I guess maybe I should post this in the Tele thread but I think it probably applies to any guitar with a humbucker on the neck and single on the bridge.
I have a couple of Fender Tele's with this pickup configuration. One of them a MIM from the 90's has five way switch and really puts out some cool sounds. The remainder of them including my G & L Blues Boy have only a three way switch. Anyone know why the manufacturers don't put five way switching on them? Sure gives one a lot more tone options.

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OK, I'll hum a little bit, got it now?

Hi S Bender: a three-way switch on a Tele is how it was traditionally done and that's what the majority seems to prefer. Neck, neck+bridge and bridge switching options cover the fundamental sounds you can get from two pickups.

If you want to get more tones out of two pickups you have to do things like connecting them in series as an alternative to parallel, and perhaps adding in extra circuitry, such as capacitors and the like. Those things are perfectly do-able and some people like the extra possibilities they offer.

If you have a humbucker at either the bridge or neck then additional possibilities present themselves, most obviously splitting the humbucker.

Three, four or five-way switches on Telecasters. It's a case of horses for courses.

Cheers - C

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