Customer Reviews

Dunlop Dual Design Straplok System, Nickel

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This review is actually a review for two, or rather two and half, products the Dunlop and Schaller strap locks. Dunlop having the original and dual design locks.

I have both types on my guitars.

First the Dunlop: (all finish types)
Installation was simple, screw was replaced with the one included in the package. I had to drill one of my guitars to enlarge the hole, easy. The finish of the lock was O.K. the black suffered the most with some dings and scratches, depending on the shipping and how long the locks were packed the finishing flaws will vary. I noticed it the most on black.

They feel secure and lock well in place; I still feel they are a bit far from the guitar body as compared to the Schallers. I would recommend the dual design as opposed to the original.

One big negative is the strap installment; your life could turn into hell depending on the strap ends thickness. And the lock is just not designed to be removed form the strap easily. If you wish to change, wash or replace the strap in the future it is very hard and you could damage the locking mechanism (a metal ring, open locking C washer).

Second the Schaller: (chrome/nickel)
Installation was simple also, straight on. Finish is great; however, metal washer for the strap ends could get damaged depending on what type of tool you use to install the locks on the strap. Use a flat small wrench available in hard ware stores (was not included in the package) I bought them from a local store.

They fell very secure and are snug to your guitar body resulting in less strain on the lock ends.

Installing the locks on the strap is a breeze, just tightening the nut with a washer over the strap and you're done. Changing the strap, no problems, easily loosen the nut and replace.

The only negative is that you could mar the teeth of you over tighten.

Both are great, however I recommend the Schaller.

Sorry for the long review.

The straplok system is a great concept; a quick release for your strap with added security to prevent your expensive (or favorite) guitar from accidently hitting the ground because the strap popped off. (Happened to my not so expensive guitar. Lucky, no damage.) All you have to do is replace the factory strap knobs with the ones in this system and viola, safe and secure. Problem is, with a Jackson PC-1, the factory screws don't work and sadly enough, the systems screws easily strip (have to tap deeper on my guitar and it is some hard wood) whether you use a standard phillips screwdriver or power driver to set at 1 (lowest) torque. It only comes with two screws which makes it more frustrating. These screws were obviously designed for self-tapping, so wouldn't logic have stepped in during the design process and said, "Guitars are made of different types of wood, so let's use a tough alloy to make the screws instead of getting them from a bargin bin to lower costs." Well, cost is an object at around 15.00-21.00 a pop. Better screws should have been an issue at that price. So if you are looking to buy this system, be careful with the screws and things will go fine. Be prepared to use a Dremel with a cutoff wheel to cut you a slot to make it a flathead or worst, get a screw removal tool to get the half tapped screw out. Overall, the system does hold well and I would buy them again, just not at this price until better screws or more than two are added to the system.

Just put these on my Les Paul. They screws fit perfectly into the guitar. Almost as if they were exactly like the factory ones that came out.

The instructions were very easy to follow in installing. And the locks are built very well. I would definitely recommend this brand. For the price, you really can't pass them up. They're worth every penny.

I would definitely recommend this to anybody who's spent money good hard earned money on their guitar. Specially if you're doing gigs and doing a lot of movin on stage.

Just remember to lube it once in awhile with WD-40 as the manual says. Also, check and make sure the lock works just to make sure all is well. Again it goes back to saving your guitar from an accidental drop.

The Dunlop Dual Design Straplock System is a sturdy, fairly easy-to-assemble and easy-to-install alternative to guitar straps slipping off of instruments. The screws that are used to attach the Straplok to the guitar are heavy gauge and pretty large--there's little chance that these are going to come out. The locking mechanism seems like it is secure and should require little maintenance. The only disadvantage of the Dunlop system to Schaller's system is that the the Dunlop sticks out measurably farther from the guitar's body. Ordinarily, it seems like this should be only the most minor of inconveniences. On an instrument such as a Hofner "violin" bass, though, or any guitar with a strap button on the back of the instrument, this makes it difficult to hold the body of the instrument against your body for support. Schaller's strap locks might look a little more elegant to some players. The Dunlop Straplok System is sturdy, should provide a long life of service, and can be found at a better price than several of its competitors. Recommended for most guitar body styles

These install more or less easily, depending on your situation! They are shipped with a wood screw that is a common size, but may not perfectly match your guitar.

I bought these for my Ovation Celebrity, since I use it with and without a strap and want a quick and secure method to connect and remove the strap. My stock Celeb strap base is attached with a screw that threads into an internal nut - and there is no wood for the Dunlop supplied screw to bite. So, I removed the Celeb stock screw and tried to fit it into the Dunlop base, but it had too large a head to fit into the Dunlop base. To solve this, I wrapped paper around the threads of my Ovation screw and chucked it in a drill with the head sticking out. Then I fired up the drill and ground a little of the width off the Ovation screw head, until it fit the Dunlop base. Problem solved!

After that, the base installed easily, and works well. Easy and secure.

The installation onto the strap required some effort, but works well when you get it.

One other observation - The Dunlop base pieces stick out further than stock. This means it may push into a fitted guitar case, and it also means the strap will connect out a little more than a half inch from the guitar body. If you look closely at the product photo, and realize the strap sits on top of (not over) the base, you will see what I mean. Not a big deal, but good to know, right?

So - Overall I think this system is a four out of five. Hopefully, this note will allow you to make your choice. Cheers!

The Dunlop Strap Locks do exactly what you think they do. They lock your strap to your guitar...but do it in a way that allows you to quickly and easily release the strap whenever you want. It takes a second to attach your strap at will...then only a second to release it. No fighting with the strap to get it on the strap peg...and no chance of it coming loose on you. The nice thing for me was...I put these on a new Gibson Les Paul Standard...and I didn't need to drill out the original strap peg hole. The screws provided with the Dunlop system were comparable in size...so just remove the old hardware and screw in the new with hardware provided. Good to go. This is my second set of Dunlop strap locks...so my straps are already have the previous installed buttons on them. All Dunlop strap locks work with each other. I think these come in gold, nickel and black. So, you can match your existing hardware color scheme.

The Dunlop Dual Design Straplok System is a wonderful product. They install extremely easily, if they are installed properly. Mine were put installed poorly, and they tore up my bass as a result. However,, the problem was easily fixed, but it left my bass with some nasty looking dents. Anyway, they are very secure, and your instrument will not drop. The can come on and off very easily and quickly. If you decide to invest in this wonderful product just be sure that they are installed properly.

I'll first say that I've been using Schallers pretty much from the start and I'm extremely happy with their performance, except when using them on a guitar where the front strap button is in the heel of the neck (ex: arch-tops, acoustics, SG's, ESP Vipers, etc). When used on these types of guitars, the "unlocking stem" of a Schaller can poke you in the stomach and be very uncomfortable. For this reason, I decided to experiment with the Jim Dunlop design.

I bought two sets of these to go on my hollow-body arch-tops. I do agree with some reviewers that the metals feel a little flimsy and weak, and the overall feel when installed doesn't feel as "tight" as the Schallers. That said, the installation for both of my guitars was quick and flawless, and required no tools other than a screwdriver. Another reviewer said his #2 driver would not fit, I did not have this problem.

Despite my previous remarks on the quality of the metals and such, these locks have performed very nicely. They haven't failed yet, and if they ever do, I will be quickly returning here to amend my review.

One reviewer commented that the gold and/or silver sets could make your axe look gaudy. I can agree with that potential. I bought my Dunlop locks in black, so their appearance is barely noticeable to me against the black leather end of a guitar strap.

In closing, I would say that I am happy with this product, and give it a 5 star rating, but I still prefer the Schaller brand locking system. The Schallers require a couple extra tools to install, and cost about $5 more, but I feel it is money well spent. I will, however, most likely buy a few more sets of these Dunlops for my acoustics and my Viper, as I do prefer the comfort that these provide on those 'back-mounted' strap button type guitars.

Hope this is helpful to someone. Thank you for reading.

I bought this for my son and it works great. He just bought an expensive EVH leather strap and this will keep the strap secure. It has a great design, but I recommend that you have a music store install it for you.

After receiving the Dunlop Dual Design Straplok System already installed on my Gibson Standard electric (7.36 lbs.), and liking them, I decided to try installing them on my Gibson Studio electric (7.23 lbs.). No problem. Just follow the instructions exactly (for the Gibson guitars anyway) and they will work perfectly.

I had no problem either installing them nor using them since the installation. Money well spent making sure my stringed instrument does not accidentally fall to the ground.

Besides safety I also like being able to swap out my straps on my guitars. A nice convenience. If you are so inclined you can use the same strap for all your guitars.

If you are not sure if they will work on your brand guitar seek out an online forum and either search the forum for the answer or join and ask the question. You've good a pricy piece of wood there and will want to take care of it properly.

What I don't care for, but feel okay with because they work so well, is how big they seem to be. They don't get in the way when being used but look almost out of place. That is why I chose Black for my second set. Helps keep the product's profile down a bit. Other than that, the product works as advertised.