Straplocks?

[Happy Face]

Curious what you folks do.

Last night at practice my strap on the butt end of the M-85 came loose. I made a great catch but there was a moment of silence in the room as we all figured on what might have happened.

I had the same problem with my JS-II. It's no big issue putting in a (Shaller) strap lock on the upper post. But on the lower post, it's that big ol' cone-shaped peg. I tried those little plastic gizmo stap locks and they worked until they worked themselves loose during the course of a night. (Then you had to spend time hunting the damn thing down!)

So, I figgered that the JS was already modded and refined so I plugged the lower hole and then put on a straplock.

But ... I'm wondering if I dare deface the M-85. But I'm not real psyched about seeing & hearing it crash to the floor.

What do you folks do, use etc??

 

[Sal]

Strap lock discs work fine for me with no alterations needed to your guitar:
http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-Lok-Strap-Black/dp/B000EEJFUI/ref=pd_cp_MI_3

Also, medium sized hitch pins don't look so great but they'll work too:
http://www.fastenersuperstore.com/pins/Hitch-(Bridge)-Pins

(edit) The discs are cheap so I always have extras on had.

 

[fronobulax]

Strap lock discs work fine for me with no alterations needed to your guitar:
http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-Lok-Strap-Black/dp/B000EEJFUI/ref=pd_cp_MI_3

+1 although I don't always use them as often as I should.

 

[Happy Face]

Strap lock discs work fine for me with no alterations needed to your guitar:
http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Dunlop-Lok-Strap-Black/dp/B000EEJFUI/ref=pd_cp_MI_3

+1 although I don't always use them as often as I should.

Those Dunlap things are the ones I tried. I've had them work loose and fall off a number of times. Guess I whip the bass around too much.

Like the suggestion of the hitch pin! I'll give that a try! Thanks. (Might mean I need to use a thinner strap though...)

 

[zulu]

I have a strap that has an extra strip of nylon at the end which doubles back and goes back over the peg. locks on really good. I've been googling but can't seem to find an example. I'll keep looking or get a pic of my strap this evening if you're interested.

 

[DasBeef]

You can use the small rubber discs you can take off of swing top beers. (ie Grolsh or Dark Island Reserve) Strap locks with a free beer, and the work a treat.

Just put a normal strap on your guitar, and force the wee red discs on after. See here......

 

[Happy Face]

The problem is that the tail-end strap pegs on the Guilds are not all that large. That means you need to use a strap with a thin endpiece to leave room for any device to fit on as well.

It's really not that great a design, but then, the stock posts on a Ricky are not all that large either.

But these are great suggestions. Thanks!

 

[mgod]

Curious what you folks do.

Usually just drop the bass and try to snag it.

 

[Happy Face]

Curious what you folks do.

Usually just drop the bass and try to snag it.

Here's what happens when you miss.

Just goes to show you that you should not use a "collectible" bass. Or even buy one.

But, on the bright side, now I don't have to worry about dinging it.

 

[ukulelelab]

Commiserations Happy face. Is that a Guild?
+1 for rubber discs off beer bottle tops

 

[fronobulax]

Commiserations Happy face. Is that a Guild?
+1 for rubber discs off beer bottle tops

It's a M-85 but i can't seem to find his NGD posts.

Ouch is right. I'm sorry.

 

[Happy Face]

I'll just suggest you pull the damn tail plug out of your Guilds and replace it with a mechanical strap lock or at least a larger peg that will hold a disk or beer washer in place. A fat strap end will pull those right off that stupid little peg. See exhibit A.

Anyway, I have received some conflicting advice. One faction says just put a steel plate over the damaged area and call it done. The other says a plug/patch can be worked into the compressed area.

Not sure which path to follow. Now that the bass is no longer a collector's item, one side of me says go the cheap route. But ......

Whadayathink?

 

[fronobulax]

I'll just suggest you pull the damn tail plug out of your Guilds and replace it with a mechanical strap lock or at least a larger peg that will hold a disk or beer washer in place. A fat strap end will pull those right off that stupid little peg. See exhibit A.

Anyway, I have received some conflicting advice. One faction says just put a steel plate over the damaged area and call it done. The other says a plug/patch can be worked into the compressed area.

Not sure which path to follow. Now that the bass is no longer a collector's item, one side of me says go the cheap route. But ......

Whadayathink?

I have this feeling that every time I saw the plate I would be reminded of my mistake and I would eventually come to loath the bass as a result, and end up selling it. Personally if the repair is done well, I would still consider it collectable. In my world what drives the collect-ability of a Guild bass is the PU, bridge and general physical condition. I'd accept a repair that maintained playability much more than a modification that reduced originality. Anyone can look and know the plate is a repair whereas a more nuanced repair would be less obvious and hence less of an affront to the player/collector.

But that's me...

 

[Happy Face]

Yes Frono, I'm 98% certain that I'll go the rebuild route. Though I've yet to hear back from the local luthier I've used on the past. What's up with that?

Next idea is to go to a nationally acclaimed fiddle maker in town.

I'm just tired of shipping guitars to California and being disappointed with the results.

Enough venting. Please have a nice day!!

 

[fronobulax]

I'm just tired of shipping guitars to California and being disappointed with the results.

Well Fixit in Florida comes highly recommended (and Florida is not California) and the Guild factory in New Hartford is now accepting some non-warranty repairs so you could just take a day off for a very long drive... PM if you need details for either option.

 

[mgod]

If you plan to keep the bass collectibility doesn't matter. Metal plate!

I threw a graphite-necked P down on its face once to get a nice big klang at the end of a song, totally forgetting about the plug, but the enormous 60 Hz hum let me know as soon as the first attack died out. Still have metal plate in there, so I can do it again when needed.

 

[Happy Face]

M-85

I need to take some quality photos of the bass post-repair. It's awesome. Done local (Portland, Maine), done incredibly well. Seriously.

Used it last night at practice. Sounded so nice. Really nice, in fact.....

Oh yeah, Shaller straplocks installed and used.

 

[lilyguilder77]

Portland is great. Just came back from there on a mini vacation. I'm in NH. Bull Feeney's was probably my favorite bar there and a decent stage set up upstairs. Discovered Honeymaker mead there too, great stuff. Think I'm going to put Schaller strap locks on my B-301. I like em better than the Dunlops. Enjoy rocking that M85. Instruments are meant to be played, not collect dust.

 

[Happy Face]

As promised. You can see where the finish was redone since Steve wanted to "relic" it up a bit. I haven't tried polishing it yet. There is a metal plate inside with laminate on top of it. It must have a hugely painstaking job working through the hole.

Seriously good work by Steve Ryder of South Portland, Maine USA!!!

 

[Happy Face]

Finally, back in action. It is a righteous-sounding instrument.