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Installing Dunlop Straplocks on a Warwick Thumb


Jack
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Buenas.

 

I am trying to install my preferred Dunlop Dual Design straplocks on a bass, but I have run into a snag. The Thumb seems to have threaded inserts inside the bass and the 'screws' that hold the strap buttons in are not screws at all but rather bolts. Unfortunately I can't reuse the same bolts as the heads are too big to sit inside the new strap buttons. Urgh. My first thought was just to go to a hardware store and try to find a bolt with the same thread that does fit through the strap button but it occurs to me that this may already be a solved problem. Has anyone on BC come across this problem and beaten it? Does anyone know the size and thread pattern of the threaded inserts? Can the inserts be removed? Easily? By an idiot? Just looking for any guidance from the Basschat hive mind please. Thanks!

 

 

Insert

Insert.thumb.jpg.6f79ce983e6fe30c4a0e87141cb9a1a3.jpg

Standard pins

Standardpins.thumb.jpg.3e72e5b651856bc7cefb1ebeabd5c160.jpg

Old and new fittings

Oldandnewscrews.thumb.jpg.ea385d485dc676a5cb1ddab4b602c93e.jpg

Old bolt in new pin

Oldboltinnewpins.thumb.jpg.fbaa3891b60a88c0143bf2532bfee213.jpg

 

Edited by Jack
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Yeah, your best bet is going to a local hardware store, or even a specialist if you have one local, and asking for a machine screw with that same threading, but with a philips panhead. One other aspect you need to be aware of is how tall the head of the screw is. You can see the allan head is taller than the philips head, which could be a problem since Dunlops need to be inserted to a certain depth to engage the retention mechanism properly. 

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Even that specialist may lack the very likely unstandard screw model. Therefore some machining is usually in order. But that kind of a modification takes a few minutes from a skilled machinist.

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1 minute ago, itu said:

...the screw is very likely a non standard model. But after some filing the screw will fit.

 

Right, I misinterpreted you as meaning the thread would be non-standard. Those button heads are quite small (diameter and height) so might fit without modification.

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Thanks guys, I've ordered some of the ones from eBay and we'll see if they fit with or without modification. Thanks for confirming the thread size, I wouldn't have been sure without a b&q visit to put it against others. I should buy some calipers.

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I had the same issue. The Schaller strap locks that are currently on sale (S-Locks) will fit the Thumb (at least they fit my 89). This is, as far as I know, the only way to do it without modifying the bass, the reason being that back in the days Warwick basses were coming out of the factory with Schaller hardware installed, straplocks included.

 

IMG_4753.thumb.jpeg.849fdbb173a35c905ffa269212b72f75.jpeg

 

IMG_4754.thumb.jpeg.340115b425ca297c2f361ae2a5c73197.jpeg

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2 hours ago, vincbt said:

I had the same issue. The Schaller strap locks that are currently on sale (S-Locks) will fit the Thumb (at least they fit my 89). This is, as far as I know, the only way to do it without modifying the bass, the reason being that back in the days Warwick basses were coming out of the factory with Schaller hardware installed, straplocks included.

 

Annoyingly, what Schaller did in the transition to S-Locks was slightly increase the size of the strap buttons and the slots in the locks, so S-Lock strap parts will fit onto both old and new strap buttons but old strap locks probably won't fit onto S-Lock buttons. Some Schaller-compatible strap locks (eg Boston) will fit onto S-Locks. So if you grab a bass and a strap for a gig and it's not an S-Lock strap, make sure the strap lock fits the button. DAMHIKIJKOK.

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