H-S-H center pickup

[Malo Strat]

Just ordered a custom strat from Warmoth.  Has H-S-H pickup config. 
I purchased a Dimarzio Super distortion for the bridge, a Dimarzio Area 58 for the center, and a Dimarzio Air Classic for the neck.
My question is on the center pickup... It is a hum canceling single coil size.  How will that go with the humbuckers in the bridge and neck. 
I was planning on having the five way switch that would allow the bridge and the neck to be coil split with the middle pickup. Im would like to get some strat style quack out of it.
Will this just sound like 3 beefy humbuckers, should I just buy a regular single coil for the center with no hum cxling?

 

[tfarny]

It's a great pup, sounds absolutely like a vintage strat. However when you split the other bucker, you won't be hum cancelling anymore because the Area 58 is actually a humbucker itself. I can't vouch for what it would sound like when with a split bucker, I probably wouldn't do it myself. I wouldn't expect much classic 'quack' - that sound is more complicated to get than it seems. Still I think the Area is a great choice for a guitar like that, because it sounds great by itself and won't contribute much to string pull issues (you've already got two powerful pups there).
I might wire it:
neck
neck / bridge both split
middle only
neck / bridge not split
bridge
Then you'd have some good sounds and be hum cancelling the whole way. ALternatively, put the middle on a separate switch so you can turn it off / on by itself / on with other stuff.

 

[Malo Strat]

Thanks tfarny, you seem like you are pretty good with all this electrickery....
Do you think it would be better to just trade my Area 58 pup for say a Dimarzio True Velvet middle pup.
The True Velvet is a single coil. I hope I dont run into string pull issues if I use the True Velvet. 
I was thinking to do the 5 way switching like Steve Vai's Ibanez Jem......

 

[tfarny]

Well since you've already bought it, I would install it and see how you like it. You can always 'bay it get another one if it doesn't work out. Never tried the true velvet. If it's a higher output true single coil, then yeah it's going to contribute to pulling on your strings and killing your sustain. Whether that turns out to be an actual problem in your actual guitar, you won't know till you try it. If you like to have all your pups right up close to the strings then it could potentially be an issue.
As for the steve vai JEM switching, it still only gets you 5 out of the 10 or so useful possibilities, right? I mean if I have HSH I definitely want HH and S only as choices. Coil tapping seems cooler than it actually is, imho. This all sounds like a golden opportunity for you to experiment with different schemes and combos to find what's best for you.

 

[Malo Strat]

Yeah Ill try the Area 58 first, this is definenately a learning experience for me anyways so I will experiment with the switching a little.  Thanks again

 

[lafromla1]

Keep us informed as my next build will be a H-S-H and I was thinking of using DiMarzio pups in it as well.