clay-man

I'm thinking about sending it to a service center because the model selector freak out happened again today. Today is not a good day with this guitar.

The VDI door broke when I tried to close it. Should I just live without it or should I try to get it replaced?

It's all personal preference. I think the Strat sounds really close to my 69s' pickups, which is saying a lot since it's not even an actual fender strat. I think the Les Paul sounds more on spot and less flubby than 1.9 did. I also think the ES-335 sounds more accurate and has the twang that was missing. I will say, I like how the tele on the 1.9 was brighter. That's probably my only gripe with the HD version.

Sounds really fun! Loved my 600 before I got my JTV. I'd probably still try it every once in a while because of the tone difference between the HD models on the JTV if the 1/4 jack wasn't broke on mine. Glad you like yours. Have as much fun as you can with it!

I had a crackling issue with a 1/4 power supply but not VDI. Hopefully it's just a bad connection. If not, something inside could be wrong.

Yeah, don't get why they keep using technology over a decade old, meanwhile every other company out there adapts to new technology to improve their modeling and products. They do have some really good products, but a lot of them are hit and miss.

You can definitely make the volumes more consistent, but I think the sustain will still be different on some models even after boosting them.

All cool! Welcome to the forums!

Thanks Dave, I really appreciate that. Maybe it was. I sent it back and got a refund. I'm not sure if the JTVs are any different, if they are preflashed, but I think FullCompass is actually more for the service center to order those parts. Some people on this topic are mentioning that service centers might actually be even less experienced in electronics than Luthiers, and I can understand that. I think it depends on where you go, perhaps. The biggest issue is that one can access confidential information about the guitar, and one can't. One thing that IS good about people tinkering around with these guitars, is that thanks to them, we eventually do get information about the guitar. I think you should leave that to people who know what they're doing and are open to doing it in the first place. If you got a warranty and are just trying to fix the guitar, and especially if it's in driving distance, I have no idea why you wouldn't go to a service center.

This has been my stance all along, I just don't agree with some people in this topic about sending it to a luthier when it's about a major electronic component. They say they won't just take out an electronic piece on the board, but just replace the board, but I've said this over, and over, and over again, that I DID that myself, and nothing happened. Now, I'm not the best when it comes to repairing electronics, but I know how to unplug a ribbon cable and a few ground prongs, which is all you need to do with the guts I ordered. Didn't work, because again. it needs to be flashed by some device that only Line 6 would carry. New guts are not hot swappable, they have no data on them at all to tell the interface it's a Variax guitar being plugged in, hence you can't flash it. Now that you said some information about not wanting to ship your guitar off so far, and would prefer to drive it to a close and trusted person, I get that. I have a service center within driveable distance, and I assumed most people would have that, unless they're outside the US. I'm sorry I assumed that. Like I said, at the end of the day,. if the luthier can truly fix it, ok, go ahead, but if you got a service center within driving distance, I really suggest just taking it there instead if it's not a basic issue. I don't know why people can't understand that, and that I've opened up to the concept of using a luthier for basic jobs, instead, I get cruisinon2 constantly mocking me, trying to claim I'm backpedeling, then gets people to claim I'M bullying HIM for calling him a moron when I'm simply tired of all his rude sarcastic replies. I have no problem with having a civilized disagreement and discussion, but making childish rude comments and then blame me for retaliating isn't going to do anything but lollipop me off.

It's been there since the HD firmware I believe. I think It's also been there for the 89 model since the 89 model was made. It sounds really nice for metal sounds when the Les Paul sounds too honky for the job.

I'd like to apologize for being against that point persistently, but I was trying to say, that I understand ozbadman and that he convinced me about small electronics, but I still firmly suggest anything big should be handled by a service center. I've already stated, I've installed a 300/600 coffin gut case in my Variax 600 and it did nothing because it was not installed with firmware or anything that would tell the Variax Interface that it's a Variax guitar, therefor I cannot flash it with a Variax Interface, and a service center/Line 6 can only flash it. Maybe the JTV guts come preflashed, but it's not guaranteed. Is it unfair that Line 6 doesn't give us information about the guitar so we can handle problems we have with it? Yes. But that's the exact reason why it can be sketchy to hand it off to someone who doesn't know the guitar. Stuff like pots, and basic solder stuff, would be fine, but if you CAN send it to a service center, why not? Is there some type of rebellion against the service center? "Yeah, that'll show line 6 we can live without them!" Even though it's their product in the first place that you bought. I don't understand. I'd love for people to be able to figure the ins and outs of a guitar, but for a guy just trying to fix it, if you can send it to a service center, why not?

There was a time when my Variax did a weird lighting on the battery compartment when I pressed the button. I took the battery out and put it back in and it acted normal again. Maybe it's some type of test mode?

Very cool, but I think we had like 2 topics about her guitar already, one literally one week ago. It is fascinating though.

I don't understand why people are talking about how cruisinon2 was "rising above" my posts when he came at me with sarcastic posts that mocked anything I had to say. This is the last place I expect ridiculous troll comments, and yet I get them from him about my opinion instead of him respectfully disagreeing, and then he makes these rude comments like "A VOICE OF REASON!!!" and "OH LOOK SOMEONE CAN ACTUALLY FIX THEIR VARIAX WITHOUT LINE 6'S HELP!!!" Of course some people can, but the whole thing is, it's more likely that you'll run into someone who can't outside of line 6, which increases the chance of ruining the guitar further. Why send it to a person who might not know what to do, when you can send it to someone who does? Is this some type of rebellion against Line 6? It seems kind of childish to me.

