Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

[PoPo75]

I'm building a spare parts guitar. Most of the stuff I had laying around but I didn't have knobs and I decided to put pickup covers on the humbuckers. So off to ebay I went. I ordered a 2 pack of Pro Line brand chrome pick up covers and a set of speed knobs. Everything total cost less than $20. I'm going cheap on purpose. Anyway, the pickup covers didn't fit ANYTHING. I tried dimarzio F spaced and non-F spaced, Epiphone pickups, Gibson pickups and even a Washburn pickup I had laying around. What's the deal? It said they should fit 51mm and 52mm pickups. Are there other measurements? The cover slid over the pickup fine but the holes didn't line up with the pole pieces.

Edit: I figured out the pickup cover Issue.

Now for the knobs. I'm using Gibson pots. The knobs would not fit the shaft of the pot even if I crimped it down a little bit.. I actually broke one of the split shafts trying to get it to fit. I know there is a difference between import and American made parts but do I really have to spend $20 on Gibson brand knobs? Or can I get the cheaper ones in different sizes?

In all of my years of playing and modding guitars,, changing pickups and knobs, etc, I have never encountered this problem.

 

[Johnny-DK]

Re: Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

You need fine splines for Gibson/CTS pots.
Maybe this can be of help:
http://blog.philadelphialuthiertools.com/2013/05/16/choosing-the-correct-knob-for-your-guitar-or-bass/

 

[Nacho8807]

Re: Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

I'm curious what your solution to the pickup cover problem was.

 

[Artie]

Re: Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

As Johnny said, splines come in a variety of sizes. I run into that problem all the time when a customer wants to upgrade their cheap Asian pots.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

In all of my years of playing and modding guitars,, changing pickups and knobs, etc, I have never encountered this problem.

Then you've not been doing it long :lol: I can't tell you how many of those split-shafts I've permanently split doing the same thing over the last 20+ years. I stopped using push-on knobs and only use set-screw knobs, with the screw aimed between the splits. I think someone makes vintage-style (Strat and LP) knobs that use set screws instead of the grooved core. If not, they oughta. Probably cost more than Gibson knobs, though, just because they know they can get people in the same situation.

 

[PoPo75]

Re: Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

I'm curious what your solution to the pickup cover problem was.

I threw the covers in my box of parts. :18:

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

on the knobs
I bought inexpensive metal dome knobs for my MIM
I had the same trouble
the knob's recieving hole was just a bit too small for the MIM pots
I got a drill bit that was slightly smaller than the stem on the pot
and rotted out the hole in the pot a bit
till it slid on

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Stupid but valid question about knobs and pickup covers

There are so many ways to deal with these "problems" if you know what you are doing.

Covers...sometimes you can drill out the screw holes a bit larger to fit different spacing. Usually, the larger holes can't be noticed. Or you can file them using a small diameter rat tail file to fit different spacings.

Knobs...tight knobs can be drilled out slightly to fit larger shafts or different splines. You have to be very careful not to over do it. You can insert a small piece of sheet metal into the split shaft to keep the shaft from collapsing, especially when using a solid set-screw type dome knob. You can also slip a short piece of metal tubing (I'm also an archer, so I have lots of old bent aluminum arrow shafts laying around) over smaller diameter shafts to accommodate some set-screw dome knobs with larger diameters (sometimes the knobs also need to be drilled out to accommodate this extra thickness.

Using a few "tricks", I can make just about anything fit.