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Author Topic:  Knee levers wearing holes in my jeans
David Ellison

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 10:21 am    
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I have an older BMI, and the knee levers wear holes in my jeans. I think it's the shape of the lever... sort of flat instead of totally rounded like some brands have.

I thought of putting foam around the knee levers, but that would be kind of tacky looking. Does anyone have this problem or have any suggestions?

I love my old BMI, by the way... it sounds great and never breaks strings! I think it's from the early days of the company because it has ZB style legs.
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Mike Spaeth

 

From:
Springdale, Arkansas
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 10:39 am     Knee levers
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I would probably be inclined to dip them in black or white liquid rubber sold at any big box stores. If you were to ever sell the guitar the coating would come off without any trouble.
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Joachim Kettner


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 10:39 am    
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I've seen (if I remember correctly) the late Jeff Newman having scarfs hanging over his knees to protect his trousers, but he didn't wear jeans on this occasion.
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 10:58 am    
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Buy some new jeans - they're not meant to last forever!

Laughing

But seriously, I know a few players who've used 1/2" pipe insulation for this problem. It ain't pretty, but it certainly helps. There are other edge-guard trim products that might work, but it would take some time to find something in the right size.

Of course, the real problem is that most of our "fabulous-wonderful" builders haven't got a clue on how a lever should be shaped. Several famous hotsy-totsy brands use rectangular bar stock for levers, and figured that they'd use the smallest side as where you're applying pressure!? Say what??? Sorry folks, it just don't get much stupider than that. Muttering And those that do use the rectangular bar in the right orientation have, evidently, never heard of a 1/8" radius cutter (to soften the corners). However, I don't brand them as stupid, but perhaps just a little short-sighted and lacking in detail. Oh Well


"That's really some pretty-grained wood"

"It is...but the mechanical design is sorta crappy!"

"Yeah, but I really like the wood."
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 11:31 am    
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Put some flags on the knee levers.
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Ross Shafer


From:
Petaluma, California
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 11:41 am    
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Donny, You might like these then. .75" wide with .125 radius.
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Chris Lucker

 

From:
Los Angeles, California USA
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 12:10 pm    
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Wear some chaps, or chinks or armitas.
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Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.
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Frank Freniere


From:
The First Coast
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 12:16 pm     Re: Knee levers wearing holes in my jeans
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David Ellison wrote:
I have an older BMI, and the knee levers wear holes in my jeans.


That's funny because when I saw Cowboy Eddie Long with Jamey Johnson a couple of years ago, his jeans had been shredded by the LKR on his BMI, a S-12.
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2016 4:37 pm    
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Ross Shafer wrote:
Donny, You might like these then. .75" wide with .125 radius.


Yup, I sure do! Cool

Guess the extra holes are for "flags", though? 'Course, I'm not crazy about flags, either. Winking One of my pet peeves is the floppy dingus on one of my Emmons p/p levers. Putting the lever in the right place (NOT in the middle of the stupid guitar) would have eliminated the need for a floppy dingus.
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Per Berner


From:
Skovde, Sweden
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2016 1:05 am    
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Why not glue a piece of leather on the lever?
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Dale McPherson

 

From:
Morristown, Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2016 4:33 am    
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Holes in your jeans. Some people pay huge sums of money for that look.
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John Swain


From:
Winchester, Va
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2016 7:10 am    
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I put clear plastic tubing on mine. It's available from Lowe's in many sizes, buy it by the foot.
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Herb Steiner


From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2016 7:21 am    
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I like Chris' idea... very "country-western."


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Ross Shafer


From:
Petaluma, California
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2016 8:18 am    
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From Donny,
"Guess the extra holes are for "flags", though?"

Nope not for flags. The holes are for fixturing while machining the radiused side of the levers.
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Frank Freniere


From:
The First Coast
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2016 12:35 pm    
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Here's that picture of Cowboy's jeans:




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Steve Spitz

 

From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2016 3:34 pm    
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I once bought a steel with the small , rectangular, knee levers, and the previous owner had slipped on rubber golf club handles. Looked like the type of item you'd find if you were replacing the grips on your golf clubs. I'm not a golfer, but those looked cool and worked well. Bicycle Hand grips can do as well, if the lever is wider. You'll need to make sure they still fold up.
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2016 1:20 am    
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Lowes/Home Depot, just put some flex clear tubing on them. I have these small pieces on each of my Steels/Levers now, they come on/off with no issues, very comfortable on the knees. When transporting they are OFF the levers and just sit in the case.

You can see here in the photo that there are TWO pieces of tubing, one has a smaller OD which may be sufficient the 2nd which fits over the 1st is to bring the knee levers closer together for us smaller people !


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Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2016 6:09 am    
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What part of the lever is posing the problem?
This question puzzles me.
If there's a sharp edge snagging the fabric, grind it off. Square corners can be rounded and polished
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Billy Carr

 

From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2016 7:21 am     KL'ers & jeans
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Black Velcro works.
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Roger Palmer


From:
Rossendale, UK
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2016 11:45 am    
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Heat shrink rubber that you can get for wiring would work
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Henry Matthews


From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2016 11:51 am    
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Dang, now I know what's causing those pesky holes in my jeans. Very Happy
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.
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Paddy Long


From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2016 4:44 pm    
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Buy better quality Jeans ?? :-}
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 12 Sep 2016 7:17 am    
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You could always wear chaps.
They sure would go good with boots.
And a 6 gun for those rowdy gigs! Very Happy
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William Polka


From:
Chicago, Illinois
Post  Posted 23 Sep 2016 7:47 pm    
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Play naked
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David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2016 9:44 am    
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Tuscaloosa wide-mouth hamsters? Not them pouty little Mississippi hamsters, gotta go with the Tuska "grinners."
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