I had decided on a JTVariax, only to be amazed that left handed was not an option. Please make this available soon, I don't want to go the  Roland route on this time.

bmoyer...you know something, I really believe you did call, because that's exactly the kind of thing she'd say :-) And this is the point that Line6 are missing. I'm not a good player, not by any stretch of the imagination. But I bought an Ibanez 340LH acoustic in 1979 because I WANTED one, I bought a Rickenbacker 4001 lefty Bass in 1982 because I WANTED one. I wanted a Variax (and even settled for a right hand that I was prepared to massacre for it's innards, but it played so beautifully, even "Hendrix style" that I spared it's life) I got the chance of a lefty Variax, and actually bid 700 Euros on eBay for it (got it for 400 ) Why? That's right Line6....because I WANTED one!!  As many other's have pointed out in this Thread, the cash is there, the yearning for a LH JTV is there...what is missing is any kind of TRUE customer relations. And by that I don't mean setting up a forum for people to vent off their frustrations with no credible reaction from the company in question, but a genuine listening, caring, proffesional company that treats EVERY customer with respect and equality. Finally, and this point is made, half in jest, half seriously...I wonder if 10 % of the population were born with four arms instead of two, would the sale of twin neck guitars skyrocket? I mean, what's the point of putting two necks on one guitar when you can only play one neck at a time? Line6 blatantly disregard the needs and wishes of a minority group, and that's called discrimination in anybody's book. If they choose to do this for financial reasons, that's their perfect right...but it's also my perfect right to disrepect them, bad-mouth them, boycott them and generally wish them no business success...End of Rant....

Hey guys.  I hear the passion and frustration in this conversation. 

I didn't intend to dis-respect anyone with my suggestion to try swinging a righty around.  I wish I could offer a better solution. 

Some have asked me why we're not currently moving forward, and I'd like to lay it out as best I can. 

Let me lay down some ground rules. 

I'd humbly like to request that you don't dive into my commentary here and interpret it as anything other than it is:  a product manager's humble attempt to provide some insight into how a large corporation, driven by passion, works.  

My job as a product manager is to find opportunities for Line 6 that: 1. address an unmet market need (leftie Variax is a great example of such a thing) 2. align with what we're good at and passionate about (again we're in fairly good shape here), and 3. address a sizable enough market that we'll be profitable if we persue the venture.

And when we're talking about profit, let's keep in mind were in the humble musical instrument business here...

The issue that I'm faced with is this: We have not been able to pull together sufficient market evidence to build a business model  that supports the cost of engineering and tooling of the parts we'd need to manufacture a JTV-69 Leftie.  In case you're wondering, I can't disclose our cost structure...

That's the simple truth about where we're at.  So now onto where are we going...

The lowest impacting model from which to derrive a leftie would be the JTV-59.  However here's the hurdle:

I need to be able to show the company that I can sell a certain number per month over the course of it's lifecycle demonstrate we can breaking even on our engineering and tooling costs, then making a small profit.  Again, I am not able to disclose the exact number per month, just to say it's modest.

As I researched the leftie market in the US and Europe, I reached out to leftie dealers and asked them about their interest in selling leftie Variaxes.  The response was fairly dismal, and so I was not able to put together a business model that made sense at Line 6.  Guys unlike most of my competitors, a leftie Variax model requires a lot more work that mirroring a drawing, and ordering some leftie hardware.  We have to engineer componants, tool parts, test and DFM the product.  There is no off the self leftie bridge for a Variax.  Our gear is simply a lot more complex than a standard guitar.  For this same reason our current electronics would not work for retrofit into a leftie guita.

I dont' expect, nor do I hope that you'll stop badgering us for a leftie! Please continue!  As soon as we can build a business case that works, our passion to serve our customers will be unleashed and we'll do our best to get a killer product in your southpaw hands.

Guys, I'm here and listening.  My job is to represent the customer's voice at the product table at Line 6.  I very much want to know what you're thinking.  I have actively represented the needs of southpaws at the table and will continue to do so.  When will that materialize into a product?  Its tough to say.

What can you do about it?  Go to your leftie dealers and petition them to request leftie JTV's.  A barrage of dealer requests, though our sales department, is the best evidence of an active leftie community willing to lay their hard earned cash down on the right (left) instrument!

With great respect, and admiration for your tenacity!

By the way, I need to manage the frequency of my posting.  I could spend all day writing in the forums, but then I'd get nothing done.  My first job here is to listen.  Every once in a while I'll step in and join the conversation.

If it's honesty and transparency you want, then have mercy on me as you debate this post.  I'm just a guy with a guitar and a dream.  Kind of a lot like you!  (And I'm left handed although I learned to play righty!)

Darrell

I have a problem in terms of lobbying guitar dealers as I live in the  sticks, so there aren't any nearby to lobby. I'd contrbute my opinion to  an online survey, like I've been contributing to this thread. I would commit to a purchase if one was available.

Darrell I agree what you say makes sense, there has to be a justifiable demand for a company to make an investment, and if L6 don't think it's there, then that is sad and disappointing to all of us South Paws, but facts is facts. If you can't create a business model to satisfy what demand is there and return a profit, then that is not going to work.

If it is hard to justify a lefty variax, there are four points to consider, that I do hope you take the time to sound out L6's position and provide a definitive response, so that we can make informed choices.

1) What is L6's position on spares and support for the 500? I heard the other day, that it will no longer be supported. If my Variax 500 breaks, I am stuffed, as I am so reliant on it. I wanted to upgrade to the JTV and keep the 500 as a backup. If there is no upgrade path and I can't find another Leftie 500 on ebay, then I need to consider my options.

2) Is the 500 electronics identical on both right and left hand drive models? If so, at least I have I have the option of looking for a gash right hooker for spares.

3) What about the idea expressed previosuly of selling the JTV electronics in kit form for us to embed into our own guitars? I know a good Luthier, so that is an option for me. You are making the hardware anyway, and there is probably marginal cost in setting up a kit and set of instructions. It is also neutral to left and right hand variants, so maybe a general opportunity.

4) For those who like their own guitars and not a Variax, what about an equivalent to the Roland VG hardware, with the Variax software embedded in a Pod Floor board. You have all the IP, and just need an external pickup (could you cheat and use existing hexaphonic ones on the market? Again that is largely left hand/right hand neutral, so maybe an interesting opportunity

I'm sure that you appreciate that there is a left hand community of Variax owners like myself, who so far have been loyal to the brand. My guitar playing has come on leaps and bounds due to the opportunities opened up by all those guitar models in one. Candid and balanced responses to the above points will allow us to make informed choices. For me it's either a leftie JTV (or maybe a JTV kit in my own guitar), or probably a Roland VG unit if there is no JTV type solution in sight by the end of the year. Those are the plain facts if Line 6 cannot provide my needs

Cheers

Derek

So there you have it folks.  Thanks for confirming the pipe dream is a truely a pipe dream.  At least it allows closure.

I'll keep my Lefty Variax 500 unless one of you guys wants to buy it.  I routed it for a Strat style tremolo and it works like charm.  That said, it is 4th in line for use and hasn't seen a gig in a year.  My mid 80's '67 RI Strat, '83 Ibanez Artist and newer Ibanez S420 are in front of it.

I recently got a good deal on a Pod HD500.  Probably going to ebay that as well.  It sits in its bag while I use my new amp listed below.

Petition my local dealers?  My local dealers are GC and Sam Ash.  They sell Spider amps and hide the rest.  They rarely, if ever, have righty JTV's on the hangers.

Here's some market research for you Darrell.  Consider telling your bosses this: 

I was going to upgrade my 6 year old Spider II 75.  I looked at Line 6 Spider, Spider Valve, Peavey, Fender and a few others.  I bought a Tech 21 Trademark 60.  I could have spent less and bought another Spider.  But I didn't.  I've owned every Variax connectable generation of Pod Since XT Live.  I've bought and sold 2 other Lefty Variax 500 guitars and a righty Variax 500 and a righty Variax 705 Bass that my son used.  I bought a bass amp 6 months ago to upgrade my 90's SWR Basic Black.  Checked out Line 6 again.  Bought a MarkBass 121p Combo.

