KnobLock, guitar pedal knob position lock

Keep your pedal settings exactly where you set them

The problem

It happens at every gig: you set your drives and modulations at home, pack up, and by the time your board comes out the other end a cable has nudged a knob, someone brushed past your board, or you bumped something during soundcheck. You spend the first song chasing your tone instead of playing it.

Tape works until it gets sticky. Nail polish is permanent. Other solutions exist but cost more than the pedal deserves.

KnobLock is a 3D-printed answer to the problem.

Inspiration & alternatives

KnobLock is heavily inspired by PeacePoti, which is a beautifully made commercial version of this idea.

At a minimum of 5€ per knob, it adds up fast on a full board while KnobLock is a free, print-it-yourself alternative.

Other solutions I considered:

• Tape / gaffer → cheap but leaves residue, looks messy, no position indicator
• Nail polish dots → permanent, hard to update when you change settings
• Knob guards / bumpers → protect against accidental hits but give you no position reference

KnobLock is free, prints in under 30 minutes per unit, and works on most standard pedal pots.

How it works

1. Remove your knob
2. Drop KnobLock over the pot shaft; the hex bore engages the pot nut
3. Rotate the outer shell to tighten (it acts as the wrench)
4. Push your knob back on
5. Insert a pick into the top slot and rotate to mark your current setting
6. Unscreen the outer shell and pull on it once unscrewed to remove it

The outer shell is fixed and cannot be accidentally change your settings if rotated.

The inner disc moves only when you deliberately turn it with a guitar pick.

2-colour version

The inner disc is printed in two colours: black body, white top cap.

The white section is the position indicator. It reads clearly against the black outer shell at a glance, even on a dark stage.

AMS version → paint is already applied, just choose your colors and print.

No-AMS version → a filament swap pause is set at the right layer. First color is the top of the inner disc, then swap to the body color when prompted.

Compatibility

Designed for standard 6mm shaft pots with an M7×0.75 pot nut (the most common spec on Alpha and Song Huei 16mm pots used in the vast majority
of guitar pedals).

Some pots use a 6.35mm shaft which should also work with a slightly looser fit inside the knob.

If your pedal uses a different pot nut size, let me know and I'll see if I can provide the right size.

Fit & friction

The inner disc is intentionally sized with a small gap against the outer shell.

This gives enough friction to hold your mark in place during normal use, while still allowing deliberate adjustment with a pick.

If your print runs tight or loose, a quick sanding of the disc edge will dial it in.