You can try to put a cloth under knob and pry it off with a screwdriver or something if that doesnt work but might s rach the finish. For me that wasn't a big deal
Wow, I was prepared to bring my Ibanez bass to the shop, but instead I found this video, followed along, and fixed two loose dome knobs in 5 minutes. Thank you! 🎶
Thank you so much for posting this video, on my Ibanez RG120 my knobs actually don't have a hole to put the hex keys in, but after I saw you tightening the nut under the pots I tried it and it worked perfectly! I never attempted fixing this problem before so I really wasn't sure how to go about with it, thanks again man!
Great video!! Really helpful for beginners, you usually start playing used guitars that need a bit of maintenance and this is a great video to start working on your guitar! Thanks!
All I was looking for was how to remove metal knobs which have screws like the ones on your guitar, but I actually found out some more useful information by watching it all the way through. Thanks a lot for sharing this video with us.
If it's a Fender-style plastic knob, you need to wedge something (carefully) under both sides of the knob and pull up. I recommend using either a polishing cloth (wrapping it around the base under the knob) or just using two 1mm guitar picks, one on each side, and prying the knob up. Be ESPECIALLY careful if you don't have a pickguard, so you don't scratch the finish.
I just used this video to fix the tone knob on my P-Bass. I was worried I would damage the wiring by “twisting it around.” But it was no problem. Thanks for the great vid!
You can put masking tape strips by knobs on the guitar so top is not scratched. Also a thin cardboard underneath knob holding it up as a spacer when reinstalling. You should hold the pot in place either by having knob turned to end 0 point and holding the shaft, When tightening nut, If pot is able to turn while tightening could damage wiring. The cover on the back can be removed showing pots to observe what's going on with pot as its tightened.
Yes this should work on all volume and tone knobs of this type. (That is, at least as long as you mean your volume IS actually going up and down when you turn it with the metal knob taken off. I say that only because I once bought a bass where all the knobs turned NON-STOP and they didn't do anything, and had to bring it back to the store and make them fix it for me...those were broken potentiometers, under the knobs. Which is beyond the scope of this video.) Thanks!!!
One more thing Sir. When you have pots that are split like those , place the knob right at the split. That way you are not crushing both sides of the stem and reducing the size of the stem.
It's funny because i was about to take my cort bass to a shop, when i saw your video, i realized that when i got it new from the music shop, it came with those tools
So i have a new Ibanez that has this same problem. I tightened the nut beneath the knob nice and snug, but the stem the knob attaches to is still a bit jiggly. Is there something else i need to do to fix this?
When it come time to put the knobs back on, let them rest on a couple of credit cards. It creates a nice even gap so the knobs aren't to high or too low.
Damn, for a moment I thought my guitar was broken, and I started ranting about how terrible life is. I was really upset. Then I did some research and found this video. Turns out, I could actually loosen and tighten these parts. Ah, damn, I feel a bit relieved now.
I bought 7 string Ibanze about 5 months ago. Not a day goes I don't play it. The volume nob has been scratchy for last 2 months. I have to turn it until the sound comes out. Static. I got electronics duster. Sprayed the pots although (I think my pots might be covered) after watching vids with 'scratchy guitar volume controls'. I haven't taken the volume nobs off yet. The nobs pull up half way. I have not found nobs similar to these on video. I'm
So sorry I missed this comment until now! Those sound like Push-Pull pots; typically they're used to perform a coil tap (down = humbucker, up = single coil; it turns off one of the coils of a humbucker to get a thinner but brighter sound). The knob, however, is most likely still just attached like the one in this video. The contact cleaner is exactly what I would've reached for first for scratchy sound, static, and audio cutting out as I turn the knobs. But if that didn't work, I'd take it to a shop/repair tech next. I hope you got it sorted out though, and sorry once again for taking so long to respond.
Eeks umm... I kinda sorta maybe probably just broke off the entire knob from my bass, leaving nothing but the nut left on it. So instead of having the pot there, it had broken off with my knob. Will this be able to be fixed in a shop?? Any advice will be appreciated.
there is no hex key for mine ..so much for that...great if you have a hex slot to loosen of course freaking Ibanez does not and now the soder is broken...Im pissed
My PRS CE24 has transparent volume and tone knobs. I can see a single screw inside but I don't know if I should just pull on it or take the plate off of the back of it or what. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My bass has the same notches for an allen wrench, and the volume knob is loose and also turns around continuously without stopping as it should usually at max and min volume levels... could i fix that problem with this technique as well? thanks for the video though, very useful.
