Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! JB420 Edition #30kPlaytechChallenge

Cheena: "Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 Yen! Twitter Project: #30kPlaytechChallenge This time, we’ve got two projects! Let’s explore customization ideas for the Playtech ST250 and Playtech JB420."

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First Installment
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! PB450 Edition
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! TL250 Edition
Second Installment
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! ST250 Edition
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! JB420 Edition
Third Installment
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! LP400 Edition
Customize Your Playtech for Under 30,000 yen! AB420 Edition

This JB style Playtech JB420 costs less than 10,000 yen and is going to be the foundation.

PLAYTECH/ JB420 Rose Sonic Blue

Rules are as follows.

• Do not touch the wood as much as possible.
• Simple modifications such as drilling a few holes or extensions with a reamer are allowed.
• Basically, the price should be within the range of the actual instrument.
• The 30,000 yen does not include the price of the instrument itself.
• Make the most decked out instrument you can.

That's it,

Nemoto: This one is going to be interesting as well. Let's get started right away. The first thing I put together is

HIP SHOT / KickAss Bass Bridge Chrome

EMG / JX Set Pickup Set for Jazz Bass

Total amount for 2 pickups ¥30,580 (Price as of August 22, 2022)
Required modifications: Drilling bridge holes, electric work

I have written about bridges and PUs in the past, so I hope you will read them.

- I want to talk about bass bridges.
- I want to introduce what I bought and what I was impressed with (pickups for JB)

The JB420 I owned in the past was not a very ringing unit, and the default light bridge didn't give me any pause. I replaced them for the long sustain that I get from a heavier bridge, and they were much better. It might have been a Badass that I put on it (very hazy memory. I already gave it away.)
The PU is a JX to match the loud sound of the heavy bridge. It's solderless, so it's easy to replace, so even a custom beginner can do it.
The Hi-Mass bridge might be a better choice. It fits within the budget.

FENDER / HiMass 4-String Bass Bridge Assembly Zinc Saddles Chrome

This is the standard active JB conversion that anyone can come up with. I can almost hear you saying, “Isn't that a bit too simple?” But, this is okay.

Cheena: This is a no-brainer modification. JB420 has a narrow cavity, and it's almost impossible to fit both a box-type active circuit and batteries without maintenance in a place that's only about 40 mm wide and zagged, so the use of EMGs is the best solution.

Nemoto: There's no room for a preamp. I can’t even blame you for even one millimeter.
Think of it as a feeling of being blown away by the idea of activating something that has no gaps without any machining.
This is a jab-like thing and I plan to make others.

Cheena: It's a straight cavity, so it's probably for cost reduction...
Now I'll make one simple one with a passive system. Pickups and bridges can be whatever you like.

FENDER / TBX TONE CONTROL POTENTIOMETER KIT

SCUD / YM-T20C

MONTREUX / Bourns 24mm pot B500K Split inch No-Load [1617]

SCUD / HK-40H

SCUD / KB-110I

Pure Tone Jack / PTT1

SCUD / SR-GB475C

Required processing is reamer extension and electric work.
Total sum for 8 items ¥6,100 (price as of August 22, 2022) *Two KB-110I are used.

The main one is a TBX; this single-axis dual pot from Fender allows you to consolidate Tone and HighPass into one knob, which is useful when making high-performance wiring even in a small cavity. Just be careful about knob compatibility because of its inch size.
The reason I went to the trouble of modifying Vol-Vol-Tone to add on a Vol-3way-TBX is that it is easier. The selector frees up some space on the control plate, so you can load the speed knob and pointer washers for intuitive yet precise operation. Note that using more than three speed knobs on a JazzBeth plate is extremely difficult to operate.

Nemoto: Well thought out. It is also very versatile, as expected.

Cheena: Also worth mentioning is the bar-type retainer I mentioned before. It is used by hanging it at an angle.
It is often thought to be for FRTs, but if you use it on a Fender bass, it has the advantage of eliminating resonance between the nut and the peg on the A string. And you can also adjust the angle of entry by adjusting the height.
If you use a D tuner for this, I recommend Hip Shot's 3 String Retainer, because if it hangs on the 4th string, it will rub when dropped, and the tuning will not be stable. ......

