If you use a SuperSwitch...

[Mincer]

This is specifically with a Soloist body and a DiMarzio Super Switch:

I had some trouble with this, as even though the screws lined up, there were some issues...
Screwing it in tightly (like any switch) will bend the frame of the switch causing it to be very stiff. Loosening the screws by a turn or so takes the pressure off the frame of the switch, so it will feel 'normal'. Not so loose that it flops around, but just a turn or so.

Also, I was trying to figure out why the switch wasn't selecting the proper coils in the 'neck only' position (on a 2 humbucker guitar). I figured out that the switch wasn't making it all the way to that position withing the slot in the body.
So, I can either alter the slot for the switch, or somehow alter the switch itself. I decided on the switch. I used a Dremel to grind off the 'shoulders' of the shaft of the switch, so it doesn't hit the end of the slot on the body. This worked, but the switch shouldn't have those 'shoulders' on it to start with.
I'd suggest to look at other 5 way super switches, and maybe not go with the DiMarzio one unless you want to get to grinding.

While I love what is possible with the super switch (and the wiring I use also requires one magnet to be flipped in one of the pickups), you'd think that by now someone would develop a better way to wire these up...maybe add on small PC boards, or something for specific wiring.

 

[supertruper1988]

I just used wire cutters to trim that second wafer. I can take pics later.

 

[rockandroller]

Schaller makes a range of "Mega-switch" products with different circuit board configurations.
IMO, they have the best mechanical feel of any switch, but I am not really fond of the solderpads they use...

 

[supertruper1988]

Schaller makes a range of "Mega-switch" products with different circuit board configurations.
IMO, they have the best mechanical feel of any switch, but I am not really fond of the solderpads they use...

Yeah I have a few of these and they didnt inspire confidence. I am not sure that I am confident in the mechanical sturdiness of the Schaller switches. there have been several revisions of them over the years to attempt to improve them. Schaller makes great stuff normally but this seems to be a not great area of products for Schaller.

 

[Mincer]

Oh interesting, I didn't think of doing that. If you get a chance to post pics, that would be awesome!
You'd think these things would just 'fit'!

I've used Megaswitches in the past, but none do exactly what I want, and yes, the solder pads are silly, and a bad design.

 

[supertruper1988]

Here is how I do mine:

https://imgur.com/YPoZlCM

https://imgur.com/21zt4gX

https://imgur.com/5Pk8nrP

I find I still have to file the ends of the slot if I get a painted body but its not too hard with my set of cheeap files from Harbor Freight.

 

[Mincer]

Oh! That makes sense. That should be easy enough to cut. I didn't feel comfortable filing the slot and not damaging the paint. So I just grinded off the 'shoulders' of the switch shaft.

 

[supertruper1988]

Oh! That makes sense. That should be easy enough to cut. I didn't feel comfortable filing the slot and not damaging the paint. So I just grinded off the 'shoulders' of the switch shaft.

I make sure to file from the outside in with down strokes only. This way any chipping happens inside the cavity not on the face. I made that mistake on a cheap guitar I added a 5 way to and am glad I learned there

 

[burst]

If I understand correctly, this issue is caused by the thickness of the top wood the switch is mounted to when using a rear rout control cavity, not the switch itself. I didn't follow what snipping the wafer would do.

These switches are intended to mount in thin material like a Tele control plate or Strat pickguard normally 1/16" to 3/32" thick. When the control cavity is routed from the rear, the top side is usually left much thicker than that. This makes the pivot point of the lever sit too low in the body for it to move the full 30 degrees needed to reach position 1 or 5. I've seen this problem with multiple brands of blade switches on rear rout guitars. It's sort of like how short shaft pots work fine for most guitars but on carved tops you need long shaft pots.

When I do my own body builds with rear rout blade switches, I leave the top about 1/4" thick in the cavity and rout a recess 1/8" deeper around the slot just big enough for the switch footprint. I could swear Warmoth did a recess like this but I couldn't find a good picture of it on the website. All the in stock rear rout bodies show the cover in place. I also make the switch slot about 1/16" longer than on a pickguard to give a little more room to move.

Oh also if you use a bigger Tele style barrel or Top Hat knob on rear rout, the mounting screw heads can also obstruct moving the switch to 1 and 5. For those, countersink the mounting holes and use oval head 6-32 screws which sit nearly flush with the body top.

 

[supertruper1988]

If I understand correctly, this issue is caused by the thickness of the top wood the switch is mounted to when using a rear rout control cavity, not the switch itself. I didn't follow what snipping the wafer would do.

