Source for strap buttons?

[Madcity Fats]

One thing about the G&L website is that their store is missing some of what I'd consider pretty standard items. Among these are their strap buttons, which are unique as near as I can tell (though Ernie Ball ones come very close) and for which there doesn't appear to be an aftermarket supply.

Anyone know who to get hold of a set? I know, I can probably email the repair department, but I hate to pester them with something this trivial.

And before anyone suggests it, I emailed one G&L vendor I've done biz with over the years, but never heard back. Apparently, they considered the request to be too trivial ... which sort of irks me since I've dropped some pretty good coin there over the years.

Any info or suggestions would be mucho appreciado.

[sirmyghin]

If you cannot get a set somehow, I could send you the ones I replaced with Schaller and strap locks (no screws though as I used the screw again instead of the small Schaller one).

[Madcity Fats]

Thanks, sirmyghin. I may just take you up on that.

[Craig]

And before anyone suggests it, I emailed one G&L vendor I've done biz with over the years, but never heard back. Apparently, they considered the request to be too trivial ... which sort of irks me since I've dropped some pretty good coin there over the years.

Any info or suggestions would be mucho appreciado.

You ARE assuming that they received your email. Why not give them a phone call and ask? If they are not helpful, there are other
G&L dealers to check with.

You could also post a Want Ad in the Marketplace and I see you already have a possibility thru sirmyghin.

Hope this helps.

[Madcity Fats]

Good point, Craig. As an IT guy by trade, I guess I'm a bit too dependent on email and perhaps more conscientious than most about not letting little stuff slip through the cracks.

As for the Marketplace ... already on it. Mostly I was just wondering if anyone had ever found a source for these where one could just click and buy the darn things. I'm willing to bet G&L would move a bunch of them if they just listed them in their store but their offerings seem somewhat haphazard (intonation screws are another frequently inquired about item they could charge a hefty profit for -- I think you can only get them as part of an entire bridge assembly).

[Katefan]

They used to offer Strap buttons, bridges saddles, Knobs bout 7 years ago and then they just stopped. I remembered they ran a special on them like a blow out special....

I know why they no longer offer bridge saddles - b/c the specs have changed (at least with the chrome plating) I bought a set back then for a SC-2 (saddle lock bridge) and they didnt fit. I had to grind them down a bit to make them work.

Had an issue too with ordering a replacement trem arm a couple years ago - too big - got halfway in and got stuck.
In fairness to the Company, I was after replacement parts for Leo-era models. So I can understand things having changed over the years... still it was rather frustrating...

LIke you, I would think they could make some good $ offering old and new parts. Seems like a no brainer to me but perhaps its not cost effective to do so.

I have a set of strap buttons but not sure if I have screws for them.
They're older ones I believe.
Let me know if you're interested.

Cheers,
Kf

[Madcity Fats]

Appreciate the offer, Kf. I may be in touch.

You're right about the sizes of things changing over the years, and more so recently since things have gone metric (which I think goes for the intonation screws as well). I know that the more variations are out there, the bigger pain it would be to offer replacements for everything, if only because then you have the customer service nightmare of dealing with all those people who don't really know what they have ordering what they think they need, only to return it when they discover it isn't. Seems like strap buttons would be a standby though, since they've stayed the same over the years.

Don't mean to harsh on the G&L store, because it's really just a convenience for guys like me. They don't have to offer any of that stuff and it's certainly not their primary focus. Though I haven't yet needed them, I appreciate that you can get the correct pots and switches for most most models, including much of the vintage stuff.

I've gotten to the point where I've considered buying up G&L parts, pieces and project instruments just to build up a sort of warehouse of hard to find items and "vintage" stuff. Haven't ruled it out. I've purchased a few G&Ls over the years mostly with the intention of flipping them and I always try to leave them in better shape than I find them. It's satisfying to make a little effort to "restore" one of George & Leo's to original spec before releasing it back into the wild, though more often than not all I really wind up doing is giving it a good cleaning and a decent setup.

[Ken Baker]

I'm told that the strap buttons will return to the online store "soon".

Ken...

[Skyhawk]

Well, this helps with the info I was looking for. The store still has no strap buttons. lol
Skyhawk

[Craig]

Well, this helps with the info I was looking for. The store still has no strap buttons. lol
Skyhawk

There is a listing for them in the G&L On-Line Store: G&L SINGLE STRAP BUTTON W/ FELT AND SCREW.
However, they are currently listed as out of stock. Contact webstore@bbesound.com to find out when they will be getting more stock in the store.

Hope this helps.

[Skyhawk]

Will do, thanks Craig.

[blargfromouterspace]

FYI, I bought some strap buttons a couple of weeks ago from an Australian website, Realparts, and they are exactly the same as the ones G&L use.