Active Band Man Chats - Strap Pins

So, what’s today’s topic?

...Pin!

Huh?

Pin piiin!

What’s that? Stretching?

...Pin!

Huh? A thumbtack?

Exactly! Stick my pin-up photo on the ceiling with a thumbtack, and before bed, you lock eyes with me—your heart races, and you can’t sleep! Just kidding!

Yep, kidding for sure.

“I’m watching over you from morning to night”... It’s me, Kizuhiko.

Alright, alright.

Anyway, today’s topic is pins!

Well... you are kind of like a one-man show.

There are all kinds of pins for straps, right?

Jumping straight into it, huh? You always take so long to get to the point...

This is like the ‘opening’ in a rakugo performance.

That’s being too generous.

Last time was all about straps, so today is the strap pin edition!

Right. You could have started with that.

Piiiiin!

Enough already. Strap pins may be small, but they’re surprisingly important.

Back in the day, we didn’t have many options. It was just the standard screws, right?

Screws. You mean the ones that came with the guitar when you bought it.

The proactive ones replaced them with Schaller lock pins.

Really? I don’t think anyone around me did that... small-town life, I guess. I don’t think I even knew strap locks existed.

Seriously? They were pretty common.
Schaller / S-Locks Chrome Strap Lock Pin

Still available today! Oh, it’s been updated.

Oh wow, it says, “greatly improved usability.”

Right? And when you think of classic strap locks, there’s also:
Jim Dunlop / SLS1031N Straplok Dual Design Nickel

I’m more of a Dunlop guy, actually.

Ah, yeah, you mentioned that before.

I think I said it when I talked about my Mikey. Related Article: Active Band Man Chats - Small but Delightful Features

The Dunlop exclusive!

Oh, before we go further, a quick explanation of strap locks:

Strap locks involve special components attached to both the strap and the guitar body. They reduce the risk of straps detaching mid-performance and allow for easy, one-touch attachment and removal!

Exactly.

Before I started using strap locks, things were quite inconvenient.

It’s been so long, it feels like a distant memory.

Like when the strap would fall off mid-performance!

Yep. And even now, if you’re not careful.

We tried all sorts of ways to prevent that.

Primitive solutions like duct tape?

Been there. Not very effective, and peeling it off leaves a sticky mess.

I figured as much... I’ve never tried duct tape myself.

What about coins?

?

You’d put a coin with a hole in it over the strap pin! The coin would hold the strap in place when screwed in!

I’ve heard of that method, but I don’t think anyone I knew actually did it.

If you used a silver strap pin, a 50-yen coin matched well; for gold, a 5-yen coin worked.

I guess that’s... true?

This method made it harder for the strap to come off, but removing the strap when you wanted to was a pain!

Of course. You’d have to unscrew it, after all.

Then there’s something we tried as students.

What’s that?

The little closures for bread bags!

?

I looked it up; they’re called bag closures. Like this!

Ah, I see.

Surprisingly, they fit pretty well.

Were they effective?

Not at all!

Not at all!?

Completely ineffective!

Then why bring it up...

I just wanted to share the tearful efforts of my youth!

Sure, sure. Actually, I think I tried that too. It was more for peace of mind than actual use.

Nowadays, there are lots of plastic or rubber options available, but I’m convinced the people who developed them once used bag closures!

(Laughs)

For example,
Harry’s / Strap Rubber Olive This one is pretty common in stores. Wait, isn’t this just a bag closure?
D’Addario / PW-DLC-30 Dual-Lock Strap Lock

No, it’s not.

Rombo / Strap Blocks Set WHT(2) After various trials and errors, I finally reached the point where I could afford strap locks.

Afford?

Having tried many different strap locks, I’ve settled on this one:
Ernie Ball / 4600 Strap Lock Nickel

Oh, Ernie Ball!

You press the button on the side to attach or remove the strap. It feels kind of sleek!

Purely personal opinion, of course.

And it feels more stable when leaning your guitar against something compared to the Schaller or Dunlop types.

That makes sense. Though, ideally, you’d use a proper stand.

Exactly!

Is that it?

Oh, one more!
Fender / Fender Infinity Locks, Red

Kind of similar to the Ernie Ball one, maybe?

Yeah! Easy to use and rosy red! Big points for style! I want it!

You would.

I’d love to put this on my rosy Jazzmaster!

Over-the-top...

But, as I said before, using Fender accessories on a Squier guitar feels a bit...

...Guilty, right?

A little, yeah. But oh well!

You’re okay with it!?

For looks, Fender stands out, but for functionality, I’m eyeing...

You’re still going!?

This:
ESP / Strap Lock ESL-01 Chrome

True, its mechanism seems very secure.

Right!

While strap locks reduce the chances of accidental detachment, they do have downsides.

Downsides?

For example, it can be a hassle when you want to switch straps.

Oh, right. But how often does that really happen?

Not often, honestly. But there was that one time I forgot my strap at the studio and had to rent one...

Ah, I see. The rental strap wasn’t compatible with your locks, huh?

Well, technically, it could attach, but not like the original pins. I had to play super carefully...

Yeah, compatibility can be an issue.

Right. I mentioned before that I’m a Dunlop fan and standardize all my instruments with their locks. But the 5-string Ibanez bass I bought this year came with Schaller locks pre-installed...

So you can’t use your usual straps?

Exactly... I’m debating whether to replace the locks or get a new strap just for this bass...

There are so many strap pin options now. Take your time finding the best fit for you. Because everything is?

For love!