Option Knob: Change Your Pedal & Guitar Settings While You Are Playing

Now you don’t have to stop playing to tweak your pedal settings with these cool replacement knobs from Option Knob Inc.

OKnob

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The relatively unknown company bagged the Best in Show award for Best Add-on or Accessory at the recently concluded Summer NAMM show for their simple yet effective knobs.

Although the knobs look so simple and straightforward, it took the designer, Chad Smith, a decade’s worth of research, development and resources to get his innovative idea realized and available to the market.

When asked how he got the idea for these convenient replacement knobs, Smith replied by saying “The O-Knob actually came to me in a dream”. He was trying to figure out a way to make pedal adjustments more convenient while playing, and even went so far as to velcro a delay pedal on his guitar. He realized however that it still requires him to stop his picking arm from playing.

Chad Smith was quoted saying: “One night in a dream, I was playing my Small Stone phaser pedal and hitting some kind of wing with my foot. In my dream, I was hearing the effects getting more and more modulated.” This dream inspired him to make “winged” knobs that can be adjusted using your foot. He then developed this contraption into the Oknob, GloKnob and the Vknob.

OKnob

The Oknob ($9.95) is a winged knob meant to replace default knobs found on effect pedals. Its unique shape allows you to change the parameters in real time by simply using your toes while playing. This gives you a non-intrusive, cost effective and space saving pseudo expression pedal.

The knobs are designed to be extremely sturdy, judging from the durability demo video, the OKnob can easily outlast your pedals. Currently, there are two types of OKnobs currently available: Classic for traditional pedals that use smaller potentiometer shafts, and Boutique for “boutique” pedals that have larger knob shaft diameters.

GloKnob

GloKnob

The GloKnob ($11.95) is a glow-in-the-dark version of OKnob. It features the same winged durable design with added glowing effect. This makes it easier to monitor your settings in dark-lit situations, and they simply look cooler. The Classic model has an off-white color that glows green in the dark, while the Boutique model has a soft blue color that glows blue.

The knobs initially glows very bright then fades to a software glow that continues for hours. You can “charge” the knobs by exposing it to natural sunlight, LEDs or flashlights. The GloKnob has the same durability and functionality, while adding a bit of eye candy.

VKnob

VKnob

The VKnob ($12.95) is especially designed for replacing the default knobs on guitars. It has the same design objective, making parameter changes more accessible and convenient. The Vknob reduces the downtime of your picking arm by “extending” the knobs to where it can be easily adjusted. This means you can easily control the volume or tone of your guitar in realtime without having to take your picking hand off the strings. Like the other Option Knob products, it is non-intrusive, durable and very easy to install. You simply pull off the factory knob and put on the VKnob in its place.

Smith has been marketing these knobs since 2008, and it wasn’t easy. Some investors even found his products laughable. However, the popularity of his products have been growing steadily this past year, catching the attention of major guitar retailers. Winning one of the top awards at the last month’s Summer NAMM is expected to expand their reach even more. Chad Smith’s dedication is finally paying off.

For more information or to place your order, you can head over to Option Knob.

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