If your tuning it away from pitches it's designed to read on the strings, it'll warble. Why not get lighter gauge strings?

Then stop saying stuff that isn't true. I can understand the point if your warranty is out, and a luthier is good with guitar electronics and soldering, but it's still something they've never done regardless. If it's under warranty, send it to Line 6, if it's not under warranty, if it's the electronics, you probably should send it to Line 6, because of reasons I've stated multiple of times, but it's up to you if you want to send it to a luthier. I wouldn't have had a problem with you if you didn't completely crap on and mock my genuine concern over someone breaking their Variax even further.

You're being a moron. I always was referring to the unfamiliar electronics. The guts. Stuff like replacing a piezo or bridge is something anyone can do. I've told you over, and over, that ordering an electronic piece online isn't going to do s*** because they aren't prepared to go into a guitar yet. I've already told you that I ordered a coffin for my 600 and it didn't work because it wasn't pre-flashed and there's 0 code for any interface to detect it's even a Variax. Now you can disagree with that, and when you order that part online and wonder why it's not working, don't say I didn't tell you so.

I can understand that, but again, I tried replacing my board in my 600 and it did absolutely nothing, because it needs flashed, and I'm not talking about using the interface to flash it, I mean like a flash using some type of writing device that only Line 6 would have. The problem is, how do you know that the components you order online are ready to go in a guitar, and not just components fresh off the line that's ready for someone to put in with the proper equipment? A pot is understandable, and should be an easy solder job, but if the guy (luthier) says he doesn't know, he doesn't know. You can show him the part online, and tell him to have at it, and he can maybe fix it since it's something simple like a 6 prong solder point, or maybe a component you can plug in. My point is, I've personally tried to just "buy an electronic piece and swap it myself", and it didn't work. I did nothing wrong, everything was assembled as it should be. No sound, no recognition from monkey, so I sent the piece back to fullcompass. That's my point.

You're strawmanning here again. I said UNFAMILIAR ELECTRONICS. The guts, or anything else that isn't on a conventional guitar that is trivial to mess with. And again, his luthier ADMITTED he wasn't sure. "Pfft let your luthier do it" after that statement is telling him "Let the guy do something he doesn't know and hope it gets fixed, even though there's a strong possibility your guitar will become junk because again, he doesn't know what he's doing!" Unless there is good information you can get about fixing a certain part of the guitar that is unconventional to a normal guitar, then don't mess with it and let a professional handle it. Do you not understand what I'm talking about?

Exactly. A luthier can do guitar work on the Variax, but he can't fix the electronics. The OP stated the luthier doesn't know what to do with the electronic problems, so telling the OP to "Yeah, make the luthier do it" is insanely ignorant. If someone really wants to fix the guitar, then do it proper, don't damage it even further by telling a guy to do something he doesn't know what to do with. Does it really matter if you want it to make sound if you damage it to the point where it'll never make sound again? There is a chance that a luthier can replace something like a tone pot or volume pot, but even then, he'd need information on what to do. You're asking someone to take guesses if you tell them to work on something they're not sure about.

Jesus Christ, you realize I'm talking about giving the guitar to any luthier in general? You see the topic title: "Can MY luthier..." You really think a random luthier can fix the guitar without the big risk of damaging it even further? It IS moronic. You should only get the guitar repaired by someone who knows what they're doing. I'm not saying there's not people outside of the service center that knows information about the Variax guitar, but you have to understand, that it requires a lot more than just knowing how to take things apart. I bought a Variax guts case, and guess what, it doesn't work, because it wasn't flashed with any memories, so I had to send it back. Gee, you know who can possibly fix that problem other than someone who has access to Line 6 technology to do a raw flash on the Variax? Not a luthier. So even if they can order parts offline, when the fact is those parts are meant for authorized centers to buy them from, and not regular Variax users, it doesn't mean you can fix it yourself. I mean, what are they going to do then, buy another JTV and take parts from that? Isn't that retarded? You might as well send it into a service center or just buy a new Variax at that point. Just because a guy knows how to build a consumer PC doesn't mean you can send the guy working on a super computer just because it's a freaking computer. You're telling the guy, "Oh, pfft a luthier can figure it out!!! It's not that complicated!" when he specifically stated, THE LUTHIER DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT VARIAX GUITARS. You're basically telling him to break his guitar further. Incredibly ignorant. Ridiculous.

Out of all the guitars to get this problem, I least expected the 89F since it's a graphtech bridge, but anything can happen. They're not the same as the ghost pickups you can order anyways.

You realize I'm talking about repairing the computer components, and not obvious crap like Variax gut transplants and hardware transplants? Besides, you realize these things that some people do like Variax transplants and bridge swaps were experimentations that were perfected? Handing a Variax to any luthier and asking them to fix something just because the Variax is a guitar is moronic. Not even an electronics guy is going to know exactly what to do with the guitar just because it's electronic.

Pretty sure there's nothing about getting a setup voiding the warranty. It states if a person works to FIX the guitar that isn't qualified. A setup isn't fixing a guitar, it's setting up a guitar. Being in danger of voiding the warranty because of a setup, especially when L6 gives us a bag of hex wrenches with the guitar, is moronic.