Need advice/help re faulty Tele switch

scarry67

Just got a lovely Fender CIJ 62 Tele from eBay but the 3 way switch doesn't connect both pickups in middle position, only the neck pickup. Bridge pickup is fine when switch in 1st position and neck only in 2nd and 3rd position. Does that mean switch could be manipulated (e.g. bent...) to work properly or am I looking at getting a new switch in there? Any help appreciated.

ICBM

What kind of switch is it? If it's not a CRL - it's not, if it's the original switch - just replace it with one. They are the best and in my opinion (now that the quality of Oak Grigsby appears to have gone down the pan) the only ones worth using at all.

One of these…

http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/Products/i/xl__ep-0075-000.jpg

(The CRL logo is the little diamond on the left hand side, if you need to check.)

ThePrettyDamned

Oak switches are shit.  

¬_¬

I'm so angry for getting them, I bought 3 and 2 of them are rubbish.  CRL for me from now on, as worst case scenario, I guess you can retighten the spring.

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

Oak switches are shit. 

I actually found out why, on the last one - which a customer supplied to me along with new pots etc to fit to his guitar. When I tested it, the switch momentarily cut out when it was jiggled from side to side - so I had a close look at it, and the little 'fingers' were too widely spaced to properly contact the rotor strip! There was just enough space that at a certain critical angle, the rotor didn't touch either of them… hence no sound.

Unbelievable on a brand new switch. It was fixable, relatively easily (easier than replacing the switch, in fact) but you really shouldn't have to do that on a new part. The rest of the switch is OK, although I've actually always preferred the feel of CRLs anyway.

ThePrettyDamned

Yeah, mine just... Flop around.  I'm guessing the internals get stressed and get looser and looser over time.  ¬_¬

Very disappointing.  The CRL I have (courtesy of Mr Bulldog Pickups Hayden) has a spring on the outside, and so far feels really nice.  I just need to get some pickups and solder it up.  

Which will have to wait because soon I'll be getting another guitar to put together...

monoamine

haven't had a single problem with my oak switch... and i change pickups a lot

maybe i got a rare good one eh? haha

ThePrettyDamned

monoamine said:

haven't had a single problem with my oak switch... and i change pickups a lot

maybe i got a rare good one eh? haha

It seems older ones are fine, so perhaps they've retooled and cocked them up recently.  

ICBM

They used to be good. They've obviously changed something in the tooling or QC.

scarry67

I'll unscrew the plate and check later. Suspect it'll be a plastic-covered import type. Oak G used to have a great reputation...