the knobs on my guitar...

Bl-nk

haha I'm probably gonna be laughed at a bit for asking this but I dont really mind cus you're all pretty much strangers to me anyway... ?

how do you take the volume knobs off of your guitar? I've got some plastic stuck under mine that makes a scratchy sound come through the amp everytime I change volume. I thought I'd figured it out on my bass but only ended up braking my tone button. AARGH! ☹ feeling very silly after that... now I have to get my hands on a replacement next time I go to a town big enough to support a music shop... wasnt even my bass actually. was my church's... makes you feel worse when it isnt yours doesn't it?

Renesongs

The only stupid question is those we don't ask. OK one answer is to take a shoelace and wind it under the knob then pull the shoelace up towards you until the knob pops off. That one had never worked for me I use a big 2 pronged fork, (the one you use when you carve a roast), slide it gentle under the knob until the prongs are showing on the other side then gently lever the knob off so as not to damage the knob or the scratch plate.

Bl-nk

ok thanks rene for the help. now comes problem number 2 though...
the damage I did to my bass turned out to be more than superficial. I kinda broke the tone control it seems. I'll post pics of what I've done as soon as I figure out how :-[ but pretty much I managed to pull out that metal rod that the button attaches to...

Renesongs

Ouch - was there a tiny screw holding the knob to the shaft that you may have overlooked? ☹

Bl-nk

haha I wish! to be honest I really wasnt thinking. instead of just pulling the button up to get it off I was half tryna unscrew it at the same time. Like when its on maximum and it locks I was turning it more in my efforts to get a decent grip. ☹ how do you post a pic? I'll try showing you what I mean

AlanRatcliffe

That's a fairly common problem - either metric knobs (6mm) are fitted to an imperial shaft (1/4" or 6.35mm) or the knobs have been on so long that they more or less bond to the splines. The shaft is only peened at the bottom, so if you have to really apply force t remove the knob, it rips the shaft right out. IME, '70s Gibsons are the most likely to do this for some reason. I've tried all kinds of things to prevent it when I see a guitar that I know is gonna be problematic - heating the shaft, rocking the knobs and all sorts. The only thing that's ever been successful is cutting the knobs off and replacing with new ones. I have fixed the shafts before by stripping the pot, putting the shaft back and peening the end again, but it's twice as likely that the shaft will pull loose again.

FatBoy

Ouch! To post pics I recommend using a site like http://photobucket.com/ to host your image, then post a link to the image using the Insert Image button you'll see amongst the icons you see when you type a post. Photobucket also has an IMG Tag box under each photo you upload, so you can just copy the text in that box and paste it in here, let me know if you need more help!

Bl-nk

my shaft has been damaged on the peened part so I think I'll have to get it replaced. *sigh... do you have any idea as to around how much it'll cost to get it fixed? I'll have to take it down to Pietermaritzburg to get it done. nearest guitar shop is there. thanx

AlanRatcliffe

Are you handy with a soldering iron? You could get a pot and replace it yourself - not difficult if you know which is the operational end of an iron. Otherwise you'll have to phone the shop in question and ask them how much they will charge to replace it, including supplying a decent quality pot.

Bl-nk

haha. well I'm not that good personally but the rest of my family is probably better. thanks a lot for the help