Before I got my MIM Strat I was aware of the single coil pickup noise and I was willing to live with it for a while.
Today I noticed something new. If I do not touch any metal (strings, trem bar) I do get a little hum on the clean channel from each pickup. However, if I touch the metal pole pieces without touching any other metal, the hum gets even louder. This happens with all 3 pickups. Is this normal for single coil pickups? I would think that the metal parts of the pickups are grounded.

Welcome.

Actually, this is all rather normal.

Believe it or not, none of the polepieces nor the magnets themselves are grounded at all. The only thing on these pickups which is grounded is one end of each coil.

There is a possibility that the height adjustment screws could be too but only if the back of the pickguard is foiled where these screws mount through it. In terms of the, "big picture" though, either way is essentially irrelevant.

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You dig?

Also to add to the confusing it doesn't make any difference whether it's a Mexican made one or not, even the American made ones still buzzed from 60 cycle hum just as well.

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Fender Natural reissue 70's Stratocaster!