Removing the gold numbering & lettering from guitar knobs

[treyhaislip]

Any suggestions on removing the gold numbering and lettering from a set of parchment strat volume and tone knobs?

I see a set of volume and 2 tone knobs that has black numbering but the parchment color is darker than my set of parchment pickup covers, toggle switch and tremolo tip.

My google skills only produce tips on making gold hardware become chrome. lol

Thanks!

[beaubrummels]

The chemicals I know that would do it would also destroy the knob plastic.

[treyhaislip]

The chemicals I know that would do it would also destroy the knob plastic.

That's what I was afraid of...went ahead and ordered the parchment with black numbering to see just how far off they are–can always try the old coffee/tea trick to darken some.

Thanks!

[eclecticsynergy]

I was going to suggest toothpaste and a fine brush, since plastic knobs are more durable than gold paint.
Hope the black-number knobs work for you.
Parchment is somewhat forgiving; a slight difference doesn't always always look glaringly mismatched.
Especially under stage lighting.

[Mincer]

It might be easier just to find knobs without any sort of lettering or numbers.

[beaubrummels]

"Aged" parchment almost looks black (actually more of a dark olive green gold, but maybe black from a distance.

https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/knobs/guitarslinger-aged-knobs-for-strat-set-of-3/?msclkid=6a4bb096ccc3123ee987d2763c92443c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CP%20%7C%20MF%20%7C%20BNG%20%7C%20SHOP%20%7C%20NBR%20%7C%20All%20Products&utm_term=4578572614422313&utm_content=All%20Products

[beaubrummels]

It might be easier just to find knobs without any sort of lettering or numbers.

Yeah, what is the goal? No color? (Never seen that, stock.) Or black lettering?

[treyhaislip]

I was going to suggest toothpaste and a fine brush, since plastic knobs are more durable than gold paint.
Hope the black-number knobs work for you.
Parchment is somewhat forgiving; a slight difference doesn't always always look glaringly mismatched.
Especially under stage lighting.

Thank you for the suggestion! I was thinking something along those lines–was not wanting to go with an aged/relic'd look but thought there might be a some lighter abrasive for the gold that wouldn't affect the parchment.

It might be easier just to find knobs without any sort of lettering or numbers.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places/googling correctly, but all of my searches for parchment guitar knobs don't yield plain Strat Parchment knobs. I do see some ivoroid knobs and a lot of cream options...but not parchment.

Had thought about doing Charvel/Jackson style chrome knobs since I am using chrome hardware but hoping to get that Strat matching look (I'm probably being too OCD here but its a Warmoth build so I'd like to get everything matched.)

"Aged" parchment almost looks black (actually more of a dark olive green gold, but maybe black from a distance.

That coloring looks good and I can see what you mean by the dark olive green gold.

Yeah, what is the goal? No color? (Never seen that, stock.) Or black lettering?

The goal here is to have the volume and tone knobs match the SSS pickup covers, the tremolo arm tip and the pickup selector tip without having gold lettering as I am going with Chrome Hardware. I'll admit, I'm probably being way too picky here.

The ones with black lettering appear a darker shade of parchment...but that might be just the pictures as the contrast is different from the black and gold lettering to the parchment.


Thank you all for your input!

[eclecticsynergy]

There might be someone making parchment Strat knobs with silver lettering.
Not sure about that, though - AFAIK Fender never did.

Chrome hardware and gold lettering is the classic Strat combo, after all.
I've always been so used to it that it never looked mismatched to me.

For me, getting the right shade of parchment would be the top priority.
They do vary a lot.

beaubrummels, I've never seen aged parchment that was nearly black.
Then again, I haven't been around a whole lot of aged parchment.

[treyhaislip]

There might be someone making parchment Strat knobs with silver lettering.
Not sure about that, though - AFAIK Fender never did.

Chrome hardware and gold lettering is the classic Strat combo, after all.
I've always been so used to it that it never looked mismatched to me.

For me, getting the right shade of parchment would be the top priority.
They do vary a lot.

beaubrummels, I've never seen aged parchment that was nearly black.
Then again, I haven't been around a whole lot of aged parchment.

I haven't seen Parchment w/Silver lettering either although I think that would look pretty slick with chrome hardware. Its a Warmoth build so not going for the 100% "Fender" look down to the tiniest detail...mainly going for the white Strat with Maple (roasted in my case) neck that has a white pickguard and parchment covers look–definitely agree on getting the right shade of parchment.

Not trying to speak for another member, but I think he is referring to the lettering on the Stew Mac aged parchment Strat knobs. Those look black but you can see the gold peeking through at various points. And, I'm not going for the aged/relic'd look.

[eclecticsynergy]

I haven't seen Parchment w/Silver lettering either although I think that would look pretty slick with chrome hardware. Its a Warmoth build so not going for the 100% "Fender" look down to the tiniest detail...mainly going for the white Strat with Maple (roasted in my case) neck that has a white pickguard and parchment covers look–definitely agree on getting the right shade of parchment.

White with maple fretboard is a great look. I've got two white Strats. One's reverse-headstock with a maple board & all-white plastics, loaded with Woodstock 69s at neck & middle and a Zhangbucker hand-wrapped Paul Bunyan bridge with a tap. The other's a white Roadworn with rosewood board, black pickguard, and white knobs & pickups; it has Fralin Vintage Hots.

Not trying to speak for another member, but I think he is referring to the lettering on the Stew Mac aged parchment Strat knobs. Those look black but you can see the gold peeking through at various points. And, I'm not going for the aged/relic'd look.

Yah, I had totally misunderstood beaubrummels and was trying to picture black parchment. D'oh!
Near-black aged lettering totally makes sense, and for a relic'd build those could look really good.

I hope the new parchment-with-black will be great for yours though. Nice clean look, just without gold.
The color might be closer than you think when you see them in person.
It's so difficult to distinguish subtleties of tint looking at pics on the Web.

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

If they were mine I'd spray them with brake cleaner and scrub the paint out with a bronze wire brush, like for golf clubs.

.and if that failed for some reason I'd order off ebay.

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Had thought about doing Charvel/Jackson style chrome knobs since I am using chrome hardware but hoping to get that Strat matching look (I'm probably being too OCD here but its a Warmoth build so I'd like to get everything matched.)

Go both ways...lol..

[Obsessive Compulsive]

"Aged" parchment almost looks black (actually more of a dark olive green gold, but maybe black from a distance.

https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/knobs/guitarslinger-aged-knobs-for-strat-set-of-3/?msclkid=6a4bb096ccc3123ee987d2763c92443c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CP%20%7C%20MF%20%7C%20BNG%20%7C%20SHOP%20%7C%20NBR%20%7C%20All%20Products&utm_term=4578572614422313&utm_content=All%20Products

38 dollars for 3 pieces of plastics? What a rip off...should be more like 38 cents.

[beaubrummels]

38 dollars for 3 pieces of plastics? What a rip off...should be more like 38 cents.

Agreed. The point was merely that there exists a parchment variant without gold text, which was the OP's goal.