So i did exactly that but when I tried it all i could hear from the amp was feedback. I made sure it wasn't the cord and I also switched amps and it still wouldn't get sound . any ideas?
You will probably need a replacement knob. You can probably find one at your local guitar shop for about $10. Online you can probably (definitely) find what you need at the StewMac website.
I love my Ibanez, but the volume is right in the way of my pick hand nuances. I'll try to go for a big SRV or Zakk type bend, where they just sling their hand, and I'll hit it everytime. Hard
Nimea Cresent technically it would be possible but it would be so expensive to route the body that it would cost less to buy a model that already has a tremolo bridge installed.
I have ESP - LTD deluxe with that exact screw in it. when I loosen that screw or even pit it out that knob become very loose like it should be but I cannot pull it out. I am scared to pull it out with strenght to not damge it but i think i should beacuse i completely detached that little screw wrom inside it. what to do? pull it with something from bottom?
Why doesnt it work for me..? I got the same kind of knobs and i do exacly as done in this video but my knobs wont come off, they're just stuck. Please help
hi, i have a problem with my volume knob. as i turn it to the max (10) the signal starts to cut out. but when i twist it back a bit it sounds fine. any idea? thanks
My squier tele got shipped to me from guitar center today with the tone knob fallen off of the guitar. I used the tool that came with the guitar but its still pretty loose. Should I take it in to get it looked at or should I just replace the knobs completely? hoping this isnt anything serious.
So sorry I didn't respond to this until now; if it's just the knob (not the potentiometer), I'd take the knob off, tighten the potentiometer like I show in this video, then put the knob back on. If the knob itself won't stay on the potentiometer, go to a shop and get a new knob.
I had the chance to buy a pretty much mint DeArmond guitar. I was so ready to buy it, but then I realized the knobs all turned well past 10. Is there any way to fix that without having to replace all of them?
@@ShredMentor Yeah its funny because they send you like 6 keys but the one that you actually need for the first time you dont have it hahaha. 40 min later and I got to unscrew it with a normal screwdriver and a piece of rug lol, dont recommend it tho
You might need to loosen the side-screws on the knobs some more. How old is the guitar? The knobs could just be stuck; make sure they're fully loosened, and then pull. It could be rusted down. If none of this works, you may need to take it to a shop. I've never had any trouble taking knobs off; even without allen-wrench screws, the design is essentially the same for all metal knobs.
You mean when it IS turned up, or WHEN you're turning it? If it is when it is turned up - too much gain/bad wiring in either guitar or amp/bad shielding/bad pedals/bad power supply for pedals. If it's when you're actually turning it - dirty pots. THIS you can easily do something about: Buy a cleaning spray meant for cleaning electronical components. Spray a little on the naked pot, but don't get any on the finish of the guitar.
Sorry I didn't respond sooner; the knob *should* just pull up if that's the case. If it doesn't come up and you aren't comfortable pulling any harder on it than you already are, I'd take it to a shop.
@@ShredMentor I eventually removed it by prising it off with something solid protecting the plate, tightened it all up and ensured both pots were functional. Thanks anyway. Take care.
Any knobs w/o a keyhole should come off with one good pull. Hope that helps guys.
Jeremiah Walker really ? That would be cool as fuck if that's all I gotta do. Mine have no screws in them.
You can try to put a cloth under knob and pry it off with a screwdriver or something if that doesnt work but might s rach the finish. For me that wasn't a big deal
Thank you! saved me a visit to the shop
THANK YOUU JUST FIXED MINE
@@MrAzureJames My bass guitar is back in business! I can't believe I didn't think to use a cloth, that was what kept me from prying the knob off.
Wow, I was prepared to bring my Ibanez bass to the shop, but instead I found this video, followed along, and fixed two loose dome knobs in 5 minutes. Thank you! 🎶
That's so great! I'm glad I could help!
Thank you so much for posting this video, on my Ibanez RG120 my knobs actually don't have a hole to put the hex keys in, but after I saw you tightening the nut under the pots I tried it and it worked perfectly! I never attempted fixing this problem before so I really wasn't sure how to go about with it, thanks again man!
Great video!! Really helpful for beginners, you usually start playing used guitars that need a bit of maintenance and this is a great video to start working on your guitar! Thanks!
You should always keep the back of the pots in your other hand to prevent turning the wires etc...!
Thanks dude
All I was looking for was how to remove metal knobs which have screws like the ones on your guitar, but I actually found out some more useful information by watching it all the way through. Thanks a lot for sharing this video with us.
