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help with strap locks on les paul


DaNeilio

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hey i jsut got my les paul standard epiphone of course. and the first day i played it and the strap holder thing fell out and my guitar tumbled to the floor cracking. i have gotten a new one because it hasent been 2 days old from guitar center. but they also recomended me strap locks. i tryed using them but the screw is to small. is there any way how i can make it work. or get a different screw. or special straplcoks just for les pauls. i really need your help. and dont suggest me to slam my guitar into the floor. ](*,)

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Get some flat toothpicks and some carpenter's glue. Glue a piece of toothpick into each hole and then screw in the straplocks. Give it at least 12 hours to set before trying any wild jumpin' jackass maneuvers with the guitar.

are you sure thats ganna work. it sounds kinda like tricky. and im not the best like guitar fixer. so idk. like cause if it falls out i screwed

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Well I've done it on more guitars than I can count and I've never had a customer come back with a problem. It's one of the oldest 'luthier' tricks in the book. If you're skittish, TEST the things by pulling and twisting on them with your hand before trying to sling the guitar.

 

Oh and don't over-torque the screws while the glue is wet; just tighten them snugly. You don't need to use monkey strength here. Just check them for snugness after the 12-hour drying period.

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Well I've done it on more guitars than I can count and I've never had a customer come back with a problem. It's one of the oldest 'luthier' tricks in the book. If you're skittish' date=' TEST the things by pulling and twisting on them with your hand before trying to sling the guitar.[/quote']

oh cool. thanks. ill try that. how long should i make the toothpick? and like should i make sure of anything? how many should i use?

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I hope you're using the straplock screw that comes with the set.

the previous one will be shorter and probably smaller in size.

 

but yeah.. toothpicks and elmers.. flat toothpicks work best.. will hold perfectly well for many years.

 

what you are doing is replacing the wood that's gotten stripped out.. not filling the entire hole.

so estimate and use enough to make the screw very tight.. but still go in.. I don't know how bad yours got stripped so..

hard to say exactly.

you can put a couple in.. break them off even with the edge of the guitar.. dab a tiny bit of glue on each.. just use elmers..

cheap white glue is perfect for this.. and then put your screw in about halfway..

let it dry for half an hour.. then remove the screw and put on your locks.

voila! should be good to go.

 

If when you tighten the screw it goes in all the way. easy.. you don't have enough toothpicks in.

it should get tight and need some torque to get in all the way.

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I've used the Schaller strap locks for years and they have been good, though I have had to do the toothpick trick on my LP twice now.

 

I recently picked up some of the Dunlop Ergo strap locks as the Schaller screws are too scrawny for my BFG. These actually work very well and you don't have to attach anything to your strap and change the hardware on your guitar, they slip on over the standard strap button through the keyhole, spin the dial 180 degrees and you are secure. They're inexpensive to boot.

 

http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?page=products/pip&id=142&pmh=products/accessories

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I hope you're using the straplock screw that comes with the set.

the previous one will be shorter and probably smaller in size.

 

but yeah.. toothpicks and elmers.. flat toothpicks work best.. will hold perfectly well for many years.

 

what you are doing is replacing the wood that's gotten stripped out.. not filling the entire hole.

so estimate and use enough to make the screw very tight.. but still go in.. I don't know how bad yours got stripped so..

hard to say exactly.

you can put a couple in.. break them off even with the edge of the guitar.. dab a tiny bit of glue on each.. just use elmers..

cheap white glue is perfect for this.. and then put your screw in about halfway..

let it dry for half an hour.. then remove the screw and put on your locks.

voila! should be good to go.

 

If when you tighten the screw it goes in all the way. easy.. you don't have enough toothpicks in.

it should get tight and need some torque to get in all the way.

actully its the other way artound its longer yes but its thinner.

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Get some flat toothpicks and some carpenter's glue. Glue a piece of toothpick into each hole and then screw in the straplocks. Give it at least 12 hours to set before trying any wild jumpin' jackass maneuvers with the guitar.

 

It's always what I'm doing to correct the situation, and It works all the time...

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actully its the other way artound its longer yes but its thinner.

 

It's been thicker on the strats and teles I build regualarly, and a longer screw than on any guitar I've had.

I honestly don't remember on the sheri and lp..

I should mention the dual design is, IMO, superior.. as you can use a regular strap with it, too.

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It's been thicker on the strats and teles I build regualarly' date=' and a longer screw than on any guitar I've had.

I honestly don't remember on the sheri and lp..

I should mention the dual design is, IMO, superior.. as you can use a regular strap with it, too.

[/quote']

are there any other way how i can get different locks that will work for my les paul standard cause i dont want to risk it i dont like doing home experiments that i have no idea about. so like which others are good cause i have the schaller one and the screw is way to thin and i dont want to experiment with toothpicks.

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are there any other way how i can get different locks that will work for my les paul standard... i dont want to experiment with toothpicks.

No, that's pretty much the way strap locks are. And when a procedure has been explained in so much detail, it's not really an 'experiment' any more. If you are still unsure at this point, I'd recommend that you take it to a pro who'll probably do it for $10 or so.

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No' date=' that's pretty much the way strap locks are. And when a procedure has been explained in so much detail, it's not really an 'experiment' any more. If you are still unsure at this point, I'd recommend that you take it to a pro who'll probably do it for $10 or so.[/quote']

idk. ill probebly try to do it. but like i really hope it doesnt fall apart.

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experiment nothing. I build guitars. Luthiers of great import use the same method.

why?

because toothpicks are cheap and plentiful and made of hardwood.

because cheap elmers smears nice and gives a little grip, keep the toothpicks from falling out if you remove the screw again.

 

alternative?

sure.

make a hardwood dowel. or as I like to call it, giant toothpick. out of suitable hardwood.

ream out the hole, being careful not to chip the paint, so it's smooth sided all the way down.

glue on dowel, dowel in hole.. make hole no bigger than straplocks bottom piece..

use felt pad beneath lock.. you always should, to protect paint and make sure the giant hole is covered.

let glue dry. redrill for correct depth and thread of screw.

put on straplocks.

 

Now.. you can see that the ultra professional method is only needed for severe situations.. not for something as petty as a stripped hole..

but for something where extreme pressure was applied and massive tearing.

otherwise, it's the identical procedure without the huge pain in the butt.

 

NOT an experiment at all.

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