Who's picking vol knob locations on these "metal" guitars?
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InHiding
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I have replaced a vol knob on one guitar with a kill switch and on a few I put in a push pull pot so that the vol only works when the pot is pulled. I’m not gonna change my playing, the right hand needs to be loose when playing some riffs and the open hand, pinky almost straight
, gives a better loose feel. I close the hand a bit more with more technical and fast riffs but not enough I think.
, gives a better loose feel. I close the hand a bit more with more technical and fast riffs but not enough I think.
tedtan
Well-Known Member
I had some trouble with the volume knob placement when I got my first Jackson Soloist, but I adjusted to it in about an hour. It wasn't really a big deal.
As for tone knobs, I like them, but tend to wire them so that they affect all positions except the bridge pickup. That way I can switch between a rolled off tone and a wide open tone easily with the pickup selector while soloing.
As for tone knobs, I like them, but tend to wire them so that they affect all positions except the bridge pickup. That way I can switch between a rolled off tone and a wide open tone easily with the pickup selector while soloing.
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The one thing I don't like about my ESP Horizons is that the volume pot is too close and I bump it lower from time to time from regular playing requiring me to constantly check it to make sure it's full up.
I put little rubber washers under the knob to make the turning a little stiffer so I won't accidentally roll it down so easily. I'd prefer it to turn easily and just be more out of the way so as not to get bumped.
Like a lot of others, I also find tone knobs totally useless and I'd prefer them gone. I bypass them in a lot of my guitars that have them.
The reason the volume knob got so close on super strats or metal guitars in general is to be able to whip them on and off real quick when playing super loud with high gain in a live setting... Less noise and feedback. Now that noise gates have gotten better and are more in regular use (a very short time ago there weren't a lot of gate options and they mostly sucked), the volume knob doesn't need to be so close and in the way any more on metal guitars.
I put little rubber washers under the knob to make the turning a little stiffer so I won't accidentally roll it down so easily. I'd prefer it to turn easily and just be more out of the way so as not to get bumped.
Like a lot of others, I also find tone knobs totally useless and I'd prefer them gone. I bypass them in a lot of my guitars that have them.
The reason the volume knob got so close on super strats or metal guitars in general is to be able to whip them on and off real quick when playing super loud with high gain in a live setting... Less noise and feedback. Now that noise gates have gotten better and are more in regular use (a very short time ago there weren't a lot of gate options and they mostly sucked), the volume knob doesn't need to be so close and in the way any more on metal guitars.
Yep, on my Horizon I swapped volume/tone knob locations, then removed the tone from the circuit. So now the original volume location just has a knob for show. When I accidentally knock it (often) nothing happens. Still annoying though, and I can really relate with the OP's rant.
Re: pickup selectors: I bought a EBMM JP15 only to find out I couldn't stand the pickup selector placement. I was constantly hitting it, not necessarily changing pickups on impact, but it was very uncomfortable. I fucking loved that guitar but couldn't adjust, so I sold it. That was a heart breaker!
Re: pickup selectors: I bought a EBMM JP15 only to find out I couldn't stand the pickup selector placement. I was constantly hitting it, not necessarily changing pickups on impact, but it was very uncomfortable. I fucking loved that guitar but couldn't adjust, so I sold it. That was a heart breaker!
Lol same for me with the first BFR JP7 series.
Jonathan20022
Engineer
Damn do you all flail around when you play guitar? Economy of motion is everything to me from my arms to my fingers and pick. Due to this I prefer having my controls at range so I can quickly make adjustments/change pickups on the fly, the complaint of rolling the volume knob down has never been an issue for me either. I don't necessarily hate the far away placement of controls like on the Keith Merrow sigs. But I grew up playing guitars with fairly standard control layouts and obviously played around it. I agree with the advice before, work on your technique and how you play, you actually gain quite a bit of speed and endurance by focusing on making smaller more effective movements instead of insanely exaggerated ones.
ThisBrokenMachine
Architectural Metal
I strongly agree
Demiurge
Well-Known Member
I'm a terrible guitar player with big, clunky oven-mitt hands and I've never had a problem banging into switches or knobs. Maybe slinging the guitar a little bit lower helps.
Musiscience
Well-Known Member
Buy a Mayones Duvell, never look back. Second to none quality, volume really out of the way, no tone, no nonsense.
You obviously never played a hardcore show.
Seabeast2000
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I like it. Minus jack and three of those knobs.Super-strats should take a page out of the SG playbook minus the jack location.
Volume in the way? Move it.
Don't feel like moving it? Buy a different guitar.
In 2019, with the absolutely ridiculous amount of guitars on the market it's easy enough to avoid this issue.
Don't feel like moving it? Buy a different guitar.
In 2019, with the absolutely ridiculous amount of guitars on the market it's easy enough to avoid this issue.
Jonathan20022
Engineer
Yeah but I guess I avoided the only niche situation where having the knobs and switches a few cm out of the way would be more comfortable to me
Even if you did play in a Hardcore band, you're making the case for the show and not when you're home practicing or in the studio recording.
bloodjunkie
Well-Known Member
100% agree about vol knobs, I passed buying one of these because look at this stupid placement!!(and yes I played one first and it was completely in the way):
https://www.espguitars.com/products/10030-e-ii-m-i-thru-nt-blks?category_id=1963528-m-series-guitars
https://www.espguitars.com/products/10030-e-ii-m-i-thru-nt-blks?category_id=1963528-m-series-guitars
I dont get it... They have the whole damn surface and where do they put it?
To me this is scumbag steve meme material.
BenjaminW
Well-Known Member
Not sure if the OP is a Les Paul guy or not, but I would like to hear his thoughts on the knob placement of a regular LP compared to a LP like Neal Schon's where the knobs are mirrored essentially with the volume knob closest to the bridge pickup/bridge.
Lindmann
SS.org Rectangular
I am one of those holding the pich with the "OK sign".
Yesterday my band rehearsed and I played a new guitar, where I did't have the time to modify the knobs (as I posted earlier I swap tone and volume knob positions and disconnect the tone knob).
So I tried really hard not to roll the volume back with my pinky. And I failed miserably.
The incredibly crushing tone turned into a rocky crunch tone at mid-song and at the end of each song the entire signal got entirely eaten by the noise gate.
So I ended up tuct taping the knob off.
I think the reason is the combination of the OK sign picking and the fact that I palm mute a lot and I palm mute at the very end of the bridge so that there's not way of avoiding the damn vol knob.
