psarkissian

Get the VDI cable. The cable that came with the guitar is for connecting to the computer for Firmware updates and Workbench/Workbench-HD, and not ment for playing through. The VDI cable is. And should be available on the web-store or Full Compass.

12-18 months if you're a gigging regularly musician. No more delicate than any other tube for the last 50 years.

Normally I would agree, being part of that powers that be (hey, that rhymes), but,.... http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/guitars/james-tyler-variax-guitars/jtv-pickup-wiring-diagrams-r64 ... has the pick-up wiring. The tech will need to pay close attention to where it says Neck and Bridge, and the polarity. Unless he's an authorized tech, I can't assist or give him schematics beyond what's on the Knowledge Base, so it's at your own risk. Though you're at the other end of the state, say hello to Lancaster for me, next time you go by there. Happy hunting.

His specs are a bit off on that link. The G&B on the link and what Tyler spec calls out for are two different things.

Get one through the Line 6 online store or contact Line 6 support.

Get with Line 6 support, they can help you with that.

59 humbuckers,... Don't know this g&b, not in my info, made for us by one of our vendors. According to info here, they are made to Tyler's specified parameters. Can't get any deeper with you than that. "Hard to say how much or how little the guitar build will influence final tone but it would at least start out with very similar electrical characteristics and output level"--- Check out a Facebook video of Richie Castellano changing stock pick-ups for some DiMarzios on a 69S, the bridge pick-up didn't match the impedance of the active circuits on the processor board. Changed the tone in a way that was darker than he wanted. So, it can make a big difference. It's not like changing pick-ups on a guitar with passive circuitry, a lot more need to be considered.

If it's a whistling howling sound in Alt Tune mode or Acoustic 12-string, then probably the intonation needs to be dialed in a little tighter. If it's a warbling distortion, then it's more than likely the pick-up distance to the strings needs to be adjusted. Either way, it sounds like a set-up issue. I use acoustic Models to check for this sort of thing when I service these guitars as the resonance quality and harmonic content of those Models brings that out more.

I always recommend the cotton swab, because it's more targeted and less messy. Also, leftover fluid dripping into the cavity and messy with other things underneath is a concern. Always be aware.

Chisht, lav.

Go easy on the compressor, soft knee, try to stay around 2:1 ratio or less to avoid pumping or breathing. You lose some highs, and the noise floor can go up a smidge.

Set-up at the factory, then again at the distribution hub. They don't know where the end location is going to be, so they do a spec set-up. Some retailers will do the set-up locally before going out the door. Service and repair, I know where the end destination is and set-up for that climate before I send them back. Then it's about 2-4 days to acclimate, and it should be good by then.

First rule of truss rods, just do it in increments, no wanging it one way and then the other. Great way to warp the neck. Do it in increments, let it sit for the rest of the day, then check it and give it some more,... if it needs it. Straight out of Erlewine's book on guitar repair. What we've all been taught about this.

Are you plugging into the 1/4" jack with a standard guitar cable with a TS tip or a TRS guitar cable? XLR at the guitar is not always as clean as you would think. And a guitar with active electronics just complicates it. And XLR would make it worse under the right conditions, given what an electronically floating source-to-ground an active electronic guitar is. I'll leave it there, since it would be way too involved to get into here, would take half a semester course on audio electronics to get into it.

Mediums, definitely mediums. Besides the slight variations in the characteristic curves, that's another place where many problems occur with other brands. Those two aspects are amp killers when it comes to using something other than the specified tubes,... variations in the characteristic curves between types brands and the gas-to-vacuum proportions. That's why close enough with another tube,... isn't close enough.

"... I didn't realize that the newer amps' tubes needed to be changed this often."--- It's always been that way, going back to the 60' and 70's, it's just the nature of tubes. Most tend to forget that fact. I'm 60+, been dealing with tubes since I was 15 or 16.

What silverhead and Triryche said,... it's commonly referred to as "dual tone effect".

They will be labelled N, M, B,... for neck, middle and bridge. Wiring diagram on the Line 6 Knowledge Base. Richie Castellano (presently with Blue Oyster Cult) recently did a video, changing his 69S pick-ups for something else. I walked him thru it so the wiring would be correct. That and the KB wiring diagram should help.

Tubes should be changed out every 18-months for regular gigging musicians, every 20-22 months for weekend warriors and every 24 months for bedroom rock-stars. You sound like a 20-22 month person. It's time for the tubes. Do not deviate from the specified tube listed above. These are not the all analog tube amps of the 1960's and 70's, you can't get away with the same kind of tube swapping we did back then. Stick to the specified tubes. Go to a Line 6 authorized service center, as they will know the product and what to do with it. Don't put this off, worn tube in an amp can be a bad thing for the amp.

Me. Best leave it to an authorized Line 6 service center that does guitar work. Like any guitar, if it's not done right, the neck can twist and warp. Buzz can come from anywhere between the tuning post and the string retainer under the bridge. Relief and string action are two places, The whole set-up should be checked out.

Use the factory Electro-Harmonix tubes. These amps don't like modifications. The digital and analog sections have to play nice with each other, so don't deviate from that. 12AX7EH Electro-Harmonix for the pre-amps EL34EH Electro-Harmonix (matched pairs) for the power tubes Have it biased by a Line 6 authorized service center. The high voltages in this thing are dangerous. And it really hurts if you get zapped. Really hurts.

How often do you play it since you got it? When was the last time the tubes were replaced?

Log a support ticket. Type of computer, OS release and such, could be a configuration or computer OS match up somewhere. Make sure you have driver and interface (Line 6 Monkey) software loaded on your computer.

There should be an online instructions on that. Check the online manuals and Knowledge Base.

Either a set-up issue or "dual tone effect". The guitar's latest version is v2.22 program.