The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi forumites,

Following the great advice this forum offers, I waited patiently and found what I think is the correct volume dial for this lap steel. Although advertised as a Gibson dial from the same period, it looks right and I've included the old dial, which works just fine, is bakelite and appears to be the original. Have i got the right vol./tone dial? At least I can gauge the volume level due to the pointer that comes with the octagon dial.

It's not the same, but is close and as excellent a replacement for the original as I have seen. Nice find!

Rob, I've got the same knob(s) on my '39 Kay steel guitar. It looks good sittin there on the Rick.

Pretty close. Here's a real one:

Looks good. It appears to be identical to the vol knob on my Model C Electar.


Stock photo, here; mine's in better shape:

Close but no cigar. I see now because although octagonal and with pointer in white outline, it is too small. fits over the stem but does not clear the nut and washer. Therefore it sits a 1/4" above the metal plate. Unlike Cartrights which looks like it's flush with the body; has a deeper body. But it still beats the other one it came with, which offers you no measured control over the volume level. Good for now, I'll keep on looking. Thanks for the input folks.

The replacement knob you have found was typically used on Epiphones, but was also sold by Gibson as an accessory (catalog BB, pictured in Andre Duchossoir's book Gibson Electric Steel Guitars p.75). Epiphone used these style knobs first in black, later in white on all their Electar steels and subsequently on every electric guitar they built up until the demise of the original company. Gibson continued their use on Kalamazoo-built Epiphones the first couple of years as well, until the supply was deleted. One time I pulled one off the back of a Stromberg-Carlson console radio to put on my 1959 Epiphone Crestwood! But I think the Original knob on your Bakelite Rick may have been used by Rick during the era as well: I have seen the same exact style on several Ricks, including early Bakelite B-6s, a Silver Hawaiian and even a Frying Pan (the one on display in the NAMM Museum of Making Music has such a knob). I have no documentation on this, but believe it may have been an option - seen too many of them for it to have been a mere coincidence - as it is taller and easier to grab and turn than the low profile acorn type knob. Wasn't there someone making a repro posted on the Forum a couple of months ago?

Thanks Pete,

You've defined my search parameters greatly. This will do for now and it wasn't a great expense. Thanks for the expansive info!