Mystery (replacement) toggle switch cap on primeval Peavey guitar

[Willie G. Moseley]

Prelims: During the most recent respite vacation coordinated with the local hospice folks, the Princess and I went to south central Kentucky to my mother's hometown. Elizabeth had never been there and I wanted her to know about her paternal grandmother's family (my Mom died when Elizabeth was 17 months old), so there was a visit to the home where my mother was born, the cemetery, etc.  Plus we stopped by Cumberland Falls.

We were a little ahead of schedule, so naturally I hit some pawn shops, and picked  this '83 Peavey T-27. I had always intrigued by this model, as it was of the few production model S/S/HB hardtails made (the only other ones I can recall off the top of my head were Gibson's short-lived US-1 later in the '80s (didn't Gary Richrath endorse that model?) and the Robin Medley. Seemed like almost all S/S/HB guitars had high-tech vibratos.

The T-27 had Peavey's patented coil-rolloff circuitry but it's set up differently from the T-60 (I'm still figuring it out).

But I'm wondering what the replacement toggle switch cap is. Its wide-and-flat configuration is easy to locale (by feel) and easy to manipulate. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Edited Monday at 04:35 PM by Willie G. Moseley

[Jimbilly]

cool find!  I don't recall having seen on like that before, you've tried using 'google lens' on it?

[velorush]

All of the photos I’m seeing on Google have what looks like a standard Strat switch tip. 

[Kerry Marchman]

That looks like it came out of a 60's or 70's car, off of the heater or A/C control..

[Willie G. Moseley]

^^^Excellent postulation. Its flat wide profile does make manipulation a lot easier, and I can visual that shape as something on the dashboard. Thanks

[Willie G. Moseley]

Showed the images to a knowledgeable guitar friend who worked at Peavey in the '80s and he said that the cap was "...definitely from a car."

[Steve Haynie]

He should have said, "Why didn't we think of that?"  

That switch tip looks cool and matches the knobs, sort of.  

[velorush]

I couldn't help myself. I put the image of the switch in Google Images and it told me it was a microphone. So I added "switch tip" to the search and it gave me the most marvelous example of AI getting completely wound up in its own confusion:

Quote

The switch tip in the image is from a vintage 1960s Japanese-made dynamic microphone, specifically models like the Monarch TM-16 or Calrad DM-18. [1]

These microphones, often produced by manufacturers such as Calrad, Midland, and Monarch, are characterized by a satin chrome finish and a distinct articulating head with an integrated on-off slide switch. [1, 2]

Notable Features

• Design: The tip is part of a slide-style on-off switch located on the lower body or neck of the microphone.
• Aesthetic: It features a ridged or slotted chrome design that matches the "retro" or "rockabilly" style popular in the 1950s and 60s.
• Common Brands: This specific switch assembly is frequently seen on Japanese-made models branded as Monarch, Calrad, AMD, or Kent. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Similar-looking knurled metal tips are also used as custom replacements for electric guitar pickup selectors (such as on Telecasters or Gretsch guitars), but the specific rectangular, slotted design shown here is characteristic of vintage dynamic microphone bodies

The reason that's funny is I looked up those microphones and they do have switches, but they're the normal square black tips.

The AI convinced itself the image was still a microphone, went looking for microphones that matched the image and then "explained" the tip belonged to the microphones that "matched" the image.

[velorush]

Follow up with AI: "This is an image of a switch tip. It is not a microphone nor is it from a microphone. From what is this switch tip?"

Quote

While it closely resembles the grill of a vintage 1960s microphone like the Monarch TM-16 or Teisco TM-4, this specific component is likely an electric carving knife switch. [1, 2]

These retro kitchen appliances from brands like Sunbeam often featured chrome-plated sliding power switches with a ribbed "grill" aesthetic that mimics mid-century microphone designs.

Searches for Vintage Sunbeam Electric Carvin Knife have thus far produced images of the Sunbeam electric carving knife that we've had since we were married in 1990 (hardly vintage). 

[Steve Haynie]

Remember that the same AI will be making your healthcare decisions.