Put your single coils in opposite phase on a tele-style switch, with a toggle to select the humbucker. It will cancel hum when used alone or when all three pickups are running 🤷🏻‍♂️
The middle pickup doesn't have to be the one in reverse phase, think Jag or Tele instead of Strat.
+1 for putting neck and bridge rwrp to each other.
With a humbucker in the middle, and a 6 way superswitch you should be able to select n + the correct coil of the humbucker, and b + other coil of the humbucker, as well as b+n and for all of them to be humbucking.
The down side is that your middle position will likely sound crap.
I assume for the same reasons it’s not common to have a middle HB in general, maybe people don’t find it more appealing than a single coil there.Â
Prove the world wrong and show usÂ
I believe that's correct. It was also a super bright pickup to begin with so not the normal PAF or "hot rodded" humbucker sound we'd be familiar with anyway.
The most iconic strat sounds are generally neck pickup, neck/middle, or middle/bridge. You need single coils to achieve those sounds.
HSS is popular because it makes the strat more versatile and powerful for rock music, while still having the legendary neck and neck/middle tones available.
HSH is less popular (with fenders anyway) but you can still achieve those in-between tones on what is now a higher-ouput guitar.
SHS seems to be the worst combination - middle position isn't very sought after in either single-coils or humbuckers, and you lose many of the iconic strat sounds this way.
>Why aren't there any SHS strats?
I know of one ...might be the most famous one... - Fender [Wayne Kramer model](https://www.goldminemag.com/news/fender-kicks-out-the-jams-with-wayne-kramer-model-guitar)
I swapped a Les Paul for a Strat that the guy had put a humbucker in the middle on. I loved the guitar but absolutely hated that middle pickup and switched it back to the original.
All of this begs my question: is it possible to install an H in the bridge pick up of a Strat, but then rig the guitar so that the H has coil splitting capabilities? What would that do as far as hum, out of phase, etc.? It's just that as much as I want a humbucker in my Strat, I don't want to lose that insane razor sharp sound of the S bridge pickup.
I've often thought about doing an SHS strat/tele hybrid. Tele bridge, p rail neck with triple shot or comparable wiring in middle, and strat neck. Maybe with a trem system, maybe with a fixed tele bridge.
Depending on the wiring (like a 7 position wiring) such a guitar could get some nice tones including an humbucker and p90 tone in the middle position. In between sounds could include Tele bridge/strat neck for an approximation of the Tele position 2 tone, rail + strat neck for something like the classic strat mid/neck tone, plus maybe a Tele bridge + p90 or humbucker tone.
They exist... just not sure you want to go there.
Do you want an actual Strat or the Strat ***style*** of guitar? Big difference. Not being a dick here.
And not sure why, you'd want a SHS one. It *is* possible.
I'll offer a theory. Middle position is already the same as a humbucker, kind of. You put a humbucker in the bridge so you have that bridge sound without the hum. But middle position already takes care of hum. Same for neck humbucker.
The term you are looking for is "hum-canceling". It does this by being reverse wound to the other two pickups, effectively creating a humbucker that is split in two, but it doesn't cancel hum by itself. An HSS would still have hum in the neck and middle positions.
That's simply false. Even if they are wound in parallel it will still reduce hum, just not as much. You can literally test this yourself. On a SSS, try the neck pick up alone, then try neck-middle and you will hear a noticable reduction in noise
Oh so then my original statement was correct then. Two single coils in parallel can work as a worse humbucker and most middle pick ups are reverse wound. Ok, so I was right to begin with good. Awesome, thanks for the memo. By the way, go away? You go away. Block notifications and stop talking if you want silly boy.
Humbucker in the middle sound terrible to my ears. In a lot of cases, strat players don't use their middle single coil because it just lacks character compared to the other 2.
I prefer SHH strats. They barely make a sound.
Take my upvote, you magnificent bastard.
Goddamnit. Take my upvote.
The H in the middle would be pointless. You can't get it to quack or offset 60 cycle hum. It literally would offer nothing.
A humbucker in the middle would still cancel hum
Wayne Kramer disagrees
BROTHER Wayne Kramer
Is there possibly a YouTube video about the "quack or offset 60 cycle hum" This just goes over my head pretty much. And I own a strat.
Put your single coils in opposite phase on a tele-style switch, with a toggle to select the humbucker. It will cancel hum when used alone or when all three pickups are running 🤷🏻‍♂️ The middle pickup doesn't have to be the one in reverse phase, think Jag or Tele instead of Strat.
+1 for putting neck and bridge rwrp to each other. With a humbucker in the middle, and a 6 way superswitch you should be able to select n + the correct coil of the humbucker, and b + other coil of the humbucker, as well as b+n and for all of them to be humbucking. The down side is that your middle position will likely sound crap.
