I own a 1991 USA Fender Strat that I've been using for about 2 years now for gigs and the such. Recently, my favorite pickup noise (the neck pickup) is giving me issues. Any noise from the high-e string is very muffled. I have to pluck it very hard in order for the signal to to be audible. It picks up the other strings just fine (even in the high-e string frequency range so it's not a filtering issue I don't think). The other 2 pickups work just fine as well.

Is this issue common? I figure the pickup = bad. So to save money, would I be able to swap the neck pickup with the middle or even the bridge pickup and expect the same noise. In other words, is there any difference between thoise Fender stock pickups. All the serial #s on the pickups are the same (all identical from what I can tell).

Thanks!

ps: I've tried raising and lowering the pickup to just about every level, still no fix.

Wire the pick direct to the output (hot). It it still does not work well then it should be a pickup problem. You might not be able to get the cable length to swap the neck and bridge around.

The middle pickup may be reverse wound so in that case it will sound different and mess up the humbucking switch options for all pickups.

Personally I'd get the pickup repaired or go to your fender dealer to replace it (you can swap covers) while you await yours to be repaired, that is if you need the guitar for performing.

It happens as I has a Strat that had the Bridge pup die after only 2 years. Just go and get it replaced. If it is not under warranty look on ebay at a store called the Stratosphere and you will be able to find the right pup for your ax without having to buy all 3 as that is how I believe they sell them these days.

Welcome.

It sounds like that string's magnet (polepiece) is petering out on you yet the pickup's coil is still intact. If you can have the polepiece remagnetized, that will solve your problem. Note that by having it remagnetized, it would spare you the time and expense of replacing the entire pickup. YMMV.

_________________
You dig?

Alright, how do I go about re-magnetizing? Is this something your everyday guitar shop would know how to do? My suspicion was definately the magnet; I even had a debate with a guitar center employee about it (he told be I couldn't be right).

I have the pickup out of the guitar, stuck a cheap replacement one in there for the time being. But I'm interested in getting that repaired if it would be cheaper than buying a replacement.

BETTER guitar repair shops will have the facilities to remagnetize your polepiece. Some use a stronger magnet to put the magnetic charge back in whereas others use an electronic charger to revitalize it. If you can come up with a VERY strong magnet (like one from a powerful speaker), you could probably do it yourself. Google for details on how to (re)charge a magnet.

As to debating this or many other basic repairs with a rank-in-file GC employee, I'll say this as diplomatically as I can: It's your own fault.

_________________
You dig?

I would say its the employees fault.

The local music store in my town lost my business because of the cranky woman who owns it...she berated me for not letting her 20 year old "tech" work on my 1966 DR.
I had only asked her if she had a tech and that the filter caps needed replacing,(that was before I learned how)....she made a scene and said "capacitor" was just a word people tossed around because they didn't know better.
I'm not the only person she has run off who used to buy stuff...even though I got some good deals.
Yes,talk to someone who really knows what they're talking about,just because they work in a store doesn't prove it.

This should be a Cardinal rule when venturing for advice on technical aspects of equipment. As an electrical engineer, I've repaired tons of electronic equipment, and I have to bite my tongue when I here store clerks spit out simple 'electronic jargon' (trying to sound smarter by using words they've heard somewhere else).

I don't see any fault - just somebody looking for helpful information (obviously GC wasn't my only attempt)