Greetings to all. I just found a great deal on a K-200B head in Red to add to my growing collection. Anyway, the amp has those chicken-head knobs on it, which to my knowledge, Kustom never used those. Anyone know if they ever did? And if they did not, where is a good place to find replacement knobs?
The SN on it is 35234. Does anyone know where I can find more info on the amp?
KustomKyle,
Which one do you have? (K200B-1, K200B-5, etc.)
Knob info is below.
Recently people on this site have been buying knobs from Small Bear Electronics. http://www.smallbearelec.com/
Your amp was made 3/7/69 plus or minus about two weeks.
Kustom never used chicken head knobs on the tuck and roll amps.
-Les S.
Knobs for Kustom tuck and roll plexiglass-faceplate amps
1) The stock Kustom knob
The stock Kustom knob that is used on plexi’s is 0.78" diameter x 0.56" high with 1.0" diameter skirt. Shaft is 1/4”. Replacement used knobs are sometimes available on ebay.
2) Small Bear Electronics knob
Knobs that are almost exact duplicates are available from Small Bear Electronics in New York. http://www.smallbearelec.com/
3) RadioShack 274-416 knob
The RadioShack 274-416 is larger than the stock knob but is a good, inexpensive replacement if you do not mind not being original. The cost is four for $2.99.
Size is 15/16 “ diameter x 9/16” high with 1 1/16" diameter skirt.
Shaft is 1/4”.
4) (not sure these are still available) Cosmo # 7602 knobs
The Cosmo 7602 knob is very close to the stock Kustom knob.
Shaft is 1/4”. http://www.cosmocorp.com/
(skirt diameter) …… Cosmo 7602 1.000 …… Stock OEM knob 1.0
(height) …………… Cosmo 7602 .594 ………Stock OEM knob .56
(diameter) ………… Cosmo 7602 .812 ………Stock OEM knob .78
oren hudson Messages: 274 Registered: March 2008 Location: Gastonia, NC
Senior Member
Hello KustomKyle,
I'm no expert, but I've never seen chicken knobs on a factory Kustom. Original styles are a little hard to come by. However, I've found that Radio Shack has large and small knobs that are very, very close to the original style.
Referencing your serial number on the chart that's somewhere on the forum, production dates to Jan - Mar 1969. Not sure if you've looked through all of the categories within the forum, but there's a good bit on additional info herein.
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
Kustom used three style knobs. First knobs were stove types, and I've seen some early Frankies with that style, in fact we bought a Lotztone (early Tuck and Roll Frankie Model that Bud was hand building) it has the stove knobs in it and a few of the collectors have some Frankies with that style knob. The second version, are pictured in the 65/66 catalog and appears to be a 1" diameter black center and silver ring on the outside edge of the face of the knob with small mark to show the position of the knob.
I've never seen these knobs in person, but at least they are on all the amps listed in the catalog. The last is the knobs we all know as standard. It would be interesting to own an amp with the little known knobs.
If your amp came with chicken head knobs, they are a replacement for sure. I've asked Bud about the strange knobs pictured in the catalog, and his reply was at that time in the history of kustom, he would run down to the local electronics parts store and buy what they had in stock. Talk about starting on a shoestring budget.