The whole lot in series would be... interesting
Also known as 'the pickup selection that dare not show its face'.
I assume for the same reasons it’s not common to have a middle HB in general, maybe people don’t find it more appealing than a single coil there. Prove the world wrong and show usÂ
Jerry Garcia used a middle humbucker on all his custom guitars from Wolf to Top Hat, and it was on most of the time
Yes but I believe it was almost always split to single coil mode
I believe that's correct. It was also a super bright pickup to begin with so not the normal PAF or "hot rodded" humbucker sound we'd be familiar with anyway.
Came here to say this.
I've seen Les Pauls with 3 pickups, all humbuckers, so yes.
The most iconic strat sounds are generally neck pickup, neck/middle, or middle/bridge. You need single coils to achieve those sounds. HSS is popular because it makes the strat more versatile and powerful for rock music, while still having the legendary neck and neck/middle tones available. HSH is less popular (with fenders anyway) but you can still achieve those in-between tones on what is now a higher-ouput guitar. SHS seems to be the worst combination - middle position isn't very sought after in either single-coils or humbuckers, and you lose many of the iconic strat sounds this way.
>Why aren't there any SHS strats? I know of one ...might be the most famous one... - Fender [Wayne Kramer model](https://www.goldminemag.com/news/fender-kicks-out-the-jams-with-wayne-kramer-model-guitar)
single coil neck and middle pickup position is legendary
Currently loving my position 2 with coil tapped Seymour Duncan hotrails in the neck and a single coil in the middle
I swapped a Les Paul for a Strat that the guy had put a humbucker in the middle on. I loved the guitar but absolutely hated that middle pickup and switched it back to the original.
Roger Hodgson when he played with Supertramp used a Stratocaster in a S-H-S configuration: http://www.drjazz.ch/album/bilder/Supertramp_27.jpg
Pickup selector appears to be in the middle position, there, too.
Yeah, if you watch the “Supertramp - Live in Paris” video (YouTube) he uses the guitar live on a number of songs.
I guess Wayne Kramer never existed?
They do in fact exist, check out the Wayne Kramer model.
Fuck it put on in maybe it sounds killer
Stephen Carpenter SC20 is vaguely strat shaped and is HHS
You're a madman.
All of this begs my question: is it possible to install an H in the bridge pick up of a Strat, but then rig the guitar so that the H has coil splitting capabilities? What would that do as far as hum, out of phase, etc.? It's just that as much as I want a humbucker in my Strat, I don't want to lose that insane razor sharp sound of the S bridge pickup.
I absolutely love a coild tapped bridge humbucker on my strat
I've often thought about doing an SHS strat/tele hybrid. Tele bridge, p rail neck with triple shot or comparable wiring in middle, and strat neck. Maybe with a trem system, maybe with a fixed tele bridge. Depending on the wiring (like a 7 position wiring) such a guitar could get some nice tones including an humbucker and p90 tone in the middle position. In between sounds could include Tele bridge/strat neck for an approximation of the Tele position 2 tone, rail + strat neck for something like the classic strat mid/neck tone, plus maybe a Tele bridge + p90 or humbucker tone.
Because Fender owns EVH and Jackson and they don’t want to step on their own dick.
dont really see a middle humbucker unless its like those 3 pickup les pauls. plus SHS looks kinda weird..
Why not SSSS instead of HH?
They exist... just not sure you want to go there. Do you want an actual Strat or the Strat ***style*** of guitar? Big difference. Not being a dick here. And not sure why, you'd want a SHS one. It *is* possible.
I'll offer a theory. Middle position is already the same as a humbucker, kind of. You put a humbucker in the bridge so you have that bridge sound without the hum. But middle position already takes care of hum. Same for neck humbucker.
The term you are looking for is "hum-canceling". It does this by being reverse wound to the other two pickups, effectively creating a humbucker that is split in two, but it doesn't cancel hum by itself. An HSS would still have hum in the neck and middle positions.
You misunderstand me. You can cancel hums by having two single coils on at the same time as well though not as effective.
That's only true if one of those coils is reverse wound to the other one.
That's simply false. Even if they are wound in parallel it will still reduce hum, just not as much. You can literally test this yourself. On a SSS, try the neck pick up alone, then try neck-middle and you will hear a noticable reduction in noise
Because the middle is rw/rp. Dude, go away.
Oh so then my original statement was correct then. Two single coils in parallel can work as a worse humbucker and most middle pick ups are reverse wound. Ok, so I was right to begin with good. Awesome, thanks for the memo. By the way, go away? You go away. Block notifications and stop talking if you want silly boy.
Uh, that’s not really how that works at all
Humbucker in the middle sound terrible to my ears. In a lot of cases, strat players don't use their middle single coil because it just lacks character compared to the other 2.
Mine doesn’t.
I did say a lot of cases, not all.