Dig it! I figured out a trick if you always knock the volume knob on your Strat by accident

[smurfco]

I played my Strat today at this outdoor Beatles show and I kept hitting the volume knob with my strumming hand and inadvertently turning myself down. This happens with the Strat, for me it is because of bad technique. But I figured something out where I don’t have to get good technique! I took one of those orange strap lock rings like the Grolsh bottle has and trimmed it down a little bit so that it fits up under the volume knob like this:

When I put the knob back on the guitar, this adds enough friction that the knob will not move if I hit it, but it still turns easily enough if I want it to. It actually works astonishingly well and I think maybe I invented something, though I would be surprised if no one had already thought of this.

Disclaimer, I have no idea if the rubber will interact with your pickguard and mar it or anything. It shouldn’t matter because it will be covered by the knob, but I don’t want somebody screwing up their guitar so I don’t know if that might happen, proceed with caution

 

[smurfco]

Also, this does not alter the appearance of the guitar because you can’t see it with the knob on!

 

[Knox in Box]

I'm constantly banging on my knob.

 

[Grant Harding]

Hehe knob hehe

That's a cool idea! Nice one.

 

[Bob411]

Saw pic with scissors first, was worried you cut one or more fingers off.

 

[Lerxst]

several years ago, the go-to hack for this was to get a cheap rubber o-ring from the hardware store and put it under the knob

 

[Ignored Member]

That's a clever non-permanent, non-damaging fix.

The "you bump the volume knob on a Strat because you have bad technique" thing is nonsense.

 

[yabba]

my trick to solve this issue is to not play strats. bazinga! hot take!

 

[Chad]

I've never had that issue on a strat. Glad you found a work around.

 

[reverend1]

Do you hit the middle pickup with your pic too?

 

[Flatspotter]

I had the same problem. Here's how I solved it on my '57 RI:

Here's how I solved it on my American Standard (Delonge'd volume):

 

[Ignored Member]

Pretty similar solution for me. I ordered the pickguard with just the last tone hole. Drilled the volume hole right between the normal volume and middle tone holes.

I don't like volume-tone-tone anyway, especially when the pickup that most needs a tone control is the one that doesn't have one.

I’m embarrased by how much time I spent playing with the Kisakae guitar builder before deciding to do it this way.

 

[parrotheada1a]

my trick to solve this issue is to not play strats. bazinga! hot take!

Your solution is NOT the answer. Nothing to see here, move along....TYVM.

 

[Jbird]

I've always hit the Strat volume too when I play them. A buddy of mine in the Air Force had a Charvel superstrat that had the volume knob pretty close to the high E-string, and I'd always be turning it down too, even though it was a bit further away that a Strat's volume.

 

[Modern Saint]

I just replace mine with dome knobs. They look nicer and they are harder to knock around.

 

[OGG]

Very clever and similar to what the guy in the video below does.

This video is MUST SEE TV for ANYONE that owns a Strat!

Every thing that was applicable to my two main Strats was done after watching this, and the results were brilliant.

 

[Chad]

Very clever and similar to what the guy in the video below does.

This video is MUST SEE TV for ANYONE that owns a Strat!

Every thing that was applicable to my two main Strats was done after watching this, and the results were brilliant.

Anyone else chuckle when he said "you get stiff right away"

 

[OGG]

Anyone else chuckle when he said "you get stiff right away"

Lols.

I honestly never knew about the tiny screw that drops into the trem arm shaft. That's fjooking brilliant!

The tricks for the trem springs and the knobs were life changing.

 

[Modern Saint]

Very clever and similar to what the guy in the video below does.

This video is MUST SEE TV for ANYONE that owns a Strat!

Every thing that was applicable to my two main Strats was done after watching this, and the results were brilliant.

Great tips FWIW

As for the little screw, I never saw that since all of my current are MIJ's and were bought used. I also changed my trem arms to Allparts trems as they use a lock down knurl. Tighten to lock, loosen to float, works great!!!

As for the foam, neat idea but I like the noise from the springs. Learned while emulating VH in my younger days that scrapping the springs during a song makes a cool sound effect.

 

[OGG]

Great tips FWIW

As for the little screw, I never saw that since all of my current are MIJ's and were bought used. I also changed my trem arms to Allparts trems as they use a lock down knurl. Tighten to lock, loosen to float, works great!!!

As for the foam, neat idea but I like the noise from the springs. Learned while emulating VH in my younger days that scrapping the springs during a song makes a cool sound effect.

I don't "use" the spring noise, and if there was one thing about The White Strat of Chimey Goodness, it was a propensity to do that annoying "jiggle" if you abruptly let go of the trem arm. This tip completely eliminated that.

I don't think the MIJs had that drop in spring. They didn't need them due to the design. However, I really like a nice solid trem arm with no wiggle. Any arm that is a screw in type is going to wiggle all the way to max tightness, and then it's a pain in the ass. I dropped a small spring into the Wilkinson on The Black Strat of Chimey Doom, and it became a whole new guitar. Now I can back the trem arm MUCH further out so it sits higher and doesn't hit the knobs on bends, but it still feels tight and jiggle free.

BTW, so which MIJ are you going to sell me?

Seriously.

And I REALLY need to come get that Oberhiem. Might as well pick up a guitar while I'm there...