ColonelForbin

$799 Variax Standard......vs......$999 JTV69? I guess it's worth waiting to see how the instrument plays and feels; $200 is still $200 last time I checked!.. I guess the build quality will be the key comparison; the Korean JTV vs the Indonesian 'Standard'! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VariaxStdBurst http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JTV69S3TS

Quick question - this point is rather vague... They haven't explicitly stated that the new HD model packs will be part of or available on the Firehawk, correct? I guess I didn't quite grasp the specific difference between which models are exclusive to the HD line, vs those available on the Firehawk, etc.. The revised website info on the Firehawk says 29 HD amp models; which matches the current offering of 29 HD amps on the HD500/500x. It's cool to see they are continuing to push forward on the sonic spectrum, and they figured out how to 'upsample' the older amp models. Curious how that works when connected to a DT amp; I am guessing they just figured out how to port the preamp into HD, then assigned appropriate DT power amp / typology settings. I guess that's why they need a couple more months to roll these out!

Excellent! I have two sets of JJ's tubes, and my second DT25 is on the way. Going to take them both in at the same time to get the JJ's installed. I did order the balanced triode 12AX7 / ECC83-S JJ's as well; hoping the overall tone along with the matched pair of EL84. Glad to hear that it makes the DT25 sound better!!!

I emailed Weber asking about difference between 75watt and 100watt speaker options on the Silver Bell and Blue Dog. The guy who responded, C.J. said go with the 100w for maximum smoothness. He also told me to go with "pre-rolla light dope". Not sure what all that means! I did also read elsewhere that changing the speaker out of the DT25 combo can be a challenge.. Anyone have some info on that? I am still just going with the assumption that the stock Celestion is a 90w speaker; not knowing enough about the variance in the tones to know how to determine what I want.. I can see how pairing a speaker with this kind of amp is a challenge! I tend to gravitate towards the Marshall and Fender tones; but I would like it to still sound good with any / all / most of the amp models; so I don't need to pre-voice it overly hard in one direction or another.

Yeah; I gotta say, the gear should never supplant the Music... Now, I love my gear, and it helps me make music, so they are a symbiotic relationship, and most of my music making gear just happens to be Line6, Keeley, and Fender. But that being said, if being stuck on using a certain brand of music gear was causing me so much consternation as to contemplate rescinding my personal quest of music in life, then I would hope I would just relinquish the focus on the gear / brand, and move on to gear that allows me to focus more on the music and less on the gear. Though, that's a difficult challenge, each must face their own musical demons. Certain factors in my life have taken me away from music through various 'seasons' of my life. I just happen to be at a place now where I am back to being involved with a band; we have some free studio time starting next week, so we can lay down tracks for a four song EP; try to get some shows booked this summer. There is a saying that is somewhat applicable: goes along these lines; if you are so desperate that you want to kill yourself, wouldn't it be just as drastic to instead leave your whole life behind, and move to a new country, or go on some crazy adventure? In a sense, giving up on Music, because your relationship with Line6 gear has not worked out, is like giving up on life because your relationship with a friend or spouse or significant other has not worked out. Just because the personal relationship isn't working, doesn't mean Life should end; Just because the gear relationship isn't working out, doesn't mean Music should end:...... Sell that Line6 gear!! Go buy a Kemper!! Just don't give up on Music....

Yeah, I always had heard he did some heavy customization to his amps, and ran the Variac. I guess that makes sense - turn the power down; aka "The Brown Sound". Typically, the reference to the power in your house dipping but not going out is called a 'brown out'. I wonder where that original terminology originated? "The second way Edward controlled his overall output volume was that he would use a dummy load box after the Marshall head, in effect making the Marshall a preamp for the entire system. The output of the load box would then run through his effects which would then be sent to the input stage of a power amplifier (most often an H & H V800 MOS-FET model according to the September 1986 issue of Guitar World). The speaker output of his Marshall was set at 8 ohms and the dummy load box resistance was set to 20 ohms to help ease the strain of the amplifier being run at full volume."

As I understand it, these model packs are add-ons to the existing HD500/500x amp models already featured. It would not make sense to charge $$ for extra amps just to then take away the amps already there! Looking forward to more info about the acoustic rig too; hoping that will make the JTV acoustic + HD500 + link to DT25 a more functional experience.. *hoping*....*waiting*.... It's like "Mini G.A.S."! $99? No problem. It's the $999.99 G.A.S. that worries me for the budget.. ;)

Looks like they are adding global EQ to the HD500 with firmware due out in March/April this year..

