For the PRS, why not a washer or spacer? I like the T-shape, just watch them. The standard Fender I tie a piece of rawhide string onto it, works great. My fave. Hate the Shallers. I use mostly #10, it's a Dunlop without the straplock.
Yes, yes, 1,000 times yes! Couldn't agree more about the elegance, simplicity, and functionality of the oversized strap button. They look good, too! You nailed it, Aaron!
I don't mind the Dunlops at all. I've been using them since the 80s and never dropped a guitar. I didn't know about the 'oversized' ones though so I might try some out. Thanks!
Same. Convenience, and the added benefit of extending the horn fulcrum point, for neck heavy instruments, will keep me a diehard user on every bass I buy and build.
The dunlop dual-loks have the oversize button but will still fit the other part of a strap-lok. You can buy buttons seperately. I use the dual-loks myself. I don't share his concern about failure.
Little known fact the Dunlops locking mechanism is a copy of the USMCs sniper rifles sling mounts .Depending on accessories they can weigh 20 lbs in the field. Good enough for the Corp good enough for me . Never had a failure.
You are definitely not full of it. Many beginners should watch this video instead of watching guitar reviews. So in depth and thoughtful. And I use schaller s locks on my les paul, but I'm now considering getting the oversized strap buttons on my acoustic. Thanks for the video!
Just to say thanks to sales department. These guys kindly took quick action on my request. I appreciate your work an customer service, even with a small thing like a strap button. Thanks again!
I have had the same Dunlop on my strap for 15+ years. Love it, but good point about the spring...might be time to retire and replace, probably with another Dunlop...I love em!
Schaller strap locks on my electrics since mid-90’s. Love them, and when I was gigging with multiple guitars - essential for quick change. Thanks a million for presenting the redesign !!!! I’m going to pick those up now. Love this channel, dude your the perfect spokesperson.
The Dunlop Dual Design strap locks stick out slightly farther than others so you can use them as conventional strap buttons in the event that you lose or forget your lock-equipped strap. I have Dunlop Dual Design strap locks on the basses I gig (including a Warmoth Deluxe 5 J) and have never had a problem. I love that they allow the strap to swivel as you move. I use Fender-branded "Grolsch washers" on another bass. They were tough to put on but do a good job. So long as you don't mind leaving your strap on, they are a pretty good (and cheap) option. I still believe the Dunlop Dual Design lock is best, but your criticism is completely reasonable.
A latecomer here. I just saw this video about a week ago. Ordered one set of the oversized strap buttons, just to see if they were everything you said they were. Yes! They are! Within a 1/2 hour of trying these on my "go-to" Strat, I ordered another five sets for my other electric guitars. These are just what I hoped they would be: Big enough to keep the strap on without fail, easy enough to remove the strap when I want, and no more locks to get loose or rubber washers to fall off. Thanks! You've made me a fan and I'll be checking out your other vids over time.
You nail it down 100% ,coming from a mechanical perspectives ,building cars 🚗, and starting my music 🎶journey, I picked the schaller's,thanks very much for the Gibson review lol 😆😄, my friend just replaced his with the schaller's locking 🔒😀😆his Gibson thanked him immediately 😀
Splendid - I agree fully with your judgements - I have written down "oversized strap buttons" ... couldn't believe Gibsons was so cheezy. Once upon a time I had their ES 355 TDC semi-acousticand those were the days of lovely Italian leather straps. Not any more eh? I don't play out now I just fool around at home - but I do think I should improve my guitar strap. Thanks for showing everything suscinctly and directly in close-ups. Terrific. An oversized top flat head is just the thing. Many thanks.
Very informative video, Aaron. I like your opinionated but well-reasoned attitude. I need to replace some crusty old strap buttons and this info helps.
We need more guitar channels like this one. So much of what makes a guitar work for you are these fine details that have so much to do with feel, things you don’t realize until you’re living with a guitar on a day to day basis. Also, the Gretsch straplock is an interesting solution as well.
Really helpful. I was looking for one that does not protrude so much from the guitar, yet is secure. I learned of the oversized from your vid. Thank you!.
I love the dunlops. The thing I like more is to change the screw to a better, very strong stainless screw that's a little thicker and longer. I like that the strap stays off the bodies, particularly on a collection of unorthodox, pointy guitars. I like that they keep the strap from chafing up the horns and body. Here's the from getting caught on the ends. And to be able to put all the screws and buttons in the guitars, and just have one strap that clickclicks to them all if I want is great. Or 2. I don't see the springs EVER failing. I've used them for decades now. Never had a spring fail, or a clip come out.
