What's with the crappy hardware?

tjobrien21

tjobrien21

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I posted a while back about my straplock issues - how they were worn around the screw and I removed/replace them. Today, I looked closer at the old locks. Here's what I saw:



The dang groove is worn - the balls that hold it in place were working their way out! No wonder the nut came off and the bass headed for the floor. It was destined to fail one way or the other. And judging by the looks of things, it's chrome over some gold-ish metal. Brass, copper or something.

So.. I've had it 6 months, and I'm down one set of straplocks and 6 tuning machines (about $150 worth of parts on my 6 string) on a $2000+ bass.

I'm not trying to be an a**, but do any pros / pro-ams use these? I gig heavily, granted - but can hardly believe how much trouble I've had in just 6 months with a practically new bass.

I'm sold on the Warwick sound. Quality, not so much.
 
Unless it weighs five pounds, I doubt that it's brass.

I figured the majority of active gigging musicians would
want to keep a close on things like these, to prevent
a guitar from heading South... I guess not?

My only gripe on the hardware is the plating is week.

My bass is from 2004, I've had it since August, and I
don't have any problems with grooves wearing inside
my pins. I keep my bearings lubricated as well.

My suggestion would to be to switch to a new straplock.

If you're not satisfied, change it out. I see sets go for
$15 (USD) all the time. It's not a lot of money for what
they do by any means.

;)
 
You could just strap on to the buttons, I did that for years gigging without EVER having a bass head south. I don't care too much for strap locks, I find them noisy, and that can end up going through the amp if the ground at your gig aint tight. That would be MOST of them. Unless you plan on flinging your bass or guit around you strap locks just aint needed. I only use the locks on my Fortress 1, because they're, well, flush mounted, not much else I can do.
 
I've fixed the problem - I got a set of Dunlop locks that are case-hardened steel. They're rated at 800# of pull, and have done great. I guess I just expected more from the original locks.
 
tjobrien21 said:
I've fixed the problem - I got a set of Dunlop locks that are case-hardened steel. They're rated at 800# of pull, and have done great. I guess I just expected more from the original locks.
Click to expand...


I'll bet the wood in the upper horn aint rated at 800lb :P. Actually I got Dunlops for the Fortress mate. I haven't actually fitted them, getting them out of the package caused about 500 parts to go flying everywhere, still haven't figured out where it all goes. :eek:
 
tjobrien21 said:
I'm not trying to be an a**, but do any pros / pro-ams use these? I gig heavily, granted - but can hardly believe how much trouble I've had in just 6 months with a practically new bass.
Click to expand...
I am a pro, I have about 15 gigs/ month, and I use just a bass. My CS streamer is very heavy and I am very active on stage.
The only problem I have from time to time is that the button is unscrewing, but I guess this is normal. I simply check it before a show.
Sometimes you don't push the straplocks well in their place, they seem to be fitted but they are not. You have to check this well before a show... It happened to me a couple of times.
You can always change the straplocks for a standard strap buttons, or different type like Dunlop.
 
Florin said:
I am a pro, I have about 15 gigs/ month, and I use just a bass. My CS streamer is very heavy and I am very active on stage.
The only problem I have from time to time is that the button is unscrewing, but I guess this is normal. I simply check it before a show.
Sometimes you don't push the straplocks well in their place, they seem to be fitted but they are not. You have to check this well before a show... It happened to me a couple of times.
You can always change the straplocks for a standard strap buttons, or different type like Dunlop.
Click to expand...

Flo I had the same problem, and one of our loyal forum
members recommended I take a toothpick and insert it
into the screw hole, then drive the pin back unto the
bass. I've done it to both sides, and NEITHER of them have
moved SINCE.

A GREAT cure! :D
 
The straplocks on both of my 'Vettes are fine. I'm not as busy as Florin admittedly, but they see plenty of use and the fretted 'Vette is a few years old.

;)
 
Yeah, a toothpick or a drop of superglue does the trick!
 
Yes, the toothpick trick works. I've done that plenty of times with one of my Ibanez. But instead of putting one..i put more like 5 and kinda "hammered" them in with an old cell phone, broke off the excess..then screw.

