KAISH Heavy Duty 5 Way Guitar Pickup Lever Switch Selector Switch for Strat Tele with 3 Plastic Tips

Picked up this KAISH 5 Way Guitar Pickup Switch for my Strat copy, and it’s awesome. My guitar’s cavity isn’t very deep, and the Fender switch I tried wouldn’t even fit—it was way too big. This KAISH switch slid right in with no issues, super easy to install. Feels just as solid as the Fender too. The clicks are nice and sturdy, so you really feel each pickup engage—none of that loose or mushy feeling. Comes with three plastic tips too, which is a nice bonus. If you’ve got a Strat-style guitar with a shallow cavity, this is a way better fit than the Fender, works perfectly, and doesn’t require any extra carving. Highly recommend.

Recently I started to notice that my five way switch on my 2024 Squier Affinity Strat was cutting out intermittently so I started looking to upgrade the switch to Fender/American grade. The only problem is that due to the slimmer bodies on the Affinity series guitars these physically larger devices simply won’t fit without removing some wood. Not out of the question, but not ideal either. Then I saw this heavy duty import style switch and noticed a few key differences between it and those ubiquitous and universally terrible switches that come stock with lower priced guitars. First, the cast body which should resist flexing, the key weakness of the usual designs. Next it’s sealed, no giant opening to let dirt in. Finally, it’s screwed together. Normally the PCB/cover is held in place by two staples which allow the flexing which ultimately leads to failure. By screwing the board in place to a solid enclosure the feel is immensely improved. The engagement is sure and positive with no side to side play and no cutting out if you lean on it too hard. It is a really high quality switch that feels great and most importantly feels durable.

Heavy duty build and it switches silently. Perfect fit as well.

TLDR: Good switch, VERY time consuming to understand the installation. First disclaimer, this is my first electronics project in over 20 years, so I was a little rusty but still... more complicated than I anticipated. The switch in my Ibanez RG7420 was going bad. Found this 5-way replacement switch which had a ton of positive reviews, and ordered it. After receiving it, I opened up my guitar, found the existing switch, and started to just move the wiring on each pole to the new switch. I quickly realized that the wire layout for the old one and new one were NOT the same. I was able to find videos and documentation on how the new switch works (It is essentially a standard "import" switch), but I was not able to find documentation on the old switch. So I had to start this project as if I was wiring from scratch. I found a wiring diagram that had the switch configuration I wanted. So I wired it all up. Played the guitar and everything was weak and thin sounding. After MORE research I discovered that Ibanez color-codes their pickups differently than most pickup manufacturers. After using my multimeter to confirm polarity (thank you again YouTube) I realized I had them wired out of phase. After figuring out which wires needed to be reversed, HORRRAAAYY, I got it working. Again, probably a mix if inexperience, and lack of good documentation, but this took me way longer than I expected. I thought it would be a 30-minute project moving over to the new switch. When done, I'd say it took me 2-3 hours. To the Manufacturer: Do you want to KILL the competition? Then PLEASE publish documentation on how the switch works and perhaps a few sample pickup wiring diagrams. Why not include a chart that shows the standard coloring of each pickup manufacturer's wires? That would have made this whole process so much faster and easier. Until then, I've attached the chart that helped me wire my pickup correctly in phase.

I've installed several of these and love working with them. Having all the contacts in a line makes wire routing and soldering easier than the traditional switch. And the construction really is heavy duty. The only drawback is lack of instructions, but 2 minutes with a multimeter will show you what contact matches what switch position.

Much sturdier than any switch I’ve seen installed from the factory on a strat copy. Fits well on a Yamaha Pacifica and it cut out all of the noise and buzzing from the worn out original switch.

good quality, works great, holds up, easy, great price.

Holy cow this is a sturdy switch. Heavy metal frame looses like it can take abuse. Fits perfect on body mount and pickguard mount applications. Love Kaish products. Definitely buy more of these. Figuring the routing takes a minute but well worth it once it’s done.

Muy buena calidad del selector

i loved this switch so much that i immediately purchased another for my other guitar. feels really solid, is fully enclosed to protect it and was super easy to wire. love Kaish gear

My MIM strat had a very loose selector switch from factory, this 5-way switch was a simple solder job, and the result is a very sturdy upgrade. You’ll know for sure what pickup you’re on and there’s no static between selections. Would definitely recommend if you need a fix for your loose switch!

Excelente calidad y construcción.

If you can solder this is a great switch for a stratocaster. I know the title says heavy duty but they weren’t kidding! the switch is very clicky and satisfying and. Installs just like a normal 5 way switch.