To be honest - I've used the Dunlop strap locks for 10 years on 4 of my guitars (plenty of gigging) - they've never even once looked anywhere near like failing...
Aaron, I have only been watching your Warmoth videos for a week or two but what really strikes me is your honesty and down to earth delivery. Considering RU-vid has become a big series of advertisements, where everything people talk about is 'great', it is refreshing to hear your honest opinions - even where you feel that there are some better options than the stock Warmoth products. This actually makes me MORE likely to buy from Warmoth and I look forward to the day I can start a build with an order from you guys. Keep doing what you're doing, as it has become one of my favourite channels.
From my shooting experience, the push button locking systems are my favorite. Dunlop flush mounts are my favorite. The flush mount puts the lock close to the guitar. Push it in, listen for the click, pull to double check. Between the dunlop and rifle slings, I have never had any failures across multiple units, and decade of use. And if you want seriously overbuilt, install rifle sling mounts.
I still love my Dunlops! If you forget your strap, any strap will still work with those buttons. Never had them fail nor heard of them failing. Also, if the way they stick out bothers you the button can be sunk into the body for a flush fit and the strap doesn’t stick out so far
This is a great video; the details on all of the strap button options are spot-on! After decades of playing guitar and bass along with years of guitar tech work, my conclusions are pretty closely aligned to your video breakdown.
I use dimarzio clip locks, but with the guitars original strap button at the front of the screw! Never ever had to use the button, and some of these clip locks have endured thousands of gigs and rehearsals! Gigging professionally since '88
I have used the Dunlop strap locks since the early eighties. Never had a failure. I have played in bar bands and wedding bands all those years. I have a different strap for each guitar and it goes in the case with the guitar.
I've tried several varieties, and you're absolutely right about the non-round ones always managing to unscrew themselves. I finally settled on the Schaller S-Locks about a year ago and haven't looked back; I like that unlike the DiMarzio straplocks, even if you forget your strap, you can still use any strap with them, they just won't lock. And, they're nice and quiet.
Hallelujah, Aaron! Been touting these for years. But they were somewhat hard to find. Really glad Warmoth now sells them. Now I need another set for for ES-339. :-)
I found this subject way more interesting than I was expecting! I also prefer and exclusively use Schallers -for all the reasons discussed here. Thanks Aaron!
I have to disagree about Dunlop: it is true that in theory "there is nothing supporting your guitar if it fails", but in reality they NEVER failed in a million years. The best ones for me. But the most beautiful and elegant of all was the "swallow tail" strap lock Ibamez used on the old Musician basses.
LOVE this... interestingly I'd moved away from the Dunlop straploks to the older Schallers and didn't know there was an update! That said... I love the simplicity and universality of the oversize strap button. You may have convinced me. And... great job acknowledging your biases while defending - quite intelligently - your opinion. There are many who might learn from that approach to what could become an otherwise cantankerous debate. Great job! Ah, decisions decisions...
Love it! Thank you. I'm a huge fan of Dunlop. Used them exclusively since the 1980's with zero issues. I started with Schaller but they had a square corner on the strap part that cuts through the strap leather in time. I've also had the strap portion come unscrewed repeatedly. All that ended when I switched to Dunlop. Perhaps the new ones solve these issues?
Cool! Good info. I've got a set of S Locks that I've yet to put on my LP. I agree with your assessments, though I did use Dunlops for years on my old LP Custom. They were the first ones I'd ever seen and I had no complaints. It's a good thing we don't know each other. We think way too much alike. 😂
Me and a buddy walked into a guitar store about 15 to 20 years ago. the guys at the store knew me pretty good so there was never any problem walking in there and playing any instrument and any amp, so the guitar of the day was a Peavey Wolfgang. retailed around 5000 to 6000, had a 10 top carved quilt top dyed purple with mahogany body and maple neck. sweet guitar, and into a 5150 amp. was ready to rock, this particular model had schaller locks. borrowed a strap from the guys at the store. when suddenly the strap locks came unscrewed and face 1st the guitar smashed into the concrete floor. totally wrecked. Appologized for the incident they took responsibility , I will never ever use schaller strap locks... Didn't even get a chance to strum a chord or wank a guitar lick.. lol
I love the style of presentation on this channel. Very entertaining without being offensive to anyone. Btw I totally agree with the rundown. Oversized strap buttons on all my guitars too, albeit with DiMarzio clip locks fitted over them.
I've had my blue Dimarzio strap lock since I bought it in 1991. It's been to Hell and back with me and looks like it but it still works. The Schallers look cool, though. I might get some of those for my other guitars. Thanks for the shootout.