These switches are intended to mount in thin material like a Tele control plate or Strat pickguard normally 1/16" to 3/32" thick. When the control cavity is routed from the rear, the top side is usually left much thicker than that. This makes the pivot point of the lever sit too low in the body for it to move the full 30 degrees needed to reach position 1 or 5. I've seen this problem with multiple brands of blade switches on rear rout guitars. It's sort of like how short shaft pots work fine for most guitars but on carved tops you need long shaft pots.

When I do my own body builds with rear rout blade switches, I leave the top about 1/4" thick in the cavity and rout a recess 1/8" deeper around the slot just big enough for the switch footprint. I could swear Warmoth did a recess like this but I couldn't find a good picture of it on the website. All the in stock rear rout bodies show the cover in place. I also make the switch slot about 1/16" longer than on a pickguard to give a little more room to move.

Oh also if you use a bigger Tele style barrel or Top Hat knob on rear rout, the mounting screw heads can also obstruct moving the switch to 1 and 5. For those, countersink the mounting holes and use oval head 6-32 screws which sit nearly flush with the body top.

You aren’t wrong they do make a recess for the switch but it is not large enough for a double wafer super switch thus the trimming.

 

[burst]

Ahh thanks it makes sense now. Memories of widening a recess for a super switch freehand with a dremel before I had proper tools are coming back...

 

[Mincer]

If I understand correctly, this issue is caused by the thickness of the top wood the switch is mounted to when using a rear rout control cavity, not the switch itself. I didn't follow what snipping the wafer would do.

These switches are intended to mount in thin material like a Tele control plate or Strat pickguard normally 1/16" to 3/32" thick. When the control cavity is routed from the rear, the top side is usually left much thicker than that. This makes the pivot point of the lever sit too low in the body for it to move the full 30 degrees needed to reach position 1 or 5. I've seen this problem with multiple brands of blade switches on rear rout guitars. It's sort of like how short shaft pots work fine for most guitars but on carved tops you need long shaft pots.

When I do my own body builds with rear rout blade switches, I leave the top about 1/4" thick in the cavity and rout a recess 1/8" deeper around the slot just big enough for the switch footprint. I could swear Warmoth did a recess like this but I couldn't find a good picture of it on the website. All the in stock rear rout bodies show the cover in place. I also make the switch slot about 1/16" longer than on a pickguard to give a little more room to move.

Oh also if you use a bigger Tele style barrel or Top Hat knob on rear rout, the mounting screw heads can also obstruct moving the switch to 1 and 5. For those, countersink the mounting holes and use oval head 6-32 screws which sit nearly flush with the body top.

You'd think that these facts were more well known, or by now they'd offer different modified switches for mounting directly to wood. Seems to be a business opportunity for people who make switches, though. Most people would know of the modifications needed until they realize that their switch doesn't work properly as-is.

 

[mycroftxxx]

You aren’t wrong they do make a recess for the switch but it is not large enough for a double wafer super switch thus the trimming.

In my case, the recess for the switch still wasn’t deep enough for my normal-sized 5-way, so I had to lengthen the slot (and also chase out the width of the slot due to the gloss clear coats building up in the slot). I couldn’t find a thin enough file so I used a hacksaw blade.

 

[burst]

You'd think that these facts were more well known, or by now they'd offer different modified switches for mounting directly to wood. Seems to be a business opportunity for people who make switches, though. Most people would know of the modifications needed until they realize that their switch doesn't work properly as-is.

Well Warmoth is usually great about publishing specs for compatibility like pickup and bridge rout dimensions. So maybe they could add a note to the Control Cavity info page

What most people call a Super Switch is made by Oak Grigbsy. Its sold under that name by AllParts, StewMac, and others, or repackaged by DiMarzio and Fender. These days there's no-name overseas knockoffs of it too.

They also make a narrow version which isn't as common. It's designed to fit in a Tele top rout control cavity. It's still wider on one side than a single wafer blade but good for small spaces. Would this fit the W rear rout recess? I can't say.

I used to get them from ToneShapers here but they've been out for a while. Solo in Canada has them too. Here's a photo of a CRL standard 3 way blade, the narrow super switch, and full sized super switch. This narrow is a headache to wire because the wafers are so close together. I had to heat shrink more jumpers than usual to be safe. I think it complements the Radio Shack cap and resistor nicely Yes that's been in my parts bin a looong time.

Here's their diagram with the regular Super Switch 51970 at the the top and the narrow 52026 at the bottom. And since I'm already rambling...for those wondering, both CRL and Oak Grigsby are owned by Electroswitch so a lot of vendors carry both brands.