Nemoto: As expected, you have a deep knowledge of retainers. Very useful. Next is this one.

SEYMOUR DUNCAN / SCPB-3 Quarter Pound Single Coil P-Bass

SONIC / TJ-102 TURBO J-BASS JAPAN

Freedom Custom Guitar / Tone Shift Plate SP-JP-03

Total of 3 items ¥21,689 (price as of August 22, 2022)
Required machining: electric work, simple woodworking

The sound of OPB is said to be somewhere between JB and PB. It is interesting to put this on a JB because it has a rare kind of fatness. I'm thinking of changing only the front PU for now, because the rear PU might not be used as much because the strings don't come right above the pole piece, which disturbs the volume balance a little. If the rear is a JB, it will sound half-assed, so if you are interested, change the rear as well.
Note: You may need to shave the PU cavity a bit, and you will probably need a height adjuster (you don't need to buy a height adjuster, as a sponge will do the job. I haven't tried the tone shift plate on the JB420, so it may not fit. If you are familiar with it, it is cheaper to make your own turbo blender.
So that's about it.

Cheena: Jazbe loaded with pickups for Gibson EB, modded like an easy-to-handle version of it...
For pickup system, I'd also like to recommend the lipstick type. It sounds quite pleasant when turboed.

Nemoto: Well, you made a JB with ham on it. Was the lipstick the Kent Armstrong one? I don't remember the sound. I'll buy it when I have some extra points.

Cheena: It's Kent's.

KENT ARMSTRONG / HOTLIPS SPLITTUBE JAZZBASS CHROME FRONT

KENT ARMSTRONG / HOTLIPS SPLITTUBE JAZZBASS CHROME REAR

Well, turbo is usually a good sounding instrument! You can't go wrong with either a turbo or a blend circuit in a regular jazz bass.

Nemoto: That's true.

Cheena: Sometimes, readers, it is recommended to connect the front and rear in a certain order to make a 1V1T. It is easy to handle, the sound is fat, and the appearance is jazzy from all angles. And, the modification cost is almost free.

Nemoto: Adding a selector is also a good idea.
You can't create a more detailed sound than 2 volumes, but it's useful to change the character quickly.

Cheena: Two stacked pots (two Vol-Tone) and a selector is also good. The Les Paul style wiring also allows machine gun playing.

Nemoto: I didn't know that was possible. You can create a lot more sounds.

Cheena: You can do a lot more with three holes than you think. Although you can't install a multi-band EQ or MidQ controllable EQ. ......
If the cavity were a little wider, I would have installed a Varitone switch.

Nemoto: I think the limits are volume, balancer, and treble/bass (stacked) even when active. I can do the minimum though...

Cheena: If I were to do it, I would replace it with a EMG BTC Control, but I want to spare you from having to fork out 30,000 yen, so I'll probably make a ...... director's cut and introduce it.
If I could do a large scale modification, I would put an oversized pickguard or a 5-hole plate with an extended cavity.

Nemoto: It's not that difficult if you have the right tools. It's not that difficult if you have the tools, but it's also not that easy when you have to go to the trouble of preparing the tools.
Ah, but
Top Jack.

If you use side jacks like my JB, you can put a 3-band EQ on it.

I think it's a pretty easy part to do. Only one drill is needed to do the work. The hole can be positioned roughly where you drill it because it doesn't matter if it connects to the cavity, and it's okay if you drill a larger hole because you’ll use a jack plate, so if you make this safe, it will widen your range.

Cheena: I would say that some drilling is safe ...... safe! It's not so easy to get a 20mm drill, though.

Nemoto: Although it's in order, it's not a big expense for just this bit, so don't worry about buying it. Anyway, we can use 4 holes with this, so let's think about it again.

SEYMOUR DUNCAN / STK-J2b Hot Stack Jazz Bass Bridge

SEYMOUR DUNCAN / STK-J2n Hot Stack Jazz Bass Neck

ALLPARTS / EP-4181-010 Chrome On On Round Bat Mini Switch

GOTOH / JCB-2 Chrome

Total sum of 5 items ¥27,040 (Price as of August 22, 2022) *Two EP-4181-010s are needed.

