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Danelectros and Straploks

JimmyM

JimmyM

Apr 11, 2005
127,257
125,178
Plymouth NC
Disclosures
Endorsing: Yamaha, Ampeg, Line 6, EMG
#1
Thinking very hard about buying a longhorn for my wife to give me at christmas. only thing that stopped me from buying it today was that the strap button is right next to the neck, and there's not enough room for using dunlop straploks. there's barely any room to install a strap at all. i don't want to drill holes in it, but it seems like the only solution is to drill a hole in the back of the body. but then you have to have a strap with the straplok facing the opposite way from a fender. i already have that with my beatle bass and it's annoying. can't do quick changes between it and a fender. not that i ever bring more than one to any gig, but maybe i'd like to again.

what to do, what to do? damn, i so want to love a longhorn. i'm totally into the shape and sound. stayed in tune pretty well for having cheap kluson copy guitar tuners. but i wouldn't change strings on it. i'd use them till they broke.

anyone have a better solution that doesn't involve changing brands of straplocks or going without them? or is it just not meant to be?
 
#3
I babysat a Longhorn for a summer a few years back .. my buddy had drilled and installed the button on the back of the body .. it drove me a little nuts, but I did get used to it after a bit. Great bass ... nice and light. I believe he also changed out the tuners for something more sturdy. I'll see if he can send pics and post them here.
 
#4
KramerBassFan said:
Mount the strap lock retainer thingy ( :eyebrow:) on one of the neck bolts.
Click to expand...
you know, that's not a half bad idea. our guitarist just bought an epiphone sg with the strap button mounted on a neck bolt. only thing is i could see it being really fussy about the length of the screw, and those dunlops use odd screws with smaller heads that are hard to find.

i guess that's about the only choice i have if i want one. i have always loved the look and sound of those danos but none of the other ones i've played screamed "buy me" quite like this one. it was pretty perfect as danos go. but i can only see bad coming for it if i start drilling holes or replacing neck bolts with straplok screws. plus those tuners really are crappy, aren't they? a good set of kluson replicas is more than i'd want to spend on it.

i am sad. i really want this bass. but the baggage is too much, i fear.
 
#5
It's a lot of work to get the newer Dano's right. I got the Dunlop strap locks on mine. I didn't mess with the neck screws because they are a odd size & you have to pull them out to adjust the truss rod. I used the screw that comes with them and put it in the plywood body by the neck. To put some real bass tuners in you have to open the holes up. I put a set of Mini's in mine & they are great. Odds are the fretts will need leveling & dressing. The pots & switch are not all that great, I put good pots & wired it VVT & put a good jack switch in. Put some flats on it and it ROCKS!! If you don't put some work into them they are not that great. Heck I still call mine the POS. Playing a Dano is like eating ice cream, you cannot do it without having a smile on your face.
 
#6
as much as i'd agree with that last statement, now that i think about it, i'll end up dropping another $60-80 in tuners fairly soon, even more if they don't fit (they look like standard size klusons, and if you use good guitar tuners, they'll actually work pretty well for a short scale bass, but they might not be the same size), plus straploks are almost $20 now. the pots i can live with and the action and fretwork was excellent, but having to plow at least another hundy into it kind of takes the vibe out of the deal. that sucks. fantastic bass in every other way.
 
#9
just buy another strap and leave it on
the strap nut is so close to the neck it wont fall off.
And the truss rod adjustment in the newer ones is at the headstock , you do not have to take the neck off
 
#10
bugsy said:
just buy another strap and leave it on
Click to expand...

+1; maybe add rubber washers at both strap buttons to guarantee the strap won't pop off at the wrong moment

FWIW, I've had 2 of those Dano Rumor basses (hollowish, masonite, P-bass with built in chorus).
Both had great necks, frets, and pups; it was hard getting used to playing something that light!
 
#11
Jim C said:
+1; maybe add rubber washers at both strap buttons to guarantee the strap won't pop off at the wrong moment
Click to expand...

+1. They work great. I sold all my strap lock systems several years ago and haven't used anything except the rubber (neoprene) washers ever since. About 50 cents each, and they work awesomely.

100_0867.jpg
 
#13
Garry Tallent of the E Street Band had strap buttons installed on the end of the upper horn, and I have done the same in the past. The new Dano's are stronger there then the old, and it works just fine. A lot of people complain about the strap button placement, and my Jerry Jones have the same layout as the Danos and it makes me nuts. I didn't want to drill a hole in the JJ 'cause I might sell her so I replaced the strap buttons on the JJ neck pocket with a Gripper strap button from Stewmac.com. Same as used on the Kubickis. They actually are a little easier to get a strap over and hold the strap well.

If you don't mind drilling a hole, I recommend putting a button on the horn. Many Dano players, famous and otherwise, have done that.
 
#15
TRichardsbass said:
Garry Tallent of the E Street Band had strap buttons installed on the end of the upper horn, and I have done the same in the past. The new Dano's are stronger there then the old, and it works just fine. A lot of people complain about the strap button placement, and my Jerry Jones have the same layout as the Danos and it makes me nuts. I didn't want to drill a hole in the JJ 'cause I might sell her so I replaced the strap buttons on the JJ neck pocket with a Gripper strap button from Stewmac.com. Same as used on the Kubickis. They actually are a little easier to get a strap over and hold the strap well.

If you don't mind drilling a hole, I recommend putting a button on the horn. Many Dano players, famous and otherwise, have done that.
Click to expand...
if i do get this bass, this seems like the most viable option for me. since i tape a wireless to my strap, it would be necessary for quick changes and it's the only way i could use that big levy's 4 1/2" strap i use now. but boy, there's no margin for error, is there?

and yet this bass is all i can think about!
 
#17
JimmyM said:
if i do get this bass, this seems like the most viable option for me. since i tape a wireless to my strap, it would be necessary for quick changes and it's the only way i could use that big levy's 4 1/2" strap i use now. but boy, there's no margin for error, is there?

and yet this bass is all i can think about!
Click to expand...

Hey Jimmy, now we got ya! LOL!

Key is to just take the drill bit and put a piece of tape on it in the required depth per the Straplock instructions. Then just hold the bit over the horn in the general direction you want to place the button and when you find the right spot you will have room past the bit at the bottom.

I'm off to dinner now but will contact you later.
 
#18
JimmyM said:
you know, that's not a half bad idea. our guitarist just bought an epiphone sg with the strap button mounted on a neck bolt. only thing is i could see it being really fussy about the length of the screw, and those dunlops use odd screws with smaller heads that are hard to find.

i guess that's about the only choice i have if i want one. i have always loved the look and sound of those danos but none of the other ones i've played screamed "buy me" quite like this one. it was pretty perfect as danos go. but i can only see bad coming for it if i start drilling holes or replacing neck bolts with straplok screws. plus those tuners really are crappy, aren't they? a good set of kluson replicas is more than i'd want to spend on it.

i am sad. i really want this bass. but the baggage is too much, i fear.
Click to expand...

did that to my dano dc. Crappy plastic ones kept coming out. didn't even use a different screw . just filled in the hole with some dowel shavings. will need a longer strap however or really a strapo with two usuable holes to deal with the different positions.......
 

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