Dead spot in pickup switch - can it be fixed?

[Ignatius]

I recently bought a used Tele that has the whole Kinman solderless pickup and switch assembly. Not the way I would have gone personally and based on previous experiences I've had with Kinmans I was ready to tear the whole thing out, but for some reason these pickups seem to sound right in this guitar.

Anyway, the switch is the Kinman four way and there's a dead spot between the bridge position and the middle position. If I don't switch just right of or if my hand hits the switch accidentally it will cut my sound entirely - I've had this happen at two or three gigs now and it's undesirable to say the least.

Is this something that I can fix or does the switch need to be replaced? I'm not an electronics expert - I can do basic soldering and pickup installs, etc. - but what I do know is that this Kinman switch doesn't look like other Tele switches I've seen.

Any advice is appreciated!

[mellecaster]

Gary...any chance you can snap a Pic of it ?...I'm not familiar w/his switches.

Hope yer having a Great 4th....Tony

[Ignatius]

Hey Tony - hope you had a great 4th as well. Through a set of unplanned circumstances I found myself on my buddy's boat with a couple other of our pals and a couple coolers of beer. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. Heck, not a bad way to spend ANY afternoon.

So I snapped some pictures of the Kinman switch. As I mentioned, this is the whole solderless harness thing, and it's an odd looking setup compared to traditional Tele wiring - looks like something more suited to the inside of my computer, or something under the dashboard of my Jeep. I don't know if the photos will reveal any information as to why I have the dead spot in the switch, but if nothing else they'll give you a glimpse of the Kinman setup.

[cc9cii]

Yikes. Looks like a total rewire job if the switch is suspect.

You may be able to get away with a good switch clean. Find a local tech with the magic spray.

[MickM]

Just checked out his site for the 1st time. No pics of the switch but I'd give him a shout and see what he'll do. The switch could be pricey judging by the pu prices but it does look like a clean rig. This is the second control plate I've seen in a week with an angled switch slot. Looks like a good idea!

[mellecaster]

Gary...that's the 1st one of those I've seen...but it appears to use the same delicate wiper contacts as the CRL and Oak-Grigsby that Fender uses. I would use some magnification and check the little tabs on the wiper contacts, to see if they are making good contact, and other than that, just try a spritz of contact cleaner...Caig DeOxit is Da Bomb....Good Luck

[Ignatius]

Holy CRAP! Kinman wants 68 bucks for a replacement switch!

That's sixty eight dollars - for a switch!

That's just absurd.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by Ignatius

Holy CRAP! Kinman wants 68 bucks for a replacement switch!

That's sixty eight dollars - for a switch!

That's just absurd.

Good choice of a word.......

[MulliganChebichev]

If it were me, I'd remove all that, store it away somewhere, get your self some good o'l fashion CRL/Oak and CTS parts, and rewire it. For $68 you can easily replace the electronics.

[Ignatius]

Originally Posted by MulliganChebichev

If it were me, I'd remove all that, store it away somewhere, get your self some good o'l fashion CRL/Oak and CTS parts, and rewire it. For $68 you can easily replace the electronics.

Heck, for not a whole lot more than $68 I could rewire it AND replace the pickups!