I wanted to make it a punk bass.
Controls are 2 volume x 2 coil tap switch x 2.
Some versatility with the coil tap switch for that punky, hummy but thin low end rock sound of the STK-2. Putting the mini-switches next to the regular size pots makes it look very strange, but that's the idea.
If possible, I would like to see two strings and a big “ROK” painted on the body (can you guess the original?).

Cheena: Chris Ballew's sig is a Playtech SG (......), but when I looked for it, it was no longer available. I have to use the Aria BSG-STD which is also cheap.

Reference →chris ballew bassitar
By the way, speaking of mini-switches and knobs, the signature Swinger by Hiroki Tsuneda is the one.

FENDER / Daiki Tsuneta Swinger Vintage White

Nemoto: Ah, I have the image of King Noo's man, a superb multi-player.
He makes a lot of things for Fender Japan, such as the Katana and Jaguar basses.

Cheena: I really like the colorfulness of Katana.

Nemoto: Let's go next.

BARTOLINI / 9S L/S

GOTOH / 201B-4 Chrome Bass Bridge 4 strings

Total sum of 2 items ¥25,980 (price as of August 22, 2022)

I still think the thickness smells of a Bartolini. It has a round sound, mainly in the midrange, especially in the highs. Like, it's hard to get a sexy sound unless you lift the treble a bit.
I changed the bridge to get enough sustain and lows without being obnoxious.
It's not a fun custom, but I thought everyone should listen to it at least once.

Cheena: Passive Bartolini, it's a sound that is surprisingly useful as a material when you don't want the bass to stand out.
Now that we have mentioned EMG and Bartolini, let's take a look at Seymour Duncan's active bass.
The Pro Active Jazz Bass has a built-in preamp and is priced at just above the 30,000 yen mark. Aim for a good rate.
The sound quality is pretty donkey.

Nemoto: This one was pretty good too.

NOLL ELECTRONIC / PA-1 JB ONBOARD PREAMP Chrome

Natural type.
*May not be able to be pontooned (need to re-drill screw holes).
It’s only 15,800 yen, so you can do a lot of things with your leftover budget.

FENDER / Original Jazz Bass Pickups Set

You can try to get Fender's sound.
I've talked a lot about pegs and bridges, so I'll skip them.

Cheena: Oh, I forgot to look at the pre-wired circuit.

ObsidianWire / Traditional Vintage for Jazz Bass 250k 0.047uF

MONTREUX / JB Inch control plate CR［9411］

There is also this one.

Nemoto: I am interested in this series. However, the world has become so convenient nowadays. 15 to 20 years ago, nothing like this existed.
Readers, if you don't mind going through the trouble, you can make it yourself instead of prewiring, because some of them are about 10,000 yen cheaper if you assemble them yourself.
Let's move on.

Cheena: What do you suggest?

Nemoto: Let's go with a '61 JB.

MONTREUX / JB Inch control plate 3 holes CR

ALLPARTS / EP-4586-000 CTS 500K-500K Concentric Audio Pot

WD Music Products / WD105C Vintage 4 String Bass Bridge Chrome

MONTREUX / Retrovibe Cap “F64” [8962]

Total sum of 6 items ¥12,920 (price as of August 22, 2022) *Uses 2 pots and 2 capacitors each.

Use stacked pots and change the bridge to a spiral saddle. If you have aluminum tape, tape starting from the bridge to rear PU.
Unlike the current '61JB, there are some parts that you may have to deal with, such as the slab fretboard and the position of the rear PU being off by about 1 cm, so it’s only possible to do what’s possible.
It would be even more fun to change the PU.

Cheena: I have an image of a FenderCS 61JB with a finger rest and fence. What do you think?

Nemoto: Do you want to add it?

FENDER / Pure Vintage Jazz Bass Ashtray Cover Set Steel/Chrome

FENDER / Vintage-Style Thumb-Rest for Precision Bass & Jazz Bass

Total price of the two items: ¥7,330 (as of August 22, 2022)
The additions are well within our budget.

Cheena: Great. If you want to be a little more careful, you can use ESP or Atelier Z pickup fences.

Nemoto: I think we're almost done. Thank you again for your time!

Cheena: We looked at quite a few things. Most of them require heavy machining or cost well over 30,000 yen, so... let's leave it for another time. Thank you very much!

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