Picking Hand keeps hitting volume knob

The only reason for the volume being in the way of the hand is volume swelling, Otherwise it is utterly pointless and in the way of freedom of escape. There is no reason to have the volume knob where it is unless you want to do constant volume control. And that is a very small and advanced aspect of playing that should not be forced on players. A foot pedal is more than enough to do this rather than upsetting most of your technique.

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Beating a dead horse fellas, lots of options or learn to live with it. One could complain about a pickup selector position as well in that case, and so on. Stop whining and practice more :rofl::kissing_heart:

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Don’t you think the adaptation of tools to our body is just as important if not more than us adapting to them?

Saying just get over it ignores the fact you can just go through it, in terms of guitar, an item you have for a long time, why not go through it, make it as economical as you can while keeping it a guitar.

Going over it or dealing it would make sense if it’s a short term thing. living with a stone in your shoe is just stupid. Take it off and remove it.

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For me it is not an issue, but I sort of fan my fingers out so they are over the volume knob and don’t hold them closed like I see some do. I don’t even think I could pick with my fingers closed, as it seems like an awkward position to me. But whatever gets the job done for ya, and if you must move the knob.
Happy pickin!

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Hehhe, man unless this is some sort of therapy, it’s a strat. The way I see it is you have three options:

  1. Take it up with fender
  2. Adapt
  3. Try another strat type guitar

The fourth option is this thread I suppose :slightly_smiling_face:

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This is a really deep question. In 2019, I decided to use only one pick. I chose a 2.0mm Dunlop Flow in Ultex because it looked good on paper. It was completely strange/annoying/thick/stiff/chirpy… but I decided to just stick to it, no matter what, as if was the world’s only type of pick. Today, I can’t imagine anything else. But it didn’t bend to me: I bent to it. I assume that somebody can pick their primary guitar (Strat, Tele, Les Paul, RG, V, Explorer, St. Vincent, whatever), and then bend to it. The ā€œsmash hand into knob problemā€ has been resolved by all long-term Strat players, where it can be done, and it’s worth the effort if that’s the primary guitar. How does one choose their primary guitar? Well, I suppose it has to look cool… but beyond that, is there a right answer? I’m not sure!

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I know that I would love to feel comfortable on pointy guitars, because I love how pointy guitars look, but my body just cannot feel comfortable on anything other than a strat shape. I borrowed an Ibanez Destroyer for a little bit that I wound up adapting to, but really the strat shape just ā€œfitsā€ for me.

The idea that you can’t mod a guitar is silly. Imagine if someone told EVH ā€œstrats don’t have humbuckers, deal with it.ā€

@WhammyStarScream I’ve seen players ditch the tone control, move the volume where the tone is supposed to go, and plug up the hole left behind by the volume knob. Maybe an option?

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Well put. This primary guitar thing I thing is important, I will break myself to adjust to it. This can take a while, question is how badly do you want it !?

Talking about picks, I hope you get to try a blue chip TD 40 or 45, I have one each, and haven’t lost them for a few years now, they’re all I play with these days, 100% worth it fo me, They last long, no sign of wear in two years with hard playing, stiff, they grip nice when warm, no chirp, and it’s like you added a couple of grand in pro gear to your rig, the bass tightens up and good things happen to the mids and top too, I have no idea how this sorcery works but it’s awesome.

edit: back to the main topic, it is about commitment to solve the problem if that’s the fight you have chosen to win. And believe me this vol knob thing just disappears after you tackle it once and for all.

edit2:
I’ve been playing SRV style things lately and it’s a very different right hand thing than say Malmsteen. Stevie likes to pick over his neck pickup or close to it, while mamlsrteen in away back with the hand anchored on the bridge. The anchored position needs the pinky to be curled around the vol most of the time, there are exceptions. But the SRV stuff is all far away from the vol knob.

The other thing I noticed is I’m almost always anchoring but there are two types:

  1. edge of palm on the bridge
  2. pinky and ring finger on the pick guard or body

These two are totally different actions.

So the problem could be that your actor point it’s if on the bridge just needs to move back a bit, and then you pinky could just curl the knob while staying ā€œanchoredā€?

And if you need to move up for tonal reasons, you lift your palm and anchor primarily on the pinky/ring combo?

Does this make sense to anybody else?

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In the long run I just let the strat hang on the wall.
Mostly play the jackson, better feeling neck, lighter and my pinky rides in front of the knob as you will see if my picture loads right.
The matt paint gets shiny as your body buffs it out in contact areas and it wears through easily.
20250907_194829|375x500

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I was wondering where that image came from, I got three downloads of your guitar because it downloads and doesn’t open for me lol

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Sometimes im not good at the internet. I’m sure I hit a wrong button or something. I remember leaving with an impending sense of doom.

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I had this same exact issue as well as a problem with the tip of the pointy pick striking the neck pickup… so I deliberately found a guitar I liked that only had one pickup and a volume knob that was placed further away. bc rich iron bird… best guitar I’ve ever had regardless of those issues being fixed but now I have maximum comfort to boot

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I now own (and love) my PRS DWCE 24 Floyd. They relocated the volume pots so that doesn’t happen to me anymore.

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It’s nice to look at too.

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Haha thanks I appreciate that man :sunglasses::+1:t3:

I bang into middle pickups with my pick

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Yeah middle or top for me, I absolutely hate that so I got the bc rich bird that only has the bottom pickup. It’s great having nothing there above it. Also has a conveniently placed volume knob that’s never in the way.

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I just decided to remove my bar from the fat strat and with that bridge being super flat it put back in my comfortable position even for tracking.
With my pinky lightly touching as it is want to do mu fingers curl I. A way the knob goes tight over it.

Bonus I. Now I position to access volume but not bonk it and my string tracking is better.

I’m not a bar guy but it looked cool so I left it until now. I have mental problems. Lol