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Changing the straplocks on a Warwick bass


prowla
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I recently acquired a Warwick Corvette Pro Series bass which I quite like, but it's got a recessed straplock mechanism and I'd like to put Schallers on it like I have on my other bass.

2BmZ6I8.jpg

I'm guessing I could remove the current locking's fittings (a recessed ferrule with a screw through it), fill the holes with a dowel, and then drill a screw hole to fit.

Has anybody done that?

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It’s quite a big hole to fill if it’s the Dunlop system. Instead, I’d stick with it and get Dunlop pins for the other basses (they do non recessed ones that you can use with a normal strap). Much better than the schaller nonsense!

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Yes, you’d fit the new locks as you suggested, using wood glue and dowels to fill the holes. Make sure it’s a wood to wood contact and there’s no finish in the hole before gluing the dowel.

For the dowels you can buy hardwood dowels online in a few different species, “Plug It” is the name of one site, but there are plenty of others. Depending on the size and what they have available, you might need to pick a slightly larger size and sand/scrape to fit. Done correctly it should be plenty strong enough.

Then saw off and scrape/sand flush...without damaging the finish surrounding it (use masking tape to start with)

...or what @ped said! Dunlop dual designs all the way for me.

 

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I'd just like to say that the only strap locking mechanisms I've ever had fail on me were set of the Dunlop style ones fitted to a Warwick Starbass, and that happened within the first 6 months of me getting the bass (which was new). On the other hand I have Schaller Straplocks from the mid 80s that are still going strong. The ones on the Warwick were not the recessed versions so they were easily were changed for Schallers.

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Rebranded. As recommended by Charlie Chandler, I've had them on my basses and they are fine.

If you want to go Schaller (I guess it makes sense to use one make of strap lock then your straps are interchangeable), just check that the new screw is a tight fit in the body.

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1 hour ago, chris_b said:

Rebranded. As recommended by Charlie Chandler, I've had them on my basses and they are fine.

If you want to go Schaller (I guess it makes sense to use one make of strap lock then your straps are interchangeable), just check that the new screw is a tight fit in the body.

Yep - the recess is more than half a screw length, so I'd need to do it right.

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I've got the opposite problem. I've got an 89 Thumb with factory fitted schallers that screw into metal inserts with Allen Bolts, and I use Dunlop straplocks. No way I'm modding the thumb so I've got a separate strap just for that bass with schallers on!

Edited by King Tut
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While having the same type of strap locking mechanism is a great idea in theory, in practice it doesn't really work because, unless all your basses have the same body shape and you play all of them at the same height, you still need a separate strap for each bass. A bass with the strap button at the back of the heal will require the strap lock to be on the opposite side of the strap to one with the button on the upper horn. Different body shapes require a different length strap to make them hang at the same height, and if like me you play different styles with the instrument at different heights you need different strap lengths for this too.

Edited by BigRedX
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5 hours ago, BigRedX said:

While having the same type of strap locking mechanism is a great idea in theory, in practice it doesn't really work because, unless all your basses have the same body shape and you play all of them at the same height, you still need a separate strap for each bass. A bass with the strap button at the back of the heal will require the strap lock to be on the opposite side of the strap to one with the button on the upper horn. Different body shapes require a different length strap to make them hang at the same height, and if like me you play different styles with the instrument at different heights you need different strap lengths for this too.

My preferred strap is a non-adjustable one I had made, with Schaller straplocks; I find I'm happy with most guitars & basses with it.

I take your point about the back-fitting strap button, but I think in my case, my only instrument with one of those was an Epi EB0 which went to a new home last week.

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On 19/12/2018 at 13:58, BigRedX said:

While having the same type of strap locking mechanism is a great idea in theory, in practice it doesn't really work because, unless all your basses have the same body shape and you play all of them at the same height, you still need a separate strap for each bass. A bass with the strap button at the back of the heal will require the strap lock to be on the opposite side of the strap to one with the button on the upper horn. Different body shapes require a different length strap to make them hang at the same height, and if like me you play different styles with the instrument at different heights you need different strap lengths for this too.

I don't find the change in length an issue. All my basses hang about the same. I do have a second strap though, with the reversed lock for my Thunderbird "back of the heel" mount

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