strat neck pickup question

[mark belanger]

Hello. My 1990s Stratocaster American standard neck pickup sometimes doesn't work. I don't know if it's the toggle switch or the pickup. How do I fix this? Thanks. Mark.

[Mark Swanson]

disconnect the pickup from the switch, and connect it directly to the output jack. It should work and not cut out. That would tell you it's the switch, which I suggest that it probably is.

[David King]

Check the solder joints on the pickup itself. They may need to be reheated and reflowed with some flux and fresh solder if they weren't done correctly at the factory. You need a fairly hot iron to burn off the magnet wire insulation and get the solder to flow onto the wire. You can sometimes see a little crater in the solder around the magnet wire at the eyelet when there's an intermittent connection.

[Joshua Levin-Epstein]

What Mark and David said. Start at the "source" (the Pick-up) and be certain it is good. If the pick-up is good, then touch up its connections to the switch. The switch may be fine, but there may be cold solder joints. You should also look at the terminal (pole?)where the pick-up is connected and the blade that makes the connection within the switch. Sometimes the terminal rotates on its rivet and breaks the connection.

[mark belanger]

Thanks guys. I have never messed with any of my electric guitars. I will take a look. Mark.