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Straploks vs. Dunlops

I have Schallers on two different Spectors, but I don't attach the locking part to my strap. I've always put the strap on the pin, then snap the locking piece on... much as you would do with a Grolsch washer, I suppose. This has always worked perfectly for me.
 
I have a strap on every bass I own, and as needed I use these, usually just on the top strap button. No basses have fallen in more than 10 years of use.

Dunlopstraplock.jpg
 
I use Schallers on my Fender-esque basses (because some of them came stock with them) and Dunlops on basses with the front stap pin on the back of the body (the Schaller ball ends were jabbing me really bad!)

Both work well, I do like the Dual-Design because even without the strap lock, the pin is big enough to prevent slippage a lot of the time. The only trouble I had with Dunlops is that a couple of my straps have holes too big, and the entire washer and shebang popped right through. It is fixable with tape around the strap end, just ugly.
 
I prefer Schallers as well. However, the Dunlops are great too.
You cant go wrong with either. Comes down to personal preference.

FWIW I never had an issue with the Schallers in over 30+ years.
 
I use the Schallers and the ones I have can't come off even if the "cup" piece that attaches to the strap is upside down. There is a locking pin that engages the strap button on the bass.

The Schaller system is sort of a double fail safe. The "cup" piece in the right direction is enough to hold the bass, but add in the spring loaded locking pin and I can't see how it would ever fall off.

To top it off, the Schallers can be used with a regular strap as well. They look like standard old strap buttons.
 
gjbassist said:
That large metal ring that sits around the lock button on the strap floats freely. I have heard it vibrate when certain notes were hit, particularly on bass. I found it annoying enough that I put electrical tape around it to keep it quiet. Can't believe I'm the only one that has experienced this?

I've noticed that on extremely thin straps, but most straps it's a job to get them on. As for the retainers being difficult, takes about .5 of a second with a pair of pliers to put them on lol.
 
The Ernie Ball is essentially the Dunlop, plus one weakness, in my mind.
The retaining nut on the strap end can work loose, just as on the Schaller.

I prefer the Dunlop's c-clip attachment, and it's likelihood to stay put.
 
To top it off, the Schallers can be used with a regular strap as well. They look like standard old strap buttons.
The one I had didn't...the Dunlops do, tho. The Schaller buttons could have held a strap I guess, but the wasn't a lot of flare/spread/mushrooming on the outside and I could see the strap slipping off at the wrong moment if one moved funny or something.
 
I use the Schallers and the ones I have can't come off even if the "cup" piece that attaches to the strap is upside down. There is a locking pin that engages the strap button on the bass.

The Schaller system is sort of a double fail safe. The "cup" piece in the right direction is enough to hold the bass, but add in the spring loaded locking pin and I can't see how it would ever fall off.

To top it off, the Schallers can be used with a regular strap as well. They look like standard old strap buttons.
You wrote my post. Thank you. ;)

As full disclosure, mine is a "two strap lock" household. I use Schallers on my guitars and basses and my wife has Dunlops on her bass.
 
To everyone who PM'd me here, thanks. I will be giving them away, so I'll PM you for addresses when I get back home and can count and package 'em up.

I'm on a short week long gig subbing for some little snot nosed prog metal kid (didn't ever think I'd say that but this one really is) and won't be back to my bass bench until Saturday at the earliest. So please be patient.

The one thing I really never liked about the Dunlops or other strap lock systems is that the screws that hold the buttons are larger and do require drilling to install properly. then, when you wan't to go back to a different button, you have to either do some glue repair or hope the Dunlop screw works.