Guitar strap locks are a necessity if you want to keep your guitar from taking a nosedive. Many guitar players have learned the hard way that relying upon a strap without a lock of some kind is a recipe for potential disaster, especially for a heavy guitar such as a Gibson Les Paul.
Different guitar players will swear by different brands and types of Strap locks, however. The main brands are Dunlop and Schaller, though a “special” kind of strap lock by Grolsch (often known as the “Grolsch mod”) is popular as well. Let’s look at each one so you can decide for yourself which are the best strap locks.
(1) Dunlop – Dunlop strap locks are one of the two major designs and are quite popular. They rely upon a pin-based design that uses a push-pull release button to attach and release the strap. The Dunlop system is rated at 800 lbs of pull, so you can rest assured that it won’t come loose easily. With the new Dual-Design System, you can use a regular guitar strap without the Dunlop system installed if needed. The downside to the Dunlop system is that, should the system fail, there’s really no safeguard available. The guitar will plummet, so it’s worth double-checking Dunlop straps before each gig.
(2) Schaller – Schaller strap locks are also one of the two most popular designs, along with Dunlop. Schaller locks rely upon a locking cylinder that locks into the strap button along with being supported by a U-shaped cradle. If the locking pin were to fail, the cradle would still hold the guitar securely, which is an advantage over the Dunlop system. However, the Schaller strap button washer does need to be tightened periodically.