Yesterday I took my 1970s American Vintage Strat out of its case only to discover the neck pickup was dead. The middle and bridge pickups are completely fine. I'm guessing the only way to deduce what's going on is to get inside and check all the connections. Any recommendations for fixing it or going about figuring it out? Everything on the guitar (except strings of course) are stock and I've never had the pickguard off to look at the inside. Thanks.

Well Jay hit everything on the head .Jay I hadasked a similar question last week. I had bought an olympic white Clapton strat brand new about 10 years ago and after 3 years the bridge pickup just up and died. I mean there was no doubt my guy just about did an autopsy on it . There was no problem replacing the pup but I saved the old one .Now I know there are a ton of Claptons out there but if I had the pup rewound would the guitar still be considered stock as I like to have everything stock on my axes except my 2 main workhorses which I modded to my likings and it still burns my $@! that it died in only 3 years which by Fender standards is a freak of nature because they are built as solid as a tank.

Jay I changed the pickup the minuete it died. The only thing I did differant was that I have a Jeff Beck strat to and those pups are hotter so I threw a Beck in the bridge which sounds killer with the tbx you cant tell from looking at it that its been changed and I saves the original pup.The thing that pissed me off was that it died after 3 years and that ax does not even get worked hard. I was just wondering if I had the original rewound if it is still stock as the axes I dont use much I like to keep clean.My 2 main guitars have been moded to my likings because there never going anywhere.But what you said makes perfect sense thanx Jay.

Reflow the solder at the pickup's "eyelets."

That often will restore life to a dead pickup.

But first you must check out the circuit with your multimeter to be sure that all of the other connections are sound.

Look for damage to pickup's coil too.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.