50+ bass spins later...hasn't budged
 
I've posted previously concerning the problems I've had with the Warwick strap locks, as well as some suggested solutions. But while I used to blame it on heavier body weight models, I've noticed that on some Warwicks the upper horn strap peg was drilled to follow the angle of the horn (upward) instead of remaining parallel to the neck. From what I've seen, this is the primary reason for extra wearing of the strap pin and/or screw. That darn rubber washer is certainly a factor as well - once they wear out, you've got problems...
 
I've removed the washers from my basses, they disintegrate fairly easily.

Superglue does the job.
 



Plenty of talk about strap locks.

Now, how do you wear out all 6 tuners in
6 months ? Even if you're a rabid string
changer, you got a quick release bridge,
so there's not much tuner key twirling to
a string change session.

Strap lock complaint threads are getting
to be old news around here, but wearing
out the tuners is a new one. Zupwiddat ?


​

 
Florin said:
I am a pro, I have about 15 gigs/ month, and I use just a bass. My CS streamer is very heavy and I am very active on stage.
Click to expand...

Ok, glad to hear that. I was beginning to worry that I got a slipped a cheap Chinese knock-off instead of a real Warwick, the way the various hardware has been screwing up. I'm a pro-am - I do more than just play music (though it's a substantial part of my income). I played 124 shows last year, so I'm not playing quite as much as you do but still quite a lot.

Anyway, I've fixed the prob for now. I just wanted to show that pic, and encourage folks to check the straplocks on their basses carefully - they might be about to surprise you.
 
I use both the Warwick straplocks and Schaller strap locks. I have not had much of an issue with the Warwick straplocks, other than random unscrewing of the endpin screw. But, as stated before, i ususally use Super Glue to help set the screw, once tightened. I have before, in tight situations in the past used toothpicks to do the job. They work fine!

I am pretty active on stage and use some really heavy Warwicks as my touring basses. I have no less than three basses on stage with me at every show, and have never really had any mishaps.
 
golem said:



Plenty of talk about strap locks.

Now, how do you wear out all 6 tuners in
6 months ?
​
Click to expand...

Hi Golem.. I didn't wear out the tuners, they had "issues". I got the bass secondhand, so no warranty. It was made in 2006, and believe it or not, the person who bought it didn't know how to play. They just thought it was pretty and displayed it next to their piano (which they can't play either). Evidently he likes the aesthetics of musical things, and the Warwick basses are definitely nice to look at.

So this past summer, I bought the bass. It was literally new - no scratches,factory strings, and the stuff that comes with is was never opened. Polished it up, put new strings on it, and started playing.

But it wouldn't stay in tune. Next time I changed the strings I noticed the tuners were loose. So I got a deep socket, like I always use to tighten tuners. Using just the socket (no wrench, just the socket and my hand) I turned the nut, and it just kept turning. Hmmm. Tried the others. One tightened, 5 were stripped. The headstock wood is thick and only a few mm of threads catch. Evidently somewhere along the line before I got it, they were overtightened and the threads went bad. Considering the last owner never even changed the strings, I presume it came that way from the factory.

And that's the story of how I ended up changing the tuners. The replacement tuners are a different design that works better with the thick headstock. Now the bass is very good in that regard - stable as can be, rock solid tuning.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Heck, come to think of it, my Pro Line is out of whack
every time I pick'er up... I've been contemplating the
idea of some new tuners, but have yet to follow through.
(Kind of a "If it ain't broke, leave it the heck alone type
deal.)

I wouldn't mind some lighter keys though... About how
much of a difference did you notice?
 
TylerDurdenPSSC said:
I wouldn't mind some lighter keys though... About how much of a difference did you notice?
Click to expand...

Actually, mine got a little heavier. I went with a set of Gotoh tuners, but they're built heavier than the stock keys. These have a shaft that's about 1cm in diameter, rather than the thinner shaft in the stock tuners. The ferrule is also inverted - so the sleeve fits into the headstock with the female thread, and the tuner has the male side. It prevents them from loosening so easily. The little screw on the back of the headstock still fits in exactly the same spot.

Here's the type of tuner I used:



BEWARE - there are others out there that look much like these, but are lower quality (and lower price). It's worth the extra dollar/euro/whatever to get the better ones.

You can get lighter tuners too. I know Hipshot makes an "ultralite", and I believe Schaller does as well.
 
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