I've been looking to replace the knobs on my '83 L2000 for awhile now. The chome paint has been flaking off. It's almost completely gone on one of them. I contacted G&L and they said those knobs have been discontinued for many years. I've also checked a few local stores with no luck.

I'd like to get the same knobs, to keep it all original. Does anyone know any good vintage parts stores/websites that might be able to find these?

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/dylandog/gl_controls.jpg

Sorry, I have been buying G&Ls and parts for over 6 years and I've NEVER seen a single one of those knobs for sale! Maybe you could check into getting them polished and rechromed? Probably not cheap, I'd guess.
If you decide to change them out I'll buy them as-is!

i have a 83 l-2000 that i bought without original knobs. i searched ebay for a few months with no luck. i was talkbass'n one night a few weeks ago, and i stumbled upon a thread where someone was thinking of buying an old l2k with a knob missing. a replyer offered to sell him and original knob. i asked him if he had 3 knobs for my bass and he did! i had to wait a week to see if the original poster actually needed the knob, but apparently he didn't buy the bass. i felt like i won the lottery when i paid only 10 dollars for the set of three!!! they are in great shape too. right place, right time. good luck.

What a lucky find. Those things are virtually impossible to locate.

Those things are virtually impossible to locate.
Oh man...that stinks.

I'm going to replace them so they don't get any worse. Sorry guys, I think I'll keep them around incase I ever sell this bass. I seriously doubt I ever will though.

if you are going to replace em, try sadowsky knobs. i used them for a while on my bass with black hardware, and i thought they looked nice. you can get them through sadowsky, but these guys make em. http://www.kilointernational.com/

Hey Burnt, I'm sorry you are having trouble locating knobs. I have to say that looking at the pic of your bass reminded me that my 85 L2000 had those rubber things on the switches. I have no idea what ever happend to those. I think I took them off because I thought it looked better but now I wish I had them.

I have to say that looking at the pic of your bass reminded me that my 85 L2000 had those rubber things on the switches. I have no idea what ever happend to those. I think I took them off because I thought it looked better but now I wish I had them.

I've seen those on sale at eletronics places. Here's an example:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/toggleswitchcvr.php

or you could roll your own with something called "Plastidip". Just dip your switch handle into it and let it dry. The stuff is meant for tool handle grips.

http://www.plastidip.com/

if you are going to replace em, try sadowsky knobs. i used them for a while on my bass with black hardware, and i thought they looked nice. you can get them through sadowsky, but these guys make em. http://www.kilointernational.com/
Hey thanks, great suggestion!! Those are some cool knobs. I'd probably go with the clear gloss. I think these would look pretty good on my bass:
http://www.kilointernational.com/knobs/jd_series/jdknobs.jpg

or these:

http://www.kilointernational.com/knobs/dd_series/ddknobs.jpg

What do you guys think?

I've seen those on sale at eletronics places. Here's an example:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/toggleswitchcvr.php

or you could roll your own with something called "Plastidip". Just dip your switch handle into it and let it dry. The stuff is meant for tool handle grips.

http://www.plastidip.com/

Thanks man. I am going to restore/ refinish the ol girl soon and I think I would like to have those switch rubbers back on it.

Get the originals re-chromed! Surely it wouldn't cost that much to have done, and in the end, your bass will still have all the original parts.

Get the originals re-chromed! Surely it wouldn't cost that much to have done, and in the end, your bass will still have all the original parts.
True. Where would I go about doing this? What type of buisiness/shop does this type of thing?

i get lots of parts rechromed on my motorcycles. find a reputable shop that does chroming for car and m/c enthusiasts as they are used to turning out quallity rechroming. i've had the shop i use rechrome a jazz control plate and it was worth keeping the original bass intact for me. the costs should not be that much and you still have the originals. good luck.

look for plating companies in your area. most nickel/chrome shops have a polishing dept. too. they can strip, buff, and plate your parts. shouldn't cost you more than 25 dollars.

Sweet!

Thanks so much guys...I could easily spend that much or more on new knobs that don't match.

the electronics for one of my knobs is shot, does anyone know where to get another set for just one knob. the bass was made in the mid 80's, but i imagine the electonics are about the same. because it breaks the circuit the bass wont play without the electronics for all the knobs working.

Depends on the fault. The volume and treble pots are easy to find. The bass pot is best to get from G&L.

Which one ain't working?

Jim

Your best bet is to find a shop that actually has the processes in place to chrome plastic. It's not exactly the same as re-chroming a metal part. I don't know the specifics, however, I had visited a shop that supplied the chrome license plate lamp covers for GM trucks, and they supplied the Saturn logo plates. We discussed the differences in chrome plating the plastic vs. metal parts. While it's been about 10 years since the visit, I remember them saying there were distict differences in their processes for each.

One of those differences was presenting them, and us, a major problem, hence my visiting this particular supplier. I wish I could remember the specifics, and the name of the company...... but I believe they were in Grand Rapids, MI.

Just curious what headstock that '83 has?

Better yet...can we see the whole thing?

I've seen those on sale at eletronics places. Here's an example:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/toggleswitchcvr.php

Just an FYI for those who are really picky about being original but those switch covers are a bit different from the ones G&L used. The original covers look a bit like an arrowhead with a round tip. They flare out toward the switch base.