Keep a strap secure on an end-pin jack?

Dane

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Are there special straps for use with end-pin jacks? There doesn't seem to be a lot to hold onto there, especially if you're playing acoustically and are not plugged in.

I like to keep my strap attached to the ukulele always, and I'd really like to lock it down so there's no chance for it to unhook and drop a nice ukulele on the ground.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.
-Dane
 
I've thought about using a right-angle plug with no wire on it but I've never bothered. Just plug it into the jack after attaching the strap. It won't stick out as much as a straight plug but will be too big for the strap to slip over.

John
 
I actually found this shortly after I made the thread.

Tapastring "Strapkeeper"

Seems to have a lot of great reviews. $10 but that's the shipped price to anywhere in the world it says. I ordered one, I'll report back when it comes!
 
There are a couple of strap locks available at most decent guitar shops. Hennessey and Ernie Ball come to mind... I'm not sure if they are compatible with electric pickups though. I'm sure there must be something out there though.

If not you could always find an old jack and get creative...
 
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There are a couple of strap locks available at most decent guitar shops. Hennessey and Bernie Ball come to mind... I'm not sure if they are compatible with electric pickups though. I'm sure there must be something out there though..
That was the issue, everything I was finding was for standard buttons, until I found this one which is designed precisely for end-pin jacks.
 
I actually found this shortly after I made the thread.

Tapastring "Strapkeeper"

Seems to have a lot of great reviews. $10 but that's the shipped price to anywhere in the world it says. I ordered one, I'll report back when it comes!

That's a good thing, because it's coming all the way from Trinidad (Colorado) ;)
 
I made my own.... Used round leather chord and clear plastic tube. The pictures tell the story. Fully adjustable for jack pin or normal strap pin, and secure enough that I can strap on my uke "Elvis style" and swing it into action when required!
The plastic tube slides down to tighten the loop around the end pin, and there's enough friction with the leather to keep it in place. Easy to release too.

032.jpg 033.jpg
 
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I made my own.... Used round leather chord and clear plastic tube. The pictures tell the story. Fully adjustable for jack pin or normal strap pin, and secure enough that I can strap on my uke "Elvis style" and swing it into action when required!
The plastic tube slides down to tighten the loop around the end pin, and there's enough friction with the leather to keep it in place. Easy to release too.

View attachment 67849 View attachment 67850

:worship: Cool idea!
 
I use the Tapastring "Strapkeeper" on my J-45. Works great! I do not worry about having a beautiful and expensive guitar crashing to the ground. I don't use it on my ukes as I usually don't use a strap but I may start.
 
I actually found this shortly after I made the thread.

Tapastring "Strapkeeper"

Seems to have a lot of great reviews. $10 but that's the shipped price to anywhere in the world it says. I ordered one, I'll report back when it comes!

I've got a couple of those that I use (on my uke, my acoustic/electric bass, and U-Bass) and true to form, they work very well. It would be awesome to see a strap maker incorporate something like that into a strap, but this is a really simple and quick workaround.
 
I make my own lock washer with the inner flat piece of the top of a Gatorade bottle cap. I cut out the flat round surface, slice from the edge to the center, then cut a hole that's just large enough to fit around the smallest diameter of the recessed portion of the end pin/jack. The strap goes on over the end pin, and then the lock washer gets snapped into place. Works like a charm and is as cheap as it comes. It held the weight of guitars for years and does just fine with ukes too.

Here's a shot of one from a Powerade bottle top...

DSC_0550.jpg
 
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I make my own lock washer with the inner flat piece of the top of a Gatorade bottle cap. I cut out the flat round surface, slice from the edge to the center, then cut a hole that's just large enough to fit around the smallest diameter of the recessed portion of the end pin/jack. The strap goes on over the end pin, and then the lock washer gets snapped into place. Works like a charm and is as cheap as it comes. It held the weight of guitars for years and does just fine with ukes too.


Hey Kevin

That is a very cool and ingenius idea, what flavor works best :biglaugh:
 
I actually found this shortly after I made the thread.

Tapastring "Strapkeeper"

Seems to have a lot of great reviews. $10 but that's the shipped price to anywhere in the world it says. I ordered one, I'll report back when it comes!

I've had one of these for a few years, and can say they work great. Almost too good. Once you snap that clip on, it wants to stay on.
 
I've never had a problem with straps staying on endpin jacks. Both instruments I have with endpin jacks are much larger and heavier than ukuleles. I have an Irish bouzouki (octave mandolin) that is about the size of a banjo, albeit not as weighty. I also have an acoustic bass guitar, which is very heavy compared to a uke.

Unless the endpin has no flanges to hold the strap in place, or unless the button hole on the strap is over large or distorted, I would not worry about it.
 
Try one of those flat plastic thingies with a hole in it used to close bread wrappers.
 
So I've been using the strapkeeper for a few days now, almost a week I suppose. I must say I am impressed, and I feel like my ukulele is very secure.

My end-pin collar keeps coming loose, but I don't think that's related to the strap keeper, as it doesn't actually hold onto the collar. I think it's just coming loose from constant plugging and unplugging from the endpin jack.

So far I give the strapkeeper a big thumbs up, and I plan to buy more if it continues to provide a quality service to my ukuleles.
 
A dab of clear fingernail polish on the threads under the collar will fix the problem of it loosening up. That's a very common complaint with endpin jacks.

So I've been using the strapkeeper for a few days now, almost a week I suppose. I must say I am impressed, and I feel like my ukulele is very secure.

My end-pin collar keeps coming loose, but I don't think that's related to the strap keeper, as it doesn't actually hold onto the collar. I think it's just coming loose from constant plugging and unplugging from the endpin jack.

So far I give the strapkeeper a big thumbs up, and I plan to buy more if it continues to provide a quality service to my ukuleles.
 
A dab of clear fingernail polish on the threads under the collar will fix the problem of it loosening up. That's a very common complaint with endpin jacks.

I was wondering about that myself. I have that issue. I have thought about using loctite. I read Teflon plumbers tape works well too. This would make a good thread topic. There may be a thread I missed it some point, but would love to know what different people have done/recommend. Thanks for your solution.
 
I was wondering about that myself. I have that issue. I have thought about using loctite. I read Teflon plumbers tape works well too. This would make a good thread topic. There may be a thread I missed it some point, but would love to know what different people have done/recommend. Thanks for your solution.

I was thinking loctite on the collar ring, and let it dry. Then thread it on. Definitely don't want any wet loctite in my end-pin jack.
 
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