jyflorida wrote:

 

Hi Rich,

 

Questing about the tremelo on the JTV-69 - is it capable of doing "dive-bombs" and coming back in tune or is it more of the vintage style?

Thanks!

Both. It is more vintage is its feel but because the sting goes in through the front of the bridge and latches so there is no string down in the block to stretch and bind and there are locking tuners to eliminate winds of string around the tuner from loosening when you tremolo and there is a Teflon imbedded graphite nut on it, it stays in tune really well, you can dive bomb. I would say it is nearly as in tune as a Floyd.

plemieux wrote:

 

To tell the truth, had I known that you guys weren't even shipping I wouldn't have ordered it.  That being said I'll bide my time a little bit but if this thing carries on much longer I'll just get a refund and buy something else.  I'm going out of town for a month starting April 12 and if I don't have it by the time I get back I'm just going to buy either another guitar or maybe something totally different like a computer.  It frankly worries me that the quality will suffer as you try to process the backorders quickly.  I love my Variax 300 but I had to try 6 floor models before I found one that didn't have bad QC problems like frets sticking out the side of the neck.  I would have loved to get a 700 because I wanted the tremolo bar, but there were no floor models to play in the entire Raleigh metro area.

You don't say when you ordered your guitar,  but they have been shipping since at least January.  I am also waiting for my JTV59, but I have seen and played all three models of the Korean JTV line and having done that I am impressed with the feel, playability, sound and overall quality of all the guitars I saw.  I hear what you say and the anxiety you are feeling about not yet having received your guitar - I'm right there with you on that one - I can hardly wait LOL -  but if you haven't yet tried a JTV in the flesh, I would recommend that you hang in there - seriously.  I also own a Variax 300 - I changed the neck on mine because whilst - for the money - I found the original OK in terms of QC, it was bit chunky for me, so it has a Strat neck from Mighty Mite fitted - it's a nice guitar; I also own a 700 - very nice guitar and getting towards the feel and playability I'd like - very playable; but having followed the known development of the JTV right from the huge Future of Variax thread Rich started a couple of years ago like a lot of others have, having now had the priviege of actually trying all three JTV models for real, these Korean guitars are certainly a huge step forward from the older Variaxes and very nice to play - let alone the electronics.  A lot of thought and effort has gone into the design and feel of the basic instrument - believe me.  Yes there have been a few issues with sourcing some components which are of good enough quality such as the JTV59 3-way toggle switch, but although I've had my guitar on order and paid for since last Agust, I would much prefer that when I eventually receive it, that any physical issues have been properly worked out, and I can't stress enough that I am certain that is exactly what Rich and his colleagues want too.  So again, whilst it's your perfect right to cancel your order if you want to, and it's cool if you do, I would try and hang in there because these guitars are worth waiting for - my opinion and first hand experience of them

Often in the past I have bought stuff on impulse.  I get an idea about some new gadget or other, seek it out on the Internet and if at all possible locally too.  I have generally tried to source stuff the same day and have driven to get it rather than wait.  I am notoriously impatient - usually LOL.

These Variaxes were not available when I placed my order last August, so I knew I would have to wait until September at the earliest.  I am realistic (when necessary LOL) and half expected the dates to slip - as they can with any new product - and bear in mind at that time there had been no promises of an actual date anyway - just an indication of late summer(ish).

However, because of various unforeseen circumstances things have obviously taken a little longer than originally envisaged.   Line 6 could probably have sourced alternative parts from elsewhere and taken a hit on quality, but they chose to do whatever needed doing properly to ensure that the guitars remain decent quality instruments.

I was lucky enough to get to see and play all three JTV models just over a month ago, and although it did cross my mind to pick one up and leg it at speed (JK), it did give me an opportunity to confirm the quality of what I will be getting whenever my guitar comes in.

I own over twenty guitars anyway, so I'm not stuck if I get the urge to play something, but yes, certainly like everyone else who is waiting, I am more than keen to get my sticky mitts on my new guitar.  It would come in very useful right now as I'm putting a new band together which will do a mix of rock originals and covers and the singer does like to switch between standard and dropped keys - something that is a bit awkward to manage when using a Floyd Rose equipped Ibanez as changing tunings on the fly is not the easiest of things to accomplish, so I have two Ibanez RG's with me one in standard tuning and one dropped a semitone.  I also usually take a Les Paul to gigs as well as an acoustic, so having the JTV will allow me to reduce the number of guitars I need to carry with me by 50%.  But my JTV is not available just yet.....

I want a decent guitar and I want it to be right from the off, so if that means having to wait a bit more then, OK, so be it.  I know for sure I'd be pretty disappointed if the guitar wasn't right when it did arrive.  There's a new delivery expected in the UK very soon according to what Rich posted last week, so I have my fingers crossed that mine will be amongst them, but I don't know any more on that.  All I can say - again - is that these guitars are definitely worth the wait based on what I've seen and played. 

I knew they'd be good and I knew that a lot of effort had been put into making them as good as possible for the money, but what I didn't know was exactly how good they'd be - I do now

They are all exceptionally 'drool-worthy' to say the least.

Nick

Great that you have your guitar kokopelli, but what I'm reading is "another JTV that is not 100% functional upon arrival". On any brand new $1200 piece of gear, you should not have to remove a button and put it back on to get it to work.

Imagine buying a new hi-fi set for that amount, and you'd have to remove the volume button and put it back on to get it to work. Would you keep it or return it? Would you accept it in that condition?

I'm starting to wish I could change my order to a JTV-59, but that would put me down at the bottom of the list again.

Sure do wish we could hear something more specific about the Canadian shipment, since I was considering ordering the guitar from a US dealer instead. Really bums me out how the information doesn't flow around here, and how simple questions remain unanswered.

plemieux wrote:

 

To tell the truth, had I known that you guys weren't even shipping I wouldn't have ordered it.  That being said I'll bide my time a little bit but if this thing carries on much longer I'll just get a refund and buy something else.  I'm going out of town for a month starting April 12 and if I don't have it by the time I get back I'm just going to buy either another guitar or maybe something totally different like a computer.  It frankly worries me that the quality will suffer as you try to process the backorders quickly.  I love my Variax 300 but I had to try 6 floor models before I found one that didn't have bad QC problems like frets sticking out the side of the neck.  I would have loved to get a 700 because I wanted the tremolo bar, but there were no floor models to play in the entire Raleigh metro area.

Plemieux, you have to follow along. The quality we want is what has held us up and why we are proceeding with caution so we can react. Like with the 3 way switch on the 59. We made a custom switch because of the problem. Caught it right away and fixed 40 instead of 400.

Yeah, the 300s were not good guitars. I remember talking about the guts being worth $500 street and someone said, but the guitar was $500 US Street and I said, yup, how did you like your free guitar. In my humble opinion, Variax technology should never have been in a guitar that cheap.

I can't tell you what to do, but you may want to spend money somewhere else, then when there are a few hanging in the stores, you will be able to be sure that you get one that speaks to you. Thank you for being a fan. We do care.

Hey guys, just an update. I don't know anything more than I have given. I am still trying to find out about Canada and rest of world outside the US and UK. So sorry for not knowing.

I can tell you that we plan on being all caught up late summerish, early fallish. I will get in here the minute I have any new news.