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Schaller Strap Lock help

#2
CauliColin said:
I just put on some of these, and they work like a charm! Unfortunately, the screws are too small, and the original screws are too big to fit in the strap locks! Could I have some advice on how to solve this problem!
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Almost every guitar I have ever put these on ( which is all of mine) I had to do this. In fact, I just did it on my Traben last night.

Take the old buttons off. Take a toothpick and dip it in wood glue ( Titebond, etc,) Put it in the hole. Put as much toothpick material in the hole as will fit. Then screw in the Schaller with the screw they provided. Let it dry overnight, strap it on. Easy peasy.
 
#3
Yeah, I do this to all my basses/Sahellers, you can do this with a dremel or similar tool, even a file if you have patience:

I carfully grind down the head of the original screw intil it fits in the Schaller. On rare occasions I have had to run a drill bit through the Schaller button as well. Sounds hard but it isn't, and the original screw that came installed on your bass is just the perfect fit on your instrument!

PS: Put some lock-tite on the strap lock washer nut or it will eventually come undone, usually while you are playing!
 
#5
prd004 said:
Yeah, I do this to all my basses/Sahellers, you can do this with a dremel or similar tool, even a file if you have patience:

I carfully grind down the head of the original screw intil it fits in the Schaller. On rare occasions I have had to run a drill bit through the Schaller button as well. Sounds hard but it isn't, and the original screw that came installed on your bass is just the perfect fit on your instrument!

PS: Put some lock-tite on the strap lock washer nut or it will eventually come undone, usually while you are playing!
Click to expand...

Hey, that's cheating! I use the grinding wheel on my Dremel tool and do a once-around on the screw head. It usually removes just enough material to allow the head to pass.

Riis
 
#12
MarkusBass said:
I would suggest taking your old screws and putting them in a a drill, like a drill bit, and then while the drill is on and the screw is spinning, hit it with a metal rasp. This keeps the screw head perfectly round.
Click to expand...

^^^^ This. The dozen or so basses/guitars I have all have #8 X 1 1/2" screws for the strap buttons with the strap button holes drilled out to 3/16". I also modify every instrument I work on unless it's a true vintage piece of gear that the owner doesn't want modified. The #6 X 1" screws that are used by just about everybody are too small for the job they are asked to do. That's why we see so many "loose/stripped strap button screw" threads.

There should be a stickey.

mech
 
#15
I had a strap lock strip out (2nd hand guitar) took it to a guitar tech, he used a Bamboo chopstick, ground it down on a Spinning Grinder on his work bench so it was the right size to fit hole not tightly but go in and out relatively smooth. He then put some wood glue on it, and pushed it into the slot, gave it a tap to get the last bit in tight. Then he drilled a small guide hole for the screw and re-fitted the strap button. He explained that it would be super tight, as although he left a little bit of space around the chopstick the screw going in would deform and push the chopstuick out to meet the guitar (like a masonry plug) and it would compress the glue and stick up super tight. That was 5 years ago and its still rock rock solid.


I think this is the glorified version of the toothpic solution, but would work very well for the strap lock problem and might give a better overall stability in terms of the fact that its a 360 fit rather than just a wedge on one side.

G
 

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