Installing Pick ups in Strat Please help!

[invertyourcross]

Hey all, here is my problem, I just took a '03 Mexican Strat HSS, made it into a SSS and replaced the original pickups with the vintage Fender Noiseless pickups. I left the 250k pots in all around cause I read they will still work. Well when I plugged the guitar in TONS of noise and feedback occurred. Pressing fingers to strings increased the amount of fuzz. Note: It did work I could here the strings and all pickups were active just tons of noise. So that said, I immediately ordered three 1 meg pots for the guitar. Think they by themselves will solve my problem and make these pickups worth the price I just paid?

Also, when they get here I'm thinking about just rewiring the whole damn thing based on a standard strat wiring diagram, cause trying to manipulate the HSS to SSS was kinda confusing.... (ie wtf green wire?) lol, Do you think thats a good plan of action? Any advice or suggestions?

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/i-3192/3192.gif

[markb]

That diagram is for traditional strat wiring and is correct. The tone controls will operate on the neck (upper pot) and middle (lower pot) pickups. I'd check your wiring. Make sure there are no shorts on the switch and the jumper is in the right place. Make sure you've wired the jack the right way round (been there;)).

A sharp photo of your wiring would help. I'd say if all else fails, seek the help of a local professional. I've just done this with my own strat because, try as I might, I just can't get the noise down to an acceptable level and I've been doing my own wiring and setup for 25 years.

[bek]

Sounds like a bad ground, perhaps a bad solder joint.

[marnold]

New pots won't help, it's a wiring problem. Does it happen in all five switch positions?

I think I can guarantee that you won't like the sound of three 1M pots on a Strat. Most likely will be far too brittle.

[invertyourcross]

Yeah it happens in all five switch positions, and thats a bummer no one thinks 1 meg pots will help lol I just bought them. Ok well I guess I will redo the wiring I did and make sure my connections and joints are perfection. Thanks to all for the help!

[marnold]

Quick thought: did you connect the ground wire from the bridge to the back of the volume pot?