Official Luthiers Forum!

If I were interested in finding out why I'd compare specifications
of the comparable switches.

Here are the spec's for what Switchcraft makes claim of "premium grade"
for the 12000 series:

Electrical
Contact Ratings: Fine silver contacts rated at 3A, 300W maximum AC non-inductive load standard. Other contacts available
Leakage Resistance: 1,000 MW or greater
Dielectric Strength: 250 VDC

Material
Frame: Steel, plated
Bushing and Shaft: Copper alloy, plated
Springs: Copper alloy
Knob: Black molded thermoplastic
Mounting Hardware: Knurled copper alloy locknut T10711, supplied. P10531 hex locknut, special order
Insulation: Rigid plastic spacers with plastic tubing through stack. Rigid plastic and/or thermoplastic lifters. Thermoplastic cam on actuator end

So what are spec's for your "(6-32) stuff" ?

I did contact Switchcraft and asked if they would help me understand by explaining what exactly
makes them "Premium".
I'll post what I receive, if anything.


From Ray Edison at Switchcraft in response to my question; "What exactly makes Switchcraft switches "premium" ?";

Mike - They are made in the same American factory that has been making them for the past 67 years using the same materials. We never change or degrade the way we make the product and all parts are tested before they leave the factory. Most of our switches are still hand made.

Thanks for the inquiry.


So I guess 67 years of assembling with "proven materials of choice" by hand and testing is what one is paying for...not to mention made in the USA.

There it is, Filippo....probably the best info you'll get on the Switchcraft switch.

It doesn't quite cover Todd's list of factors, and Todd's list is comprehensive, but I kind of doubt anyone here will have done the amount of research that answers everything.

Awesome response, Michael.

Now...finding this data on OTHER switches in order to make a direct comparison? My guess is...one would be lucky to get as far as Michael did with the Switchcraft products.

Hate to say it but this may be one of those situations where you pay the extra money and assume it's worth it. It's a valid enough question to ask why the switch is better...but it's unanswerable unless you find the exact right guy for every switch...usually the original designer.

I'd rather ask other unanswerable questions....like "where's the nearest buried treasure?".

_________________
I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Thank you Stuart.

I just wound some HB's and replaced everything in a Korean made Tele style
and used CTS pots, Switchcraft jack and Mojotone switch.

I didn't want to spring for the Switchcraft switch and had used a Mojotone "Gibson style" previously
and it "felt" right and appeared to be well made- it was $8.00. I don't know who makes them.
I know the guitarist so I'll probably know how it holds up. Hey, it came with a tip too! LOL.
(I did have to ream out the pot holes-switch fit fine)

I'll also say, I was sure enough impressed with the guitar. Very well made and a very
nice fret job.
Mahogany with wonderful Flame Maple top but personally I don't like that thick finish.

Hi.
I used to work for a microphone manufacturer and all of our components were built by local machine shops. When we were having a switch engineered, we basically reverse engineered some old thing and took it to our stamping guy. He came by the shop to discuss the switch and brought boxes full of different types of metals. There were so many different types of copper alone, and I believe we ended up going with beryllium copper for the main spring components. It had a long life expectancy, a certain "snap" to it, and I believe it was a good bit more expensive. But there is an awful lot of option in putting a switch together. The dielectric properties of the plastic, boiling temp of plastic, stiffness of metals, length of the lever. All the switches that we saw coming from China could only be soldered a few times before the contacts melted out of the plastics and you were left with a dead switch. Also the main part of the switch was tumbled for us so the nut threads on nicely. The imports were usually quite rough on the first few installs.

As for the features that made a switch "better," for us there was 1) Feel, 2) Dielectric property, 3) Life expectancy, 4) High reuse #. Conductivity (materials/plating) wasn't a measurable advantage. And these 80-yr old machine shop guys can blow you away with all they know and how every component in a switch is special. Most of the effort went into the switch feeling right, though, and having a pleasant sound.
We had plenty of parts coming in from overseas that reminded us how important a quality switch is.

I bought a handful of Stew Mac 3-ways, sight unseen, and they haunt me still. Breathe on them wrong and they snap into the center position. I swear I can make it switch if i hit the bridge with my palm.