(Updated: August 24th, 2018.)

Choosing the right strap lock for your guitar or bass is pretty important, considering these small pieces of metal are basically insurance for your instrument.

Dropping your equipment can seriously suck, and cost a chunk of change if you choose to get your instrument repaired.

In this article, I’m going to review the Best Strap Locks out there, and give Pros & Cons on each so you can easily make a good decision on what will be best for you.

How To Choose The Best Strap Locks?

When it comes to choosing the best type of Locks for your Bass….much like picking an instrument or accessory, you’ll notice that The Best Strap Locks for you mostly come down to your preference.

If you were to try today and choose a new guitar, if I simply said pick up whatever you want (As long as it’s within X amount of dollars) most likely it will either take you awhile to choose because of how many options there are or if it doesn’t then you’ve probably had something in your mind for awhile.

Luckily, with Strap Locks…….

There simply aren’t to many options.

Almost all musicians generally buy either Dunlops or Schaller’s, (These are the absolute best, and don’t cost much either) which makes the choice even more simple.

In the next sections I’m going to try and break down the pros & cons of each of these Strap-Locks. Ultimately you’re the judge, choose what’s best for you.

Some pointers though before you read my reviews…..

Take everything with a grain of salt, I’ve been playing obsessively for 15 years and I tried to review them as if I was telling a close friend how I feel, so there is definitely some bias. However, not extreme bias like you’ll see on reviews for some of these where they’ve had a competitors Strap Lock break on them.

There’s seriously nothing “wrong” with any of these strap Locks…

There’s not any Strap Lock that I put on here that is bad, some are better than others and most of it like I said before is really just up to your preference. So if you think one is the right one for you then just go for it.

If you’re on the fence about one….

Just get a pair, seriously it is much better to be safe than sorry (something I’ve had to learn for myself the hard way especially with my instruments).

It is absolutely 100% a good investment to get any of these. Seriously there is nothing worse than a broken guitar that you loved and paid good money for. It sucks, and these guys are only 20$, trust me it is worth it.

And if you absolutely have to know you’re making the right purchase before you get one….

Go play around with some in your local music store, even though they keep these in the packages you’ll easily be able to pick up a guitar off the wall with some already installed. Play around with it some.

The Best (Top 4) Strap Locks:

(#1 and #2) Schaller and Dunlop Strap Locks

Ask almost anyone who’s been playing guitar or bass for awhile what the best strap locks are, and I can almost guarantee 99 times out of a 100 you’re either going to hear Schaller or Dunlop.

Both of these Strap-Locks have stood the test of time, and are arguably much better than other Strap-Locks currently on the market. Recently Schaller has made their new S series model, which is a serious upgrade to an already great strap lock.

With the new Schaller model, I’m thinking most musicians will switch over from Dunlop to Schaller (If they already haven’t), with so many improvements and still a rock bottom price they’re basically unbeatable.

Want a quick hilarious video on the difference between the two? Check out this video by Harry T, follow him on Youtube for some great content as well.

#1) Schaller Security Strap Locks Pros & Cons

These are by far my favorite, especially with the upgrades they’ve made with the new S series. The new series has tons of improvements, and so far the only complaints I’ve seen are just about having to pay to upgrade. (Which isn’t bad at 20$)

Schaller was my favorite before the new series, but before they only had a slight edge over Dunlop. Both of these will always trump other versions, but the Schaller now is 100% the better option.

Make your own opinion, but I’m sure you’ll see after watching their new demo video why I absolutely love these.

I’m also very curious to find out how Dunlop responds to this and what products they’ll come out with.

No doubt, they’ll definitely have to make some changes to keep up with what Schaller is doing.

#2) Dunlop Strap Locks

Even though I prefer the Schallers, the Dunlop Strap Locks are very much a close second.

Just like the Schallers, the Dunlops leave all the competitors in the dust. These are great pieces of equipment.

Features:

360 ball swivel design (Unique to Dunlop) so you can move your guitar around easier
Not hard to install
Tested up to 800 pounds
Easy one-click to take off strap

Rather Watch a video? This one covers the basics pretty well.

So, just like the Schallers these are a pretty good option for any instrument.

So why do I like the Schallers more than these?

