Pardon my apologies in advance if this is a question that I already should know...but with a HSS Strat, the norm is, when selecting the Humbucker there is no noise (coming through amp) but switching to the single coil pickups there is noise (coming through amp) but why is it that placing the 5 way selector switch in the 4th position (middle/neck pickup) also yields no noise? Is this because having the two single coils selected in series makes it into a humbucker too? I'm confused.

having neck and middle together simulates a hum-bucker. the middle is reversed wound and the magnets are in the opposite direction (if i'm not mistaken) compared to the neck (and bridge in a SSS). The noise from one pick up is extremely close to the noise in the other and they cancel each other out.

In vintage style pick ups (not the noiseless ones) you would not get this effect due to the middle would be the same as bridge and neck pick ups.

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Fender American Standard 2009 (Sienna Sunburst /w Rosewood Neck)
Fender Blacktop Telecaster '10 (Black Maple)
Fender Bassman 100 (Rola 12UX)
Fender Twin Reverb '77 Ultralinear

http://www.torresengineering.com/rwrphuh.html


http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... /RWRP.aspx

Here is my explanation.

To get the noise canceling effect commonly one coil out of two pickups is reverse wound and reverse wired (out of phase).

Noise (interference) follows the winding direction of the coil.
As one coil is reversed the two noise signals are created opposite to each other.

The combined effect of the opposite signals is the noise becomes less audible while the signal created by the guitarist playing is increased.

Other types of pickups and wiring systems use different winding designs, filtering and shielding to resolve noise.

I think you mean; reverse wound and REVERSE POLARIZATION.

Or, reverse polarity.

The paired coils also have to be of very similar DC resistance as the closer they are to each other resistance wise, the greater the alternating current (hum) is that they will cancel. Said coils can be wired in series or in parallel with each other.

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You dig?