All grounds are connected to the back of the volume pot, with a single wire going from the volume pot to the spring claw. So there are no grounding loops that I can see, and all grounds should be at almost exactly the same potential. The pickups are not noisy at all though when I plug in to an amp, so I don't think it's a grounding issue. I'll poke around a bit with a multimeter and see what I can find, it's just a pain to rip this guitar apart as soon as I put it together. I am still disappointed in Fender though. Take a look at these pics of the pickup windings from my other post:
http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...mp;#entry338321
I returned those pickups and bought another brand new set, which have the same loose pickup windings as the first. Between that and a scratchy pot that is supposed to be brand new and the wrong-valued pot, I have to say it's not likely I'll buy Fender pickups again. That's one pot I have to replace for sure, and another that I have to clean/replace, both from a brand new set! Thank Greg and Mammoth for the replies. If you have any other ideas/suggestions about what the problem could be, please let me know,
STeve