Schaller Strap Locks Fail - WARNING

[Old Garage-Bander]

I contacted Schaller about this and this is the response I received:

Dear Mr. Corner,

many thanks, in general old and new fit, but we recommend to use only the parts of our new S-Locks.

Old parts might be worn out.

If you like you can send to us the parts and we analyze it.

Kind regards

Dr. Lars Bunning​

This guy is probably on the engineering side and has no sense of customer service. If that's the best they can do I'm never buying anything Schaller again.

Just because you didn't get the answer you wanted, doesn't speak to poor customer service.

His salutations were gracious in both greeting and closing. He respectfully addressed you as Mr. He explained a possible problem, and offered to analyze the parts to try and determine what's really going on.

If he is an engineer, be glad you got him. Management, sales, or operations might have said the same, but without the offer of an analysis.

Or just never buy Schaller again.

 

[FunkyThunder]

Just think, if the original design Schaller strap locks had only included an additional nut to lock down the first nut, there would be no issues with it loosening. So why the redesign with the knobs being one piece rather than a knob and screw, which worked fine? Over-engineering at its finest?
(Sorry, but this thread was just a little too quiet for me with the last post 18 months ago.)

 

[60bass]

I bought a new set of Schaller strap locks a few weeks ago and screwed the knobs with the new screws into my Sterling SUB Ray4. I already had a strap with the locks (female components) installed so I set the new locks aside. So, I was mating old locks to new knobs, which I believe was the cause of some problems.

Everything seemed to work fine the first time or two I swapped my strap between basses, which I do every few days. About the third time I started having difficulty getting one lock to disengage from the new knob. Then the lock and knob became disengaged several times on their own while I was playing! Fortunately the bass did not hit the floor. Then, the last straw, the knob screw completely backed out of the bass and the knob came off! This must have happened because, as I had noticed, the lock was jammed on the knob and not able to rotate freely, which was torqueing the knob screw. I should note that the strap still works fine with two basses onto which I had years ago installed Schaller strap lock knobs.

Conclusion: IMO this is a quality control problem. Either (a) my one new knob is out of tolerance, (b) the dimensional control is not consistent from one production run to the next, or (c) the dimensions have at some point changed.

I know how to fix the backed out screw using toothpicks, glue, etc. I think now though I'll have to buy a new strap, install the new locks on it, and use that strap exclusively with the Ray4.

SO - MIX OLD AND NEW SCHALLER LOCKS AND KNOBS AT YOUR OWN PERIL!

This is why I ONLY USE Dunlop. One pair I have, I bought in the 80's and the bass was extensively gigged for 8-10 years on the road in clubs nightly. Never a failure to lock. Just a small drop of oil once a year is all I've even done to it. Don't bother with any other brand. Buy Dunlop once and be safe and secure.

 

[fhm555]

I have a set of Schaller locks on a bass I bought new in 1990. They came on the bass and at first I was confused by the buttons on the bass because there was no way a strap would stay on them. When I went through the case candy I found the included Fender strap and a couple of gadgets the likes of which I’d never seen before, but almost as soon as I had that thought I realized they must have something to do with the goofy looking strap buttons. I held one up to the front button and the lightbulb came on. I mounted them up and put the strap on and the rest is history. I’ve worn out three straps but the locks are still working just fine and I’ve never experienced a single glitch or failure. The lock pin springs are getting a little sloppy and there is little plating left on the buttons but they click when I put them on and stay until I take them off.
I was at an open jam one night and noticed a guitarist with his Schaller locks on upside down. I mentioned it to him and he said it was the pin that locked them in. I didn’t argue because he acted like I was some kind of dumbass for mentioning it, but my linear thought process told me the first time I saw the locks they were shaped that way specifically to cradle the button. I assumed it was just another example of really well thought out design, but I’ve seen too many examples of people with preconceived notions that run counter to all logical thought to put any faith in a tiny pin intended to keep the two halves from separating during vigorous use, especially when a failsafe so obvious Ray Charles could see it, is designed into the thing. But that’s just me.