My main concern when it comes to the Dunlop system is simply the way they’re designed with the button slightly coming out. So, if you bump into anything your Strap Lock will pop right off. This is different than the Schaller which is screw on, I’ve heard of these slowly working their way off, but I don’t find that to be an issue, and I do check mine periodically to make sure they’re okay. I think having to check mine is better than running the risk of the strap lock hitting my body or bumping into anything and the strap lock coming off while playing. Not only is that embarrassing, but I don’t have the cash to let an instrument fall to the ground like that.

The other issue I have with the Dunlop Strap locks is that they’re a slight hassle to set up.

I simply do not like putting on that C clamp (Watch Video above to see the C clamp) which is practically impossible to do with just your hands, and half the time it flew all over the place, and getting these to work with a thick strap is next to impossible as well since there is barely enough room.

These are really minor issues, and even though for me they are deal-breakers, these issues don’t always bother other players. Many experienced players think the C clamp is preferential to screwing in your lock like on the Schaller, since that means you won’t have to check your Strap Locks to see if they’re coming unscrewed. To each their own.

Need More Info?

(More Details and pricing info on Amazon)

(Warning) There are Horror Stories about both of these Strap Locks all over the internet.

Of course, with any type of item that protects something of value….if there’s ever any issue with it there will be tons of hate for that particular item.

(Think insurance companies not paying out settlements)

This is no different with Strap-Locks, and while most reviews when you look at either the Dunlop or the Schaller (I’ve spent days researching Strap-Locks and when I say most I mean 99%) just say how great they are..

There are some reviews that are downright brutal, seriously horror stories of people dropping instruments at huge gigs and I even read one where a guy ended up launching his guitar into a crowd and hurting someone in the process.

But, I’ve put this down as something that just happens sometimes because nothing can be absolutely perfect.

In some cases however, these horror stories could’ve been very simply avoided just by checking the equipment before playing.

Just keep in mind, that although Strap-Locks are great to have they aren’t perfect and do malfunction sometimes.

#3) Dimarzio Strap Locks

Ever not been able to buy something just because of one small detail you couldn’t seem to overlook?

Happens to me all the time, and even though I’ve been told my issue with Dimarzio Strap Locks isn’t a big deal I definitely think it is.

These strap locks are partially connected with plastic connectors, because of this they are only graded for 150 pounds.

150 pounds? Isn’t that a lot?

Yes, it definitely is. Especially considering that your average Les Paul is somewhere around 7-10 pounds and that’s nowhere the limit. Les Pauls have always been one of the heaviest guitars out there, unless you’re playing something like a doubleneck guitar.

However, my personal belief is that plastic is just not a good material and is to easily pliable. After years of use it simply will not hold as well and jumping around at a gig with your guitar strapped in with a plastic piece just makes me uncomfortable even thinking about it. I’m not a scientist, but I’m sure moving around definitely adds to the stress to the clip.

Imagine jumping moving around at a show with your guitar held by this (plastic clip pictured below), and you can completely forget about swinging that guitar around your neck.

The funny thing is, is that the bottom connector is securely fastened right to the guitar pegs. that part won’t come off easily at all.

Basically, I added this as number 3, since this is such a popular strap….but personally I have no idea why they would add these plastic parts when the point of a strap lock is to protect your guitar from dropping and it is just to easy to pull those plastic connectors apart. Not as easy as having no strap lock of course, but I feel like it defeats the purpose.

Everything else about these Strap Locks I think is perfectly fine, installation is fairly simple and any issues that they do have is very very minor. Nothing that would really bother anyone to much.

Only thing that really bothered some people is that the strap part attached to the guitar can cause some slight wear to the paint and cause some discoloration after long use. A problem that people usually face when they don’t have Strap Locks on.

So, if you prefer to be able to snap off and snap on your guitar strap….I guess this is the one for you.

One thing I’d like to add, the plastic connectors look tacky to me. I don’t see them as very visually appealing at all, I think they also stand out in a bad way especially when they’re put on a really nice guitar.

Need More Info?

(More Details and Pricing info on Amazon)

#4) LOXX Strap Locks

Another great option, the LOXX Strap Locks are slightly different than other Strap locks. The unlocking mechanism actually has to be pulled to unlock like the Schaller, but is not known to be as reliable.

Going through reviews online, it seems generally most people have good luck with them. However, some people found after a few months of owning theirs simply pulling the strap outwards would cause the Strap Locks to fail and pop off.

I don’t own a pair of these, however a guy I jam with regularly has been using them and this has never happened. So I would take those reviews with a grain of salt.

So what small differences are there?

