Which 4-Way Switch for Telecaster

Hello,
I am planning to put the Texas Special PUs in my 62 Japan Tele along with the 4 Way Switch Mod.
My Problem is: The Fender 4 Way switch seems to be cheap quality and in many case not working properly.
Do you have some experience to share or maybe alternatives for a switch?

I would really appreciate some opinions.

regards
skm001

The Fender 4 Way switch seems to be cheap quality and in many case not working properly.

I don't know what you are basing that on ?? Naturally you may be reading about the problems, and yes there are some bad ones no doubt like anything. Some aren't a problem of the switch, but installation by folks that don't really know what they are doing.

You don't find the hundreds that put them in and DON'T have a problem posting. As usual you will get more threads by problem cases.

Oak makes Fenders switches and I think there my be one foreign made switch, but as far as 4 ways there aren't a lot of other brands available.

I have installed quite a few Fender ones wit ZERO problems.

When I got my Fender/Oak 4way, one of the contacts was bent. Through a little frustration and figuring out what was wrong, it works fine now.

I wish CRL would make a 4way. Not sure why they don't with the increasing popularity of the added position. I like the more positive feel of the CRL over the Oak.

I have ran across another 4way call a "Tritan" brand. I have no experience with it, but it is out there.

I used Oak-Grigsby from Acme Guitar Works in two guitars. Very fast shipping, no quality issues. Link:

http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/Switch-Oak-Grigsby-4-Way-P60C10.aspx

The Tritan is an Allparts 'value' brand also available from Guitar Parts Resource and allegedly, fleabay.
Oak is pretty well a defunct name as the brand is owned by Electroswitch and the switches are now Electroswitch type 6MLR part numbers 51992 3-way, 51973 4-way and 51993 5-way, http://www.electro-nc.com/rotaryus/supp11.pdf

I used Oak-Grigsby from Acme Guitar Works in two guitars. Very fast shipping, no quality issues. Link:

http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/Switch-Oak-Grigsby-4-Way-P60C10.aspx

I've used the same and did run into a wiring problem and it may be my thread you ran across that described those problems. I may well have been as much of a one of a kind occurrence as you'd ever be likely to find. Eventually the problem got solved.

Nothing works 100% of the time and my guess is that there can be periodic problems with these Oak-Grigsby or Electroswitch models as well. My suggestion is that you just check the switch out well before you install it. I didn't, although I never did resolve completely just what was wrong.

There isn't anything basically wrong with those switches and as sjtalon says hundreds of guys have installed them with zero problems including him. I have another just like it that installed in my MIM with no problems.