What a simple, handy little thing the guitar knob is. Regularly, this subject is passed over, occasionally neglected and every so often even misunderstood. You may invest a lot of time in your pedals, guitars and amplifiers, but do you spend any time on the pickup? Spoiler: learning how those knobs work can change your sound and the way you perform.

If you play music in your room or are the lead in your imaginary band, we’ll help you understand sound effects and use them like a true studio wizard. Grab your seatbelts, because we’re heading for some energetic, interesting and likely jazzy music.

It’s Not Only an On/Off Switch

Most times, you probably adjust the volume by using the knob. Still, it’s only a small part of the story.

Spruce Up Your Dirty Sounds

If you set your amp or pedal to a nice overdrive, simply reduce the guitar’s volume. Magically, cleaning up your tone will leave it deep and full. It’s right for those classic rock licks, especially when you want that clear-to-gritty sound.

Suppose you’ve hit the perfect beginning to “Smoke on the Water.” For the verse, turn your volume knob down to between 6 and 7, rather than stomping on any pedal. Boom! No need to bend down to get great sounds fast.

Use volume swells for a more dramatic effect.

While you play a note or chord, turn the volume up bit by bit. Add a bit of reverb or delay, and the sound becomes like a violin. Want to see an example? Try listening to groups such as U2 or any type of ambient musician.

Imagine it’s a bit like the lights gradually dimming in a theater to add to the atmosphere. You’re guaranteed to get goosebumps.

The Tone Knob Is Your Hidden Sound Shaper

Some people find the guitar knob hard to understand. How does it work? It rolls off the highs in your sound, making the sound warmer, darker and smoother. The long answer? It’s a place where creativity can run wild.

Get Creative and Add Jazz to Your Dishes

Looking to make others believe you’re a jazz musician? Drop the tone knob almost to zero, use your neck pickup and play some smooth chords. Congratulations, you can now make your coffee shop gigs much more interesting.

Use a Wah Pedal Sound

A fun little tip: Turn your tone knob while you play and it will sound wah-like. It functions well when you only play a single note at a time. Coordination is necessary, but showing off for your bandmates is worth the time.

Tame the Treble.

Certain single-coil guitars tend to sound sharp or harsh when playing in the treble. When you turn back the tone knob, you remove some of those high-frequency sounds. Whether you’re playing blues or lead parts, this trick will help you out.

Combine Pickup and Knob Settings for Different Tones

Every pickup you use on your guitar brings its unique character. Your job? Experiment with the knobs to help the guitar make its finest sounds. Pick up the ball with a bridge grip and lower your volume.

That bite we love is often found in the bridge pickup. Just turn the volume down 

slightly, and the sharpness of the pick will become a smooth grit for rhythm playing.

Using the Neck Pickup with a Rolled Back Tone

We mentioned this earlier for jazz, but you can also use it for rock ballads, blues or even spacey solos. It’s soft and smooth and has many unique qualities.

Set the Middle Pickup and adjust the Tone.

Not every guitar comes with a middle pickup, but if yours does, that’s great news. If you want a nice vintage warmth, lower your tone knob half-way. For funk, rhythmic pop and clean sounds, the setting stands out.

Work on using the Pinky Roll.

Have you ever seen a guitarist dial different settings during a solo and wondered how they do it? It’s time to introduce the pinky roll! You roll the knob on your amplifier with your pinky finger while you are still playing. Not only is this technique fun to see in action, but it is also very useful. Imagine starting soft on a note, then gradually turning it up for a great crescendo.

What is the best way to practice? First, use open strings to help your hand get comfortable with the guitar’s movements. Work it into your riffs or solos when you’ve gotten used to it. You’ll be amazed by how much you can do within a short while.

When You’re Not Sure, Try Something Different

Why do I love guitar knobs? You cannot break one unless you lose control and snap one off (which we hope you won’t). It’s all about playing around with your ideas. Try swapping pickups, playing with the knobs and switching up your guitar style.

Have you ever turned your neck pickup up and strummed just by the bridge? Have you turned up the tone, lowered the volume to 4 and strummed your strings for a biting rhythm? There are countless ways to mix effects; the more you try, the more your playing sound will change.

Having a guitar, knobs, pedals and an amp together gives you super-charged tone.

Here’s a little trick for making your tone stand out. Make sure to use your amp, pedal settings and guitar knobs together. They are the main elements that help shape tone. For example:

• Setting your guitar’s volume knob lower often works to fix a fuzz pedal that sounds too loud.
• Moving your tone knob can highlight the beautiful effects in your delay or reverb.
• When you use an amplifier with plenty of gain, turning down the volume can improve the sound of your palm-muted riffs.
• Remember knobs come at the end of your signal chain, where you can polish how your sound comes out.

Conclusion

There’s more to guitar knobs than just making your guitar look good. They are useful tools for creating personality, dynamics and multiple sounds in your playing. What’s most convenient is that you can always get to them, unless you happen to be leaping off the stage while playing—then you’ve got more important things to worry about.

Use these tricks, practice them and make them work for you.

 If you play noise, blues or are just beginning, your guitar knobs help you create sounds that are special to you. Feel free to change, adjust and modify the design to your heart’s liking. All you have to do is touch the guitar to use your perfect tone. Rock on!