WTB: tele control plate with more space!

roman_sub

Hi, looking for a Telecaster control plate to help pickup switching! So either

a) custom spacing, such that there is a bit more space between the switch and the volume pot (more equidistant)

b) angled switch, again to achieve greater clearance between switch and pot.

ideally usual chrome
thank you!

axisus

or you could learn to use a Tele the way that everyone else has for the past 70 years?

It sounds flippant but I am serious!

roman_sub

Or I could see if anyone is selling something I’m after. Thanks

axisus

You can buy blank tele plates, it is easy enough to drill holes but cutting a neat slot yourself would be nigh on impossible. You might be able to get a local engineering company to do that for you with a milling machine. Alternatively, you could add an LP type switch instead, although it would lose Tele vibe. The truth is that I have never in all my years seen what you are looking for, and I look at Tele's a lot (my fave guitar shape). Having said that I have never specifically looked for that thing. Best of luck in your search.

daveyh

You can get angled switch tele plates. Just look around on eBay 

Corvus

Rockinger in Germany do extra-spaced ones, from memory about 17-18 Euros. nearly bought one the other day but decided to reverse the plate instead.

roman_sub

thanks - found a few new ones, but most of these tend to be outside UK (so higher postage costs).

If anyone has one lying around unused let me know before I pull the trigger on a new one. Thank you!

Yamaha77

Google bill kirchen he flips the plate so order is volume tone and then the 3 way . Genius I might even try it out.

lovestrat74

Yamaha77 said:

Google bill kirchen he flips the plate so order is volume tone and then the 3 way . Genius I might even try it out.

Also means that switch in position 1 for bridge pup is right out of the way of the tone knob

Funkfingers

“Reversing” the plate to vol., tone, selector switch presents two problems.
1) The original run of cable between the selector switch and the volume pot may not be long enough.
2) In any modern Telecaster with a step in the floor of the control cavity, the rearranged controls may foul on the step.

Changing the selector switch cap could improve matters. The tall “top hat” cap leaves the least clearance. The original Daka Ware cap leaves the most (and looks better!).

Yamaha77

Problems can be overcome. Teles are simple instruments and that is one of the reasons they sound fantastic.



1. Extending wiring is easy and also fairly inexpensive. Also good idea to upgrade if pots/switch/wiring are worn or cheap crap.
2. Carefully chisel/drill/rout cavity if a step is present.  Depends on how confident you are with tools.

Agree that changing switch tip might make more room. Maybe even a strat style one.

CountryDave

Danny Gatton used to bend the selector switch downwards. I tried it, has worked for me for the last ten years. Means you can flip it with your little finger and not have the volume pot get in the way.

CasperCaster

I know you'd like a used one, but in the spirit of sharing information (others might also be interested), if you can't find a used one there is Rockinger in Germany (as already mentioned). They do a control plate where the volume control hole is moved further away from the switch/closer to the tone, and they also do a plate with an angled switch slot. GMI in Greece (who sell on fleabay) do plates with angled switch slots, with a choice of angles, from subtle to quite extreme e.g. eBay item number 264183111588.