My second strat (1994 Southern Cross Series, with Fat 50s pickups and an Emerson Custom Strat Blender prewired kit) sounds muddy and dull compared to my American Standard, which has exactly the same pickups.
I had a tech replace the paper in oil 0.047 cap with a Polyester 0.22 one (which I believe is the standard capacitor in American Standard strats). The result was worse. Now the guitar lost most of its treble. Muddier than ever and I am PISSED.
I know the woods are different and the distances too, but still I don't think that explains such a big difference between two strats with the same pups.
Suggestions?