Larry Mal wrote: ↑Sat Oct 23, 2021 7:15 am
I guess I'll be turning one of my Telecasters into a Nashville type guitar... it'll end up having 5-way switching, which I'm not wild about, even my Strats have 7-way.
It wouldn't be especially easy to convert it, either, I guess I'll have to live with it. Is yours 5 or 7?
Get yourself one of
these, Larry.
I have the 10-way Strat switch and the 6-way LP/JM style toggle, both in 3-pickup guitars, and I think I'd prefer that 6-way blade style over either. This Tele 6-way is the functionality of the LP switch with the mechanics of the my 10-way, which is what I've come to realize is my ideal scenario for a 3-pickup guitar.
Their blade switches feel better than their toggles, first of all. It's got a "down" (away from you) and "up" (toward you) angle, and a very firm, meaty click when going from down to up. Can't hit that direction by accident.
But within each row, the 3 (or 5, on mine) positions are just as easy and quick to hit back and forth as a regular blade, which is good because I usually slam it from "whatever" to "neck or bridge" pretty quickly.
When it's "down", it's in "Tele mode" - neck, neck and middle, bridge. Totally intuitive.
When it's "up", it's in "strat mode" - neck and middle, middle, middle and bridge. Like the three middle pickup positions of a strat, in that same order.
It's just the most clever thing. All the important options of a 7-way (the "all 3 on" tone has never interested me") but with the ease of use of a Tele 3-way. The 10-way Strat one is less intuitive. "down" is "strat mode" and "up" has a bunch of weird stuff, from your basic Tele neck and bridge in parallel, to various series combinations. Versatile, but not intuitive.
The 6-way, though, is stellar. I have the same functions on my Mustang's LP-style toggle, but the up/down differentiation is much less tactile and secure, so you can't hit it as quickly and reliably while playing. It also feels less robust. But the blade switch? They finally knocked it out of the park. Switching rows can't happen by accident, and when you're not switching rows, it's just like any other blade.
Get it. It's easier to use than any 7-way mod involving push-pulls, toggles, blend knobs, or what have you. It's just a regular Tele, until you decide you don't want it to be.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.