the 1980s the production of loudspeakers, amplifiers and reverberators was ceased. The core business shifted to metal components for guitars. In 1981 a new product was designed and patented in this respect: the security lock, a part which helps provide a secure connection between guitar and strap. It has been Schaller's most-sold product since then. The product portfolio steadily expanded during the 1980s and 1990s. This came to a stop after both Helmut Schaller and his son René Schaller died (in 1999 resp. in 1998). Until the late 1990s violin accessories were added to the portfolio as well as cables, and even special spinning machines for strings and ballends, however the newly introduced products did not achieve the same success as the earlier guitar components. A vital period for the company were the years 1999 till 2006 since a community of heirs ran the company then. Grete Schaller (1926 – 2007), Helmut Schaller's widow, tried to lead the company without being able to generate new impetus, without providing ideas for new products and without modernizing the production facility at Postbauer-Heng. This led to the company stagnating. New Schaller In August 2006, a breakthrough was achieved, when the Schaller company was legally and financially restructured. It was renamed to a limited liability company ("GmbH") by a partnership. Subsequently, Dr. Lars Bünning became managing director of the company by December 2006. In January 2009, Dr. Bünning took over the shares of the GmbH belonging to the Schaller family, and has since then acted as both owner and CEO. Further restructuring occurred after 2007. Current Schaller products Machine heads GrandTune Series M4 Series M6 Series F-Series Da Vinci BM Series Lyra Hauser Bridges and tailpieces Signum Hannes TOM- and 3D-bridges STM and GTM Gibson Les Paul replacement bridges, and accompanying tailpiece Tremolos LockMeister Schaller Vintage series SureClaw spring tensioner Accessories S-Locks "Flagship" preamp "Oyster" piezo pickup Megaswitches Covers and frames for pickups The production of pickups by Schaller was discontinued in 2017. The shift towards machine heads and metal hardware resulted in the company being renamed from "Schaller Electronic" to "Schaller GmbH". All Schaller products are manufactured in the Schaller factory in Postbauer-Heng. Schaller customers are both guitar manufacturers and musicians. References External links Schaller 456 - Review Companies based in Bavaria Manufacturing companies established in 1950 Privately held companies of Germany German luthiers String instrument construction