I was having a quiet moan to myself about the ineffectiveness of the volume control on the MaliCaster as it was either zero or one. Decided the pickups were the issue.
Anyhow, after a lot of deliberation about what pickups I should buy, I realised that moving the strings closer to the pickups would solve the problem. And it properly fucking did.
Pleased with my genius, I then noticed that two screw heads belonging to the fittings that hold the bridge plate on have sheared off. So, if it won't hold tune, I need a new bridge with different spaced fixings.
And, if I am doing that, I might as well change the pickup at the same time as I have a spare humbucker... .