Silly question: replacing guitar knobs

[pennylink]

I've just picked up an Oscar Schmidt OE30 (semi-hollow body Gibson ES-335 clone by Washburn) for a ridicously low $149 at MF. I love most everything about it, exept the tone/volume knobs are very cheesy. So I bought a set of black Gibson top-hat knobs, but I can barely get them onto the spindle (if that's the correct term), and certainly can't push them all the way down, even when applying as much pressure as the knobs and guitar will stand. In other words, they don't seem to fit

Are there different sizes, or is there a trick to fitting new knobs? The ones that were on the guitar came off fairly easily and go back on easily. I even measured the inside of the knobs that came with the guitar and the Gibson ones I bought with a precision measuring tool, and they appear to be identical...

Any suggestions are appreciated

 

[turnitdown]

Guitar knobs unfortunately, are not really standard in sizes...
That said, Gibson plastic high hats can be gently reamed out with just a drill bit (by hand, NOT attached to the drill).

Go slow, go easy, and take just a little plastic at a time. (If you take off to much plastic, just wrap a little electrical tape aroound the shaft, and try again...)

You can then push them in to the shaft and they should fit snug, but not require your body weight to get them on.

ALSO, if your pots have "split shafts", you can squeeze them together, to effectively make the shaft smaller, and help the knobs slide on.

Let us know how it goes...

 

[pennylink]

Thanks for the tip. The drill bit trick worked a treat. Knobs are on snug and looking good

Please allow me to use this opportunity to give a plug for the Oscar Schmidt OE30 Delta King guitar. This is an incredible value if you're looking for a Gibson ES-335 style guitar at a fraction of the cost and if you don't mind an off-brand. These things sell at MF for $149 and they are every bit as well finished and sound as good, if not better, than the Ibanez Artcore series or the Epi Dot. They're made in China (read: cheap labor), and you would expect the worst, but mine was set up perfectly right out of the box. The only immediate improvement necessary is to replace the plastic nut and the cheesy knobs, along with a fresh set of strings. The rest of the hardware is really pretty amazing for the price: Grover tuners, tun-o-matic bridge, stop tail piece, a pair of Washburn 400 series humbuckers, etc. Anyway, read the Harmony Central reviews if you would like to know more. See ya!

 

[bongolation]

I've just picked up an Oscar Schmidt OE30...for a ridicously low $149 at MF.
[...]
Are there different sizes, or is there a trick to fitting new knobs?

Believe it or not, MF has had that guitar even cheaper than $149. Yes, there are two basic splined shaft sizes that require different knobs. They're close, but not interchangeable, as you have found out.

 

[bongolation]

Please allow me to use this opportunity to give a plug for the Oscar Schmidt OE30 Delta King guitar...[Y]ou would expect the worst, but mine was set up perfectly right out of the box.

MF briefly (like about three days) had these for an incredible $129.99 last year on their website. A number of guys I knew got them, and about half were mildly enthusiastic, but numerous buyers sent them back because of bad neck attachment. It's apparently not a set-neck instrument and there were some problems with the screws stripped or necks drilled crooked.

I was considering getting one out of curiosity, but couldn't find anything about these pickups and I dawdled until the price went up, so I blew 'em off.

Glad yours is working out for you!