Straplock compatibliity

[vulcan_creedler]

I've never had a Ric modern enough, to come with strap-lock bolts fitted, rather than older 4001 style bolt (same as the damper bolts)

There's no information on the Ric website, nor at Rosetti UK, on their Ric spares section.

Are these universal, or are they Schaller, or Ric specific. Can I use any brand of straplocks?

VC

[Grey]

If you have these on your guitar; http://boutique.rickenbacker.com/BOLT-S ... p_648.html

Then they are compatible with Schaller-brand strap locks.

[vulcan_creedler]

If you have these on your guitar; http://boutique.rickenbacker.com/BOLT-S ... p_648.html

Then they are compatible with Schaller-brand strap locks.

Thank you!

[Blackstar]

Are those the same size as the strap bolts on my '76 4001 and '89 Blackstar? In other words, can I retrofit my old basses with these?

[aceonbass]

I'm pretty sure the current RIC/Schaller strap bolt will fit any Rick, any year. The machine thread was something John Hall got Schaller to do especially for RIC.

[cjj]

Yes, as long as you get the RIC boutique machine screw type, they are a direct replacement and will work perfectly. The normal Schaller locks with the wood screws aren't the same...

[Kopfjaeger]

Unless you want to dowel rod the machine screw hole and redrill it for the wood screw. I wish there were more stock of the machine thread black locking Schallers available. Not the ones in the UK for $20. per lock!! I'm in the process of drilling and tapping 3 pairs of regular Schaller lockers for machine screw use. It's a pain in the butt. PotR sells the correct chrome ones for $10. per but not in black.

Sepp

[woodyng]

Ok,i recently had my first ever mishap with a dropped bass,and it was my set-neck 4000. Fortunately it fell right on the cord's jack,which absorbed all the damage. But it made me realise i need to get some straplocks. I purchased one set,and used the toothpick dowel method to install the new strap buttons. Is this a mechanically acceptable thing to do? It seems to be very secure now,and the straplocks work for my 2 newer Ricks,which was a nice bonus.

[cassius987]

I got a bit sick of all the noise and resonance from the Schaller straplocks so I tried to find some Grolsch beer in the old style bottles, hoping I could use the rubber gaskets as straplocks... no luck finding anything sadly. The guys working at that liquor store said they were no longer sold like that, and it's probably the biggest liquor store in Denver. I've tried some cut-in-half rubber gaskets from the hardware store instead but they don't seat under the lip of the stock bolt as well as the Grolsch gaskets are reported to. Still, they are definitely better than no lock and have none of the noise/rotation/resonance issues the Schaller parts did.

[aceonbass]

Woody......Ya, the toothpicks-stuffed-into-the-hole method should work just fine. i keep different sized dowel rod around for this purpose though. Every now and then the upper strap bolt on my Ricks starts to loosen, so I have to screw it back in. I'm getting really tired of this and may eventually just dowel them all and use the standard Schaller peg with a wood screw. I use a larger screw than stock when i do this, and then drill the lock out for it and turn down the head so it fits in the lock. These never get loose.

[ken_j]

I got a bit sick of all the noise and resonance from the Schaller straplocks so I tried to find some Grolsch beer in the old style bottles, hoping I could use the rubber gaskets as straplocks... no luck finding anything sadly. The guys working at that liquor store said they were no longer sold like that, and it's probably the biggest liquor store in Denver. I've tried some cut-in-half rubber gaskets from the hardware store instead but they don't seat under the lip of the stock bolt as well as the Grolsch gaskets are reported to. Still, they are definitely better than no lock and have none of the noise/rotation/resonance issues the Schaller parts did.

Joshua, try these. I've used them on many guitars without issues. Just replace the screws with the proper size and length ovalhead machine screw.

Gripper Strap Buttons

[cassius987]

Nice!!

[vulcan_creedler]

Anybody know the machine screw thread specifications?

I now feel a need to convert some regular Schaller staplocks, without paying 20 bucks a strap button, here in the Uk, for "Ric" ones, without having to resort to toothpicks and glue!

VC

[cjj]

Yes, they are 10-24, which is a non-metric size and may be hard to find in the UK.

The hole in the original Schaller button turns out to be almost the perfect size for a 10-24 tap, so you can tap it and thread the machine screw right in, but you will probably have to turn down the screw's head to fit inside the recess in the button.

Here's some I made:

[Kopfjaeger]

I'm in the process of doing the exact same thing!! But stupid me, I opted for stainless steel machine screws. They are a bit "tougher" to machine down!

Sepp