Dunlop Straplocks
April 10th, 2009 | 
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Jim Dunlop Dual design straplok system (screw size)?? help!?
I have a huge festival to play this weekend and i have the wrong size screws in my straplocks. they are too small, and therefore are loose and possibly wearing/ stripping the screw slot in my guitar. What is the exact size/ length and type (whatever) of the screws used for the Dunlop dual design straplok system??
This answer assumes you are using a solidbody guitar. If you have an acoustic guitar, archtop, thinline electric, etc. just take the guitar to a luthier so you don't do permanent damage!
Most straplock systems provide the right sized screws. So if you plan to install a new straplock system, just buy the straplocks and you'll get the screws with them.
If you're trying to refurb an existing system, the question is not what comes with the new one but what size will make a tight fit in the worn-out hole. There are several ways to resolve this. You can attempt to shim the existing screw so that it's tight. If that one doesn't work, then you can use a slightly wider and longer screw. Obviously, once you try a bigger screw you can't go back to the smaller one, so you might try to shim the existing screw first.
In order try
- shimming the existing screw
- installing (possibly with shim) the same gauge screw as the original but 1/4 inch longer (that way the screw can dig into fresh wood, which is the best repair)
- installling (without a shim) the screw that is the next size up in gauge and length, so that it bites into new wood everywhere (sides and point of the screw)
Shimming the existing screw or one that is the same gauge but slightly longer:
1) remove the loose screw and strap button from the guitar
2) Stick a toothpick into the screw hole and measure or mark it at the point where it emerges from the guitar body.
3) cut or break the toothpick so that it is the length you just measured
4) take a different toothpick, a full-sized one, and put a SMALL amount of Elmers glue on it, than stick that down into the hole and rub it around to coat it LIGHTLY on ALL sides. Perhaps do this a couple times to ensure a good but THIN coat. DO NOT fill the hole. Too much glue will create a WEAK bond, not a strong one!
5) put a thin coat of Elmers glue on the toothpick that you measured to the depth of the hole and put it in the hole
6) reinstall the screw and strap button; even better, get the same sized screw but 1/4 inch longer. (not more) Stop turning when the screw is tight or you'll strip out the hole and have to do more repairs! If you can't get the screw to be tight, put a second glue-coated toothpick into the hole and reinstall the screw and strap button.
7) let dry 24 hours. Its best not to play the guitar at all, but if you wait about 4 hours, you can play without using the strap
after 24 hours, the glue should be completely dry and you can use the strap button normally. Proceed with caution till you're sure the strap button is solid. Be ready to catch the guitar if it's not 
The point of this repair is to allow the threads of the screw to dig into the wood and bear the weight of the guitar. The toothpicks fill space and the glue firms up the bond to prevent the screw from rotating. I repaired my Les Paul this way and it held up for a long time, but eventually I did the next repair, which is a bit more involved.
Installing a slightly larger, longer screw:
Go to a hardware store with the existing screw and strap button. Ask the guy at the hardware store to help you find a wood screw that is the next size up from the one you have now, and about 1/4 inch (or less) longer. Not a lot longer! You might want to get a couple different width screws so that you can pick the one thats just large enough to be a good fit without getting too big.
If the screw that fits the hole is (barely) too big to fit through the hole in the strap button, you can put the strap button in a vise and use an electric drill to widen the hole ever so slightly. Wrap a soft cloth or a few turns of masking tape around the button before putting it in the vise so that you don't put teeth marks into the metal. And don't overtighten or you'll bend the strap button out of round, which will make it not fit the straplock.
Now put some Elmers on the new screw and use it to install the strap button. Stop turning when the fit is tight or you'll strip out the hole and have to get an even bigger screw! Let dry 24 hours or more. The first couple times you use it, test carefully to make sure the repair will bear the weight of the guitar.
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