Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! TL250 Edition #30kPlaytechChallenge

Cheena: Introducing the Twitter project, #30kPlaytechChallenge, where we explore ways to modify Playtech instruments within a budget of 30,000 yen! The exciting first installment features ideas for modifying the Playtech TL250 and Playtech PB450.

Related Articles:
＜Part 1＞
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! PB450 Edition
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! TL250 Edition
＜Part 2＞
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! ST250 Edition
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! JB420 Edition
＜Part 3＞
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! LP400 Edition
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! AB420 Edition

Here's the TL250 Edition for you!

PLAYTECH / TL250 Maple Metallic Red

Of course, modifications can also be made to the TL280, which features a roasted maple neck. Please note that the listed part prices and exchange rates are based on the time of writing, so be sure to check current details when trying it yourself.

Regulations:

• Avoid making significant modifications to the wood.
• Minor adjustments, such as drilling small holes or using a reamer to enlarge existing holes, are acceptable.
• Ensure all modifications fit within the scope of an actual instrument.
• The 30,000-yen budget does not include the cost of the instrument itself.
• Aim to create something as unique and bold as possible.

For those unfamiliar with the TL250:
The guitar’s cavity is designed to accommodate single-coil pickups for both the bridge and neck positions, meaning humbuckers and P90s are incompatible. Additionally, the channel from the neck pickup to the control cavity is routed from the top rather than drilled, so removing the pickguard exposes the channel.

Nemoto: I don’t know much about guitars, so I’m filled with anxiety, but let’s dive in anyway.
Let’s start with this!

GOTOH / BS-TC1 Chrome

FENDER / PURE VINTAGE 1 MEG SOLID SHAFT CONTROL

FENDER / Custom Shop Texas Special Tele Pickups Set

Total: ¥26,166 (as of August 16, 2022)

Controls: 2 Volume Knobs.
Tone and selector switches have been removed. A powerful Texas Special pickup and a 3-saddle bridge were installed. While this isn’t a standard Playtech setup, I’ve always loved Teles outfitted with Texas Specials, so I figured the same approach would work for a Playtech.
Personally, I believe a Telecaster isn’t complete without a 3-saddle bridge, so I swapped that out. Since most players keep their tone knob at full anyway, I decided it wasn’t necessary. As a bassist, I figured I could also do without a selector switch.
The control pots are Fender-made—simply because I like them. If you’re not particular, cheaper alternatives should work just fine. My suggested setup is to set the front pickup to 10 and then mix in the rear pickup gradually.

Cheena: A classic customization right off the bat! Playtech guitars have surprisingly solid wood, so upgrading the electronics really brings them to life. Now, what should I do…?
For the TL280, I’d swap out the front pickup for this.

LUNDGREN / Telecaster P-90 Neck

Using these tuning pegs requires minimal modification and gives the guitar a more authentic Telecaster appearance from the front.

GOTOH / SG381-MGT-05-L6-Chrome

With just these changes, you get a modern Telecaster with a P90-style front pickup. Unfortunately, incorporating a Gotoh IN-Tune bridge would max out the budget, so the remaining 6,000 yen or so can be used freely.
At this point, I’d recommend either customizing the wiring or adding your preferred strap locks for added convenience.

Nemoto: Nicely done! Looks great and well-thought-out.
Alright, let’s move on to the next one.

BIGSBY / B5 Fender TL Vibrato Kit

DADDARIO / Auto-Trim 6in-line Chrome

Total: ¥26,580 (as of August 16, 2022)

It’s hard to resist adding a Bigsby to a Tele, isn’t it? You get what I mean, right? However, since string changes on a Bigsby can be a hassle, I’d use convenient tuning pegs to make the process smoother—anything to offset the extra effort. While a direct drop-in isn’t possible, it’s not a major undertaking either. You might need to make a shim, but that’s not too difficult.

Cheena: You can actually fit a B5F into the 30,000-yen budget? When using a standard Bigsby, you’d also need to replace the bridge, so this might end up being the more economical option.
As for stud anchors, I believe they’re Φ10mm, so you’ll definitely need a drill. You might also need to fill existing holes, depending on the situation.

Nemoto: We may be eccentric enthusiasts, but even the average person probably has access to a cordless drill, right? At least, I think so… This doesn’t require any advanced skills, so it should be manageable.

Cheena: If there’s any skill involved, it’s drilling perfectly vertical holes. It’s a bit tricky without a jig, so I’d recommend searching for terms like "vertical jig" or "drill guide" to either make one or buy one if you’re uncertain.
For controlling the depth, just mark your drill bit with an oil-based pen or wrap masking tape around it. Don’t worry—pen ink comes off with oil.
By the way, apologies for potentially derailing your suggestion, but using a Callaham shaft or a Vibramate Spoiler might be cheaper than adding an auto-trim system.

CALLAHAM / Upgraded Main String Shaft for Bigsby Vibratos

VIBRAMATE / Spoiler Silver

Come to think of it, the current Bigsby lineup has more pinless options now.

Nemoto: True… The fact that these products exist just goes to show that most people find string changes a hassle. If you save some budget here, you could allocate it toward upgrading pickups or something else.

Cheena: Alright, what should we do for the next customization? Maybe take a slightly more traditional approach this time…

Nemoto: Let’s do it.

