Replacement switch for the new Affinity Teles

[Blind Owl]

Since the new (2021+) teles have a thinner body, I wondering if any of you have tried replacing the switch on one of these?
Will a quality switch like Oak or CRL switch fit without removing wood?

 

[dsutton24]

Thinner than the old Afinitys? Interesting.

I've stuffed standard 4 way switches into those bodies, the trick is to bend the contacts so they are at right angles to the switch wafers before you start soldering. If the new ones are even thinner, then I'm not sure.

 

[Blind Owl]

They're apparently 1.5" vs the standard 1.75". I figured it would need bending, or maybe wood removal, I was just hoping someone had already tried it.

 

[sweetpetey]

I have a 2021 Squire Affinity Tele. I replaced all the controls with a 4-way pre-wired setup from 920D Custom, which contains full-size everything. Fit perfectly, no wood routing required, didn't have to bend any components. Also installed Bootstrap Pickups, also fit perfectly (as expected).

 

[vgayle]

I replaced mine with an Oak and no problem. This maybe off the subject but it does relate to the thinner body. I tried installing some stacked single coils in a Affinity Strat and it wouldn’t fit. The stack was too tall and/or the cavity to shallow. This maybe the case with an Affinity Tele.

 

[Wildeman]

Any switch works, it's tight but they do.

 

[Blind Owl]

I have a 2021 Squire Affinity Tele. I replaced all the controls with a 4-way pre-wired setup from 920D Custom, which contains full-size everything. Fit perfectly, no wood routing required, didn't have to bend any components. Also installed Bootstrap Pickups, also fit perfectly (as expected).

Could you tell the difference in sound with the new electronics, or was the pickup swap at the same time?

 

[fenderchamp]

I dropped standard us components in my affinity w/o incident, but the knobs and switch will not fit on us components so prepare to dig down in your pocket for a new switch tip, and knobs if you do pots at the same time, though you probably can carve out the inside of the switch tip and drill out the knobs if you are so inclined.

 

[fenderchamp]

Could you tell the difference in sound with the new electronics, or was the pickup swap at the same time?

when I did hand wound pickups and rewired it for a 4-way it sounded much better, but it was certainly usable before. I miss that little guitar.

 

[yegbert]

On an early Affinity Tele I used something like a dremel or drill to remove a little wood inside under the switch area, to more comfortably fit a CRL 3-way. I also changed the 500k small pots to 250k big CTS ones. I got set-screw Fender knobs like from a US or Mexican Tele for the solid shafts, I like the knurls better on them anyway. I reamed the plate’s pot holes out for the larger pots. I had to change the switch tip too. I like the loud solid clunk of the CRL switch, like the Harley gear change sound you hear as it’s leaving at the beginning of the Easy Rider version of Born to be Wild. I was also putting other pickups in it, I think they were SD Broadcaster and companion neck. I did this for my son, it was his first guitar.

 

[sweetpetey]

Could you tell the difference in sound with the new electronics, or was the pickup swap at the same time?

Pickup swap at the same time, sorry. I love the tone, but it's a combo of the electronics and pickups.

 

[Macatowa]

I know exactly what you are trying to do, i was at the same problem with my Bullet tele that has the 1.5" body. I switched out the cheap printed circuit board switch for a

KAISH Heavy Duty 3 Way Guitar Pickup Lever Switch Pickup Selector Switch for Strat Tele,​

Now for $10 you have a type heavy duty solid feeling switch that is shorter in height that fits the 1.5" body without modification!