Putting Straplocks on a Gibson the Right Way:

rearview thumbfest2.jpg
my fave strap lock... fits any guitar, either fore or aft, comes off if
you pull hard on it, pops back on with no trouble. Keeps the strap from
coming off. It's good beer too. No drilling, no grinding, no machining, no toothpicks unless
you play a lot. If you play a lot, the strap lock can back the screw out
until it strips itself.

Then the toothpick and wood glue solution works fine. (it actually does, I believe
that the glue and toothpick combination is harder than mahogany). I might be
wrong, but have had no trouble with the many guitars I've repaired this way.

45 ACP 2017@100.jpg
My fave (and only) auto pistol... I shoot this one very well. It's an old one, made by Remington Rand (a typewriter company) during World War ll. I've had the feed ramp polished so it loads lead semi wadcutters without trouble, and installed good sights and a good trigger. It feels comfortable in my hands, and rocks back into firing position very steadily.
I only shoot paper targets, civilian style. No silhouettes, or ethnic caricatures.
I've shot bowling pins with it, they are sort of like smoos. *shrugs
...and they fly apart when hit.

I enjoy shooting this gun, liking the relatively slow push of the .45 ACP better than
the sharp rap of the 9mm. I can hit the target better with this. I own a pair of .357s
and those are exciting to shoot, with all the blast and flash. My long barreled Ruger
Single Action is the steady platform, and I shoot that one almost as well as the .45.
I have a 4" barreled Ruger Police Service Six, and I find it quite unpleasant to shoot
with high velocity .357 rounds. It's very steady with .38 special rounds and handles
.38 +P loads better than any .38. Ruger makes excellent weapons.
Ruger 357s@100.jpg
That Police Service Six is the one you want to have with you if there's trouble,
even so. Nothing to catch in your clothing, and a whole lot of power packed into a
small piece. Good smooth trigger, and excellent fixed sights. I never keep these loaded,
believing firmly that if you feel a need to have a loaded weapon handy, you're living in the
wrong place.

I also firmly believe that the best weapon for home defense is a 12 gauge
pump deer gun with an 18" barrel, rifle sights and loaded with #6 bird shot. That's a
weapon that's only dangerous to the perp(s) who's invading your home. It will shoot through
bedroom or bathroom doors and cause the perp to instantly cease and forget what he was planning to do.
But the shot won't go through your walls and into your neighbor's home, like pistol rounds
or rifle rounds will.
 
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Col Mustard said:
View attachment 3922
my fave strap lock... fits any guitar, either fore or aft, comes off if
you pull hard on it, pops back on with no trouble. Keeps the strap from
coming off. It's good beer too. No drilling, no grinding, no machining, no toothpicks unless
you play a lot. If you play a lot, the strap lock can back the screw out
until it strips itself.

Then the toothpick and wood glue solution works fine. (it actually does, I believe
that the glue and toothpick combination is harder than mahogany). I might be
wrong, but have had no trouble with the many guitars I've repaired this way.

View attachment 3924
My fave (and only) auto pistol... I shoot this one very well. It's an old one, made by Remington Rand (a typewriter company) during World War ll. I've had the feed ramp polished so it loads lead semi wadcutters without trouble, and installed good sights and a good trigger. It feels comfortable in my hands, and rocks back into firing position very steadily.
I only shoot paper targets, civilian style. No silhouettes, or ethnic caricatures.
I've shot bowling pins with it, they are sort of like smoos. *shrugs
...and they fly apart when hit.

I enjoy shooting this gun, liking the relatively slow push of the .45 ACP better than
the sharp rap of the 9mm. I can hit the target better with this. I own a pair of .357s
and those are exciting to shoot, with all the blast and flash. My long barreled Ruger
Single Action is the steady platform, and I shoot that one almost as well as the .45.
I have a 4" barreled Ruger Police Service Six, and I find it quite unpleasant to shoot
with high velocity .357 rounds. It's very steady with .38 special rounds and handles
.38 +P loads better than any .38. Ruger makes excellent weapons.
View attachment 3925
That Police Service Six is the one you want to have with you if there's trouble,
even so. Nothing to catch in your clothing, and a whole lot of power packed into a
small piece. Good smooth trigger, and excellent fixed sights. I never keep these loaded,
believing firmly that if you feel a need to have a loaded weapon handy, you're living in the
wrong place.

