After assembly, we put the locks through their
paces, and they handled everything we threw at
them. We even tried some “accidental” bumps
to disengage the locks, but they didn’t go for
it—the pinch-and-release mechanism ensures
greater protection, as it has two points of release
rather than one (push down and pull). Like the
others, these need to be kept lubricated. Super
Locks come in black, chrome or gold.
List $26–35
ernieball.com
Big Rock Engineering Cord Lok System
Designed and patented by Bill Gray and Allen
Chance, the latter also helped develop the
patents for what became Dunlop Straploks, the
Cord Lok System secures cords and acts as a
strap lock on the rear button. The assembly of
the Cord Lok is minimal, and requires no modification to a guitar with Fender strap buttons.
A standard Strat button is included, in case you
need one.
The Cord Lok fits snug on this style of buttons
only. It feeds the cord through a tight loop to
relieve tension and prevent it from unplugging.
All the materials are made of soft, durable plastic to ensure it won’t mar the guitar’s finish. It
also works well in conjunction with Schaller and
Dunlop strap locks. It even provides an elastic
loop to wrap a cord after use. Although it’s
meant for the rear strap button, it will work on
the front button, too, if you’re in a pinch—and it
comes in packs of two.
List $15
f1pick.com
Locking Straps
DiMarzio ClipLock Strap
Designing these back in the early ‘80s, Larry
DiMarzio set out to accommodate any and all
players with a versatile line-up of secure straps.
Now his line of USA-made ClipLocks boasts a
collection of straps in varying sizes made from
nylon, cordura, cotton, and Italian leather. There
are also signature straps (a leather Steve Vai and
a leopard-print Yngwie J. Malmsteen). Whether
you’re jazz guitarist who keeps the guitar snug
against your chest or a metal-maniac who lets
that baby hang, these straps have the length to
cover the need.
As for the mechanics, DiMarzio keeps things
fundamentally simple with few parts and easy
assembly. There were only two minor concerns.
First, the female ends of the clips stay mounted
to the guitar, and may rub against the instrument
in the case, potentially leading to some harm for
the finish or wood. but the use of plastic doesn’t
seem too threatening to the wood for standard
storage. Second was the fact that material connecting the clip to the guitar is made to match
each particular strap. The clips do work with
other ClipLock straps seamlessly, but the aesthetic appeal is lost when they’re mis-matched
with straps of different colors or materials. With
thoughtful add-ons (rubber washers and two
sizes of mounting screws—one set identical to
the Gibson’s) to protect the guitar’s finish, the
ClipLock works well. According to DiMarzio,
they’ll hold over 150 lbs. Even our guitar-slinging
antics couldn’t jar these loose.
List $26–89
dimarzio.com
Planet Waves Planet Lock Strap
The Planet Lock Straps are an ideal alternative
if you want the security of a strap lock but don’t
want to alter the guitar. With a few clicks of the
locking mechanism, the strap locks onto the
existing guitar pins. It’s released just as quickly
by pinching the safety button and rolling back
the lock. We tried locking it to a number standard pins, and each time it locked snug and held
the guitar without failing during our acrobatics.
These are not your average 2” nylon straps
either. They’re a bit thicker and made to stay flat
(they don’t roll in at the edges). They’re comfortable and distribute weight over the shoulders
rather than pulling on your neck. You do have
to remove the strap to adjust the length, which
could be a benefit or a hassle, depending on
how often you alter your straps. In addition to
the fact that there’s no assembly on the guitar,
both locking ends are padded with rubber
molding so the locks won’t harm to the finish.
There’s also a discrete pick pocket to hold an
extra if you lose yours. The straps come in vari-
ous woven patterns, including stars and stripes,
flames, black, iron cross, voodoo and many
more.
List $32.99
planetwaves.com
Lock-It Guitar Strap
We have to admit that some things are not what
they at first appear to be. This time, it’s a good
thing. We were initially hesitant about the Lock-It Guitar Straps. To be honest, they don’t look
like they’ll do the trick: the locking mechanism
is thin and flexible, not at all like the bulky, solid
components we were getting used to. But after
looking into the science of their construction and
effective but simple design—and testing them
out—we did an about face.
The all-in-one package requires no modifications
to a guitar and features spring-loaded locks
using Slide-Lock Technology. The sliding locks
residing within the leather strap ends are slim
and highly flexible, but they won’t let go. They
may look like they will, but they won’t (we tried).
They also come with reversed front ends for guitars with pins at the neck/heel joint. They were a
snap to put on and remove from all the guitars
we tried them on, and they had no problems
adjusting to the varying pin sizes. These come in
a wide variety of patterns and materials, including polypropylene, leather and hemp. After
nearly turning our noses up at these straps, we
find ourselves singing a different tune about the
easy locking solution they offer.
List $24. 95–62. 50
lockitstraps.com
