Zeppelinn Strap Lock review

[Poundcake]

hey guys, there's a new brand of strap lock called the Zepelinn Strap Lock. it's available in chrome, black or gold and it costs from $14.99 to $19.99. it works more or less like the other popular strap locks (Dunlop, Schaller) but what i like about it is the ease of changing straps anytime. just loosen the bolt (no screwdriver or wrench necessary; you can do it by hand) and lift off the washer and you're done: no lock pin or nut to worry about. it has a ball-and-groove design; and from my observation, the strap can move more freely (as compared to Schaller and Dunlop strap locks) without compromising strap slippage because of less friction. it has an efficient design and it's made of die-cast metal. operating it requires two fingers under the strap and your thumb on the top, then just compress the whole strap system to either to lock or unlock. it won't disengage at all if not done this way, meaning that your strap joint won't accidentally slip off no matter how many times you jump onstage. installation is very easy as well. one thing i have yet to find out is if it rusts easily. the Dunlop Straplok rusts quite easily and it requires regular lubrication. my Schaller strap locks haven't rusted yet after half a year. only time will tell

here are some pics of the Zeppelinn on my Classic T:


Just lift the ball-and-groove lock...


... and you're all set!

Perfect Pitch, JB Music or Audiophile, please import this product. this is a fairly inexpensive upgrade

[sanchai]

nice

[Phil]

saan mo nabili ,Ian?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Zeppelinn-ZSL600-Strap-Lock?sku=360602

[BiliBidboy]

nice product! salamat PC! kinabit ko na agad sa "GTaR" ko...tama ba yung nsa pix??? jazz guitar books? 

[Poundcake]

saan mo nabili ,Ian?

Do you need to change the original strap thingy?

pareng Phil, i got it from the Amp Shop in Sherman Oaks but i think they're also selling it at Musician's Friend, www.zzounds.com, etc.

and yeah, you have to remove the stock strap pin pero kasama na naman sa set yung grooved strap pins. may one pair of felt washers din na kasama if you need to add more padding

here are more pics for strap lock comparison:

Schaller Security Lock:


Detached


Locked


View of lock mechanism (after 6 months, still no rust)


Dunlop Straplok:


Detached (notice the rust deposits on both the lock pin and on the inside surface of the lock hole)


Locked


View of lock mechanism (after 6 months as well, already rusty)


Zeppelinn Strap Lock:


Detached


Locked


View of lock mechanism

napa-mini experiment ako tuloy ah hehe

hoyyy sir Bilibid... no problem! oo nag-aaral ako ng jazz hehe bebop/swing yung focus nung librong nasa pic

[abyssinianson]

i prefer the schaller locks, always have. the schallers seem more robust and stable to me.

[Poundcake]

i prefer the schaller locks, always have. the schallers seem more robust and stable to me.

yeah, Schallers are great. superb quality. the only thing i don't like about it is that the nut that clamps the strap to the lock mechanism tends to loosen up sometimes whenever thicker straps are used. placing another lock washer between the nut and the strap could solve the problem but then if you're using a very thick strap, the nut wouldn't even reach the thread kasi masyadong makapal yung strap. Zeppelinn has solved that but the Schaller may still be the best one out there because i don't know yet if the Zeppelinn rusts easily or not whereas Schallers don't tingnan natin hehe

[Jaco D]

i prefer the schaller locks, always have. the schallers seem more robust and stable to me.

yeah, Schallers are great. superb quality. the only thing i don't like about it is that the nut that clamps the strap to the lock mechanism tends to loosen up sometimes whenever thicker straps are used. placing another lock washer between the nut and the strap could solve the problem but then if you're using a very thick strap, the nut wouldn't even reach the thread kasi masyadong makapal yung strap. Zeppelinn has solved that but the Schaller may still be the best one out there because i don't know yet if the Zeppelinn rusts easily or not whereas Schallers don't tingnan natin hehe

Pound, I couldn't agree with you more.  I use thick leather straps (almost similar to the ones you find hanging from the old barber chairs which Mamang Barbero uses to sharpen his labaha) and even if I use a socket wrench to tighten the nut, it tends to unwind one way or another.  Best solution I've found so far is to put Lock-tite locking fluid on the threads before tightening the nut.  I still prefer the Schallers over the other ones I've tried so far but that Zep lock looks interesting.

