Strap Locks - Good Quality For The Price?

Dunlop. Last forever and are functional as normal strap buttons if you happen to forget your strap that doesn't have the locks. I have a bass and strap that is 30 years old with the same locks. Hit the mechanism with a small burst of WD40 every decade or so to keep them smooth.

 

You’re going to hear Dunlop and Schaller. You can stop reading here.

 

I've used just about everything. Here's the ones I've used that are quality that I don't think are priced beyond their value: Dunlop, Schaller S Locks, Ernie Ball, Loxx.

 

I recently got two sets of the Steinberger designed D'Addario locks. I actually really like them. And they are really easy to install amd tale back off.

 

I've had Dunlops on my Lull for 15 years without a single hitch. And yes, you can use a strap without the locks in case you forget your regular strap.

 

The schallers came on my ric 4003 and I like those alot. The downside is that the strap buttons are smaller than the dunlop and I'd be wary of using it without the schaller bits installed in the strap.

My other two basses have dunlop straplocks... my Valenti came with them. The bass has them as the holes in the Couch straps I really like aren't be enough to fit the posts on the schaller locks.

TL;DR version: I like the schaller straplocks better, but the couch straps dont accommodate the schaller locks very well while the dunlop ones fit fine.

 

I've been happy with these elliptical strap buttons. You really have to work to get the strap off of them. Less than $10. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FKF3L6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Diago twistlock buttons. Inexpensive, simple, no moving parts, no squeaks, no danger of it not catching, and no extra leverage on the screw.
Diago Twistlock - Secure Strap Buttons Straplocks / Strap Locks Chrome | eBay

 

Schaller are kinda/sorta universal.

Fender installs them on their higher end instruments, many clones exist that fit the same body pegs.

 

I have set of these on my main bass. They will be going on my other bass as well.

 

The two biggies are Dunlop and Schaller.

I've been using Dunlops for decades now and always put them on my basses.

 

My J Plus came with Schaller locks when i bought it new in 1990. I’m on my third strap after wearing out two others and I’m still using the same set of locks and buttons.
If you don’t mind leaving your strap on all the time, Gotoh makes a set of oversize strap buttons that work really well and the screw holding the button would have to break for them to fail, and the look much neater than the bottle washers or clones thereof. Don’t get them if you can’t leave your strap on all the time though. Not only are they a PITA to get a strap on or off, but after a few rounds of that the holes in your strap will be wallowed out enough i wouldn’t trust them any more. I’ve got a couple basses with these oversize buttons on them and they look good and (knock wood) have never been a problem.

 

One of my first purchases came with Schallers installed. I came to like them and upgraded all my basses to them. Thomann in Europe sells a knock off version cheaply, and these also work well. When you attach or remove the strap the mechanism does not work as smoothly as it does on the Schallers, but it's okay nonetheless. The finish is also a bit on the knock-off side of things like you'd expect when you compare a Chinese copy focused on price with a German product focused on quality. I can use all my straps on all my basses, though. The Schallers pieces and the Thomann ones are compatible.

 

I've used the Gripper strap buttons from Stew-Mac for years now. They work very well and are stupid inexpensive.

Gripper Strap Buttons, Set of 2 | stewmac.com