of the toothpick get crushed and compressed around the old thread in the hole and form a very strong composite when the glue sets.
I actually quite often do this with any strap button screw I don't think is quite tight enough in the wood - at the end of the day, no straplock is worth anything if the button comes off the guitar...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I always prefer to use the biggest screw that will sensibly go through the button. Many manufacturers use pathetically small ones, even when the button will take a bigger one - both diameter and length, I'm never happy unless the screw goes at least an inch into the guitar.
Pulled-out strap buttons are one of the most common repairs and causes of serious damage like broken headstocks.
The one thing that really does frustrate me is seeing guitars with multiple holes where the button has pulled out and the owner has just made a new hole... very often more than once, since if the screw has pulled out in the first place it's almost certainly too small.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Hold the guitar with the hole facing directly upwards (ie stand it on the headstock, if you're fixing the rear button.)
Put glue in the hole.
Put the toothpick in as far as it will go and break off flush with the surface.
If it's a big-ish hole, put another length in and repeat until the hole is fairly full. A stripped strap button hole might take up to 3 pieces.
Wipe away any excess glue and splinters of toothpick.
Put the screw and button back in.
If any more glue has been forced out, wipe that away too.
That's it...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
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I was initially sceptical about the Dunlops, but I tested one to destruction by screwing a strap button to a plank of wood with a big screw, and trying to pull the lock off with a strap - it finally broke with about 100lb of pull on it. After that I trusted them.
You don't actually want totally bombproof for a guitar - you want to be able to get the screw out again if you have to. PVA doesn't bond to metal, so you can... No More Nails is claimed to stick metal.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Superb, an improvement and also can retro fit to the old ones
But, as someone whose day job is using screws etc, this worries me a bit as you are effectively converting a screw (rotational device which runs within its thread) into a nail. Reliance on compressed matchstick/glue for hold. Surely with time, stress and vibration from the guitar this nail will loosen, creating the same problem again?
Jury still out with me. The locking mechanism/ wheel fits to the strap far more conveniently. Downside is it’s taller/higher profile than the old style. Also harder to remove one handed (as is necessary when balancing guitar).
Also, the fixed button-screw construct has uncovered a slightly less than straight rear pin drill hole. I think this was being masked by the original screw and button as there was probably some play which allowed the button to sit flush despite a slightly angled screw. The s-lock button goes in and remains at a slight angle.
hmm. Following some research I’ve ordered a mojoaxe replacement button which is designed to accept and comes with a thicker Gibson style rear screw (old Schaller buttons don’t accommodate the head). Hopefully I can seat that button flush as with the factory installed one.
How does it become a nail? The cocktails sticks compress around the threads of the screw, it can still be unscrewed but not pulled out once glue has set.
This is also why it's best to *not* drill out the hole to clear it first - if you leave the rough remains of the stripped thread in place, the wood fibres and glue bond around this as well, making certain that the cast-in thread cannot be pulled out of the body either.
This method is really effective and permanent - I use it for stripped Fender neck screws too, and it's so strong that when I deliberately tested it to destruction, the head of the screw snapped off before the thread stripped again.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
With the matchstick method, the screw is being jammed in with matchsticks and glue (like you’d jam a nail in). It may be secure but it’s not running in a thread, particularly if it’s jammed in when the glue is wet as was suggested. I’ve used the method with a stripped pick guard screw in the past. But I’d be concerned that the rear pin is under a lot of strain and could toggle loose over time.