If it's a Fender-style plastic knob, you need to wedge something (carefully) under both sides of the knob and pull up. I recommend using either a polishing cloth (wrapping it around the base under the knob) or just using two 1mm guitar picks, one on each side, and prying the knob up. Be ESPECIALLY careful if you don't have a pickguard, so you don't scratch the finish.
Thank you!!!! I thought this would be extremely hard but I had it repaired, thanks to your video, in minutes!!! Easy to follow! Thanks!
You, Sir, just saved my life. Thank you so much for the straight-forward video. Quick and simple explanations. It was of much help! Cheers!
I just used this video to fix the tone knob on my P-Bass. I was worried I would damage the wiring by “twisting it around.” But it was no problem. Thanks for the great vid!
I'm in this boat with a new P Bass. Do I actually need a special tool to take out the locking screw? It looks like just a regular albeit small screw.
I was stressed out because I have a gig, and this made me feel much better. thank you!
I’m so glad this was helpful! Have a great gig!
Hey! Thank For the Tutorial. I got scared because my Volume Knob came off but this Video help me fix in less then Five Minutes. Thanks God Bless
You can put masking tape strips by knobs on the guitar so top is not scratched. Also a thin cardboard underneath knob holding it up as a spacer when reinstalling. You should hold the pot in place either by having knob turned to end 0 point and holding the shaft, When tightening nut, If pot is able to turn while tightening could damage wiring. The cover on the back can be removed showing pots to observe what's going on with pot as its tightened.
Excellent ideas all around, thank you so much for contributing this!
Fixed my guitar! Thank you!!!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I did it and my knobs are firm!
You're welcome! I'm glad it helped!
That was easy. thanx bro thought I was gonna have to go to a shop
Thank you so much sir!!! I just got a new jackson Flying V and the knob was messed up!!
I'm glad this helped, and congrats on the new Jackson!
@@ShredMentor Thanks! 🥂
Yes this should work on all volume and tone knobs of this type.
(That is, at least as long as you mean your volume IS actually going up and down when you turn it with the metal knob taken off.
I say that only because I once bought a bass where all the knobs turned NON-STOP and they didn't do anything, and had to bring it back to the store and make them fix it for me...those were broken potentiometers, under the knobs. Which is beyond the scope of this video.)
Thanks!!!
Damn, man. I'm finding all kinds of little helpful hints on your channel exactly when I need them. My 7 string LTD has the same issue. 🤘
Hell yeah, that's great! I'm glad it's helping!
Saved my life. Worked on the ESP E-2. Thanks buddy :)
Thanks! This was really helpful - exactly what I needed! You saved me a trip to the shop. Appreciate it!
Glad I could help!
Thanks so much! This saved me a 70 dollar repair fee!
Thanks, that was much easier than I thought it would be!
tip: slide a guitar pick or two under the knob when tightening it so its consistent across all your knobs/guitars (avoid scratches)
Great idea! Thanks for sharing this!
One more thing Sir. When you have pots that are split like those , place the knob right at the split. That way you are not crushing both sides of the stem and reducing the size of the stem.
@@fiddlefaddle1 excellent advice! Thank you!
Thanks so much man I really thought my ESP was broken or something and it was just a loose nut thank you again
It's funny because i was about to take my cort bass to a shop, when i saw your video, i realized that when i got it new from the music shop, it came with those tools
mine dosnt have a hex key slot on the side of the knob, what should i do then?
263kiki same
Use a screwdriver if it has a screw
Thanks a lot, didn't expect it's that easy
very informative since the tone knob on my new charvel came with one of those!
Thank you! I'm glad it helped!
Didn't know I could fix that with an allen wrench. awesome.
Thank you so much. I had gotten a pretty old 335 from a pawn shop and the knobs were so loose I couldnt use them
So i have a new Ibanez that has this same problem. I tightened the nut beneath the knob nice and snug, but the stem the knob attaches to is still a bit jiggly. Is there something else i need to do to fix this?
You can buy little brass sleeves that fit over the pot post that the screws tighten on, it takes up any play.
+jeffrey price oh nice! Yes that would be very useful too! I didn’t know about that at the time but thank you!
thank you my friend , it helped me replace my bass knob , everything works just fine now ;)
What if the whole potentiometer fell off
Thanks dude, that was super helpful and super informative
When it come time to put the knobs back on, let them rest on a couple of credit cards. It creates a nice even gap so the knobs aren't to high or too low.
Thats a great idea! I hadn't considered that. Thank you for adding that!
thanks man, my bass boost/cut knob is super wobbily so I'm gonna try this method.
Just saved me a trip to the luthier. Thank you sir!
