Knob removal. Oo-er missus.

[fretmeister]

I am fed up with the gold knobs on my Mark Bass. They are shiny gold with little gold indents in them.

Cannot see the settings unless I'm about 3 inches from the front panel and even then if the light is wrong I have to use a finger to detect where the indent is.

If anyone from Mark Bass is on here - seriously, give your head a wobble and change the design a bit.

 

But, I can't get the knobs off! I've given them a good pull and they won't shift. They are installed slightly into the control panel so I cannot get anything under them.

 

Any ideas? Or am I going to have to just use pliers and risk chewing up the knobs?

 

[HazBeen]

Try 2 heavy picks. Slide tips under the knob, and then lift.

[HazBeen]

Or if you want to spend cash... https://www.thomann.de/gb/allparts_knob_puller_tool.htm?ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6IjIiLCJsYW5ndWFnZSI6ImVuIn0%3D&glp=1

[fretmeister]

4 minutes ago, HazBeen said:

Try 2 heavy picks. Slide tips under the knob, and then lift.

No room - the knobs are slightly sunk into the front panel.

[fretmeister]

2 minutes ago, HazBeen said:

Or if you want to spend cash... https://www.thomann.de/gb/allparts_knob_puller_tool.htm?ref=intl&shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6IjIiLCJsYW5ndWFnZSI6ImVuIn0%3D&glp=1

Don't think that would work either - there is only 1mm of space at the side of the knob.

[HazBeen]

2 strips of cloth. Slide under each side then cross the strips and pull?

[HazBeen]

Apologies for the doodle... but this shows what I mean

[fretmeister]

That might be do-able!

 

Also - why the smeg don't these companies use knobs with grub screws so it's easy?

Eijits.

[pete.young]

I would be wary of applying too much force. The pots are probably soldered straigh onto the main PCB, if so it would be easy to break the connection by applying too much force to the knob.

 

[MichaelDean]

How about a bit of black nail polish in the dents? 

[paulbuzz]

I feel your pain. I have an Ashdown pedal that originally had similar polished knobs. Under most lighting conditions it was impossible to tell where they were set. I changed them ASAP.

I haven't any useful advice to add, but good luck with your replacement efforts!

[Osiris]

13 hours ago, HazBeen said:

2 strips of cloth. Slide under each side then cross the strips and pull?

I've seen something similar on YouTube (can't remember what video it was now) where they used a flat (rather than a round) shoe lace to wrap around the shaft below the knob and then pull the lace up slowly but firmly to remove the knob. Is there room to squeeze a flat shoe lace around the recess?

More innuendos are available on request. 

[fretmeister]

3 hours ago, Osiris said:

I've seen something similar on YouTube (can't remember what video it was now) where they used a flat (rather than a round) shoe lace to wrap around the shaft below the knob and then pull the lace up slowly but firmly to remove the knob. Is there room to squeeze a flat shoe lace around the recess?

More innuendos are available on request. 

No - it's really tight.

 

I might email MB and ask them. And tell them how stupid the knobs are. Anything reflective for use in a stage light environment is stupid.

[Osiris]

29 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

No - it's really tight.

 

I might email MB and ask them. And tell them how stupid the knobs are. Anything reflective for use in a stage light environment is stupid.

Failing that, what about marking the daft knobs with some tippex, a marker pen, a sliver of electrical tape or something similar? Something that can easily be removed should you decide you don't like it or wish to sell the amp on? 

But yeah, shiny knobs and fascias might look cool in the shop but are useless on stage. 

[mcnach]

2 minutes ago, Osiris said:

 

But yeah, shiny knobs and fascias might look cool in the shop but are useless on stage. 

 

There's an Ashdown RM500 head in one of the rehearsal studios I use... ugh. Nice sounding amp, but that mirror face... whose idea was that??? It's great if I want to retouch my make up, but it's a pain if I want to read which knob does what.

[Osiris]

Likewise, I recently picked up a Fender Downtown Express pre-amp, it's a cracking sounding unit with a great EQ and drive section but it's a shiny anaemic gold colour, that subtle shade of yellow you only see in the contents of discarded plastic pop bottles by the side of the road. And as if that isn't awesome enough, the font is white. On a shiny washed out gold background. Really?

Edited November 19, 2019 by Osiris
Illiteracy

[fretmeister]

Tippex is a great idea. Matt white finish and then draw a black line on it.

That would save a lot of hassle.

[M@23]

Can you hook a bit of tooth floss or fishing line down the back of it? 

[Chienmortbb]

6 hours ago, mcnach said:

 

There's an Ashdown RM500 head in one of the rehearsal studios I use... ugh. Nice sounding amp, but that mirror face... whose idea was that??? It's great if I want to retouch my make up, but it's a pain if I want to read which knob does what.

Maybe that is why they changed to a matt escutcheon on the RM500 Evo Mk2.

[stevie]

True. The mirror front plate doesn't bother me, as I normally don't change my settings during a gig, but I do have to peer at it and squint before the gig to make sure the settings are where they should be.