As for good Strap Locks, most of them are not low key and stick out quite a bit. For people who want Strap-Locks that aren’t very noticeable these are most likely you’re best bet if you don’t want to use Strap-Blocks (I talk about these in my strap lock alternatives section). People seem to really really like this about these Strap-Locks and looking through reviews on almost any online retailer I saw over and over that’s what people liked the most about them.

The pin is also very hard to pull off on these, definitely more difficult than the Schallers.

Many people also choose these over the Schallers and others because they don’t rattle. However the new S- series of Schaller that recently came out doesn’t rattle, so they might see a drop in sales because of this.

Really, the LOXX system seems like an alright option, just not the best. Personally I don’t think they’ve been tested enough however so I won’t put them on my instruments.

Fun Fact about the LOXX system: These are made by Schaeffertec, a company that has been around forever that specializes in locking buttons. Apparently these were originally created for a luxury car company. I looked around online to try and figure out which one, but it wasn’t clear. Rumors suggested BMW and Lamborghini.

Need More Info?

(More Details and Pricing info on Amazon)

Fantastic Simple Alternatives to Strap Locks…

Strap Locks aren’t for everybody, maybe you don’t like the look of them (Some do look pretty clunky) or maybe you don’t trust them to keep your instrument from dropping during a gig or whatever.

Whatever the case is there are some pretty good options if you don’t want to use strap locks.

There are a lot out there, So I’m just going to list the top three most popular.

A Washer
Using the Grolsch Beer Bottle Trick
Using Fender Strap Blocks (Not Strap Locks, Blocks)

Using any of these is extremely simple, and basically just requires popping em on and off (except for the washer which only requires taking the peg off and placing it on the peg and then screwing the peg back on………super easy).

Best part about these alternatives is that they’re super cheap. Which is absolutely always a plus. I mean seriously dirt cheap.

A washer is like what a quarter? Can’t beat it.

I’ve even seen strap blocks go for a buck from free shipping. (probably not the best to get these, but they are out there)

If that’s not cheap enough for you……..there’s an even cheaper option. How’s free? The Grolsch trick legitimately comes free. All you’ve got to do is go buy some beer. (So sort of free, as close as you can get right?)

Here’s the Grolsch Beer Bottle Trick:

Super fucking cool, and comes with a slide to? Again….can’t beat the price.

Also follow Colin’s youtube channel is worth taking a look at. Tons of great info on there and he’s fucking hilarious.

Next Up are the the Strap Blocks.

These are super simple to explain because these are basically the exact same as the Grolsch trick. All you have to do is pop them on and you’re good to go.

Like I said before, these are super cheap….but I do recommend going with the Fender ones (which are the highest quality ones I could find) So….unfortunately you’ll have to splurge all of 5 dollars to get these, at least that’s what they went for last I checked online. Could be different now.

Last but not Least…….using a Washer.

Using these is pretty self explanatory…..however, these do seem to chip away at the paint whenever you don’t have your guitar strap on between the guitar and the washer, which is a huge deal for me and is why I don’t use them.

They do seem to be a great option other than that though, obviously installation is as easy as screwing and unscrewing the peg on your guitar and just placing the washer on there.

NOTE: With these alternatives I’ve mentioned there are people who have still had their guitars fall using each of these methods. Nothing is foolproof completely unfortunately.

Conclusion:

Buying Strap Locks is basically just buying insurance for your guitar, since there’s so many different kinds that are decent it’s up to you to decide what’s best for you and what you play.

For instance for me, the Schallers new S series are a clear winner, but maybe you don’t like the look of a strap lock on your guitar so you’d rather have a strap block or maybe even a Grolsch rubber thing (please leave a comment if you know what these are actually called!).

Also something to note about all the strap locks, I wouldn’t be to worried about any of these breaking very quickly at all.

In fact, it seemed like people who did have theirs break had theirs for quite awhile and had quite a bit of usage before they did break. Kind of made me think maybe they should’ve changed their Strap Locks sooner?

I’ve only found one review online of a strap lock actually breaking within the first month and that one I didn’t mention in this article. With personal experience even I have a buddy who’s been using the same set of strap locks since for almost ten years now and they haven’t broke and we can’t even tell what kind they’re now so I’m assuming they were discontinued.

Basically what I’m trying to say is don’t be to worried about choosing your strap locks, I’d definitely be picky but you’ll probably be okay with whichever ones you choose. Good Luck!