Middle PU reversed polarity on strats?

[xlrustylx]

Hi, I am planning out a Strat project and I heard that the middle pickup is supposed to be reversed polarity for '80s to now. Is that manditory? I don't want to spend almost $100 on a PU and it be the wrong kind.

[newey]

Well, since Fender has been making Strats since the '50's, you'd have to say it's not mandatory.

By using a RWRP ("reverse wound, reverse polarity") pickup in the middle, positions 2 and 4 (Mid+ Neck/Mid + bridge) become humbucking. However, there are players out there who want a "vintage" Strat tone who prefer not to have the RWRP middle.

It's up to you whether you like the humbucking feature or not. If you've never played one without the RWRP middle, you can always hear for yourself at a music store- find a vintage Strat to play, or one of the Custom Shop "reissue" ones.

[xlrustylx]

Oh, okay then. I am putting Seymour Duncans in it, the bridge and neck are humbucker rail types and the middle is a single coil. I know I planned a Cool Rails on the bridge and a Vintage Rails on the neck, but I forgot what exactly was going to be in the middle. I think it was the SSL-3 Hot in the middle, but I'm not sure. Thanks for your help, I'll go with normal polarity.

[ChrisK]

the bridge and neck are humbucker rail types and the middle is a single coil.

Since a RWRP single coil pickup creates a humbucking combination when combined with a NWNP single coil pickup, the use of either a NWNP or RWRP for the middle will have exactly the same effect if it is combined with either the bridge humbucker or neck humbucker.

Either one will be no more or no less humbucking when combined with a humbucker, which is, er, already a humbucking pickup. It won't be as noisy as it is by itself, but it won't be entirely humbucking either.

[xlrustylx]

So, maybe I should have a Rail style on the bridge and singles on both the neck and middle?

[warmstrat]

I think newey's post was referring to sets of "Strat Pickups" - when combining non-standard strat pickups, it's another matter altogether.

[ChrisK]

So, maybe I should have a Rail style on the bridge and singles on both the neck and middle?

I'm not trying to state or even infer anything beyond the hum cancellation realizable with your stated pickup configuration (HSH).

You should not take this to mean that something/anything is wrong with what you stated.

In a sense, things depend on WHAT the driver is here; is it to primarily realize hum canceling combinations or primarily pickup tone combinations?

Since both the bridge and neck that you stated are 4-wire humbuckers, there are many designs a'web (and a'foot) that combine the appropriate RWRP single coil from a humbucker with a single coil middle (or even neck) to realize hum cancellation.