JC = Jazz Chorus. It is a solid state 2x12 uber-clean combo amp by Roland. Like, insanely clean. You turn the gain and volume all the way up, and it's still calm, cool, clean and collected! I wonder how they will handle the stereo aspect of the JC120.. "two separate 60 watt RMS power amps (to allow for true stereo chorus)" http://www.rolandus.com/products/jc-120/

Not a bad haul! I was worried they were going to have a bunch of insanely cool and expensive gear that would inspire terible G.A.S... The new wireless is cool; I guess the tech isn't there yet to support wireless VDI yet, not a big deal there. The Airwolf Firefox Firehawk pedal looks like it uses the newer HD500x footswitches. Interesting idea; though it's curious they have somehow figured out how to combine the actual HD amp models with the older non-HD amp models into one unit, while calling all the models 'HD'. Not sure what is going on there.. .Cool idea, but not giving me any G.A.S so that's good! I still want to get another DT25, a pair of L3m's, and I want to upgrade to the 500x at some point too.. The model pack thing is not surprising.. New business model, Yamaha wants to make some money on the HD line; and for the price I'll certainly be jumping on that in a few months once they release the new firmware. The idea that they collect free suggestions from IdeaScale in order to sell/market products is somewhat clever. Everyone who posted on IdeaScale prior to this point in time most likely assumed they were making requests for firmware / free upgrades, as opposed to being used in a pro-bono market research project.... Does leave a strange resonance with me, but nothing to get worked up over. Typically companies pay their own employees to come up with the creative solutions for new product development, but hey, Line6 has a strong user base with a built in desire to give feedback and notes to further develop and refine the products they love and use on a regular basis. Of all the model pack add ons, the one that *should* be free is the acoustic rig. That is a matter of contention with the JTV acoustic models paired with the HD500 when L6Linked to a DT amp. Hopefully that new feature will make the JTV acoustic models more usable with the DT amps. I am pysched for the JCM800 and the Variac'd Plexi. Especially the extra Plexi.... Super stoked for that!!

Yeah, I was just looking at those speakers again; haven't made any decision yet. Just ordered the JJ's tubes first, need to take the amp to the shop and have that work done. Will give it a listen with the new tubes, see how the sound is, and go from there! Interested in the Silver Bell; I tend to gravitate towards the Marshall amp models anyway. And with the new HD firmware / model packs coming in April, they are adding a couple more Marshalls! Especially pysched for the new JCM800, and the Variac'd Plexi..

Just ordered the matched pair of JJ's EL84's and the ECC83-S with the balanced triodes. Thanks for the info folks! I have band practice on Monday/Tuesday, will bring my amp to the shop sometime next week! Can't friggin' wait.. :)

Wow! The stereo dual combo stack looks awesome!!! I bet that rig sounds stellar

It's a tiara that It's actually a DSP powered model of the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. When the user wears the tiara (diadem) it has emulations designed to model the thinking process of the greatest guitarists, musicans, song writers and composers. You can also set it to dual-hemispheres mode, which allows the user to combine thinking processes of two artists at the same time! During beta testing, something did go wrong however; the user experienced a temporal brain merge involving the left brain thought process of Ozzy Osbourne as filtered through the right brain of the Mozart emulation, and he thought he was a rubber ducky for three days. We're happy to announce he achieved 99% pesonality recovery! Sometimes he still barks at the moon while quacking like the Afflac duck in 3/4 time. ;)

+1 to being able to control the mixer volumes with an EXP pedal assignment. If that's not already an IdeaScale request, it should be!

Yeah, read that, was hysterical! There are some other "news" stories that refer to them as "The Phish"; not sure if these are satire, or just psychotic neo-Christianity fear mongering. Either way, amusing read! I mean, "Christwire" - gotta take that with a grain of salt or two... Or a whole pillar of salt! National Report is definitely satire, similar to The Onion.. http://christwire.org/2011/01/just-say-no-to-the-phish/ "Crisscrossing the country to promote a dangerous mix of communism, cybercrime and drug culture, notorious rock band “The Phish†is pushing American communities to the breaking point." http://christwire.org/2011/06/when-it-comes-to-the-phish-music-censorship-is-not-enough/ "More than any other group today, The Phish makes an active effort to skirt federal censorship laws by going out in the field to recruit young people into their disturbing lifestyle. With utmost delight, they have set their sights on the alluring, delicate men of our small towns." http://nationalreport.net/phishs-five-dangerous-subcultures/ "There are many traits common to all fans of The Phish: drug use, sexual deviance, contempt for authority, aversion to soap, and an affinity for dizzy trance-like funk music with questionable time signatures behind some of the most confusing lyrics ever assembled."

Yeah, this is looking like an interesting idea... Not terribly expensive, but could be a really strong improvement to the amp's fundamental tone. Around $120 for the speaker seem right? Oh yeah - yet another question.. Which ohms? I seem to recall it should be 8

I have those same M-Audio BX-5's; they have a bit of a bass push that makes mixing tricky. They sound bassier than the mix actually is, if that makes sense. Works great for watching movies and streaming webcasts and stuff through the computer; makes mixing my multitrack recordings a bit of a mess. I am saving up some $$ for some better options. I might even start using my L2t's for mixing at home later this year, once my band winds down (guitarist /lead singer and his wife having their first child + our drummer is moving to Oregon!) So; here's my personal experience. I currently use a DT25 1x12 combo with my HD500 when I jam with my band. I use the XLR direct out from the DT25 to the mixer, and we record multi-track (M20d), so I am able to go back and listen to my isolated signal. Sounds *stellar*. So good, that I am looking into getting another one! This is not the best 'home recording' option - unless you can make some serious volume at home and not make your roomate / neighbors / significant other, etc insane. However, I had the HD500 for a few years before I grabbed the DT25 around this time last year. Prior to that, I just used solid-state Fender 1x12 combos that had an effects loop. Plug the HD500 1/4" into the FX return of the amp, and run the HD500 in studio/direct, so your direct recording tones still sound good. I had pretty good success with getting that to work, since the fx loop return is just a direct tap into the power amp of the amplifier you are using. In my case, I paid $90 for an old Fender / CBS solid state, that was supposedly designed by Paul Rivera when he was still with CBS/ Fender before he started Rivera amps. Cool little amps! The Yale Reverb, and the 'Studio Lead'. The second amp was particularly awesome in this case - where I had the HD500 connected to the computer via USB - most amps will humm and make alot of noise in that scenario due to ground loops and such. The oddity of the 'Studio Lead' is that - by design - the power plug is a TWO PRONG. Really, really weird, never seen that anywhere else, but the thing is sweet. Sounds decent / tube like just plugged into the front, but since I was using the HD500 as the primary tone generator, I didn't fuss much with using the Fender's preamp. However, when I tried to jam with people, especially people with tube amps, and with drummers, and bass players, I had a heck of a time keeping up in volume... Neither of those Fenders, with the HD500 in studio/direct 'cut' through the mix, hence the DT25. Problem with using the DT25 for home recording, is that if you Line6Link to it, the HD500 puts itself into 'combo/poweramp' mode. SO, then you can't use the HD500 USB to send recording signals anymore; not ideal. Also, in that case, if you want to use stereo effects or dual amp model chains, you would need two DT amps; which gets way expensive really quick. For $2k, In terms of studio gear, you could get a Kemper, or most of an Axe-FX,etc... Anyway, for what it's worth - if you find one of these old Fender/CBS Studio Lead amps (1x12) for a good price, get it!! Makes an easy solution for using the HD500 in USB recording mode, while not costing a fortune - and playing nice with the HD500 being connected to a computer. Fender Studio Lead -early 1980's; mine actually says something like: "division of CBS, Fender Musical Instruments, Fullerton California" http://www.stratopastor.org.uk/strato/amps/twoseriessolidstatefenders/Studio%20Stage%20Lead%20Manual.pdf

Sweet! Do you recall if that is the ceramic or alnico? Also, what is the general thinking in terms of how to match the speaker watt rating to the amp watt power? IE, the DT25 is a 25 watt; you put the 75 watt speaker in, what impact does that have on the tone / sound ,etc? I am realizing there is soooo much stuff I need to read up and learn about! So cool though, to be able to customize stuff like this.. From what I can tell, the DT25 1x12 combo speaker - the Celestion custom G12H90, is a 90watt speaker?

At those prices?? It's gonna be all wealthy peoples who can afford the festival VIP tickets :)

Oh man! This little project is turning into a monster.. Which is a good thing if it means better, I mean buttah tones!! :) What are the specs on the Weber speaker? I found a Blue Dog by Weber, is that the one?

I tried this briefly with the DT25 in combo/poweramp mode, using the link - I wasn't liking it, but that is probably because some amount of the signal is now 'missing'. Not 100% sure, though, and will need to spend some more time just listening, and less time thinking about what should be happening, and just listen to what is happening. Thanks for the upbeat positive vibes! Good stuff, that's the right way to approach it. Just jump in and make it sound like YOU want it to sound, regardless of the process you take to make that happen. It's way more fun that way too :)

Yeah, my buddy is a working bassist; he plays alot of different styles of music, with a few different acts around Chicago area, not the least of which being Math Games with Fareed Haque. That MarkBass has served him quite well! I actually bought his old Mesa Boogie 1x15 bass cab because he wasn't using it anymore; the MarkBass slays! In that same thinking, I would imagine the L2/L3 options would also be quite excellent. Good point that Rick made, which I had overlooked - the L3s would not be soo good of an option, if not for the weight, but mostly due to the crossover frequency range - too low for stage use of the bass - unless you like dropping your low B open string down an octave! Keep us posted on how the L2/L3 works for bass. For example, when my band rehearses, our bassist uses my old Ampeg 1x15 'rocket bass' copy. I use a passive DI right after his bass guitar, send 1/4" to the Ampeg, and send the XLR out of the DI to my M20d mixer, and the monitors we use are the L2t StageSource. When I get his signal up in the monitor mix, it cranks through those L2t's! You do have to work with the EQ somewhat since you are getting a broader range of tones through it; if he has his treble set too hot, it still sounds fine through the Ampeg, but ends up sounding 'clanky' and a touch harsh in the L2t's.

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I literally just found out about this.. EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grateful Dead Reunite for Chicago Farewell Concerts With Trey Anastasio