OK, I guess I'm an IDIOT.. But are the pickups in my fender deluxe strat supposed to float ALOT???? in their slots?? I was trying to adjust the PU height and the screws tend to spin right back after I tighten or loosen them. I know that the pickups float up and down but I'm not sure that they should be THIS loose???
Any ideas??? Thanks, Dave...

Dave,

You're not an idiot, read on.

They shouldn't have any 'slack' to them at all. Your problem is, Fender went back to using cut up pieces of surgical tubing for springs. The threads of the pickup height adjustment screws oftentimes get hung up inside the tubing and so, instead of the screw turning up or down through the tube, the innards of the tubes hug the threads and twist right along with the screw. At the same time, the ends of the tube do not turn where they mate with the pickup and/or the pickguard. Hence, when you let go of the screw, it twists right back to where it last was. This is a common situation where many players (myself included) have removed the tubing and replaced them with outright springs.

And now for the answer to your inevitable follow up question: The rubber tubing is cheaper than the steel springs.

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Great advice... I thought I was going insane... I'll take the pick guard off and check things out.. I also have the S1 switch on the volume knob so that might be tricky..

You don't have to take any of the knobs off the pickguard to service the pickups, the S-1 switch is not a factor here. All you have to do is remove the pickguard and you'll see the tubing which has to be replaced at the pickups.

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Got it Thanks

Glad to help!

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oh good...after replacing the bridge-position humbucker, I was thinking I was the idiot.
Makes sense now.

Now any idea where to find springs Vs. the surgical tubing... I took it apart and yes I do indeed have the tubing. It is driving me crazy. Put it all back together and the pick ups still seem really really loose..

Any music store with a decent repair department should positively have them.

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