There are 4 main types of switches used with Squier, Made in Mexico (MIM) and Fender AM Stratocasters. But there are many others that aren’t “mainstream”. This brief should help reduce the confusion a bit.
Stratocaster Standard 5 way
The Gold Standard. This switch has 2 wafers and it used for stock wiring and tone configurations. It comes standard on MOST Fender Stratocasters MIM and AM. You can custom wire it a little, or change the tone controls pickup(s) but there’s only so much you can change. It is the most used switch and for good reason. Quality is usually very good! CTRL and Oak Grigsby are the main players.
It does support minor modifications usually with the Tone layout or a split humbucker in position 2 or 4
5 Way Super Switch with 1 wafer
It has 2 rows of 5 position lugs on one wafer. This switch is BEST used HH (double Humbucker) or custom wiring jobs, I almost never use this switch myself but it is more flexible than the stock version. Make sure you know if the one you get is one or two wafer.
NOTE: I used a dual wafer picture but it’s the same one with only 1 wafer.
SUPER SWITCH – 2 WAFER
Below is the OAK GRIGSBY Super Switch which is the cats meow. It has 2 wafers with 2 rows of 5 lugs sets per each wafer. This switch allows for an incredible amount of wiring possibilities but is VERY time consuming to wire up (and think up). I reserve it for complex special wiring situations. It’s also excellent when dealing with HSS configurations because sometimes the single coil doesn’t play well with them middle pickup and this allows you to design your own configuration so no position is “Anemic” 😉 It cost about twice as much as the basic 5 way switch.
Another way to think of it is 4 switches with a single pole output and 5 positions.
3 Way Switch
The 3 position switch is a Vintage type and didn’t last long because Fender went to a 5 way pretty quick. It looks and wires EXACTLY like a 5 way except notice the connector s have a very small center “finger” so it only touches one lug at a time. It only has 3 positions, Neck, Middle OR Bridge. This can also be wired for 2 pickups doing a Neck – Neck/Bridge – Bridge switch with a master tone. Some players like it’s simplicity. I tried it but also felt like I missed my other 2 positions so I quickly gave it up You could use it for SIMPLE HH situations and it would be excellent for that application or any 2 pickup arrangement.
Squier Switch (s)
You can tell this one right away the give away look of a Squier (along with undersized alpha pots). These ares the switch that is normally found on Fender Squier.
The MIM (Made in Mexico) use a Standard Oak-Grigsby switch so this is found only on Squiers along with Alpha pots (they look a little smaller). The switch works fine and lasts. It doesn’t quite have the feel of the Oak-Gigsby or CRL switches however.
One Model has LUGS on it, this is on bullet Strats, etc and is similar to the Cor-Tek style. The 2nd version is a “SOLDER” hole right on the PCB Board style. They both solder about the same but the first one one with lugs seem a little higher quality.
Schaller Mega Switches
Schaller has a bunch of special wiring situation switches. Each one specifically designed to be a different circuit. I don’t use them because they are spendy and too dedicated to specific wiring scenario and I’d rather use a stock MEGA switch and wire it the way I want it to be. So my suggestion….pass. I’ll let you search the internet to figure out how each of their different wired versions works.
CRL Switch
I had to show the alternative to Oak Grigsby. Some players swear by this. It uses a spring. The Central Lab switch is a decent quality switch. It was released on earlier Fender Stratocasters and is available today. It’s a 5 way switch. and functions exactly like an Oak-Grigsby switch. Is DOES have a different feel to it. They are more expensive and it’s enough that I don’t usually use these. Players just don’t want to pay the extra $10 they cost you, and I personally don’t care.
Well there you have it. Start with the Standard and then move to the Super Switch when you ready to invest time and energy and take it to the next level. But, you do not have to go to that level create awesome wiring work in a Stratocaster, but you will if you want to do outlandishly creative wiring work.
Fender S-1 Switch
There was enough of this to warrant it’s own page. So go here for that.