Thanks for your input Darrell.  I appreciate you letting us know where we stand.  If you can, take my case back to your bosses.  I've bought a lot off Line 6 gear in the past and was a loyal follower.  Then Line 6 never made us a 700 with a tremolo.  But I kept buying.  Then they never made a 700 bass, let alone the 705 I wanted.  But I kept buying. Then they made the JTV and strung us along for years...

Well, I'm done.

The Spider II is a practice amp for my son's guitarist, It's not worth selling.  The Variax and the HD500 will be on their way out the door.

Nothing personal, just business.

LEFT HANDED GUITARS BY LINE6:

Well, there is one thing i've learnt about globalization:

Minorities like us lefthanders wont be served, because we are too few:

It's like the cheated wife in a relationship. we are there, we are true, but we are too "uninteresting"

So, unfortunately Line6 wont serve us any more, although we bought up all the left- handed guitars in the world market.

I think there is no one "left".

For myself, i bought the last two lefthanded Line6 guitars available in Germany. Can Line6 tell this about the right- handed guitar buyers?

So, after all those years of waiting i want to ask LINE 6:

Please, LINE6, stop spamming us left-handers with your Tyler whatever "sh...", emails, because they arent made for us.

We are out of your interest, so leave us alone trying to seek a guitar crafter who is able to make left handed guitars.

All those CEO's of LINE6 just watching the "market" and following the "mass" seem to have never been musicians.

CEO's: Do not bother us with your Guitar- invention advertising!!!

It is surely easy to keep us lefthanders out of your world.

We are a minority and used to it!

This is what we have to deal with LINE6 after all those years of worst treatment.

There was a time Line6 made me crazy about its innnovation.

Unfortunately i am left handed!

Line6 makes me feel disabled!

So CEO'S, dont bother us disabled players anymore unless you have a solution

.

To confirm that this is no anonymous spamming, i'll publish my email address to all those poor disabled lefthanders who think like me and support my opinion: steffelbauer@web.de

@gordii;

1. please try to keep it civil, lest you convince the Line6 guy that his time is best spent elsewhere. He doesn't sound lazy, narrow minded, or stubborn, and I suspect that his management hierarchy is none of those things either. I seem to have to point this out a lot in forums, but I'll bet ten dollars you wouldn't say those things to Darrell's face.

2. Ultimately their bottom line is "can we make money on this?" and they're better at determining that than anyone here. Apparently the math is not yet showing that it is. I have not seen any statement on the Line6 site that says "we don't care about profit; we only want to make the lefties love us".

3. The Variax guitars are nothing like your run of the mill stratoclones/etc. that the wily chineee crank out by the thousands. There's the pickup bridge, the electronics, the switchology... At least some of these things (e.g. the bridge) would have to be made in a lefty-specific form. Hopefully that's not the case with the electronics board.

btw, this reminds me -- a note to Line6 -- it drives me absolutely bonkers that Fender and some other mfrs. reverse the wiring of the volume and tone pots on their lefty instruments so that counterclockwise is "more". This is a clear sign that rightys Just Don't Get our world. We all turn volume knobs on radios/etc. the way y'all do. I can't tell you how many guitars I've had to open up upon delivery (including a PRS!!) and fix this.

Here's a question for all of the lefties here: we all obviously really want these things to be made. Would you be willing to spend a significant premium over the normal righty price to snag a lefty? I'm taking about one or two hundred dollars-ish. I have no idea if that would change the math enough to matter but it's something to think about. Perhaps they could be convinced to do a Special Run of Exclusive Lefties for us. I'd be willing to have it be a signature model named after me, for a reasonable fee .

Dave B.

not famous, never will be

whatever. I am so sick of people hiding behind aliases to slam people, but y'all go forth with your negativity and see what it gets you.

So noted about your volume control setup; I'm glad it works for you. It totally doesn't for me, and I've also been playing for decades.

c ya,

D.