I can solder, but I don't know anything about electronics. When i wired my recyclocaster, I just wired the 5-way switch to the volume knob and to the jack. I never use the tone controls on a strat. I also used this big honking automotive grade wire. People told me that it wouldn't make a difference except make it harder to cram all the stuff in the cavity (true dat!). I am finding, however, that this guitar has alot more oomph than my factory-wired strat. the middle pickup is the same in both (assuming that in a 62 ri strat the bridge and middle pickups are the same) and the distance between the strings and pickups is the same. The homemade guitar defintely has an orneryness to it that the strat doesn't have. It may be from deleting the tone circuit from the signal path, or maybe it's the big honking wiring.
I'm not recomending that you should do it my way or anything. I guess I am saying in terms of music and finding your voice, serendipity can be sweet. Feel free to deviate from convention. the worst that will happen is that you'll get better at soldering when you have to do it over again.
