Assuming the meter is working (it would seem so from your other readings), a super-high or no reading indicates the pickups have open windings or at least the connections from the coil wire to the bobbins are bad. Rewinding them is probably the only fix. A reading of zero would indicate a dead short...

The Merkin is essentially a Fuzzrite with an added gain stage post-fuzz. A few coupling cap values are adjusted (somewhat more bottom end is available), but the end result is a more versatile Fuzzrite. So, basically, it's a beefed up Fuzzrite? That's a good description of it. Its extra output stage...

paul_ wrote:.22uF and 500k pots would be my first choice with those Surf 90s.

Paul - again, the decimal point matters! .22uF is 10x bigger than you want for a tone cap.

If you are indeed using a .47uF tone cap, it's about 10x too big and would be rolling off more treble than you want it to. The correct value is .022 to .047uF (could be marked 22nF to 47nF, or 223 to 473). The 1meg pot should be fine.

The Merkin is essentially a Fuzzrite with an added gain stage post-fuzz. A few coupling cap values are adjusted (somewhat more bottom end is available), but the end result is a more versatile Fuzzrite.