Strap Locks - Any Preference

Jerryc41

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
10,243
Reaction score
3,110
Location
Catskill Mountains, NY
I recently became aware of locks for uke straps. That seems like a clever idea. It's not that I'm afraid the strap will disconnect and let the uke fall to the floor. I don't like forcing the strap over the pins. If I cut the strap holes larger, then having the strap come off would be a concern. With a strap lock, on and off would be done quickly and without any stress on the uke.

Do any of you use them, and do you have a preference for brand? Prices vary wildly.
 
On my guitars I use the Schaller strap locks, which I've always considered the standard. But they would seem like overkill on a uke. If I had trouble getting the strap I liked over the pin, the next best thing would be an elliptical strap pin, like this one from A'Addario.

DAddario_Planet_Waves_Elliptical_End_Pins.jpg


I used one very much like this for years on my 11 lb Les Paul way back before strap locks were developed.
 
I have Schaller S-Locks on guitars and basses. I had them on a ukulele but it felt bulky on the small instrument and so I removed it.

I have a single Planet Waves Planet Lock strap which connects to normal end pins, but its locking ends are big enough that they don't fit on most heel-mounted pins.

The straps that I have for my ukuleles go on and off easily enough that the quick-release wasn't a big benefit to me, and they hold well enough that the lock doesn't seem to be an issue. Most of my ukes live hung up and don't travel. Without going in a case there's rarely a need to remove the strap.

The one place that I'd like a good quick release but haven't found one is on end-pin pickup jacks. I suspect that modding something like the Planet Lock system will be my final story there.

My plan to reuse straps between instruments died when I realized:

  • Different instruments want different straps. My bass straps are way too bulky for a uke. My uke straps are way too light for the bass.
  • Different instruments need different strap lengths
  • I scatter my instruments around the house. It defeats the purpose if I have to go to the other room to get a strap.
 
I have Schaller S-Locks on guitars and basses. I had them on a ukulele but it felt bulky on the small instrument and so I removed it.

I have a single Planet Waves Planet Lock strap which connects to normal end pins, but its locking ends are big enough that they don't fit on most heel-mounted pins.

The straps that I have for my ukuleles go on and off easily enough that the quick-release wasn't a big benefit to me, and they hold well enough that the lock doesn't seem to be an issue. Most of my ukes live hung up and don't travel. Without going in a case there's rarely a need to remove the strap.

The one place that I'd like a good quick release but haven't found one is on end-pin pickup jacks. I suspect that modding something like the Planet Lock system will be my final story there.

My plan to reuse straps between instruments died when I realized:

  • Different instruments want different straps. My bass straps are way too bulky for a uke. My uke straps are way too light for the bass.
  • Different instruments need different strap lengths
  • I scatter my instruments around the house. It defeats the purpose if I have to go to the other room to get a strap.

I looked for strap locks for a while, but all of them were too big and bulky for my tenors. I have had a couple of straps come off the strap pin whilst playing. The holes in the leather strap ends had enlarged from putting it on and taking it off repeatedly to fit in a hard case. The silicone washer strap keepers solved that problem.

The Strap Keeper by Tapastring Guitar Care does a very good job of providing an excellent way to attach your strap to the end jack. Quick and easy to pop on and off the "C" clip into the groove in the end jack. I did a review here on UU Forum a few months ago. www.tapastring.com
 
Last edited:
If you don't plan to have to remove the strap quickly, the really solid strap connection is a screw and an appropriate size washer. I had a lot of SS screws and washers from my sailing days, but regular hardware stuff would work just as well.
 
I use something that resembles a washer and slips over the button end. Simple and cheap.

Good idea, but that is opposite of what I want. I want something easy - so I'm not forcing the strap on and off the pin - and fast. I've seen strap locks in use, and they are easy and fast.
 
I only use one ‘locking’ device on my straps and that is at the end pin jack(all my instruments have pickups installed). That is the Tapastring strap lock. http://www.tapastring.com/strapkeeper0605.htm
I use this device on all my Ukuleles’s.
I’ve never had a problem with a strap coming off the strap button that are mounted around the heel of the neck.
 
I only use one ‘locking’ device on my straps and that is at the end pin jack(all my instruments have pickups installed). That is the Tapastring strap lock. http://www.tapastring.com/strapkeeper0605.htm
I use this device on all my Ukuleles’s.
I’ve never had a problem with a strap coming off the strap button that are mounted around the heel of the neck.

Interesting. So I use the jack that is on the uke and then attach the small leather strap and clip to that?
 
Yep.

K&K Locked.jpg

The roughness around the hole in the strap is a result of me trying to enlarge it. First with an X-acto. Then, with a large punch. As you can see, neither were successful.

Then, I tried the D'Addario plastic strap keeper—it banged the uke's body too much. Finally, I found the StrapKeeper. I now have 8 ukes using them.
You still have to be a little careful about rotating the strap around the jack and loosening it, but it is way more forgiving than attaching the strap directly to the jack.
 
Last edited:
For my Kala tenor (which has a pickup jack instead of a strap pin), I made a "strap keeper" device out of leather myself, since I have a lot of scraps left over from leather projects. After attaching it to the strap hole and the pickup jack, I then secured it in place with a circle of rubber I cut from an old bicycle tire tube, made a hole in the center of, and stretched over the end of the jack. Worked wonderfully, and cost nothing. But then, I am known for doing things on the cheap. :)

bratsche
 
For my Kala tenor (which has a pickup jack instead of a strap pin), I made a "strap keeper" device out of leather myself, since I have a lot of scraps left over from leather projects. After attaching it to the strap hole and the pickup jack, I then secured it in place with a circle of rubber I cut from an old bicycle tire tube, made a hole in the center of, and stretched over the end of the jack. Worked wonderfully, and cost nothing. But then, I am known for doing things on the cheap. :)

bratsche

Sounds good.
 
I was talking to a guy who performs regularly with amplified ukes, and he showed me a clever idea. When he's using a strap but not plugged into an amp, he inserts a 90° plug jack into the hole to keep the strap in place.

EDIT: Looking on Amazon, I came across this. It's not a real jack, but it could serve to keep the strap in place. I think it would need a rubber washer, too.
https://smile.amazon.com/Mr-Power-K...r+guitar+amp&qid=1563050883&s=gateway&sr=8-34

$10 for two -
https://smile.amazon.com/Ancable-Pr...or+guitar+amp&qid=1563051512&s=gateway&sr=8-6
 
Last edited:
I was talking to a guy who performs regularly with amplified ukes, and he showed me a clever idea. When he's using a strap but not plugged into an amp, he inserts a 90° plug jack into the hole to keep the strap in place.

EDIT: Looking on Amazon, I came across this. It's not a real jack, but it could serve to keep the strap in place. I think it would need a rubber washer, too.
https://smile.amazon.com/Mr-Power-K...r+guitar+amp&qid=1563050883&s=gateway&sr=8-34

Wondering if you could attach the leather string that comes with most straps to the keychain and use that as a quick release? I have a uke with a jack I don't use but need to remove the strap to get it in the case. Could be a solution??
 
Wondering if you could attach the leather string that comes with most straps to the keychain and use that as a quick release? I have a uke with a jack I don't use but need to remove the strap to get it in the case. Could be a solution??

That's an idea. I have several lock sets, but I have to decide what ukes and what straps will get them.
 
Top Bottom