Stacked volume / tone controls

[frankmcr]

I've only played electrics with the regular one-piece control knobs. Any thoughts on the stacked kind? Advantages/disadvantages?

[Steve DeRosa]

Never liked them - too hard to make quick adjustments on the fly, and too easy to move them together when they stick (and IME they will)...

[frankmcr]

The top one is for making micro-adjustments I'm guessing?

[dilver]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

The top one is for making micro-adjustments I'm guessing?

Typically, outer ring for volume (it’s larger); inner knob for tone. My old Ovation Legend had this - worked really well for me. Wasn’t as good on my Danelectro. They do this on some Jazz basses, too.

[Rudy4]

I've had a couple guitars with stacked controls. Not something I would ever recommend, and I would go the other way if something came along with dual concentric controls.

[rmp]

For Fpr me and for frequent tweaks, which is often the case when playing electrics, they are far from ideal.

[Bowie]

I've really liked them. Never had one stick. Never found them difficult to use at all.

[edward993]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

I've only played electrics with the regular one-piece control knobs. Any thoughts on the stacked kind? Advantages/disadvantages?

They are good space savers and gives one the opportunity to have another pot to control something without adding another hole. It works just fine.

That said, if you play live with it, accessing either one on the fly is clumsy and imprecise. If you don't gig, the quick-access is moot.


Edward

[fazool]

As stated, stacked pots are not for coarse and fine adjustment but for two different things - most commonly volume and tone.

A signficant advantage is space savings. I added a piezo bridge to two of my taylor solidbodies and didn't want to drill a new hole for the piezo volume control, so I added a stacked knob.

They save a lot of space.

I use a volume pedal when gigging so any adjustments on the fly don't need my hands. I imagine its easier to swipe the side of the knob which I';ve done but I can't imagine its a huge difference.

The do stick up axially a little more obviously so that could interfere with a tremolo arm etc.

My only worry is the reliability of the more complex mechanism and the sometimes smaller potentiometer resistor rings.

[mr. beaumont]

They're on my Danelectro. I find it easiest to just not use them and leave everything wide open.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

They're on my Danelectro. I find it easiest to just not use them and leave everything wide open.

It's a Danelectro I was thinking about.

I knew what they looked like and what they were called but not what they actually did. Never knew anybody who had a guitar with them.

Seems like an interesting idea now that I know. Might be fun to fool around with.