Rock Lock

[Dave W]

New at Stew-Mac, hadn't seen it before, thought it might be of interest: Rock Lock

Company site. Believe it or not, it's less expensive at Stew-Mac.

[Pilgrim]

I've seen worse ideas! 

[Highlander]

In his earlier days, Francis Rossi (of Status Quo, of course ) thought of an alternative means of "securing their instruments" which involved a drill bit, a piece of chain, and a padlock...



A '57 Tele he still uses to this day - the hole is noticeable beyond the bridge...

I like the principle - if you alter an instrument that you would never wish to part with (most of my gear comes into this category) to a significant degree (ie "Tequilabird" or my RD) and do not care what the purists (sorry Uwe, et al) think, then a couple of things take place...

A) you make the instrument almost unsaleable as you have (almost certainly) ruined the value of it, and...
B) you ruin any pleasure the thief may have as it would be easy to publicise it's differences, making it "publicly" unusuable...

This is as much as you can hope for if you lose one...

These words are heresy; I have previously admitted my crimes, but that does not admonish me of the guilt...

Caveats... things that are sacrosanct (to me) are what makes an instrument playable: primarily the neck and the "sound" - they have to have both...

[uwe]

Since when have I been a purist?

Fender even did a Signature version of it, hole and all.

[Highlander]

My Lord... you collect instruments because you can and you have a specific (open-ended) goal; you are able to describe any one of those instruments with the eye and ear of a connoisseur because you have the required capabilities. By "purist", I mean that the likelihood of you "drilling holes" in one of your instruments is pretty close to zero...

For all of the above, you have my utmost admiration and respect...

Even if you were a Tele collector, I could see you buying one of the above, but not so you could chain it up every night...

Have you ever done something "radical" to an instrument, excluding mods to a specific "hybrid" Explorer

[Dave W]

Have you ever done something "radical" to an instrument, excluding mods to a specific "hybrid" Explorer

The gunshot EB-0L comes to mind.

Although to be really radical I suppose he could have turned it into a rifle.

[Basvarken]

Uwe is not a purist.
Many of the bass guitars in his Gibson collection have been modified by him (or his luthier).
A purist would never route for an extra pickup: Like he did with the SG-Z for example.
Or install a different bridge: Uwe has the Hipshot Supertone on many of his basses.
Or refin to a non-original color: the EB4L with the bullet in the fretboard has the "clown burst". One of his sixties Thunderbirds is refinned in a pink/purple burst.

[Basvarken]

Back on topic: solutions like this do not keep bicycle thieves in The Netherlands from stealing bikes.
All they need is a small concrete shear... any steel cable can be cut within a split second...

[Dave W]

Back on topic: solutions like this do not keep bicycle thieves in The Netherlands from stealing bikes.
All they need is a small concrete shear... any steel cable can be cut within a split second...

This is true. But it's still a deterrent. Inside a club, someone looking for a quick gear theft will usually take the path of least resistance and grab something that's unprotected.

[gweimer]

Back in grade school, some resourceful thieves pulled up with a pickup truck and simply lifted the entire bike rack into the bed and took everything.  I've heard it said that locks are really only there to keep honest people honest.  A true thief will take what he wants.  When I worked in Chicago, a really resourceful thief posed as the actual owner of a bike who had "lost his key" and tried to get someone to help unlock a bike for him.

[Chris P.]

I know from car theft that in 60 percent of the cases someone just needs a ride. He gras the easiest car or the one in sight. In that case it helps to have a bit more protection than the car besides yours. In 40% of the cases they want a certain brand or type. Nothing to do then..

What Rob says is true, but making it a bit more difficult can help.

[dadagoboi]

I agree that a determined thief is going to get what he wants and keeping honest people honest is a good thing.

Here's an inexpensive solution.  I have this stuff lying around the house.  Imagine a shiny new lock and chain inside sections of bicycle inner tube where necessary to protect the bass.  One lock does it but you could use 2 locks and 1/2 as much chain.  This is what I've always used for a bicycle lock with heftier chain and lock.  Bicycle tubes are cheap or free.

[Highlander]

Uwe is not a purist.

I withdraw my remark...

[uwe]

LOL! I'm not offended by being called a purist, it's just not how I see myself. I don't change things for the heck of it, but if something bothers me big time or restricts usability of a bass too much, then I don't mind improvement. And I've never been above a good quirky refin. Finally, whenever Gibson rereleases a classic and gets clobbered here for not doing it exactly like it was, I end up being the only one defending the changes.

[lowend1]

BA true thief will take what he wants.

Or at least try to. Back in the 70s, one of my dad's co-workers was having trouble with thieves pilfering his under-dash 8-track players. After losing a couple, he proceeded to line the rear edge of the next unit with single-edge razor blades (held in lace with duct tape). After finishing his shift, he returned to his car to find a trail of blood across the front seat and out onto the pavement. Mission accomplished!