I feel so vindicated! I was like 19 or 20 years old. (45 now) Had just bought a Les Paul classic Gold Top. Brought it to band practice and let my singer play it. It immediately fell off those horrible strap buttons! Landed right on the headstock. Everyone in the room froze, stopped and stared. We were kids and this was a real Les Paul! Highly coveted. Everyone knew it was a big day! It now has cracks down the neck at the feet board. I brought it to my local wizard and had it glued. It's never been an issue in 20 years. But to see my brand new Gold top land head first after owning it for only a few hours. It was a bad bad day.
I have been using the oversized strap buttons and I love them! I wish I was able to order just one set and not four of five, but they are worth it to have around to use for a new guitar or to give to a family member or friend.
I have been wanting to upgrade my strap locks for months now! My straps are “learning” how to slip off my guitar more and more lately and this video was perfectly timed for me. Thanks man! New to channel, but liked and subscribed!!
Schaller user here. Love them, still have older design on my guitars. Yes, they were kind of noisy, although it never really bothered me because the noise is easily drown out by the amp, but it's sure a bit noisy when you just pickup a guitar and play unplugged(let alone using them on an acoustic). However, the biggest issue they had (which they also fixed with the new design) was the nut on the straps getting loose over time, needing you to regularly ensure it is still tight. I did put a dab of superglue underneath the nuts to prevent them from getting loose. No need for such "fix" anymore with the new ones. That being said, with any strap button, you still need to check from time to time if it hasn't came loose from the guitar. The big advantage of a strap lock mechanism is the ease of taking the strap off and on, for when you want to switch straps or using the same strap of different guitar (personally, I have one strap for every guitar, especially since my guitars has different shapes and sizes, requiring different length adjustments), and most importantly, to store the guitar in its molded hard case, which usually don't have much room to leave the strap on. An oversized strap button is simple and works, but it's an hassle to remove the strap, and obviously, the strap holes tend to get bigger and bigger the more you remove and put it back on, making it less and less effective.
I have the older Schaller's on some of mine and you're not kidding about the noise lol, I tend to go with the Dunlop's because I can get them in flush mount so they don't stick out a mile. (Super boned if I were to forget the strap tho) And I always have some of the rubber retainers in every case and bag, even for the ones that don't need them. Great content! Keep it up!
Just convinced me to get a set of black oversized for my contemporary strat! And I've never heard of grolsch before this, but I do quite like using the washer style strap blocks in a pinch. I got like 12 of them for 5 bucks and they're great for cheap guitars I don't want to modify, new guitars transitioning to a more stable strap solution, and I hand them out to my students. They certainly don't hold up to time or against something as robust as schaler, but they have their place
I think one piece of your logic has a fatal flaw here. Maybe it's the lack of tea in this video. Dunlop straplocks have the added bonus of being oversized if you don't have a strap with the lock ends on them. With the Schaller locks, you have this "worse than Gibson buttons" tiny strap button if you don't have your strap with the lock ends on it. As per your own example, if you forget your strap, at least the Dunlop works well with any strap. To be clear, I used Schaller locks for a lot of years (because Warmoth), and I swapped over to Dunlop 8 years ago because someone stole my strap on the second gig of an 11 show jaunt up and down the coast. I had three different people loan me straps, and all of them tried to kill my Tele by totally not staying on to that tiny dumb button. GC in Hollywood was out of stock of the Schaller locks when we got to town, and I made the shift to Dunlop. I've never had the locks fail me (and I guarantee I'm harder on strap buttons than most). I actually like having the strap a bit off the body, because I can loop the cord through the strap without wearing the finish.
So incredible! The Strap buttons on my RG655 are of the almost same shape as the No.1. I once bought two pairs of Schaller S-Lock, one to replace the original simple buttons on my Performer Strat, and one for the RG655 which was yet on the way shipping to me. But after it came to my hand, I found these buttons so exquisitely crafted, that I finally give up the idea of replacing them. Now Aaron's opinion approved that it was such a wise choice!
I made a couple of guitar straps out of the legs from my worn out jeans. So comfortable. And to attach them to the guitar I use a pair of chunky shoe laces tied to a regular strap button with a clove hitch, which is a self tightening knot. Solid. The strap is soft, so it folds nicely into the case with the guitar. I also have a couple of guitars I use shop bought straps with, and somehow I just don't feel as connected to the guitar.
Huge fan of Schaller, i have the old and new style wouldn't live without them. I do like as a cool temporary strap locking is those black Dunlop that twist. There not great but to get the job done they work easy enough. I havent tried the oversized buttons yet. Maybe my next guitar I will!!! But I pretty much agreed with your list.
