How to Change the Knobs on a Stratocaster

Co-authored by Stephen Beckwith and Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 13, 2024 References

The Stratocaster, commonly known as a Strat, is a style of vintage electric guitar produced by Fender. It first came out in 1952, but there are still Stratocasters being made today. You may want to change your knobs out to give your guitar a new look, or if one of the knobs starts sticking or becomes hard to turn. While most guitars have 2 volume knobs and 1 tone for the knob, Strats have 2 tone knobs and single volume knob. This means that you can only use replacement knobs designed specifically for Stratocasters. This shouldn’t be a challenge though since Strats are extremely popular and the knobs are universal. Replacing the knobs is extremely easy and shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Removing the Old Knobs

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Purchase a set of replacement knobs online or from a music supply store. There are tons of different designs out there based on the look you’re going for. You can buy metal, wood, or plastic knobs in a variety of different colors and styles. Strat knobs are universal so you can buy any set designed specifically for Stratocasters.^{[1]
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- Most electric guitars have 2 volume knobs and 1 tone knob. Strats are unique because they have 2 tone knobs and 1 volume knob. The tone knob closest to the bridge controls the tone in the neck, while the other tone knob manages the sound of the notes you play. Only get knobs for Strats to make sure you get 2 tone knobs.
Tip: Buy a knob and pickup cover kit if you want to also replace the cover on the pickup. This isn’t mandatory since some people like the contrast, but many guitar players want their pickup cover to match their knobs. The pickup is the small lever that changes the sound your strings make when you move it. Kits always come with a matching pickup cover.
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Set the guitar down on a towel with knobs up and grab some stiff paper. Lay a clean cloth down on top of a table and set your guitar down on top of it with the knobs facing up. Grab some business cards or playing cards to remove the knobs. Basically any flat paper-based straight edge will work.^{[2]
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- You can also use a sealed envelope, a thin piece of cardboard, index cards, or any other thin material that will slide under the knobs. Some people prefer using shoelaces, which will also work if you can get them under the knobs.^{[3]
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Slide the straight edge under the first knob on your guitar’s body. Take the long side of your business card or paper straight edge and hold it flat next to any knob on your guitar. Gently slide the straight edge under the gap between the knob and the body of the guitar. The straight edge should fit under the knob, but there should be a little bit of tension between the knob and the straight edge.^{[4]
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- If the straight edge slides in really easily, put a second business card or straight edge on top of the first one to increase the thickness a little.
Tip: You can start on any of your knobs, it really doesn’t matter. However, you do need to do each knob one at a time since you’ll use the other 2 knobs as a reference for the knob you’re installing.
If you have a metal knob or you’re worried about the knob shooting off, gently place a soft cloth over your hands and the knob before loosening it to keep it from popping out too hard. If a metal knob shoots up and falls back down on the body of your guitar, it may scratch the paint.^{[5]
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Pull the straight edge as far under the knob as you can. Then, slowly move the straight edge back and forth until the knob starts turning. Pull up gently while you move the straight edge back and forth to begin pulling the knob off of the pin it is attached to.^{[6]
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Continue sliding the straight edge back and forth until the knob pops off. Keep lifting the straight edge up while sliding it back and forth until you feel the knob loosening up. If you feel the knob sliding around really easily, just grab it and pull it off of the pin it is attached to. If you can’t remove it by hand, keep pulling the straight edge up while moving it back and forth until it pops off of the pin.^{[7]
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- Most of the time, the knob will pop off while you’re moving the straight edge back and forth. Sometimes, the knob will become loose enough to lift it off by hand. Just use your best judgement and don’t yank on the knob.
- Don’t rip the knob off. Just be patient and keep sliding your straight edge back and forth. You may damage the pin if you pull the knob off when it isn’t really loose.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Installing Your New Knobs

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Turn your other knobs all the way to 0 to create a reference point. Once your first knob is off, turn the 2 other knobs all the way to the right to set them to 0. Note the direction that the words on top of each knob are pointing. In almost every case, the words “volume” or “tone” will face away from the guitar. This will give you a reference point when installing your first knob.^{[8]
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- It is possible to install the knobs in the wrong direction if you don’t line the first knob up with the other knobs.
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Rotate the exposed pin all the way to the right so it matches the other knobs. You can turn the exposed pin under the knob your removed without a knob on it. Just grab the pin and turn it all the way to the right. The flat side of the pin should be pointing in the same direction as the words printed on the other knobs.^{[9]
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- The flat edge on the pin is always the location where the hash mark for the knob goes.
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Place the knob over the pin so the word on top lines up with other knobs. Take your replacement knob and rotate it so the word “tone” or “volume” on top is facing the same direction as the words printed on the other two knobs. Hold the knob on top of the pin and lower it on top so that the opening in the middle of the knob is on top of the pin.^{[10]
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- You will feel the opening on the knob line up with the pin on the guitar.
Gently slide the knob down into the pin. It shouldn’t be particularly hard to do this so jiggle the knob a little while you’re pushing it down if you feel resistance to line the pin up with the slot on the knob. Keep pushing the knob down until the bottom of the knob rests against the body of the guitar.^{[11]
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Repeat this entire process with your 2 remaining knobs. Once your first knob is replaced, pick your paper straight edge back up and get to work on removing the next knob. Again, it doesn’t matter which order you work in. Slide the straight edge under the knob and move it back and forth until it comes off. Turn the knobs in the same direction, and install the next knob on your guitar. Repeat the process a third time to finish replacing all of the knobs.^{[12]
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- This entire processed shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Changing the Pickup Cover to Match the Knobs

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Slide the pickup to the top or bottom and grip the plastic tip. The pickup is the 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) lever just above the knobs on your guitar. If you want to replace the pickup cover, slide the pickup all the way up or down. It doesn’t matter which direction you set it. Grab the plastic tip at the end of the pickup with your thumb and index finger.^{[13]
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- Many guitar players swap the pickup cover out to match their knobs when they replace it so they all match. This is by no means mandatory, though.
Tip: If you have a Squier or foreign-manufactured Stratocaster, the size of the pickup cover may be a little different. Be sure to get your pickup cover from a company based in the country your guitar is from, or buy a tip designed specifically for a Squier Stratocaster.^{[14]
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Pull the tip gently away from the pickup by hand until it pops off. Keep the pickup lever in the same location as you do this. Slowly pull the tip up and away from the pickup. Jiggle it back and forth if it doesn’t move at all. Keep tugging on the tip until it pops off.^{[15]
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- This should be extremely easy to do. It shouldn’t take very much pressure to remove the plastic tip.
Take your new pickup cover and look at the opening on the bottom. Line the slot up with the tip of the pickup and gently push it down. Keep applying light pressure until you feel the end of the tip resting flush against the end of the pickup.^{[16]
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Tips

Many guitar players swap their knobs out so that the color of their knobs matches the body of the guitar. For example, if you have brown knobs, a red guitar, and a white saddle, you may want to switch to red knobs.

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If you want to go for a really zany look, get 3 sets of replacement knobs and make each knob a different color.

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