Just had my first near miss due to my new strap......

[PorkyPrimeCut]

I've just been noodling around with the Vox. I sat on the edge of the couch kinda resting the guitar on my thigh, then got back up. The strap had come loose at the front making the headstock nose-dive towards the corner of the coffee table. I caught it cleanly in my left hand only for the body to swing down towards the same table edge. I yanked my left hand up & missed the table by a whisker.

This is the first time I've had this happen. My previous straps have been those retro JM style straps made of very stiff, thick leather. They're a bit of a wrestle to get over the strap buttons & I'd never imagine they'd come loose. This new strap has much softer & thinner leather triangles at each end.

I'm not liking the images in my head at the moment - vintage guitars in bits on the living-room floor. Bent tuning pegs & chipped headstocks!! 

I think I need a drink! Two bottles of Grolsch should do the trick! 

[Deckard]

Way to go Spidey 

I've had many a near miss. More often that not with other peoples guitars tho. I remember playing a friends brand new SG once and the strap button on the back of the neck caught me out and i had to rescue the guitar from crashing into the ground. I'm sure he would not have been best pleased.


I did the grolsh thing a week or so ago and it definitely makes things sturdier. I still feel that a good yank in the wrong direction could force them off mind... best still stay careful.

[Stereordinary]

I actually did send my SG flying into the ground headstock first one.  Having the strap button on the back of the neck like that means that it's nearly impossible to do that over-the-shoulder guitar swing thing. 

And another time, the same thing happened to me where my strap came off, only my Ibanez Les Paul copy fell face first onto a concrete floor and a Green Russian Big Muff.  Not a scratch on it though. 

[RumorsOFsurF]

I think I need a drink! Two bottles of Grolsch should do the trick! 

Need Instructions? 

[PorkyPrimeCut]

Thanks Nolan. I actually managed quite easily by myself. 

Trouble is the holes in the rubber rings are bigger than I thought. It's not gonna make a lot of difference.

Has anyone used rubber washers that are normally installed in taps (faucets for you Americans).

I know for sure that they a) come in various sizes and b) have much smaller holes. Will they stretch enough to fit over a strap button (the same as a Fender one)?

[StevenO]

Why not just use metal ones? You can usually find them on the ground while taking a walk around town... And you can paint them any colour you want,

[PorkyPrimeCut]

I wanna find something I can fit snuggly on the outside of the strap, rather than having to take the whole strap button off & potentially loosen the screw.

I reckon I'll find some cheapo washers tomorrow. Even holeless ones would do. I'll just drill them.

There were some great ones mentioned on another thread but I can't find it. Basically metal washers with about a section cut out. They just slid on from the side. Simple.

EDIT - Here they are.... http://cgi.ebay.com/Guitar-Strap-Lock-4 ... dZViewItem

....I could make them myself but I haven't got a vice to hold the bugger in place while I saw.

[mredhot]

i dont know if this is an issue but what about straplocks?

[Deckard]

I think he's trying to avoid having to remove the whole strap button. Confused as too how the Grolsh washer thing doesn't fit mind. Surely the button is the same size on most guitars?

[StevenO]

I had made some nice straplocks out of safety pins, believe it or not...

[PorkyPrimeCut]

I think the grolsch washers I got were just particularly loose. It seems to be pretty random as to whether or not you get a tight fitting one.

Anyway. Problem solved....



Rubber washers for 45p each. I got blank ones & drilled a hole in them. I then reluctantly took the strap button off & forced the washer over the button from the back, this way I didn't need to drill as big a hole & its virtually impossible for the strap to come off from the front. I squeezed the strap back on & it just fit along with the washer. Screwed it back on & hey presto. That strap ain't going nowhere!!