Most disconnects come during the first moments of putting your guitar on and also how you put the guitar (and strap) down. I use the large buttons but also mindfulness, presence and a mandatory good grip on the guitar until a visual check is completed goes a long way. Professional habits yield professional results. Every amusement park has that guy that checks your belt so accidents can be avoided, they guard their money, you guard yours.
I really like Loxx strap locks. Low profile and super secure. Only downside is the button on the guitar itself, it’ll only work with a strap with a Loxx strap lock on it
My old Dean ML has strap buttons that are just like those "oversized" ones you showed last that it came with by default! They're a bit bigger than the buttons on my other guitars and mushroom shaped just like that (rounded outside, flat inside). I've always wondered why they aren't all like that, and didn't realize for a long time that most other buttons aren't like that! It's a far superior design.
I have a pair of Mawson leather guitar strap locks, from the 80's. I loved them, mainly for nostalgic reasons. But yea they would turn and every couple of days I would have to tight the screw. Since then, I've switched to the Schaller S. They are great, but a bit expensive, if I would to get them for all my guitars. Never thought of the oversized buttons. They are a great alternative. THANKS!
This was a shockingly honest, humorous, and well informed video about strap buttons. Thank you. I mean, who really wants their 3k guitar to slip away from your strap and go crashing to the ground?
he is taking about what he likes and what he don't, he's not talking about what realy works, I've use many different strap locks for the past 25 years and the dunlop's are the only ones that never fail
Great video. Another problem with Dunlop straplocks are those stupid c-clamps - they're a ROYAL pain to install or remove, watch your fingers! I also recently tried the latest version of the Schaller S-Locks, and while they're great, one thing about them isn't - if you sit with your guitar in the classical position, that bottom shaft will poke the daylights out of your leg - REALLY annoying FAST! For that reason, I too have been using oversize strap buttons instead of strap locks for the last year or two now.
When I bought my Gretsch in '18 I didn't play it on stage (Sunday morning church band) until I put Schallers on it. In the few and far between times I get a new guitar I won't play it anywhere until I put some kind of locking system on the strap. I've never dropped a guitar due to a strap button but I've them slip out of my hands several times.
I have mushroom buttons on my LP that are shaped like oversized buttons, but aren't oversized. I find they're a good balance of not coming off accidentally and not being hard to take off intentionally. I do use a washer on my Tele with standard buttons, just on the top one. Once the screw reaches a certain looseness, the button stops turning it and just spins around.
I've always liked how my Ibanez guitars all came with those oversized strap buttons but I ended up swapping them out for Dimarzio cliplocks. Been using them for 25+ years and never had an issue. I keep the straps in their respective cases so it's not like I'll ever forget them.
I felt attacked when he rated the Dunlop’s so low. They’re super reliable and the easiest to use. The Schaller straplocks are so unintuitive. You have to pull up and then slide it off in a very awkward motion whereas the Dunlop’s you just push a button with your thumb while pulling up with your first and middle finger
The Malmsteen Strat comes with a recessed Dunlop Strap Lock pre installed. Strap just pops in, flush to the guitar. Very cool. Must be a slightly precarious install at the factory though.
@@warmoth I’m a fan boy. Since he moved to Seymour Duncan for his pickups (around 2011) he changed all his guitars from Clip Locks to the recessed Dunlop. I have one of each. I’ll be putting the S-locks on any future guitars though. Perfect hybrid, without the clickity clack.
Thanks for another great video Aaron! I'm a long time ClipLock guy, but I got tired of wearing the finish off where the buckles rub on my guitars. So for my guitars that are too nice for that treatment, I use Dunlop strap buttons - but NOT with the locks. Is that weird? The oversize buttons do a good job of holding my straps on. The only time I've ever had a strap situation fail seriously enough to drop a guitar was when using the old kind of Schaller locks. I heard a strange sound and I saw something bright and shiny shoot off of the guitar. I caught the bright shiny thing in mid-air. Unfortunately, I should have been holding my guitar by the neck with that hand instead and the guitar made some very disturbing sounds while bouncing on a tile floor.
It’s kind of funny that I came across this video today. Yesterday I received a new strap lock that I ordered it’s called a Rok Lok and it’s fantastic. It’s easy on easy off and doesn’t require any tools to install. It actually fits to the strap itself and when used justclicks on. Check the video for it and I think it would be as impressed as I was. Eventually I plan to replace all of my clanky Schaller locks with the Rok Lok. (And they’re 1/3 the price!)
I have been using a steel washer between the strap and a standard button. Attaching and detaching the strap does require screwing off the button but the washer lets the strap spin free of the button.
