A warning about ordering Strat knobs from Warmoth

[Sin Nombre]

I received a Warmoth order yesterday including a set of Strat knobs. The knobs were too tight for the pots on my 2010 Am Standard Strat and I wasn't going to force them on. So I reamed out the inside with a drill bit to open them up enough to fit properly. It took a lot of reaming to get them open enough and on the first one I accidentally drilled through the top. I managed to enlarge the other two with no problem.

I called Warmoth to inform them their Strat knobs did not fit my Strat and what had happened. The man I talked to said there are different sized knobs and I should have sent the wrong ones back, at my expense I assume, instead of trying to modify the knobs. Nothing on their website mentions that there are different sized knobs let alone how I sould have informed Warmoth what size I need.

I asked him to send me one volume knob which sells for $1.50 and after consulting someone said they would not do it. I told him I was surprised at this, considering that I have spent a fair amount of money on Warmoth products and I did not feel it was my fault that I did not know they sell different sized knobs.

I'm going to replace the knob from Sweetwater whose customer service I still have faith in.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

The sizing difference is reasonably common knowledge with parts made internationally to wide tolerances.
If the split shaft, you can also squeeze them together to allow the fit, depending on where you purchased your pots from.

 

[Logrinn]

This comes up from time to time. There are different pots and different knobs.
Cagey linked to a really good site explaining the differences. Here's the link.

 

[Sin Nombre]

The sizing difference is reasonably common knowledge with parts made internationally to wide tolerances.
If the split shaft, you can also squeeze them together to allow the fit, depending on where you purchased your pots from.

That was basically their response- I should have known better, that they have different sized knobs for different pots but don't say so on their website. Hopefully my post will inform some other folks who don't know better.

 

[Sovereign_13]

Every knob that I've looked at on Warmoth's website indicates what size shaft it fits.  They don't have Strat knobs that fit different-sized pots, but they do have different types of knobs that all take a specific pot shaft size.

 

[Sin Nombre]

If the split shaft, you can also squeeze them together to allow the fit, depending on where you purchased your pots from.

A quote from Logrinn's link: "NEVER pinch the control shaft with pliers to make a knob fit.  This can cause the split shaft to break."

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I heat it up a touch, & place shims in the void, to prevent over squeezing, and to act as heat sinks.
I never wrench down on them.

 

[Sin Nombre]

Every knob that I've looked at on Warmoth's website indicates what size shaft it fits.  They don't have Strat knobs that fit different-sized pots, but they do have different types of knobs that all take a specific pot shaft size.

Contrary to what the person I spoke to said, the website describes one size:  1/2" (12.7 mm) High x 1" (25.4 mm) Wide. Push on fit for split shaft metric potentiometers.

But as noted above, I was not willing to squeeze the split shaft. I don't believe Warmoth would compensate for a broken shaft due to squeezing or re-widening a split shaft (if I wanted to put the stock Fender knobs back on).

 

[Sin Nombre]

I heat it up a touch, & place shims in the void, to prevent over squeezing, and to act as heat sinks.
I never wrench down on them.

Thanks, good to know. I am still of the opinion it is better to modify (and risk damaging) a knob rather than a pot.

 

[Cagey]

You're right, but ultimately buying the right knobs is the thing to do. Unfortunately, a surprising number of vendors don't tell you details like how many splines are in the knob or whether it's metric/imperial, etc. They'll just say "Here's some Strat knobs", as if Fender hasn't made Strats in several different countries with different measurement systems and/or parts suppliers.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I heat it up a touch, & place shims in the void, to prevent over squeezing, and to act as heat sinks.
I never wrench down on them.

Thanks, good to know. I am still of the opinion it is better to modify (and risk damaging) a knob rather than a pot.

We're talking very subtle movements here too, nothing drastic, & usually on customer instruments with their own supplied parts.

I use Round Top Dome knobs on my personal instruments, more so as that's what's most comfy to my pinky.

 

[Cagey]

Me, too. They not only work well, they look good and fit anything.

 

[Sin Nombre]

I use Round Top Dome knobs on my personal instruments, more so as that's what's most comfy to my pinky.

Yes I like those, it's what I put on the Warmoth Tele I put together. I didn't put them on my Strat because they would make it look more like a Tele. Also the numbers on the Strat Knobs are helpful on this Strat because the middle and bridge pups are very bright with the Delta tone wiring and the middle/bridge knob needs to be pulled back pretty far.

 

[BigSteve22]

I'm going to replace the knob from Sweetwater whose customer service I still have faith in.

I'm still having a hard time seeing how this is a Warmoth CS problem. If I'm reading this right, you ordered parts. and received the parts you ordered. Then, upon assembly, you discovered that they did not fit, and instead of returning them, you modified the parts, rendering one piece unusable. Then you contacted Warmoth and requested a replacement for a part you damaged.

I understand that you were unaware that there are different size knobs for different size shafts, but as you noted, W's web site does say their Strat knobs are a "Push on fit for split shaft metric potentiometers."

I hold a company's CS department to a pretty high standard. I expect them to go the extra mile to make things right for their customers, but in this case, I just don't see Warmoth's liability.

 

[TBurst Std]

If in doubt, always measured and know your part, then ask if the part you are looking at is lacking details.

For your future reference:

Here is the stuff to know. Admins feel free to sticky in Tips and Tricks

There are 4 types of pot shafts and knobs.

Solid Shaft
1. Metric - 6mm
2. Imperial - 1/4 in

Split Shaft
3. Metric - coarse 18 spline
4. Imperial - fine 24 spline

Alpha pots are metric
CTS pots are imperial
Bournes pots can be had either way in a lot of their offerings

 

[AirCap]

Without putting too fine a point on it, but the real problem lies in the OP's ignorance of pot shaft differences....

 

[Steve_Karl]

I like the vintage flat top knobs because they have a hex key set screw so I have a titanium drill bit to ream
(edited below for clarity)
out the hole that is too small to fit on a solid shaft pot.

 

[Cagey]

Why would you want to drill out the set screw?

 

[BigSteve22]

Why would you want to drill out the set screw?

???

 

[mayfly]

Maybe he's drilling out the shaft to turn a 6mm knob into a 1/4" knob... and has to back out the set screw first?


... just guessing ... :dontknow: