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2270 Views 4 Replies Latest reply: Mar 28, 2012 4:31 AM by papersoul RSS
webbguitar Just Startin'
webbguitar
2 posts since
Sep 23, 2007
Currently Being Moderated

Jul 10, 2011 9:57 AM

Losing faith in my M13

I have owned my Line 6 M13 for about 2 years now, so it's well past the manufacture warranty, and yet is wasn't until the warranty expired that all these unnacceptable hardware failures began to occur.

 

First off, the FX send and returns jacks - all four of them - do not work. Anytime anything is plugged into any 2 of the four jacks, the unit will not produce any sound.

 

Second, I just got done repairing the 1A and 2A switches by opening up my unit, unsoldiering the tact switches from the A line switch board, ordering a 20 pack of tactile switches all the way from hong kong which took 2 whole weeks to ship, replaced them, and now they work fine. Only time will tell when the next switch will fail.

 

Finally, both Expression pedal inputs have failed. the EX1 failed not long before I ordered the tact switches, and when i hooked my m13 back into my rig today after fixing the switch issue, EX2 no longer works. I'm using the EX-1 expression pedal, which I bought about the same time as the M13, and i've switched out both the pedal and the cable to no success, the problem lies within the M13 itself.

 

I'm one more malfunction away from selling the stupid thing on Craigslist and switching to a TC Electronics G-System.

 

What are my options? Are these Input/Output jack failures common among the M13? Where can I find replacement 1/4" Jacks that will work for the m13 and how much will it cost me to have it shipped overseas? I have no desire to take it to a certified Line 6 repair shop or shipping the unit off and spending more time and money to repair the device than it's worth.

Tags: expression, problem, m13, stompbox, problems, broken
  • Line6david Line 6 Support
    Line6david
    5,196 posts since
    Jan 27, 2010
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jul 11, 2011 3:52 PM (in response to webbguitar)
    RE: Losing faith in my M13

    Hi,

       

      Sorry to hear that you are experiencing issues with your M13.

       

      Problems with the 1/4" jacks are not common in my experience.

       

      The only thing I can suggest is trying the unit with a different power supply.

       

      It does sound like the M13 will need to go to an authorized service center for repair:

       

      http://line6.com/service_centers/

       

      You can contact the service center for an estimate as to the cost of the repair.

       

      Thanks,

      David

      Line 6 Customer Support

    • zabingham Just Startin'
      zabingham
      1 posts since
      Jun 9, 2009
      Currently Being Moderated
      Jan 29, 2012 12:59 AM (in response to Line6david)
      Re: RE: Losing faith in my M13

      Just wanted you to know that you are not alone.  My M13 has ALL SORTS of hardware problems and it is VERY frustating.  I have always defended Line 6 when other people talked smack but this unit is really testing my faith.  Almost immediately after purchase, my M13's effect select rotary knobs began to fail.  You can no longer push the knob for rows 1 and 3 to change effect types.  I have to pull the knob off of the pot in order to push it in.  Then the Tap Tempo/Tuner switch started to occasionally not work before eventually quitting completely.  Got it repaired and now the switch for 1C is dead.  Not only is it dead but it is coming loose.  I can probably pull it completely out of the unit if I wanted.  Also I'm pretty sure that my expression pedal output 2 is non-functional.  This SUCKS.  I have pedals that are 30 years old that still function perfectly (Boss, old Rats, Dunlop/MXR).  Why can't such an expensive unit be manufactured to be reliable? 

  • ljholland Just Startin'
    ljholland
    30 posts since
    Jul 10, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jan 29, 2012 5:31 AM (in response to webbguitar)
    Re: Losing faith in my M13

    Why can't such an expensive unit be manufactured to be reliable?

     

    These products were deigned for manufacturing simplicity with a goal of cost reduction and profit maximization. I see no attempt to build in ruggedness as a design goal.  Building knobs, connectors and switches directly on a circuit board that is able to flex under the weight of the user makes no sense.  If these units were built properly, they'd have a reinforced case and would have seperated the knobs, connectors and switches.  But the cost would go through the roof due to assembly labor/time. 

     

    One of my big considerations in downsizing from the M13 to the M9 was the fraily of the design.  With only one rotary / push controls, the M9 has 25% the failure potential of an M13 (for that specific problem).  Also, with a smaller case, the M9 doesn't flex like the M9....plus the location of the delicate controls off to the side make them less susceptable to stress.

     

    So - answer this question - would you pay $900 - $1100 for an M13?  That's probably what it should cost.  I'm sure the Line 6 executives were aware of these trade-offs and made what should be considered a "good business decision".....but it was certainly not a decision that has led to greater brand loyalty.  I will never buy another Line 6 product unless I can see a teardown and evaluate whether the design isn't comprimised.

  • papersoul Just Startin'
    papersoul
    48 posts since
    Jan 8, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Mar 28, 2012 4:31 AM (in response to webbguitar)
    Re: Losing faith in my M13

    Two good friends of mine replaced their pedals, thoudands of dollars worth of pedals with the M13 and have been using it for about a year on many gigs and not one issue! Great unit!

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