Larry Williams Fantastic! I’m glad I could help! :)
Thanks for helping me fix my bass
You're welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful!
What if the bass knobs have no hole?
Damn, for a moment I thought my guitar was broken, and I started ranting about how terrible life is. I was really upset. Then I did some research and found this video. Turns out, I could actually loosen and tighten these parts. Ah, damn, I feel a bit relieved now.
you're a legend! thanks a lot :D
I bought 7 string Ibanze about 5 months ago. Not a day goes I don't play it. The volume nob has been scratchy for last 2 months. I have to turn it until the sound comes out. Static. I got electronics duster. Sprayed the pots although (I think my pots might be covered) after watching vids with 'scratchy guitar volume controls'. I haven't taken the volume nobs off yet. The nobs pull up half way. I have not found nobs similar to these on video. I'm
So sorry I missed this comment until now! Those sound like Push-Pull pots; typically they're used to perform a coil tap (down = humbucker, up = single coil; it turns off one of the coils of a humbucker to get a thinner but brighter sound). The knob, however, is most likely still just attached like the one in this video.
The contact cleaner is exactly what I would've reached for first for scratchy sound, static, and audio cutting out as I turn the knobs. But if that didn't work, I'd take it to a shop/repair tech next. I hope you got it sorted out though, and sorry once again for taking so long to respond.
I twisted my volume knob too far and now it's wiggly, but it still works and I can't get it off to fix it.
SAME fresh out of the box had no idea it was fucking turned up out of the box -___- first brand new guitar , so annoying
It Was Realy helpful
thanks man
Thanks... Used this to help me sort out my loose coil tap it was a stubborn ass haha
Extremely helpful!!
I've had it loose for 2 years and it ended up rupturing two wires inside ;(
Holy shit!
Hey man, it can always be re-wired at a music shop. Any simple soldering equipment and a diagram will fix 'er right up.
How do I know that's happened? The thing with mine is that there's no longer a limit to how far it can turn. It can do so forever
@@user-qc1mc2ly8j this is the point where it's gonna break the wires
@@JuanDeag228 so just don't touch it?
Thank you man, this was a big help
I have a coil-tappable guitar, and when i try to remove the knob, i can't remove it, it becomes coil-tapped mode. What should i do?
Is there a screw you could loosen?
@@mpalin11 I think so. 6 years of trying to tighten my guitar's loose knobs, 6 years of frustration. Please relieve this unbearable pain of mine, sir!
Thank you so much, I have my first show coming up on Sunday and mine was loose
Thank you so much for making this vid. Really helped!
Eeks umm... I kinda sorta maybe probably just broke off the entire knob from my bass, leaving nothing but the nut left on it. So instead of having the pot there, it had broken off with my knob. Will this be able to be fixed in a shop?? Any advice will be appreciated.
Sofia Dee yikes! Yeah an experienced repair tech should be able to fix that for you. It sounds like the pot will need to be replaced.
ShredMentor Okay thanks a bunch for the feedback! I really appreciate it.
Yes, the adjustment I did was also on the side of the knob itself.
ohhh thanks man, this really helps a lot :) you save my life
Excellent, I'm so glad!
What about an accustic guitar, volume button is loose on a fish man set up.?
Unfortunately I'm unfamiliar with that so I'm unable to tell you either way. Sorry!
there is no hex key for mine ..so much for that...great if you have a hex slot to loosen of course freaking Ibanez does not and now the soder is broken...Im pissed
My PRS CE24 has transparent volume and tone knobs. I can see a single screw inside but I don't know if I should just pull on it or take the plate off of the back of it or what. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much bro..
It really helped me...
My bass has the same notches for an allen wrench, and the volume knob is loose and also turns around continuously without stopping as it should usually at max and min volume levels... could i fix that problem with this technique as well? thanks for the video though, very useful.
Awesome video, really helpful. but my Ibanez RG6003FM has no hex key for the pots. How do I loosen them?
haha nice! Glad you found it helpful!
Amazin tis helped me tons!!!
So i did exactly that but when I tried it all i could hear from the amp was feedback. I made sure it wasn't the cord and I also switched amps and it still wouldn't get sound . any ideas?
I've lost the tiny screw inside the keyhole. Any ideas where I could find a replacement?
You will probably need a replacement knob. You can probably find one at your local guitar shop for about $10. Online you can probably (definitely) find what you need at the StewMac website.
I love my Ibanez, but the volume is right in the way of my pick hand nuances. I'll try to go for a big SRV or Zakk type bend, where they just sling their hand, and I'll hit it everytime. Hard
Can you replace that bridge with a floyd rose so you can use tremolo?
