For years guitars have been falling off their straps; for years they’ve been taking damage. And for years people who care about their guitars have been fitting strap locks to prevent this problem. So no problem then? Well not until you forget the strap with the lock heads on… or until you get a second or third guitar…
Strap locks work great, but they can get a little expensive if you have several guitars; but Fender have come up with a cheap, incredibly simple and highly effective alternative. They cost under $2 for a pair, are pretty durable, and they are easy to move to a different guitar, installing in seconds. And THEY WORK GREAT! We can’t recommend them enough. Strap Blocks are available from Amazon, and most music stores. Check out the Guitar Savers Strap Block, for an even cheaper, unbranded version.
So what are Strap Blocks and how do they differ from standard strap locks?
In essence, Strap Blocks are disks of plastic, rubber or silicon that fit onto the strap button over the top of the strap – holding it in place. It really is that simple. Obviously they come in sets of two, for either end of the strap. It would be quite easy to make/customise your own, but at the low low prices, probably not worth the effort. Strap Locks, on the other hand, consist four separate locking pieces, two permanently screwed into the guitar, and two, one either end, permanently attached to the strap. This system works fine if you don’t mind removing the old strap buttons and replacing them, and then keep the correct strap with your guitar; a standard strap will no longer work, unless the old strap buttons are put back on. This can very frustrating at a gig when you realise you haven’t brought the correct strap.