psarkissian

What Charlie said,... most definitely. And the same for non-trem as well, but

to a lesser extent. Changing gauges will always need some set-up, some more

than others.

Take it to a Line 6 authorized service tech who will have access to service info,

including set-up specs.

Did you change the gauge of the set?

If so, a set-up has to be done to the guitar. Changing gauges change the tension and so changes the set-up (relief, action and such).

Change strings one at a time or pull the whole set off at once?

Changing all at once leaves the guitar without string tension for a time, and can also have an ever so slight affect on the set-up until the strings tension settles in (which can be up to a couple of days).

Have you checked for burrs in the nut slots of the string nut?

Burr can give distortions that can get processed along with the rest of the audio.

Make sure the retainer nuts for the tuning machines are snug (not too tight, that would create a host of other problems).

If it's still under warranty, have an authorized Line 6 service center that knows JTV's, have them give it a good going over.

They will have what's needed for servicing these guitars.

http://line6.com/support/

... has Knowledge Base, Videos and Forums.

Sounds like harmonic distortions. Overdrive setting, maybe a smidgeon of EQ.

Upper string with too much ring going thru fuzz processing?

Do another vid, one string and let it ring. Hard to isolate when doing chords of eighth note rhythm. 

Something in the harmonic content of the sound.

The normal pick-up height specs are useful with our factory pick-ups,... don't know what it would be with other brands. Craig Anderton recommends 4mm from string to pole piece, typically,... measured with the highest fret stopped.

The guitar brand, string gauge and pick-up brand will determine how far up or down you will have to dial-it in to fine adjust it beyond that 4mm spec.

Warbling distortions occur when the string and pick-up are close enough that the magnet starts to pull on the string, damping and distorting the way the string vibrates. You can even see the level of pull on the string when it's out of adjustment.

Electro-Harmonix,... they own the Sovtech tube factory in Russia. The EH branded ones we use are their premium Sovtechs, scrutinized beyond the usual Sovtechs,... especially the ones we get. I've had chats with Mike Matthews, the owner of EH, about this tube stuff,... in case you wondered how I knew that.

*** And the power tubes have to be matched pairs.

Not using matched pairs creates a whole host of problems that can damage circuitry in a big way.

There is a point in the characteristic curve trace of the tube specs, that once the "load line" gets you to start operating outside the linear region of the curve, stuff happens. The limits of that linear region can vary slightly from brand to brand. Operate outside of that and problems occur.

Mesa's are good tubes, and I'm acquainted with a couple of people at JJ, Ruby Tubes, well acquainted with Aspen Pittman of Groove Tubes (know him from my days at Alesis). They're all good tubes, I like them, just don't use them as power tubes in Line 6 amps. Reinhold Bogner designed the tube portions of our amps to operate with what he specifies, and he leaves little or no wiggle room for modifications. So his bias voltage specs for the power tubes are tight (had chats and emails with him about it). He knows amp tubes. So use the Line 6 specified tubes in your amps. 

Ice9Mike---

-- When playing through an HD500, be sure you keep track of the gains at each effects module stage. It's easy for it to get away from you. That happens all the time, even to me.
-- Put the neck pick-up back in phase with the bridge pick-up. Don't alter the pick-up height in relation to the strings, too close and it will start to warble and distort, and add to your problem.
-- The pick-ups you use are hotter than the stock ones, the frequency emphasis and amplitudes are in a range where it will bring out more of those things you don't want.
-- Some EQ is useful too. It's all a palette with colors,... it's all about mixing the colors (guitar, effects, amplification) to create "your" sound. They're there, make use of them.
-- If using a tube amp, have the tubes changed once every 18 to 24 months, depending on how much playing you do and depending on how hard you go at it. Old tubes can go micro-phonic and make it sound distorted, whiny or ringy.
-- Use specified tubes in Line 6 gear, don't try to hot rod it, it's already a hot rod. That's the way Bogner designed it, he didn't leave room for mods. I see too many come back because someone didn't heed my warnings about that and used JJ's, Groove Tubes or Mesa tubes,... don't do that, use specified EH's.
-- When I do a guitar set-up (relief, action, intonation and all), I do the set-up for the end destination, not my location.

When I service and test JTV's, I service and test,... the JTV. I don't always have the option of re-creating the customer situation down to the last setting, that would require having the customer's entire set-up (cables and all) to go through and diagnose the problem. I have done that on rare occasions when there was a need to.

I can emulate playing techniques such as flat-pick vs finger-pick, boogie blues vs chicken scratch vs east Texas, classical guitar vs rock guitar. Each guitar is different, I learn to play the guitar that's in my hands at that moment, in the end, that's what it's about. And I own three JTV's myself.


Those would be my suggestions and recommendations. I've been doing this four decades, I started young, so I've seen and done a hell of a lot.
Rock-n-roll!

Yeah, the glue is handy and helpful. 

At this point I tend to concur with jandrio,... some sort of communications hicup.

Sounds like a 'one-off" so far. Maybe the knob wasn't square on the detent point.

I've had that happen a couple times. But then I've serviced a lot of JTV's. 

