Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm not pleased with the look of the plastic or metal control knobs on Shredder.

1) Are there suppliers who provide standard wood knobs for such applications?

2) Is there anyone who can turn 2 knobs from wood to specs I could provide? I would also provide the wood in this case.

TIA

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Hi JJ,
All parts has wood knobs in stock.

JJ, you can make your own wooden knobs if you want (...kind of fun actually). I've never used a "storebought" (always thought they were overly large).
I counterbore (1/2" x 1/8" deep) a wood disc to recess the topmost (pot) nut, then drill almost through for a "mandrel" (I use 3/16"SS trussrod material).
Mount the mandrel in a drillpress, and shape (I use dremel, then files / sandpaper.) Great fun!
You might screw up a couple, but who cares! and you can make prettier ones than you could ever buy, using laminations, inlay dots or whatever. Go crazy!

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Dave
Milton, ON

JJ, LMI has boxwood, rosewood and ebony knobs in the tele style.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Thanks, guys...I checked LMI and All Parts. They are all of the Tele variety. I was hoping to see the bell knob style as used on Strats and LPs.

Dave...I just may take a shot at making some as you suggest. A small lathe would certainly go a lot faster but I'm in no hurry. Thanks for the suggestion. I already have the laminate made up and will give it a go. I may just learn something!

In the meantime, if anyone has an idle lathe who wants to make a deal, let me know...I'll need 4 more as soon as my 2nd electric emerges from finishing at Joe's.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

JJ,

Another place to check: THG Knobs

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Check out this place...http://thgknobs.goestores.com/

They not only have a large selection of control knobs but they also offer pickup rings, tuner buttons etc.

They're not cheap!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Dennis...great minds sometimes click simultaneously!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

No, THG knobs are not cheap. Note that they offer a "bell" option. It's probably more a place where a player would go to get parts to hotrod a guitar, rather than a luthier. Obviously, you have plenty of skill to make knobs if you can make a guitar. However, there are certainly times when it is smart to outsource within lutherie.

Though I can't say I have done this, I do know that some folks use a drill press as a makeshift "lathe" for small items.

Happy turning!

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

I'm going to have them in my upcoming online store, but if you're in a hurry then I can machine up a set for you. If you have a laminate already done up, you can mail it up here. Just e-mail me if that's the way you decide to go.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

JJ -
Make them!!! it is quite fun...These are set of coco knobs for the bass that I am currently building...I do not even have a lathe, but was able to dangerously use a router to roughly round these out to the diameter that I wanted...then I used forstener bits to pocket them and added steel set screws...some sanding and buffing gave me this:

It is so much better than plastic, and cheaper in cost (not time) than buying them..Also you then ahve that much more control over the artistic accents you apply to your guitar...picking matching woods, etc....

Stephen

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

Hard to beat the quality and price of the rosewood and ebony knobs from Grizzly. Dome knobs, nice ab dot on top, brass lined with a set screw (the weakest part), nicely finished and all of $1.75 apiece. I reject about 10% of them, and that still works out nicely.

Stephen...I agree...they do look MUCH better than plastic or metal, but...That router "tip" you suggested scares the bejeebers out of me and I will graciously decline the suggestion.

I'm planning to investigate 3 paths:

1) send the laminates I made to Bob Garrish and have him do them for both guitars (6 knobs)
2) Look around for someone with a lathe and see if I can use it to turn the knobs myself
3) Try the drill press technique as suggested by Dave.

Cost vs. my time will have a lot to do with my choice.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Heck yeah JJ...

Don't do the router thing...I was planning on seeing if someone on the forum wouldn't mind turning down a few dowels for me to my desired diameter - then I would have stock on hand to slice, dome, and hollow to make knobs from...

Either way, I would love to see what you come up with...

Stephen

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

JJ, Steve is a bass player, so finger are purely optional

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I saw those as well, Rick. Thanks for the heads up. I just happen to want the Bell-type knob...and I also decided that I'd use a laminate to go with the laminate look I have on the body. Kinda dictates a different direction.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Stubs actually might work better!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

All I really need is the side of my thumb and one finger...

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com