3 way toggle with push pull 85/15’s

[Paul Parise]

I just bought an 2003 CU24. I have a set of 85/15’s that I have installed and want to convert to a 3way toggle with push pull.

I ordered a 3 way drop in kit but unfortunately have to reorder a new push pull, I was making solder spots for grounding and must have gotten it too hot and it won’t pull out. I had a spare 500k push pull pot and wired the guitar up but could not get the neck pickup to work.

I’ve had these pickups installed in a Standard 24 before in the same manner and the white is hot on the treble pickup, Black is hot for bass, previously the two red wires went to the bottom lugs of the push pull switch. And then the remaining white/black and bare wires get grounded.

If I wire it up that way with the 3 way drop in and wire the two hots to each side of the toggle I get no sound out of the neck pickup, although if you pull up on the push pull I do get a very weak sound. Not sure if the push pull I had was “bad” so I put the rotary back in and everything works. That means no issues with the pickups.

Since I am essentially going with the same pickups and scheme as a current day CE 24, I would think that would be the diagram to follow. However, that diagram shows both blacks being hot, white to the push pull and I would assume in that diagram the red and bares go to ground.

Anyone wire these up before as I am trying to and do the CE 24 85/15 pickups have different color code wires than say Core 85/15’s?

I also question the 3 way drop in kit. It doesn’t match any wiring diagram in that it has a red wire from the middle lug of the push pull switch to the toggle and a black wire on the other middle lug of the push pull grounded to the volume pot casing. I have a 2.2k and 1.1k resistors on the way for the splits. My assumption is the red and black wires get taken off and the resistors installed on the middle lugs of the push pull and grounded to the push pull casing just as all the diagrams show.

Super frustrated as I build amps and am stuck with this.

I love 85/15’s with 3 way and splits.

 

[garrett]

You were on the right track, but I think you might have a bad connection in there.

Neck Black and Bridge White to toggle. Red of each to their respective push/pull lugs closest to the pot. Neck White, Bridge Black, and both Bare to ground. Each of the push/pull center lugs take a separate path, either to ground or hot depending on which coil you want cancelled.

The CE24 and other pickups meant for toggle wiring do have different wires. They will be same polarity as each other and will have bare braided wire for ground/shield, Black for hot, and White for split.

I also question the 3 way drop in kit. It doesn’t match any wiring diagram in that it has a red wire from the middle lug of the push pull switch to the toggle and a black wire on the other middle lug of the push pull grounded to the volume pot casing. I have a 2.2k and 1.1k resistors on the way for the splits. My assumption is the red and black wires get taken off and the resistors installed on the middle lugs of the push pull and grounded to the push pull casing just as all the diagrams show.

I think what you're seeing there is the diagram accounting for the reverse polarity pickups. If you want the screw coil active when you pull the knob, the bridge pickup split wire connects to hot and the neck pickup connects to ground.

And you're right about the resistors, they replace the wires that connect to the center lugs of the push/pull.

 

[Paul Parise]

You were on the right track, but I think you might have a bad connection in there.

Neck Black and Bridge White to toggle. Red of each to their respective push/pull lugs closest to the pot. Neck White, Bridge Black, and both Bare to ground. Each of the push/pull center lugs take a separate path, either to ground or hot depending on which coil you want cancelled.

The CE24 and other pickups meant for toggle wiring do have different wires. They will be same polarity as each other and will have bare braided wire for ground/shield, Black for hot, and White for split.



I think what you're seeing there is the diagram accounting for the reverse polarity pickups. If you want the screw coil active when you pull the knob, the bridge pickup split wire connects to hot and the neck pickup connects to ground.

And you're right about the resistors, they replace the wires that connect to the center lugs of the push/pull.

Thanks, feeling better I think it’s just the replacement push pull, I’ll wait for the new one. Sounds like i had it correct.