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Loss of D string with JTV69 and Helix


isdirg1
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Here's a strange one. I was playing a gig when for no reason my D string died and my Helix froze. I rebooted my Helix but my D string was still dead.

I perserveered with 3 string solos whilst cursing inder my breath for the rest of the gig!

When I got home I hooked up my JTV with my Helix and it had "fixed" itself. So I thought I would "reflash" my JTV with workbench. What I found was my Strat in position 4 had, had it's output raised by 1db! I readjusted it to normal. At my next gig everything was normal. My question is could a power spike have happened that I did not notice have caused this?

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Variax is a strange world. I'd be very suspicious of the guitar, rather than your Helix...though it is odd that it froze at the same time.

 

The piezo saddles rely on physical contact with the bridge to remain grounded. All the dust, gunk, sweat, and other crap that typically ends up under there could give you an intermittent connection problem like that. Might wanna try giving it a good cleaning under the saddles just in case. If it happens again, that piezo might be on its way out.

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It has nothing to do with the Helix. I have this happen to me about once a year since I got my JTV, Usually the A or D string (or both) but I've had others as well. I cannot figure it out. Sometimes if I unplug completely it comes back, other times it is out for the gig and works normally later but it always fixes itself like it has a ghost in the machine. I guess just like my locked up phone or any other computer based gear, it needs a reset every now and then. I have a JTV69 also and I play so much slide and so many music styles that the alternate tuning feature(not to mention the models!) saves me from bringing and changing 4 or more other guitars to every show. I've been using Variax since the first edition and own 3 but the JTV is the only one that does the "missing string" thing and it is very rare. The other issue I have had with my JTV is heat. It will not activate the models if it gets hot as in outdoor summer gig hot.. Once I activate the models, they will stay activated which requires me to keep it somewhere cool, activate the models, and then take it outside to play. This is unique to mine I've discovered. A bit inconvenient but the guitar is invaluable to me. It is my musical Swiss army knife which I why I bought a red one.

I bought a Helix about 3 weeks ago and the Variax glitch hasn't happened with my Helix though I haven't gigged with my Helix yet since my sounds are not yet ready for prime time. Long post to say it is not your Helix causing the issue.

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