Nimea Cresent technically it would be possible but it would be so expensive to route the body that it would cost less to buy a model that already has a tremolo bridge installed.
I have ESP - LTD deluxe with that exact screw in it. when I loosen that screw or even pit it out that knob become very loose like it should be but I cannot pull it out. I am scared to pull it out with strenght to not damge it but i think i should beacuse i completely detached that little screw wrom inside it. what to do? pull it with something from bottom?
Does anyone know how to remove metal knobs without the keyhole in the side?
Why doesnt it work for me..? I got the same kind of knobs and i do exacly as done in this video but my knobs wont come off, they're just stuck. Please help
hi, what should I do with push/pull knobs?
thank you so much! such an easy fix!
thanks for putting up the video man....that was a great help and it worked too...
What is that volume/tone knob called?
I'm not sure what you mean unfortunately.
hi, i have a problem with my volume knob. as i turn it to the max (10) the signal starts to cut out. but when i twist it back a bit it sounds fine. any idea? thanks
what if one of my pots dowsn't have the hole for the key? I fixed one but I don't know how to take out the other one
My bro, thanks
I’m very glad I could help!
Thanks for the help
Thanks for the tips. Worked great (Y)
Hey! what if the nut srews are actually fixed, but the mechanism, the thing that sticks out below is still loose? Do i need to replace it?
Possibly? If this was me I'd take it to a guitar tech to find out. Sorry I can't be of more help.
My squier tele got shipped to me from guitar center today with the tone knob fallen off of the guitar. I used the tool that came with the guitar but its still pretty loose. Should I take it in to get it looked at or should I just replace the knobs completely? hoping this isnt anything serious.
So sorry I didn't respond to this until now; if it's just the knob (not the potentiometer), I'd take the knob off, tighten the potentiometer like I show in this video, then put the knob back on. If the knob itself won't stay on the potentiometer, go to a shop and get a new knob.
Thanks dude
Gladly!
Thanks! Btw, what guitar is that?
I had the chance to buy a pretty much mint DeArmond guitar. I was so ready to buy it, but then I realized the knobs all turned well past 10. Is there any way to fix that without having to replace all of them?
Unfortunately, it sounds like the potentiometers would need to be replaced.
Thank you. I ended up passing on it because, on second look, there were many other issues I didn't want to bother with!
Yeah, you probably dodged a bullet then, sounds like!
Very helpful, thanks!
Thanks .
You're welcome!
My guitar has the exact same knob but it just didn't came with the hex key to it, the ones that it came with don't fit in there :(
Same here; I actually went to an auto parts store and just got a whole set of hex keys, and eventually found one that fit.
@@ShredMentor Yeah its funny because they send you like 6 keys but the one that you actually need for the first time you dont have it hahaha. 40 min later and I got to unscrew it with a normal screwdriver and a piece of rug lol, dont recommend it tho
mine has no hole on the side, how do i get it off
Thanks!
My tone knob doesn't have a stop point, it can go 360 degrees without changing the tone, what should I do?
Better take that one to a shop in this case. Sounds like the potentiometer that the knob attaches to is broken. Sorry it's doing that!
Sometimes, for older knobs, you may have to use a tiny flathead screwdriver instead.
You might need to loosen the side-screws on the knobs some more. How old is the guitar? The knobs could just be stuck; make sure they're fully loosened, and then pull. It could be rusted down.
If none of this works, you may need to take it to a shop. I've never had any trouble taking knobs off; even without allen-wrench screws, the design is essentially the same for all metal knobs.
Thank you man
why does my guitar buzz when I turn up the tone knob
You mean when it IS turned up, or WHEN you're turning it? If it is when it is turned up - too much gain/bad wiring in either guitar or amp/bad shielding/bad pedals/bad power supply for pedals. If it's when you're actually turning it - dirty pots. THIS you can easily do something about: Buy a cleaning spray meant for cleaning electronical components. Spray a little on the naked pot, but don't get any on the finish of the guitar.
thanks
Thanks man!
thanks a million
You're welcome!!
So usefull Thank you so much !
You're very welcome!
What if there isn't an hex key on the knob adjustment ?
Sorry I didn't respond sooner; the knob *should* just pull up if that's the case. If it doesn't come up and you aren't comfortable pulling any harder on it than you already are, I'd take it to a shop.
@@ShredMentor I eventually removed it by prising it off with something solid protecting the plate, tightened it all up and ensured both pots were functional. Thanks anyway. Take care.
@@stewartmcardle8149 ok good, I'm glad you got it worked out!
thank god for youtube