Ask any guitar tech what the most common cause of a broken headstock is, and the answer is usually the same: a strap slipping off a strap button. One moment the guitar is on your shoulder, the next it’s on the floor. A broken headstock or a dented body is an expensive repair. Strap locks prevent it for the price of a few sets of strings.
How Strap Locks Work
A standard strap button is just a mushroom-shaped peg. The leather or nylon hole in your strap slowly stretches, and with the right twist, it slides right off.
Strap locks replace that loose connection with a mechanical lock. There are two main types:
Button-and-clip systems
Systems like Dunlop Straploks replace your strap buttons with special posts, and a matching clip goes on each end of your strap. The clip snaps onto the post and only releases when you pull the release ring. They’re very secure and quick to take off.
Rubber washers and plug-in locks
Simpler options include rubber washers you push over the strap button, or locks that sit in the strap and grip a standard button. They’re cheaper but generally less secure than a proper locking system.
Why We Recommend Dunlop Straploks
Dunlop Straploks are a proven design used by gigging players for decades. Once fitted, the strap clicks on and off in seconds, and you can swap straps easily if you fit clips to each one. We stock them in nickel and black oxide to match your hardware.
Getting Them Fitted
Fitting strap locks means swapping the strap buttons on the body for new posts. It sounds simple, but the screws go into your guitar’s wood, often at the neck heel where there’s very little of it. Screws of a different size, overtightening or a slip of the screwdriver can split the wood, crack the finish or leave you with a stripped hole. On acoustic guitars the end pin often needs a different approach altogether.
We fit standard and flush-mount strap locks properly, checking the holes and the wood as we go. If you’re bringing your guitar in for a setup anyway, it’s the perfect moment.
What About Stripped Screw Holes?
If a strap button screw just spins and won’t tighten, the hole is stripped, and the button can pull out under the weight of the guitar. Bigger screws and matchsticks don’t hold for long. The proper repair is to plug the hole with hardwood and glue, then drill a fresh pilot hole. We fix stripped strap screws as part of our repair services.
Choosing a Strap
A good strap matters too: it should be strong, comfortable and the right width for the weight of your guitar. Our Ernie Ball Polypro straps are a simple, reliable choice and work well with strap locks.
Get Strap Locks Fitted
GuitarBuddy is based in Zandvoort and works with players in Haarlem, Aerdenhout and Amsterdam. See our repairs and upgrades or get in touch.
