Spacers for using pots with 7mm bushings in bigger holes

mikezimmerman

mikezimmerman

Supporting Member
Apr 29, 2001
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Omaha, Nebraska
#1
I'm finally getting around to swapping out the preamp on my custom Curbow. The original electronics included RMC piezos in the bridge, along with an EMG preamp/blend for the Bartolini quad-coil pickups, and and RMC mag/piezo blend/preamp.

I never used the piezos, and the saddles did not lock in place so they made it tough to keep the intonation between string changes. I also was having a little problem with buzzing with the magnetic pickups--probably a loose shielding wire--but complexity of the setup made it tough to troubleshoot. Finally, I was never totally sold on the stacked knob setup on the EMG unit, or the compression that the RMC added to the overall dynamics.

So, I ordered a new 3-band preamp with passive tone from John East, one of his non-stack-knob units. In preliminary testing, I really like the way it sounds. It also appears to use very high quality pots, and comes pretty much pre-wired, so installation should be easy...except many of the holes for the previous preamp are too big for the 7mm bushings of the current pots.

Does anybody have suggestions for where to get spacers to use smaller pots in bigger holes without them sliding around?

It seems like something that should be easy to find at electronics suppliers, except I don't really even know what they're called, so I've been coming up empty so far...

Thanks!
 
#2
I've never seen a sleeve or bushing or anything specifically made for this issue. but it is a common problem. the thin washers that come with pots usually distort, there's often not enough thread to use extras, and a shakeproof washer has no material to bite into.

you could probably find some copper or plastic pipe with the right i.d. and cut your own. perhaps just some o-rings would work. try the plumbing or irrigation section at your local hardware I guess.

for me, I usually just fill and redrill. it only takes a minute or two. tape the hole from the front, mix some resin or bog, fill from the back, do something else for 20 minutes, then drill.
 
#3
RobbieK said:
I've never seen a sleeve or bushing or anything specifically made for this issue. but it is a common problem. the thin washers that come with pots usually distort, there's often not enough thread to use extras, and a shakeproof washer has no material to bite into.

you could probably find some copper or plastic pipe with the right i.d. and cut your own. perhaps just some o-rings would work. try the plumbing or irrigation section at your local hardware I guess.

for me, I usually just fill and redrill. it only takes a minute or two. tape the hole from the front, mix some resin or bog, fill from the back, do something else for 20 minutes, then drill.
Click to expand...

John East recommended rubber o-rings, since that's what they ship with some of their pre's.

The bass is has a deep carved zebrawood top, with the knobs inset into the top, and I don't have a drill press, so filling and re-drilling is probably not something I would tackle!
 
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