Active Band Man Chats - Knobs Edition

You know how in winter, you get that sudden zap?

Huh?

That electric zap!

Hmmm?

From the knob!

Knob? Like, on a guitar?

No, a doorknob!

Ah, static electricity. There, there. Did it hurt?

You’re treating me like a kid!

Easy now.

Now like a pet!

So, what’s the main topic?

The theme for this time is... knobs!

Knobs! Like volume and tone knobs, right? That’s pretty niche...

But there are all kinds of knobs, right? Everyone’s got their preferences.

Preferences? I guess so...

Well then, I’ll start.

Go ahead.

The knobs on my current Teisco Spectrum 5 look like old-school Japanese electronics. They’re super cool! I really like them. They’re like the channel dials on those old CRT TVs!

I see… the knobs on those outlandish guitars do have a unique vibe.

Yeah! Even the main guitar I use in The Showas, which is a Playtech Flying V, has those typical Fender-style plastic knobs. I don’t really have any complaints about those either.

Yeah, unless something’s seriously wrong, most people don’t really have issues with knobs.

Right? Especially if you’re a little tipsy!

Tipsy?

Whee~ hic Heyyy, bring me some snacks—anything’ll do!

Hey, old man!

hic?

Don’t give me that "hic"! Here, drink some water.

Okayyy.

Not that kind of "tsumami" (snack)! And, nobody says "hic" when they’re drunk anymore—not even in manga…

Uh, right, knobs! Honestly, I don’t have strong opinions on their shape! As long as they’re not loose, I’m good!

I knew it! That’s so vague, lol.

But do you know the tone curve? I do like when it’s nice and even.

Oh? Suddenly you’re getting all musical on me… is this Drunken Master?

Like, some knobs jump drastically between 80–100%, right? That always throws me off.

Uh-huh…

Well, whatever! I keep everything cranked to the max anyway!

Then what’s the point of having knobs? lol

Hic! But I need some snacks…!

Are we still doing this…? We’re talking about knobs!

Knobs? Nooooooobu!

Now you’re starting to sound like Daigo from Chidori, lol. I’m not Nobu, I’m Horry.

Hah! But as you know, there is that theory that says keeping the knob not at a full charge, but at around 80%, gives you more flexibility when you need it, and it helps to avoid over-distortion…

Ah... yeah, I've heard that too.

Sooo, if I’m going to be picky, it'd be nice if the knob had a little click-stop at 50% and at 80%.

Oh. That might actually be pretty practical.

Surprising?

No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.

Oh! Speaking of knobs, I wanna try out a HATA knob!

Oh yeah, we checked those out together before. They called it "the universe of knobs" or something like that, lol.
(See related article: “Working Band Member’s Trip — Tokyo Pedal Summit 2019 —”)

I actually got to touch one at the time, and man, it was amazing!

What did it feel like?!

Yup, it was the knobbbbbb!

(shoot…) no, that’s not it.

HATA knobs have this anti-slip texture you can only appreciate when you actually try them! Just like with comedy, it’s better when you don’t slip, y’know.

Right… (monotone) I see. Thoughtful attention to detail.

Incredible precision and care went into making it! Such consideration!

Definitely.

I want to custom order one and have it engraved!

With “kizu” (傷 / scar)?

Yeah! And with “ai” (愛 / love)!

So that means…?

It will always be cranked to the max!

Yeah yeah. So in the end, you don’t even need a knob (laughs)

Nobuuuuu! Yes, I need a knob! And, because everything is…

For love! — wait, are we really ending it like this?

…so what’s your favorite kind of knob, Horry?

Hmm… I don’t have a strong preference, but… I do want something with grip. Sometimes I adjust the volume mid-song, after all.

I see.

So, for example... (searching) when it comes to MONTREUX knobs, I prefer the JB/MB Knob over the Brass Dome Knob or the Vintage Tint Reflector Knob.

That shape’s been around forever, so it must be pretty practical.

And then there's the torque, or how much resistance the knob has when turning. Sometimes you get knobs that turn way too easily, right? I'm not a fan of those. I kind of prefer them to have a bit of weight to them… I think. How about you, Kizuhiko-san?

Ah yeah, having just the right amount of resistance does make a difference.

It’s annoying when it moves just from brushing your hand. And yeah, I also care about the response curve. That’s pretty important.

It’s your go-to pitch when it counts, right?

This isn’t baseball, haha. How do I put it... I just want the volume to decrease as smoothly and evenly as possible. Like, when I’m rolling it down. Sometimes you get those knobs where nothing changes much, and then suddenly the volume drops all at once. It’s a sharp curve type.

Totally. Like a tricky pitch. Hard to hit!

Still going on with the baseball, huh? (laughs) The problem with that is, when you want to fade out the volume gradually at the end of a song... it just disappears all of a sudden (chuckles). Though, maybe that’s not exactly about the knob itself. Let’s say it’s about the whole knob area.

Yeah, right! So once again… Everything is?

Because of love!