My Strat has a problem with the 5 position switch and I was wondering if I replace it will it affect the value of the guitar? There is just a lot of noise when I move the switch from one position to another and sometimes I have to keep moving it back and forth to get a good signal. Also, can I replace it with just any switch or should I be looking for a specific switch? I believe the pots and pups are OK but any suggestions would be appreciated.

I would try to clean it before you replace it. Thier are many swicthes out their you can get a Fender one pretty cheap like a 3way or 5way it is your choice. I dont think it will hurt the value as far as that guitar. Good Luck

My 1991 '62 Strat also has a noisy 5 way switch, and a very noisy jack socket.
I have US replacements on the way.
These parts were never much cop on the MIJ guitars.
Should have no effect on the value. Keep the old one anyway.
Pickups and pots sound great, though.

The electronics in these guitars are junk (sorry, there's no way for me to sugar-coat it).

Replacing them with full-size CTS pots, Oak/Grigsby switches, and Switchcraft jacks is the kindest thing you can do for a MIJ/CIJ Strat. I own two and that's the very first thing I did to both when I got them. All the OEM stuff went straight into the dumpster -- not even worthy of asking ten bucks for the entire lot on C/L.



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

The electronics in these guitars are junk (sorry, there's no way for me to sugar-coat it).

Replacing them with full-size CTS pots, Oak/Grigsby switches, and Switchcraft jacks is the kindest thing you can do for a MIJ/CIJ Strat. I own two and that's the very first thing I did to both when I got them. All the OEM stuff went straight into the dumpster -- not even worthy of asking ten bucks for the entire lot on C/L.

AMEN to that!!!!!!

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Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancin'

I second this. I have customized literally 100s of MIJ and CIJ Teles, and Strats. The bodies are premo, the the electronics are on the weak side. Everyone I have owned the first thing I do is put in a good 5-way switch and CTS pots. Very easy to do if you are a little good with a soldering iron. Check out:

http://xhefriguitars.com/page9.html
http://xhefriguitars.com/page15.html

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

Replaced the 5 way in my 1990 MIJ (and the bridge pickup for a DiMarzio FS-1) straight after I bought it new, and 21 years later it's still going strong. Never had a problem with the rest of the hardware or electronics - and it's been gigged and travelled plenty - so maybe I got lucky.

Yeah, Thinking way back. The first thing I replaced on my 88 MIJ was the switch. I got the shop to do it because it was new, but it's easy to do.