Volume knob on stratocasters...

Here's a funny one. Happened to me and made me feel and look stupid, but is actually a classic:

Last night was the first studio rehearsal my band did for a gig we'll play in a couple of weeks, and the first time I played my Strat for real. Up to then I was only studying with it, mostly while sitting down on a stool in my practice room.

Everything was going just fine, until I began to notice that the overdrive wasn't as hard as I had set it to be. Then the drive and the sound began to be cleaner and cleaner until the guitar was mute.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, and we started testing everything, cables, amps, a lot of concern in finding out what was wrong.

Well everything was ok, and the logical conclusion was to tell me: "man, your brand new Fender Strat has a bad jack". Obviously a disappointment.

Happily, the studio had a luthier around. The guys took the guitar to him while I set up another one someone handed to me for the rest of the session, and in less than 5 minutes the luthier came in and said "hey man, there's nothing wrong with your axe, it plays ok".

Nobody understood a rat's arse, until it just came to my mind and I asked him if the volume was all the way down when the bandmates handed him the guitar. He said yes.

I figured that I was unwillingly touching the bloody volume knob as I picked, until it was all the way down.

Everyone laughed at me.

Fact is, I had never played a strat "live", standing and bashing the hell out of it before, only Sgs and Les Pauls so...

Ok, laugh at me too, you all :sun

P.S. I edited the post because I forgot to mention: my tone was way better than with any other guitar I've ever played. The American Standard Strat is also by far the most comfortable guitar I've played so far.

Funny! I think we've all had equipment "failures" like that one at one time or another.

If you watched the Bill Frisell Strat video that T.J. posted in The Whammy Bar you'll note the method he employed to prevent inadvertent manipulation of the guitar's volume knob......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=R...&v=NO-1Euq2RBk

That might be your solution as well.

Oh, I figured it out and began to pick it rifht just fine.

Years playing guitars with stopbars on them and no knobs on the way kinda made me a bit sloppy.

I'd say the strat is kinda educating me.

I took a 30-year hiatus from the Stratocaster and it took me some time to re-acclimate to the ergonometrics too.

de Melo,

I can't tell you how many times I've cursed my Boss tuner and amplifier for not working, when after all I had forgotten to plug the guitar in.

It's not like it's happened a couple of times. It happens after time goes by and I've forgotten. The tuner goes nuts, and I think I have to reset it. Then I realize what's up.

We all do stupid things. Thank goodness. Makes life more fun as long as no one gets hurt.

Been wailing on guitars of many sorts for well over half a century now and I suppose I'm weird in that I don't have issues with different guitar's layouts and such. Then again, I use a thin pick and a very gentle picking action. When I require more "bite" I'll simply rotate the pick 90° and play off the rounded edge and have little pick exposed that way and get some good pinched harmonics as well. But all in all I do not move about too much with the picking hand. It stays anchored most of the time and you'll not see me "windmill" even in the slightest. Although I've seen others that wiggle around so much that I often wonder if they've got some sort of affliction like Turret's Syndrome or something that makes then flail about like there's a rabid rat in their shorts!:biglaugh:

The shop owner where I did my work as resident luthier and amp tech, now he was animated! From the '80's hair metal era and was a speed metal player. His guitar of choice was either a V or an LP. When he had a Strat in his hands he'd go at it so wild that he'd smack the vol knob, the 5 way causing pickup changes, and he'd be out of tune half the time as he had a very heavy hand and would lean on the bridge and go sharp. He said he always hated Strats, but they sold well. He made me laugh...

Years ago I went to the Dallas Guitar Show & bought a bunch of these metal "cowls" from a guy w/a table there. They were called "Volume Busters" & I can't find a presence on the Internet anywhere. They probably went out of business. It's a shame because it was a great idea.
I think I have a photo of one around here someplace...

And here it is:
http://images.lilypix.com/albums/old...ardcaster2.jpg

That's an interesting and novel device. It appears to be stamped from mild steel and would appear to mount under the pot's nut. Bet it wouldn't be hard to reproduce. Maybe I can try to build one with what's left of my blacksmith tools that weren't stolen by the crackheads that broke into my shop some years ago. If I can build one I can send it to de Melo for his Strat huh? The weather has been better and I should be able to do something in the shop without my teeth chattering now. We'll see what I can come up with. I know my neighbor could use a few as he can't sit still when he plays and is always whacking stuff when he plays! :bonk

Thanks for the idea!!

That's pretty cool!

LOL... I did the same thing coming from LP's for years.


I placed some rubber gasket(or felt) under the volume knob...made it less prone to move when I accidently touch it. Like you said, you can also retrain how one plays a Strat.

I also did it to my amps' knobs...especially if it's a combo and next to a bass amp. The knobs tend to move from the vibration.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Old Ranger

Been wailing on guitars of many sorts for well over half a century now and I suppose I'm weird in that I don't have issues with different guitar's layouts and such.

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I'm kind of the same way. I also have a 1974 Gibson SG, a Les Paul, and a Washburn HB-30 (kind of an ES-335 copy). I like the differences of each guitar. I've had the same periodic, inadvertant flick of the pickup switch or brush of the volume knob, but ain't nuthin but a thang.

I adjust controls and switch pickups constantly when I play, so I like the controls close.

Funny story there...
I can relate, but not Fenders - the volume is right where I like it.
PRS on the other hand, I can't play without hitting the volume, and always turning it down...