25 cent Straplok

[Tom Wright]

After treating myself to an El Dorado mandolin strap, I noticed it was not as tight on the endpin as the braid strap that came with my Weber. I made a lock for it from a Fender pick.

Drill a hole large enough for the narrow waist of the strap pin, and cut a slightly smaller channel with scissors as shown in the photos. I used a medium for the electric, with its more beveled button, and a heavy for the endpin position on my F5.

[MandoNicity]

Clever!

JR

[Spruce]

The washers that come on a Grolsch beer bottle work well too....

[DerTiefster]

The washers that come on a Grolsch beer bottle work well too....

oooohh! There's a suggestion with glass! That neoprene seal would work great. I'll think of you as I go through the required ritual....and smile.

[Mike Black]

I use something similar that I got from Dave Firestine. It's a 7/8' rubber washer with a 3/8" hole. Keeps the strap from sliding around and tangling up when trying to put it on.

[Ivan Kelsall]

That's interesting Mike. Was it something that Dave Firestine made,or is it an 'off the shelf' washer ?. I went looking for something similar in my local hardware store & found nothing like that size.
Thanks to Michael T. for his Grolsch suggestion as well. You can guess what i'll be buying on my next supermarket trip - i just hope the beer tastes good as well as it's pretty expensive stuff over here,
Ivan

[DerTiefster]

Well...I can't really take credit for the hard work, resourcefullness, and simple sweat of another's brow. You should credit the Grolsch washer suggestion to Spruce above (it gives a whole 'nother perspective to "Dutch treat"). But I appreciate the thought.

[Spruce]

Usually there's a guy on ebay that sells bags of 100 Grolsch washers for under 10 bucks, but right now this is all I can find....

It's my favorite straplock--including the commercially built ones--and I usually carry a few in my pocket to hand out to straplockless friends...

I've seen mandolins and banjos (no loss there) fall to the floor, and once a real '57 Les Paul Goldtop....
The latter was at least a 20K loss that could have been prevented with a 10-cent washer....

[Tom Wright]

Can't make any fashion statement with those washers; Fender picks come in lots of colors. But great that those washers can just go on any kind of button, I'd guess.

[DerTiefster]

I think the Grolsch seals come only in "yesterday's sunburn red", but there's always ... no, there isn't. Just ran out. Darn.

[Mike Black]

That's interesting Mike. Was it something that Dave Firestine made,or is it an 'off the shelf' washer ?. I went looking for something similar in my local hardware store & found nothing like that size.
Ivan

I believe it's an off the self rubber washer.

[dan in va]

The pick is strap lock is new to me. Those flat plastic locks that seal bread bags work really well in a pinch, too.

I once had a nylon strung Taylor guitar come loose and bounce on the endpin without damage. Like all Taylors (excepting the special run with the Martin style bracing), it had no soul or mojo. That was my second and last Taylor to catch and release.

The washer idea is a real winner....can't wait to try it. Would've done that instead of using a larger metal guitar strap button that I screwed into a cut off plastic end pin.

Thanks for posting!

[Ivan Kelsall]

Many thanks Mike. It's possible that the washer that you're using is an American standard size,not used in the UK. I'll go for the Grolsch option. One point for any UK readers is that many of the tap washers etc.used in the UK, are made from a synthetic material which has virtually no stretching properties at all. They are after all,a seal,which doesn't need to stretch to fulfill it's duties,so don't go forking out any cash for something with all the stretch of a brick,
Ivan

[Michael Nelson]

Poor person that I am, I have found the lock thing from a bag of English muffins works just fine on my mandolin's endpin.

[Rob Gerety]

Many thanks Mike. It's possible that the washer that you're using is an American standard size,not used in the UK.

As much as I definitely like the washer strap lock idea - I'd suffer without it if it meant we could get this country to make the big switch - and it would indeed be a BIG switch - to metric.

Do any of you have any ideas that would work well with the larger diameter 1/4 inch end pin jack type attachment point? I find that my leather straps (I'm thinking more about guitar here) don't fit well at all and it makes me very nervous.

[Mike Black]

Larger washer?

[GRW3]

I'm thinking Bluechip could make much better CNC version. You know with precision cut camfers to make setting and removing really quick still having the stiffness to hold tight.


LOL

[Rob Gerety]

I'm thinking Bluechip could make much better CNC version.

I find that the Bluechip Straplok actually has much better tone than the Fender straploc, don't you think?

[Tom Wright]

At least you won't lose a Blue Chip if it's parked on your endpin.

The deal for me is that I have lots of used Fender picks, and no Grolz bottles, as I prefer spirits.

[MandoNicity]

I find that the Bluechip Straplok actually has much better tone than the Fender straploc, don't you think?

[Mandoviol]

These are all so interesting! I'm gonna have to try a few of these out on my bullwhip strap.

My method is probably cheaper: a rubber band wrapped multiple times around the strap and pulled down to be just above the endbutton. It keeps the strap from slipping up and going over the button.

[Jason Kessler]

These are great ideas. I love the Cafe!

[Markus]

The Grolsch solution worked lovely for me, thanks.

Now, to figure out how to make it something other than red-pink.

[DerTiefster]

The Grolsch solution... Now, to figure out how to make it something other than red-pink.

Got any inner tubes on hand? Oughta be able to get just -lots- and -lots- of those out of even a single bicycle tube. And in lovely, formally appropriate basic black.

[Greg H.]

I just tied the strap and the endpin together with 20lb fishing line (might as well....not like I'm going to catch a 20lb fish anytime soon...). I did this after an Apitius F5 slipped off and hit the floor (breaking the neck)

I do like the Grolsch approach though....I may have to do this just in general principle (the principle of playing mandolin while drinking Grolsch that is).