Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I am slowly adding Schaller Strap Locks to all my electrics, as I'm tired of having straps come unbuttoned on gigs. Given the style of screw-in strap buttons that we have on our Ricks, are screw-in Strap Locks an option?

Do you have the vintage style buttons or the modern RIC buttons that directly take Schaller strap locks? If the former, you can buy the latter and just unscrew the vintage ones and screw in the Schaller style ones.

There is a way to make Schaller 'do-it yourself" buttons but it requires modifying a specific machine screw and drilling out the button.

I believe you can get them from the RIC factory - Chris at Pick of the Ricks put some on a guitar for me once.

You can't get them from RIC, but Mr. JH says that they have the same threads, just screw out the strap bolt and screw in the strap locks, but I don't remember which model of strap locks he was referring to.

I have a later 330 that has the Schaller style buttons. Unfortunately, they are too large for Schaller strap locks.

bobb wrote:I have a later 330 that has the Schaller style buttons. Unfortunately, they are too large for Schaller strap locks.

All of mine work fine, can you post a photo of yours, perhaps they were changed out from stock?

I bought these. (From Pick of the Ricks) They were a drop in replacement for my 480.

http://boutique.rickenbacker.com/BOLT-S ... p_648.html

Exactly these are on my guitar, too. (Like on every RIC made guitar/ bass with non-vintage knobs, AFAIK)

I took a strap with already mounted (since 20 years) original Schaller locks - two clicks and ready to rock.
There never was a change in measures of the security locks.

When it comes to Schaller (tuners as well) I am very proud of the good, old label "Made in Germany", BTW. - Buyable with every modern Rickenbacker.

jps wrote:

bobb wrote:I have a later 330 that has the Schaller style buttons. Unfortunately, they are too large for Schaller strap locks.

All of mine work fine, can you post a photo of yours, perhaps they were changed out from stock?

The strap pins are stock. For some reason they are out of spec compared to the standard Schaller lock sets. I've been using Schallers since the mid 80s. Out of all the straps that have locks on them and other locks just lying around, only one lock fits on my Ric.

For those of you that are using vintage style strap buttons, try these. I use them on all my Ricks and they work very well. They have them built right into the strap or you can get the locks only to put on your own strap:
http://www.lmproducts.com/surelocknew.htm

bobb wrote:

jps wrote:

bobb wrote:I have a later 330 that has the Schaller style buttons. Unfortunately, they are too large for Schaller strap locks.

All of mine work fine, can you post a photo of yours, perhaps they were changed out from stock?

The strap pins are stock. For some reason they are out of spec compared to the standard Schaller lock sets. I've been using Schallers since the mid 80s. Out of all the straps that have locks on them and other locks just lying around, only one lock fits on my Ric.

Interesting, as I have never had problems, and I mix up using different straps, occasionally, that all have the locks on them, on various basses, Ricks and otherwise with the Schaller buttons on them.

I just recently replaced four Rics that have the 'vintage' strap pins and replaced them with Schaller strap locks.
The guitars I replaced were my 660-12, the 480, and the two V64s, the six and twelve strings.

Since the vintage strap pins have a wider diameter machine-screw pin shaft, then the wood-screws that come with the Schallers, I just filled the holes with little scraps of wood so that the Schaller screws would have something to screw into and not mess up the machine threading, in case anyone wanted to go back to the vintage strap pins in the future.

A couple of my newer Rics (2006 and 2003) have the Schaller pins standard and the strap locks already work perfect with them.

I just make my own. Get a 10-24 tap and thread the hole in the Schaller button (you could just drill it out so the screw will pass through, but that's not as fun as threading it).

Next, get a 10-24 flat head machine screw and turn the head down until it will fit into the recess in the strap button. This can be done on a lathe, or if you don't have one, put the screw into an electric drill and turn it against a file until enough metal is filed off.

Assemble the screw into the button and it looks like this: I put a little Loctite on the screw to make sure it stays in the button, but that's probably not necessary...

bobb wrote:

jps wrote:

bobb wrote:I have a later 330 that has the Schaller style buttons. Unfortunately, they are too large for Schaller strap locks.

All of mine work fine, can you post a photo of yours, perhaps they were changed out from stock?

The strap pins are stock. For some reason they are out of spec compared to the standard Schaller lock sets. I've been using Schallers since the mid 80s. Out of all the straps that have locks on them and other locks just lying around, only one lock fits on my Ric.

There were some defective (out of tolerance) Schaller end pins installed on some guitars at the factory , I had one on my 360-12. I just ordered a new one from the boutique at the Ric website. Easy fix , just unscrewed the old one and put in the new one.