FENDER/ Custom Shop ’51 Nocaster Tele Pickups Set

FENDER / 3-Saddle AM Vintage Tele Bridge ASSY w/Brass Saddles Chrome

FENDER / PURE VINTAGE TELECASTER ASHTRAY BRIDGE COVER CH

Total: ¥29,000 (as of August 16, 2022)

Using Fender genuine parts, we attempted to recreate the predecessor of the Telecaster, the Nocaster, while staying within budget. It’s always a great idea to explore the origins of the tone, and since these are quality parts, you could also transfer them to another Telecaster later.

Cheena: Oh, the "Nocaster." Once this is on the table, you really can’t go further back in the Tele lineage. In that case, maybe we should steer toward a bizarre-style guitar from the development era.
Here’s what we’ll use—looks great, right?

GFS "Metal Foil" Single Coill Alnico Magnets, Fits Tele®

This is from a U.S. manufacturer, so the dimensions are in inches. Any discrepancies can be adjusted accordingly. According to the manufacturer, it’s best to set ferrite on the neck side and Alnico on the bridge side.

Nemoto: Interesting! From the description, it sounds fantastic—definitely something I’d want. At around $80 for the front and rear set, you’ll have budget left for other tweaks. Even after filling and redrilling screw holes with putty and doing some bridge modifications, there’s still about ¥15,000 left to spend.

Cheena: You could even order a matching bridge from the same site. However, with such a full-metal aesthetic, you’d need to think about surrounding parts as well.

Xtrem Top Mount Flat Surface Vibrato- Chrome Finish

How about using this? It’s a robust tremolo in the style of a Bigsby, but smaller—almost like a Les Trem.

Nemoto: That’s another great option—stylish and functional. At $116.85, that’s roughly.
¥15,541 (calculated at $1 = ¥133)

FENDER/ Brass Stratocaster/Telecaster Nut

a brass nut

GOTOH / CP-10-Art-01 Chrome

Outfitted with an "Art Collection" control plate for ¥22,881. Even with shipping from the U.S., the total should still fall within the ¥30,000 budget. Looks great, doesn’t it? (Price as of August 16, 2022.)

Cheena: That’s a fantastic choice! The fact that the functionality is straightforward just adds to its charm.

Nemoto: This is getting exciting. It’s fun to customize like this, isn’t it? Telecasters even look great with a touch of the bizarre—it might be because of their old-school design or certain quirky, less-refined aspects like the slab body or the 3-saddle bridge, which can’t individually adjust intonation for each string.

Cheena: The micro-tilt adjustment also feels like a hallmark of early ingenuity.

Nemoto: Wasn’t it one of Leo Fender’s favorite features? It’s a bit rough around the edges, but I like it. The ability to easily tweak the neck angle is something I’d still love to have. Even things like the 3-bolt neck were part of that spirit of experimentation, though perhaps more trial and error than innovation.

Cheena: True, but the fact that modern instruments don’t use these features might speak volumes. Over time, neck bolts have increased in number, reflecting improved designs.
Alright, let’s move on. For the next setup, we’ll incorporate some flavor-enhancing parts from EMG.

EMG T Set Black pickups

EMG/ EXG

This setup creates a Telecaster capable of producing a scooped “don-shari” tone right at your fingertips.
The EMG flavoring series mentioned includes the following options:

EXG/EXB

Boosts both low and high frequencies for easy scooped tones. The EXB is for bass and targets lower frequencies.

RPC

Lightly reduces low frequencies and boosts highs, though less aggressively than a high-pass filter.

SPC

Cuts high frequencies while boosting the midrange.

After Burner/After Burner 220

Offers up to +20dB of boost. The standard version activates when pulled up, while the 220 bypasses at 0dB and includes click points at +8dB and +15dB.

PA2/PA2 No Switch

A fixed booster. The standard version includes a lever switch, while the No Switch version amplifies continuously, with the boost level adjustable via a mini-trimmer.

Pi2/Pi2 Push Pull Pot

A phase inverter switch, suitable for guitars like the Mustang.

VMC

Adjusts a specific frequency band (100Hz–1kHz) by ±12dB, originally intended for bass.

(Information accurate as of summer 2022.)
You can incorporate any of these into a setup with the T Set while staying within the ¥30,000 budget, although using something other than the EXG may be preferable depending on your needs.

Nemoto: This is so informative. But since these are active pickups, would fitting a preamp into the TL250’s small cavity even be possible? Perhaps replacing the lever switch with a toggle switch and canceling the tone control could make space? You might also need to slightly enlarge the cavity.

Cheena: It’s true that box-shaped preamps would be difficult to fit, and EMG’s bass preamps (with three pots connected by a circuit board) are a no-go. However, the flavoring series components have small circuit boards attached to individual pots, so it’s feasible.
If aesthetics aren’t a concern, placing the board in the pickup cavity and sealing it could work.

Nemoto: Got it, thanks. It’s clear that I don’t know much about modifying gear I’ve never worked with.

PROVIDENCE / VZ-G1

I really wanted to incorporate a Vitalizer, but it might be too tight a fit…

Cheena: If it’s just about making the guitar active, you could consider the Blackout Modular Preamp, but that one requires a deeper cavity, so it might not work here. Perhaps it could fit in an ST250 instead.

Nemoto: I’m starting to derail again, and I think we’ve made enough solid suggestions here. Plus, I’m out of ideas. Time to wrap this up! Reflecting on this, I think I need to deepen my understanding of guitars.
Thank you for sticking with us until the end.

Cheena: Agreed. We’d love for everyone to try out their own ideas too, so we’re launching this project on Twitter. We look forward to seeing your submissions! (Details can be found below.)

Thank you very much!

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