"I have serial number 2 of the Korean production '69 (it is black).  

Last I heard, #1 (red) was kept at Line 6"----

Being that I work at Line 6, I walk by serial #1 every now and again. Yeah, it's red.

Don't know if that's a good comparison, since ice9mike has a

number of modifications to his 89F. Not a stock unit anymore.

Hmmm. 

I service JTV's all day at Line 6 in California, haven't come across this issue yet myself.

And I've serviced hundreds of them. Two things here I see that are different,....

1) I mostly finger pick, not flat-pick when I play these.

2) I usually don't play through an HD500 or HD500X.

To isolate the issue down to the guitar, have to play just the guitar. Play with finger and with flat-pick.

Use a variety of stiff and flexi flat-picks, those also affect such things as pluck transients.

Each effect in a 500 or 500X has gain and some form of EQ or filtering,.... got to keep track of that

or it gets out of hand quickly if you have a number of them cascaded together in a chain. Happens

to me all the time when I tests this stuff. Sometimes it's just a matter of dialing something down on

the effects board.

And if you're in "Spank" model,... it's Modeled after a 1959 Strat, not some 1990's re-issue. All the

Gulf Coast Blues players covet that 6th string sound. It's part of that vintage '59 Strat thing they all

love. The guy who wrote the firmware tells me that, that '59 Strat was one sweet vintage blues guitar.

I'm more of a Gibson, Gretsch, Rickenbacker kind of guy myself. But I go to the Spank when I want

to do some David Gilmore or Joe Walsh riffs.

Limited release apparently. I enjoy servicing and working on the few that

come my way. And I love how they play.

The cable you are using to connect to the HD500X is a regular CAT5 cable

or a Line 6 VDI cable for Variax/JTV with the shroud connector?

The video seems pretty good as a general reference that can be applied to the power jack,

just make sure that the iron isn't so hot that you lift pads or traces.

You bought it used, so warranty isn't an issue at this point. Not sure where the nearest authorised

service center is, but Line 6 in the UK is in Rugby. My mates there know their stuff.

The other upside about going that route is that my mates in Rugby can go through it all and make

sure everything is good and go through all the checks needed. Also, you check with the guys in

Rugby, see if they can point you to authorised service center in your area. 

If you end up doing it yourself, just remember, it might be an easy solder job, but it's the easy ones

that are easy to make mistakes on. I've been doing this decades, it's the easy ones that get you.

Happy hunting.

OT? Not a problem.

As far as I know, both 89 and 89F are still available. They both show up on our

website, unless they're just not available there where you're at. Have you tried the

guitar shops on Denmark St in London? Macari's, Westside, Rose Morris and London

Pro Audio Centre might be a place to start. Or check Line 6 dealer listings for your area.

I have a black 69, Cherry and Tobacco 59's. They're great. I know what you mean

about the fixed bridge thing, the 69 is the only guitar I have (of all my guitars) with

a tremolo on it.

When I pick up my black 69, I think of that photo of David Gilmore with his black

NOS Fender Strat, then I go into playing some Floyd tunes.

Have had any of the problems mentioned here, but then, I plug in direct to the board

or go through my older aged POD's prior to the HD500 and 500X.

Being the JTV tech at Line 6, here in the US,...

not as much of a nightmare as you might think.

I like working on JTV's. And I do like a challenge.

Take it to a Line 6 authorized Service Center in your area.

There may be more to it than just a power jack. They will have

the tools, anti-static station and access to schematics. And 

if something else is already failed inside, they'll be able to

deal with that too.

"Judge your skills before you tackle this"--- most definitely.

It touches the strings, from the neck through the body,...

whether acoustic, electric or an active circuit guitar like a JTV,

the whole of the guitar resonates and is part of the acoustical

aspect of the signal.

Thanks to that Greek fellow Pythagoras we have string instruments.

It was the locking nut.

The bridge was okay.

Odd vibrations getting processed with the rest of the audio.

That one on the end, the one that got the worn marks on it.

diggerbarnz--- If you're getting slippage, it may be the way the frets were dressed.

Taking it in to an Line 6 authorized service center to have the nut shifted or a new nut

installed could solve that. A neck swap would be another solution. If it becomes a

problem, take it in while it's still under warranty.

I have an earlier 69, and the only time I get slippage is when my technique is sloppy.

But then, I don't do too many of those blues string pulls either.

Most of the people I hear from about this are those who do the bluesy "string pulls"

or "chicken scratch" pulls on the earlier 69 necks.

"Have the neck issues been fixed (I would hope so by now)?"----

Yes! That issue has long since been resolved.

It involved earlier units and had to do with the way the frets were dressed.

Newer units don't have that issue. Though I do get the random one in for

servicing that need a little extra TLC from me regarding fret dressing.

Enjoy playing the 69's,... I do.

When changing string gauges, make sure your local guitar tech (preferably a Line 6 authorized

service center) to check and adjust the set-up (relief, action, intonation and such) afterwards.

When changing gauges, the string tension also changes, and that will have an affect on the set-up.

It's like that with any guitar.

Ah, those,.... heard about those, seen them around a bit.

Thanks for the reminder, forgot about those.