Pre Owned ESB4.

[JimC]

So, as there seem to be at least two arrangements of splined pot shaft which are not interchangeable, how does one go about finding whether a given set of knobs will fit? Especially bearing in mind I got my pots and knobs from the same vendor and brand... Which, I suppose, I should be discussing with them...

[JimC]

Sunny this morning - about the first time for weeks...

[Hardcoretroubadour]

So, as there seem to be at least two arrangements of splined pot shaft which are not interchangeable, how does one go about finding whether a given set of knobs will fit? Especially bearing in mind I got my pots and knobs from the same vendor and brand... Which, I suppose, I should be discussing with them...

I ran into this issue last week, when replacing a Bourne push pull pot, which I think are 19 spline. The DiMarzio pot looks identical and was told they were made in same factory but spline count turns out to be higher (20-21?). If your eyes are really good you can count them 🤣🤣 I just had to go to my local luthier and ask to try some of his spare tuning knobs out till I found one that pushes on easily. Need to be very careful with push/ pulls because you can break the action and pull the spline out if your not careful (ask me how I know &#128557

[JimC]

Black knobs,

Amber knobs,

or White knobs?

Although having persuaded (thanks Simon for the hint to check the spline count) the not especially well moulded amber knobs on the pot shafts I'm not sure that the pots would survive them being taken off again...

I'm not quite sure between white and amber, but the fact that I'd need to buy a new set of white ones since those need to go back on the Strat might be a clincher...

[fender3x]

This really looks great! I agree about not using the black. The amber ones look very good. It's a close thing between the white and the amber. That said, I have had once pulled the entire shaft out of pot trying to get the knob off. That's one of the reasons I try to use only solid shaft pots and knobs with set screws. Unless you're unhappy with the amber knobs I'd leave them.

It can be confusing picking knobs. Part of it is there is no one way to talk about them... "fine spline," "USA spline," "CTS spline," and "24 spline" all mean the same thing. "Course spline," "18 spline," and "Asian spline" all mean the same thing too. Anything with a set screw, is, of course, for a solid shaft, although I like set screw knobs so much better that I have some inserts to use with splined pots to adapt them for solid shaft knobs. There are also knobs that have a soft enough insert to take either kind of splines... You might get away with putting a fine spline knob on an asian pot, but the other way around will generally not work. I have a broken knob to prove it.

[JimC]

I have a broken knob to prove it.

I destroyed a spare pot using it as a tool to ease the knobs a bit before putting them on the guitar!

[Simon Barden]

I have some Allparts collars for converting splined shaft pots to grub screw ones if you fancy putting some of that type of knob on, Jim. Gold or silver knurled Tele-style knobs?

[JimC]

I did think about chrome Tele style knobs, but decided against it.
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I think I'm going to treat the instrument to new tuners as a cheaper alternative to buying a new case! One in particular of the kit tuners is definitely not its manufacturer's brightest day - more backlash than telling your friends you voted a different way to them in the notorious Brit referendum - and so it will do no harm to replace them. I think there's going to be some work making them fit without major headstock reworking: funny how all the small Y head tuners have equally small mechanisms.

[fender3x]

If you go with the grub screw approach this is where I go for knobs of unusual color.

http://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/knobs-1/

Hopefully not too expensive to ship from Brooklyn. That said if you are pleased with the wiring harness you've installed, the gold knobs look good with your finish.

Lighter tuners are a good idea, regardless of case issues. I was quite surprised how much lighter my Jazz bass felt when I installed lighter tuning machines, because I knew it was only going to drop by a half pound or so. I think it feels like more because that weight is out at the end of a long lever bearing down on your shoulder.

My Jazz is about a pound heavier than my Precision, but feels a little lighter. I think it may be a balance issue because the P has neck dive and the J does not...

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

[JimC]

Smaller tuners - now it fits in the case.
These are own brand Stentor in the UK, but are made in Korea by Jin Ho and appear to be these: : http://www.jinhomusic.com/bass/jb_150.html
They are pretty much impossible to distinguish between the OEM tuners on my Ibanez acoustic bass, and could well be the same.They seem decent enough so far, I can't detect back lash off the guitar.

Unfortunately they don't quite cover the holes drilled for the standard tuners, and even the washers are too small to cover the hole, so they are sitting on the ferrules for the stock tuners which they actually mate well with. I'm going to try just wood filler for the tuner holes. Its such a small gap hopefully it won't show too much when its been sanded flat and given new coats of tru oil.