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700 Bricked During Firmware Update?


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Hello everyone, I'm hoping for some ideas on the issue of my potentially bricked Variax 700.  Something went wrong halfway during the 3.10 firmware update, now Monkey doesn't recognize the version installed, and an attempt to reflash the firmware results in the 8000900C error code about the MIDI device timing out.

I have tried different cables, different computers, different operating systems, different versions of said operating systems, reflashing with different versions of firmware, using different interfaces.  For the latter I even went out and bought an HD500!

I am plumb out of ideas at this point.  Any help would be appreciated.

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Thanks for the reply, Charlie.  If that's what I gotta do, then that's what I gotta do.  My only question is: Is it bricked?  The Monkey sees it, that is, it recognizes that there is a Variax 500/700 connected, but in the Installed Flash Memory column, it says "Unknown".  I can start the firmware upgrade process, but I don't get further than about 20 percent before I get the error message.  Is that "bricked"? 

post-393341-0-91485600-1399002238_thumb.png

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Exactly what happened to my 500 (yes bricked).  Things may be different now, but L6 support told me there were no boards or spare parts available to sell for legacy variax's.  Taking to local shop would have cost hundreds.  Here are parts available that were not over a year ago when this happened to me, I ended up selling my V500 for $100 (most I could get).

 

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/341653.html   <---"Line 6 50-02-0005-2Main PCB For VARIAX 700"

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/458195.html   <---"Line 6 50-02-0049Bridge PCB For Variax"

 

See this thread for all the gory details (and some tough love from "TheRealZap")

http://line6.com/support/topic/973-is-it-true/

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Thanks for the info, Bluesman.  I looked at the links you provided, and the main circuit board was for the acoustic (the listing specifically said not for the electric).  I have already ordered a JTV, because I need the functionality for gigging.  But I liked my 700!!! Now I've got some fancy firewood, apparently... Anyone know if I can transplant the neck, at least? I've read several times that the JTV neck is too narrow, causing slippage off of the E strings. True?

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Thanks for the info, Bluesman.  I looked at the links you provided, and the main circuit board was for the acoustic (the listing specifically said not for the electric).  I have already ordered a JTV, because I need the functionality for gigging.  But I liked my 700!!! Now I've got some fancy firewood, apparently... Anyone know if I can transplant the neck, at least? I've read several times that the JTV neck is too narrow, causing slippage off of the E strings. True?

Well, jtv 59 has neck through, 69 has the screws a bit diagonal, 89 (no xperience). I  would suggest to put some pickups in your 700, it is more beautiful than the existing jtvs

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Well, jtv 59 has neck through, 69 has the screws a bit diagonal, 89 (no xperience). I  would suggest to put some pickups in your 700, it is more beautiful than the existing jtvs

Thanks arislaf.  I guess transplanting the neck won't work, then.  I ordered the 69.  I have contacted a Line 6 authorized repair site to have them take a look at the 700.  If they can't do anything with it, I guess I might have it routed for pickups.  What a shame.  I don't know if the 700 is "more beautiful than the existing jtvs" (which is a matter of opinion, and they are both nice guitars), but regardless, it's too nice to be fancy firewood.  Like I said, I like playing it.  Thanks again for the helpful info!

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I endured the same exact frustration with my sunburst v500.  It played so well, that for the longest time I just played it unplugged as my "practice" guitar.  Wishing now I hadn't sold it.  And I too thought about putting pickups in my v500 and just going analog, but was too chicken (didn't have a router either).  Here is a youtube video I found while researching a variax with pickups idea (not me in video).

 

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Interesting video! HSH is an interesting setup.  I would probably go with an SSH or even an SH.  The 500 does have the advantage of already having a pick guard.  The 700's curved surface will make it a challenge to come up with something that looks decent.  Thanks for the video!

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  • 1 year later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Although I tried to avoid it Windows updated to 10. Workbench HD doesn't accomodate my original VARIAX 700 although the Monkey upgraded me to HD despite me not owning  a JT. I found a copy of the last edition of Workbench regular and put it on my 64bit system. I fired up Monkey to reinstall the Variax firmware as I wanted to reset the guitar. Sure enough it timed out during the firmware transfer and left me hanging. I'm connecting the Variax through my HD500. So when I went back to my old PC the darn thing isn't recognised any more. I had to dig out my original Workbench interface hardware and power up the guitar from it's original connection box and thankfully am back in business from what I thought was also a bricked 700. Hope this helps some despairing twanger. :D

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  • 2 years later...

I've just purchased a used  Variax Acoustic 700 and it had some firmware issues so i tried to update it with the latest version (3.25)! Well that reallyscrewed the guitar right up as halfway through updating it came up with an error message saying midi connection had been lost. So I went onto the Line 6 website (downloads page) and found the original factory firmware version 2.02 by selecting an old version of Windows in the drop down menu.. Downloaded that to my windows 10 laptop, connected Variax 700 through POD HD500X with variax midi cable, ran Line 6 monkey, installed firmware version 2.02 FROM FILE by following instructions and Bobs yer Uncle! Sorted!

VariaxAcoustic_2.02.vxf

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