[sTaTIx]

I'm using a Panasonic 10K volume pot and I find that the shaft is so long that my volume knob doesn't fit on it very well. It tightens just fine, but the length of the shaft is problematic in that it makes the knob look like a mushroom. This is especially apparent when you look at the amp from an angle and you can clearly see the pole and the nut. Is there anything I can do besides getting a longer volume knob?

 

[CaptBubba]

Use a hack saw perhaps?

 

[antness]

One thing you can do is try adding extra washers on the inside of your chassis to shorten the length of exposed shaft.

Or, use a hacksaw.

 

[JMT]

The Panasonic pot has a plastic shaft. You can easily snip off the extra length with a pair of wire cutters (diagonals). The cut end will be a tad skewed but just file it down so the knob sits square on the shaft. I've done this a bunch of times and it works fine.

 

[andrzejpw]

I say go for the hacksaw. ..

 

[sTaTIx]

Thanks for the suggestions. As an aside, how come I find that the Panasonic pot produces a channel imbalance when it's turned to a low setting? I tend to listen at very low levels, and it bothers me that the sounds are louder in the left side than the right when the volume is low. Did I funk up the soldering or is this a common thing with Panasonic pots?

 

[CaptBubba]

No, it is common in cheap pots. What you could try doing is lowering the gain of the amp so you listen with the pot turned higher up, and therefore more closely matched between channels.

 

[tangent]

All pots have channel imbalance, and it always gets worse as you turn the pot down. While some pots are better than others, simply changing the gain so you use the lower-resistance section of the pot as the good Captain suggested is the best plan.