[abyssinianson]

Wow, how thick is your strap? The thickest straps I own are Levy All-leather Bass straps which are pretty thick to begin with (maybe 5-7mm or more in thickness) but I use a longnose pair of pliers to compress the leather down as far as it will go before I screw the nut onto the threads. I use a socket wrench to drive the nut onto the threads but not after applying a drop or two of "Thread Lok" glue which basically seals the screw from coming off. Try compressing the leather with pliers to make it sit better. All my guitars use Schallers and I haven't found a strap commercially available around here that has yet to not fit into the Schaller. Lemme know how it works for you...

[Lihp]

nice... I'll get one..... how much sa amp shop?

[Poundcake]

Lihp ikaw rin ba si Phil? i got the chrome Zepp for $19.99 and the black one for $14.99

Wow, how thick is your strap? The thickest straps I own are Levy All-leather Bass straps which are pretty thick to begin with (maybe 5-7mm or more in thickness) but I use a longnose pair of pliers to compress the leather down as far as it will go before I screw the nut onto the threads. I use a socket wrench to drive the nut onto the threads but not after applying a drop or two of "Thread Lok" glue which basically seals the screw from coming off. Try compressing the leather with pliers to make it sit better. All my guitars use Schallers and I haven't found a strap commercially available around here that has yet to not fit into the Schaller. Lemme know how it works for you...

yeah, i get your point, but that's kind of what the Zeppelinn eliminated: the need for Thread Loks, wrenches, longnose pliers etc. because everything can be done by hand. you can easily transfer it to another strap and that's a good thing for those who can't afford to buy multiple Schaller sets. and pag ginamitan na ng Thread Lok, more or less permanent na yung lock mechanism sa strap or pahirapan tanggalin if necessary. it doesn't mean that the Zeppelinn's strap clamp isn't efficient because handtight lang yung pagsecure ng bolts, but it's much easier to deliberately remove the lock mechanism from the strap if necessary (e.g. transferring the mechanisms to another strap). yun lang naman yung qualm ko about the Schaller but again, it still might be the best one in the market because i haven't observed how rust-resistant the Zeppelinns are. Schaller Security Locks are made in Germany and Zeppelinns are made in China but almost everything is made in China anyway so we'll see..

i still use Schallers because they're it's undeniable that they're 100% reliable AFTER using Lock-Tite but the Zeppelinn is a good alternative to the Schaller strap locks. it all boils down to what works best and what our strap lock design preferences are after all.

i hope others can acquire a set as well so that they can review the product themselves. di ko rin kasi ma-ascertain kung good sets lang yung nakuha ko or kung consistent talaga ang worksmanship nila

[Poundcake]

for those who want to read more about how to install this Strap Lock system, i took a photo of its instruction sheet. check it out:




i hope this helps

[Phil]

Lihp ikaw rin ba si Phil? i got the chrome Zepp for $19.99 and the black one for $14.99

...dude..thats another guy..... weird...according to MFs site ... the chrome is the cheapest one then the Gold the pricier one.

[Poundcake]

Lihp ikaw rin ba si Phil? i got the chrome Zepp for $19.99 and the black one for $14.99

...dude..thats another guy..... weird...according to MFs site ... the chrome is the cheapest one then the Gold the pricier one.

yeah pero sale sa Amp Shop e, from $21.99 naging $14.99 for black Zeppelinns.. maybe promo nila yung black version now. you can ask Artie of the Amp Shop about it

EDIT: http://www.bassexchange.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=435&osCsid=6e2c2b21dd6d96fcf7dc54503c2c967d

apparently, mas mura na sa Amp Shop for all finishes..