I also firmly believe that the best weapon for home defense is a 12 gauge
pump deer gun with an 18" barrel, rifle sights and loaded with #6 bird shot. That's a
weapon that's only dangerous to the perp(s) who's invading your home. It will shoot through
bedroom or bathroom doors and cause the perp to instantly cease and forget what he was planning to do.
But the shot won't go through your walls and into your neighbor's home, like pistol rounds
or rifle rounds will.
Click to expand...


Very Neat!!!!!
 
Has anybody used the Ernie Ball Straplocks???? They require a 7/64" Diameter, 1 1/2" Deep pilot hole...that equates to a #6 screw, but doesn't ALL Gibson's have both #6 and #8 screws on the straplocks???
 
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Found this:

The stock screw on the end strap button of a Les Paul is an #8 x 1-1/2" flat head screw. The screw that comes with the Straplock is a #6 x 1-1/2" flathead. The body diameter of the #8 is too large to fit in the small hole of the straplock, and the head is too large to fit in the counterbore. The first thing I did was drill out the hole in the Straplock button to 11/64". This allows the larger #8 screw to pass through. Next, it's necessary to shave down the diameter of the head of the screw so that it fits the counterbore of the button. I did this by chucking the screw in a drill press, then grinding down the head diameter with a Dremel tool while the part is spinning. You could accomplish the same thing by chucking the screw in a hand drill and reducing the head diameter a bench grinder.
 
There's no way the Dunlop dual design strap lock screws are a #6. Here is a pic of the two Gibson screws & a Dunlop screw in betweenWP_20170412_001.jpg
As I said earlier, the threaded portion of the #8 Gibson screw is the same O.D as the thread on the Dunlop screw, it is a different pitch. I measured them before fitting to my Gibsons. I almost never play sitting down, always standing & they've been fine, never pulled out or needed re tightening. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
There's no way the Dunlop dual design strap lock screws are a #6. Here is a pic of the two Gibson screws & a Dunlop screw in betweenView attachment 4006
As I said earlier, the threaded portion of the #8 Gibson screw is the same O.D as the thread on the Dunlop screw, it is a different pitch. I measured them before fitting to my Gibsons. I almost never play sitting down, always standing & they've been fine, never pulled out or needed re tightening. Cheers
Click to expand...

Ok! Sorry for all the questions. I would like to stay with all Dunlop because thats what all my guitars have at present....
 
That's why I used them also. Questions are no problem, best to ask as many as needed to be sure Robert. You could easily use a few tooth picks & some glue to fill the hole & redrill, or grind down the head of the Gibson screws, but I just screwed the Dunlop screw in place of the #8's. If it was going to be a problem it'd show up on the LP which is much heavier at over 9 lb, but hasn't moved. On the SG the back button sat "into" the body a little. The Dunlop button is a larger O.D so I used a nylon washer to fill the recess, creating a flush surface. Hope this helps. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
That's why I used them also. Questions are no problem, best to ask as many as needed to be sure Robert. You could easily use a few tooth picks & some glue to fill the hole & redrill, or grind down the head of the Gibson screws, but I just screwed the Dunlop screw in place of the #8's. If it was going to be a problem it'd show up on the LP which is much heavier at over 9 lb, but hasn't moved. On the SG the back button sat "into" the body a little. The Dunlop button is a larger O.D so I used a nylon washer to fill the recess, creating a flush surface. Hope this helps. Cheers
Click to expand...

Is it important to have the unthreaded shank on the straplocks???
 
ivan H said:
There's no way the Dunlop dual design strap lock screws are a #6. Here is a pic of the two Gibson screws & a Dunlop screw in betweenView attachment 4006
As I said earlier, the threaded portion of the #8 Gibson screw is the same O.D as the thread on the Dunlop screw, it is a different pitch. I measured them before fitting to my Gibsons. I almost never play sitting down, always standing & they've been fine, never pulled out or needed re tightening. Cheers
Click to expand...

Mojo Axe to the rescue with a special #8 screw with a #6 head - www.MojoAxe.com
 
All ya ever need is:

Bona-Locks - Guitar Strap Locks

productiamge2.jpg
 
I once used the screw that came with the Schaller, and it snapped off when I had screwed it in half way. Since then I have always used "real" screws. The head is too wide, so I spin it in a drill chuck and hold a file against it. It takes about five seconds to make it the right size.
 
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