Yes, you are right, - they could import the high-gain settings to firmware or make such opportunity via the Workbench software, if I'm getting the idea right. I agree that there are lots of people out there that prefer Les Paul and Strat shapes to play heavy kinds of music. Maybe Line 6 already has this included in the list of to do plans, but with the JTV-89 they actually used the potential of the high output pickups already included with the specific 89 model. I think that giving a choice of more pickups in the Variax Workbench software is probably the best option since adding something exclusive to other James Tyler models would give us JTV-89 players asking to give them the same thing that they don't have! Guess lots of people felt hurt when their James Tyler models did not get the same upgrade as JTV-89.

Yes, the point of Variax is to get it all (soundwise). Let's hope the new Workbench upgrade gives everyone the same options. As you rightly said, it would only be a smart and honest move.

I think you misunderstood what dchernov551 was saying. They don't use the magnetic pickups for the high gain model. The high gain model is a model of the the JTV89 with its magnetic pickups. I imagine the reasoning behind doing this was so that people who liked the JTV89 pickups for higher gain stuff could take advantage of alternate tuning easily and still get the tone of the magnetic pickups. I don't think it has a lot to with NAMM, either. The 1.9 update was released back in November - almost three months before NAMM.

Another way to look at it is that if someone owns the JTV59 or 69, there are modeled guitars that come pretty close to the magnetic pickups on those guitars. The single coils on the 69, for instance, sound pretty close to the Spank model. I would imagine the Lester model comes pretty close to the humbuckers on the 59. There really wasn't a model that met the high gain characteristic of the 89's pickups, though. I think that was the reasoning.

dchernov551 wrote:

 

You are probably right and I also have been thinking that there is a tremolo version in the works since so many people asked for it and guitars of such kind and shape usually come with the floating bridge installed to get the most out of guitar. Who would buy a non-tremolo version? Probably me if I will not wait for June (can you imagine? ) for them to arrive in Ukraine (according to the local dealer), unless it changes. So in order to get anything at all, I have been asking myself if I need the tremolo, if I am using it often or not and what are the advantages and disadvantages of the floating bridge VS hardtail and how it is affecting the tone, sustain and so on. Any word of advice and opinion would be greatly helpful from you or anyone else reading. Probably it is bad without tremolo if you are playing lead and metal, no? Hehehe

 

Thank you!

You have mentioned a couple of times that you might have to wait till June.

Thomann.de has two 89F in stock right now, one blood red and one black.

Freight is unity €15 for us in sweden anyway.

But I see used JTV-69 for half price in ads here now and then. So a regular 89 will probably be sold off by many wanting the 89F- flooding the used market with those - even music store I guess.