Strap Locks for Thick Guitar Straps

Walker & Williams, a seasoned US-based crafter of high-end leather goods, has been in business for over a century and has recently started producing outstanding guitar straps. The company's signature feature is their thickly padded straps, which are incredibly comfortable, but can make it challenging to attach strap locks. To address this issue, Walker & Williams has developed a set of strap locks with a longer, deeper barrel.

As many guitarists have experienced, it can be a real struggle to get strap locks to screw down, even on regular guitar straps. With the thick, padded straps of Walker & Williams, this challenge is amplified. However, the new XSL strap locks from the company have a longer barrel that solves this problem effectively, not only for their own straps but also for many other brands.

The author of this review had to go to great lengths to get Schaller strap locks on their own Walker & Williams C-22 strap. They had to grind down the washer until it was barely there and then use vise-grips to smash down the leather, just to get the nut to thread on. This was not only an inconvenient process but also resulted in an amateurish-looking outcome. With the new XSL strap locks, this struggle is a thing of the past.

The longer barrel, which is about 5/16" longer than standard strap locks, provides ample room to use the proper washer and thread the nut on without any difficulty. This simple yet effective design change makes a significant difference in the ease of installation.

In addition to the longer barrel, the Walker & Williams XSL-2 Chrome Extra Long Strap Locks come with full-sized US screws, unlike the often-used wimpy metric Euro screws found in many strap locks. This ensures that the screws won't pull out of the guitar, even during the most intense performances. Furthermore, the stainless steel construction of the screws means they are unlikely to break.

Overall, the Walker & Williams XSL-2 Chrome Extra Long Strap Locks are a well-designed solution to the common problem of attaching strap locks, particularly on thick, padded guitar straps. The longer barrel, combined with the high-quality US-sized screws, makes the installation process a breeze, providing guitarists with a secure and reliable strap lock system.

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