# make pedal knobs stay still



## flashPUNK (Feb 16, 2006)

This may (and probably) have been covered already somewhere, but i've been searching here and on the gear page for about an hour looking for the answer.

I'm wondering what people do to keep the knobs on their pedals put while in transit.

I've heard that putting rubber gaskets or something under the knobs or the pot poles works? If so, could someone tell me where i could get these, or maybe a technical name for them?

Thanks all!


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## Extant (Mar 2, 2007)

Do what Paul Gilbert does and tape over your pedal knobs.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

I've seen a few guys with Suran wrap around their pedals. When I first seen it, I thought it was better not to ask, but now I figure this must be the reason.


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## Guest (Jun 20, 2008)

I've put painters tape on the pedal and marked the knob positions on the tape in the past.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Maybe its me, but the need to keep control knobs rigid strikes me as the mark of a poorly designed pedal. If the control is that twitchy that "re-nailing" a tone is hard to do, then clearly the wrong taper was used on the pot in question. If the setting is that hard to remember that it is difficult to recreate then clearly the interface is not as intuitive as it should have been.

But, like I say, maybe its me. I don't gig so faithfully replicating a tone is a moot issue for me.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

mhammer said:


> Maybe its me, but the need to keep control knobs rigid strikes me as the mark of a poorly designed pedal. If the control is that twitchy that "re-nailing" a tone is hard to do, then clearly the wrong taper was used on the pot in question. If the setting is that hard to remember that it is difficult to recreate then clearly the interface is not as intuitive as it should have been.
> 
> But, like I say, maybe its me. I don't gig so faithfully replicating a tone is a moot issue for me.


It's not so much a design flaw, but I think what flashPUNK is getting at is having to reset multiple pedals. It's not so much the dialing-in as the need to do it for 8, 10, 20, who knows how many pedals!

I know my Box of Rock needs to be adjusted pretty much everytime, because the pedal is so small that the four knobs on it brush against something all the time. I know the knob positions, so it's not hard, but having to do it over and over begins to chap one's ass after a while.

I usually carry around a cheat sheet with pedal settings on it in my guitar case or pedalboard case, so I'll have a visually representation of how they were set, but also, if you want to be a little daring, you can try other fixatives to hold the knob in place, like a silicone or epoxy based fastener. Now, you have to make sure you REALLY like the pedal the way it's set, cuz it certainly won't move after that unless you break the bond (which would require significant torquing of the knob, which I recommend against. I tend to use a knife or small file to hack away at the resin). It's an extreme option, but if you're gigging regularly and carry a significant pedalboard, it's something you might want to try.


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## flashPUNK (Feb 16, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Maybe its me, but the need to keep control knobs rigid strikes me as the mark of a poorly designed pedal. If the control is that twitchy that "re-nailing" a tone is hard to do, then clearly the wrong taper was used on the pot in question. If the setting is that hard to remember that it is difficult to recreate then clearly the interface is not as intuitive as it should have been.
> 
> But, like I say, maybe its me. I don't gig so faithfully replicating a tone is a moot issue for me.



Basically the same thing as hollowbody mentioned.. i've got a plethora of pedals now, most of which have 3-4 knobs... (My Quicksilver Delay has 7, and I just started using 2 Zvex pedals the Fuzz and BOR, both ahve 4 knobs).

Also, i've found that for specifically the Zvex pedals, its very easy to knock one of the knobs with your foot while switching the pedal on and off, so i'm just trying to avoid causing something like that to happen.

Either way, i'm reluctant to use tape over the knobs, but I will be trying out the rubber washer fix this weekend.


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## Wheeman (Dec 4, 2007)

Have you tried taking the knob off entirely? It may seem crazy, but I find that most knobs come off and can be put back on pretty easily. You may have to loosen the set screw on some of them. It's much hard to move a smaller, smooth post then a larger, fluted knob. Its like gear ratios :smile:.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Hmm...

Being just a student, and not experienced, I can think of a few things.

1. Have the pedal set and then modded. Use fixed resistors in place of the nobs and you'd never need to worry again.

2. as suggested some silicone or even blue-tac or anything similar. As long as it isn't runny and it doesn't get inside the works of the pot (no need getting crazy glue in there!)

3. Use a fine sharpie and just mark where each nob is finally set (or one of the metallic's or one of the glow in the dark's.) They may in time wear off, but at least its a good fast visual to eye-check the settings.

4. Tape could work, as long as you keep in mind: Electrical tapes slide about, especially when hot. Duct tape will stop sticking in the cold. Tuck tape ages and goes brittle.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

flashPUNK said:


> Basically the same thing as hollowbody mentioned.. i've got a plethora of pedals now, most of which have 3-4 knobs... (My Quicksilver Delay has 7, and I just started using 2 Zvex pedals the Fuzz and BOR, both have 4 knobs).
> 
> Also, I've found that for specifically the Zvex pedals, its very easy to knock one of the knobs with your foot while switching the pedal on and off, so i'm just trying to avoid causing something like that to happen.


As impressed as I am with Zachary Vex's products and ability to religiously adhere to his Hammond 1590B footprint, no matter what he produces and no matter how much stuff is in a given pedal, I think ultimately you have to design with the user in mind at all times. And if you run out of space for people to actually step on things without disturbing settings or jeopardizing the lifespan of the controls, then it's time for a rethink of the chassis and packaging.

We ran into this years ago when B.C. Rich started shoving toggle after toggle on their guitars until you needed a map, a light, an assistant, and a 5-minute drum solo to be able to change pickup settings. A pedal should be designed so that accidental control movement is a non-issue. It should be designed so that it is *comfortable* to pivot your foot on your heel and step on the switch. It should be designed so that the pedal will not accidentally flip over or buckle when you step on it. It should be designed so that you can *see* your settings and pedal status from many places on the stage in many lighting conditions.

Ibanez recently addressed the control-movement issue with their '7' series of pedals that allow you to recess the control pots once you have your desired setting. Visual Sound recently addressed the same challenge by coming up with a proprietary chassis that has a raised rear skirt that can accommodate jacks and still permit easy manipulation of the controls.

Here's an idea, though. Many things like RCA jacks come with washers that have a tongue that extends out from the main part of the washer for soldering wires to. Assuming the diameter of the pot permits it, you could slip one of those over the shaft of the pot on the outside of the chassis and secure it in a position with the retaining nut. The little hole in the tongue would be your target for moving the knob pointer.


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

I just mark the knob position with the tip of a Sharpy marker and reposition when setting up for a gig. Car wax will remove the marker if you want to sell the pedal without damaging the finish.

8 pedals takes about 45 seconds to re-adjust?


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## el84 (Sep 22, 2006)

I've used wide elastic bands with some success.....Or just use a marker and mark your settings.......:food-smiley-004:

Derrick


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