A hum-cancelling coil tends to affect the tone slightly so many people don't like them.

More important with older single-coil guitars is to isolate their guts properly. People had hardly heard of RF-noise back in those days. A proper isolating layer of copper or aluminium foil/tape inside the cavity and under the pick-guard makes wonders.

No. I have N3's in my American deluxe and they are quieter, but lose some of the chirp/spank of standard single coils.

This is the case with virtually any humbucker vs. a single coil.

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You dig?

But a half decent eq can get you the rest of the way.

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No no and no

something about a dummy coil positioned in the rear cavity ,makes it look like a
teratoma..

well, like both, i have a a scn equipped strat strat, and a telecaster equipped with VN
tele pickups, a strat w 57/62 but with a rwrp middle pickup.

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

Nothing sounds better than a true single coil Strat. I just turn the volume down to "0" when I'm not playing.

I must admit I am so fed up with my current EJ buzzing like a chainsaw when I practiced at home I invested in a Ebtech HE-2-XLR Hum Eliminator - worked a treat but it's yet another box and cable to trip over. $85 - cheaper and easier than fitting "noiseless" PUs and I can't hear any difference in PU tone with the box apart from near zero hum.

The OP was only referring to the RW/RP middle pickup, giving hum cancellation in the #2 & #4 positions. I honestly don't know if it changes the tone any on positions 2 & 4, but it does stop any hum. Obviously everyone's opinion of hum and how it affects them is different. I'd say don't worry about it because positions 1, 3, and 5 will all be capable of producing hum anyways.

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI

Yeah, based on the replies I got to my question, I'm not gonna worry about hum-cancelling with this project. If it does turn out to be a problem, I can just swap out the middle pickup for a RWRP version...

It's a personal taste.

I have gold lace sensors on my 93 American Standard Tele and 97 US Strat Plus and Seymour Duncan humbuckers on my 01 American Series Double Fat Strat.

I guess I don't get a lot of hum. What I like most about the sensors is 1) they sound like single-coil pickups because 2) they are single-coil pickups. I also like their somewhat subtle compression. (They're not noiseless, though. They're not humbuckers.)

One day I'll get an EJ maple board Strat and live up the hum. Right now, I'm happy.

I figure c'mon, it's 2012, guitars shouldn't hum! At least not my guitar.

My single coil experience includes stock Fender singles, Fralin singles, and Dimarzio Area pickups. Oh, and some P90s. I had the Fralins in my current axe and got tired of the hum and went back to the Area pickups, having had them in a previous guitar. Love the sound of the Dimarzios. Better/worse than the Fralins?....different, I guess, but not by much.

As we look to the guitar gods for an answer, Clapton, Johnson, bla bla bla, we'll find they use either, but each seems to be pretty devoted to one or the other.

No hum for me, though.

I saw Eric Johnson in concert last night and, for what its worth, you could definitely hear the hum when he wasn't playing. Heck, if it doesn't bother Eric Johnson, I ain't gonna let it bother me...

By the way, after seeing him in concert, I think I'm gonna sell my Strats and take up another hobby... not serious, of course, but geez that was an impressive show of talent..