Originally Posted by: dlwalke

Arghh. I tried twice to use the fancy shaded quote function but each time my response just disappeared when I hit the submit button.[/quote]

That happens to me sometimes, too. It's a drag! I typically copy my replies to the clipboard. On longer posts I just type them in Notepad, then copy-paste. Takes a few extra seconds, but very much worth it when the Captcha software goes wonky.

Originally Posted by: dlwalkeI think I need to clarify what I meant. I don't mean position with respect to the fretboard but rather, position with respect to each other.[/quote]

Ah ha! Gotcha. That was my misunderstanding.

I don't think the distance or placement has any effect on it. As long as the 2nd coil (or hum cancelling tech) is in the circuit somewhere in or on the guitar, then it's good to go. Remember the Strat's 3 original pickup selector switch was only a 3 way to accomodate the 3 pickups. The out of phase setting was serendipity!

Of course, to clarify positions 2 & 4 have the quack timbre because of their location, due to their relative positions.

Originally Posted by: dlwalkeHmmm, when I have watched videos of people who have installed a phase switch on their guitar, I have generally not preferred the sound of the out-of-phase position.[/quote]

No worries. Lots of people don't. :) I use it less than 1, 3 & 5. But 2 & 4 do have their uses.

[quote=dlwalke]

But you're saying that that is the default for the Strat's two pickup combination settings. So you are basically choosing between hum vs quack? (I'm talking about an off-the shelf Strat, not one with special pickups, etc.).

In essence, yes. You are "stuck" with those alternatives. But that's kind of definition by non-essential. After all, you choose a Strat because of it's overall attributes: the distinctive timbre & design (body, neck, scale length, etc.). It's not as if you pick a Strat because you WANT hum. :)

Many people that use the standard Strat pickups don't use enough gain to make it an issue. Or when they use gain or volume the overall band sound covers it enough to make it a non-issue.

[quote=dlwalke]As per my earlier question, I had thought that when selecting two single coils on a Strat (i.e., toggle positions 2 or 4), you are essentially re-creating a traditional humbucking pickup (e.g., as found on a Gibson LP) except for the fact that they are wired in parallel as opposed to series. But if that's correct, why doesn't a traditional humbucker pickup sound quacky?

That is due to the physical placement of the pickups. There is a slight phase cancellation that happens on 2 & 4 on a Strat because of the distance between the pickups. Not an electrical phasing, but a physical acoustic phenomenon.

Interestingly, I've heard some 2 humbucker Gibson style guitars that had coil taps on both humbuckers. And the option to engage both pickups, with both coil tapped down to single coil gets a similar result. Because the pickups are physically separated by enough distance!

[quote=dlwalke]Again, I think I need to clarify what I meant. I'm not asking about those specific pickups per se. Rather, I'm asking if one gets the best hum cancellation when using two single coil pickups of the same type as opposed to a combination of pickups (selector positions 2 or 4) with different output levels or frequency responses.

That's a good question, but beyond my knowledge. My best guess is that it does not matter as long as the electrical circuit cancels the hum. But of course it might be an issue timbre-wise matching pickups if they are sonically in the circuit & not simply used as dummy coils.

This article has a little history of the 5 way switch.

https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/sounds-aplenty-the-stratocaster-pickup-selector-switch

Hope that helps! Fun topic. :)