Notes Fade In And Out - Wiring Help!

[sammyd56]

Hi everyone,

I'm having problems with my Mexican Strat. Basically the sound fades in and out (on all three pickups). When played clean it is passable, but on distortion it is rubbish. Also there is a still a quiet output even when all of the pickups are disabled (maybe this is normal - but I thought I'd mention it in case).

The previous owner had a friend re-wire it to include a 13-way pickup selector, and I don't think he did a very good job (see picture).

The thing is though I don't really know what I'm looking for. There are a few solder joints which aren't very tidy, could this be the problem?

I'd be very grateful if someone would point me in the right direction.

Thanks,

Sam

[crafty]

Looks like ground loops galore. They also installed 500k ohm pots, too. The MIM Strat comes stock with 250k's in S/S/S configuration.

Time to get your hands dirty and redo it with the proper switch and pots. Honestly, I'd just get a pre-soldered kit and use that for less hassle.

[sammyd56]

Looks like ground loops galore. They also installed 500k ohm pots, too. The MIM Strat comes stock with 250k's in S/S/S configuration.

Time to get your hands dirty and redo it with the proper switch and pots. Honestly, I'd just get a pre-soldered kit and use that for less hassle.

I think I'll take your advice. Thanks very much

[Jozer99]

I don't recommend pre-wired kits. I would get all new pots and a switch, and wire it yourself. You can get a (unwired) kit from stewmac, or just buy all the parts (5 way strat switch, 3 250k pots, jack). Do a star ground (all grounds go directly to the back of the volume pot, then from there to the jack ground.

The fade in and out isn't because of ground loops, but the background noise is. The fade could be any number of things, but I can pretty much guarantee you its the bad wiring, weird switch, or a cheap 1/4" jack.