Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Note to self... buy straplocks.

I was testing the tuning of the family's new piano (it's horribly out of tune) and my bass slipped on the strap buttons. I yelled "Oh F*ck!" and the bass hit the floor. No finish damage but I can tell that the shape of the body is rounded more in just one spot. Impact damage.

Would damage like this destroy the sound? It's probably wouldn't... I'm just worried about my bass. It's almost 30 and it's been beat on. Small nicks here and there, bad belt buckle rash (not me) and the smush that happened today.

Anyone know a good brand of straplocks?

I've never really liked straplocks. But I do have these installed on all my "player" basses.

Never lost one yet.

stewmac

I like the Schaller straplocks. They are like the ones that come installed on new Rickenbackers.

You must also periodically inspect the condition of your guitar straps. I've seen disasterous results of guitars dropping even with straplocks, because the strap broke.

I use Schaller straplocks as well. On just about all mine. They seem grea to me.

Schaller fit the Ric nicely especially if you get the Ric strap buttons made to accept the schaller straplocks ... if you have a newer bass then you already have these ... but I prefer Duncan straploks ... the screws are too small for the Ric body holes but I put glue and toothpicks in the hole and then work fine ...

This is what happens when you don't have staplocks in a very hard working metal band:



It was my friends vintage B.C.Rich Mockingbird. It had beautiful Koa wood body with maple body stripes. The way the bass shattered when it hit the stage floor during a certain move...this was the most recognizable part left. He wound up giving the head to me, he couldn't stand looking at it anymore. It hangs on my wall now, reminds me to check the condition of my straps and straplocks.

Stress lines on the front of the body of my bass... near the jack plate. I should just get another Rick! So many problems with this one.

call it character! For 30 years old I am sure it has seen worse. That is unless you *really* need another bass... wink wink nudge nudge

why were you holding (or not holding) your bass while testing the tuning on your piano???

I had playing YYZ on my puter and I was playing along. I went to the piano for the keyboard part. Both hands are on the keys then and pop... smash... "oh f*ck!"

I'm sure Ged had Straplocks on all of his Ricks when playing keyboard parts!

If you have a good tight strap there is no need for straplocks which I find noisy, clunky and don't fit in my old cases. I dropped one like that about two years ago and bought new straps that fit tightly over the buttons and have had no problems since. As long as there is no real structural damage you should have no problems with your bass.

I'm sure he did Steve!

Only damage I can see are the stress lines on the front near the jackplate and an extra flat spot next to the jackplate.

Now you have a custom Ric Nate.

Hahahahaha! Funny Bob.

Actually, Steve, there was one Rush bootleg I heard and it had a unique song, "Broken Bass Blues". Dunno if a string broke or he dropped it... the bass was out of working condition for about 5 min.