Dauntless

...and heavy

Do a fret level and crown, then adjust the truss rod! You should still have a slight curve when the adjustment is done. It'll make a world of difference. Info available on the net.

If the switch you are useing is a standard Fender switch http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf...0134600DPg2.pdf If you are useing a Stewart-Macdonald switch http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...91.html#details If it's not a switch problem, check all your solder joints and make sure wires aren't coming in contact with each other causeing it to ground or short. If it looks sloppy, clean it up and you'll probably find the problem.

Wired wrong? Decide what sound you want and look at these. If you're not sure and have questions, send them an e-mail and they'll try and help you with your choice. http://store.guitarfetish.com/humbuckers.html

Not sure where you live but, here's an outfit with some good gear at good prices and a bunch of lefties guitars. http://www.rondomusic.com/electricguitarleft.html

You could start here and work your way to designing your own. http://store.guitarfetish.com/modboards.html

I don't see how the plastic would interfere with the magnetic field but I can see how the thickness of the plastic would interfere with the pickup's distance from the strings.