Unorthodoxic

Very cool. Does this mean the pos 2 and 4 do nothing? I have a 89 body here and was trying to figure out how to maybe wire with three pickups. I guess I can run the two leads from the p rails to both where you have yours connected and in parallel to where the plit coil would go. Then on both pickups just put middle pickup in parallel with the leads going to where the split coil would normally go.

Position 2 is the same as position 1 and position 4 is the same as position 5. For what it's worth I ended up going back to the stock humbucker on the bridge, so I just have the one p-rail in the neck now.

Wouldn't have a clue regarding three pickups sorry.

How does it sound? I'm picking up a 69 in a few days and thinking of doing this mod.

I really like the pickups, plenty of tones to be had. I reversed the neck pickup (as shown in the picture), gives a nice single coil sound that just was possible with the stock pickups coil split. I find the pickups much more vintage sounding than the stock pickups, but it can still do metal/djent stuff with the bridge as a humbucker.

Check out some reviews of the P-Rails on youtube, see if you like the sounds on offer.

Thanks! I think this will at least get me into the ballpark. Did you notice any problems with your digitally modeled pickups after you changed out the magnetic pickups?

No issues for me, everything working fine. My wiring will be a little different to yours as I used the triple shot mounts so only had a hot and ground wire to solder to the pickup selector PCB, but that circuit diagram plus a Seymour Duncan wiring diagram should be enough to get you there.

I've got some information in a thread I made about installing some P-Rails and Triple Shots that may be of use to you here: http://line6.com/support/topic/17493-installing-p-rails-triple-shots-on-a-jtv89f-anyone-else-tried-this/

Here's also the wiring schematic for the JTV89f:

Hope that helps.

Quote from another forum:

 

 

...the piezos used in the Line6 guitars have a lower output than most commercially available piezo bridges. This *can* (depending on pick attack) overdrive the op amps ahead of the A-D converter - this manifests itself as horrid square wave clipping (not nice smooth overdrive on an analogue/valve circuit).

...Line6 had to find a work around for the 89F which features standard Graphtec saddles on a Floyd. As a result there is a little daughter board plugged into the bridge cable input with some attenuators. It works but isn't foolproof.

Done and all working fine :)

I've connected my JTV-69 and 89f like this before with no issues. You'll need a ground lift on the 1/4" jack output though, otherwise there'll be some interference.

Honestly before you go through all of that look at the Seymour Duncan pickup rings that have the switches built in, it will make your mod a lot easier

That's exactly what I plan on doing :).

Pick-up height from pole piece to the strings will be a factor. Magnetic pull

on the  strings will induce warbling effect into the audio when in Model mode

using the piezos. The pick-ups are turned off in Model mode, but the magnetic

pull will still be there.

 

Being in Liverpool, you may want to seek out Tim Morgan, Shane Blower or

Mark Wright, in the midlands (in the Northampton and Warickeshire areas),

and pick their brains on this. They are the chaps who used to do guitars at

Line 6 Rugby, UK, before it closed. They know their stuff.

Can't imagine there will be any addition pull from the P-Rails compared to the original humbuckers in the JTV-89. Unless I'm missing something?

Here's a quick diagram of what I'm planning:

Going to be installing some Seymour Duncan P-Rails and the triple shot mounts to match in a week or so, just waiting on everything to get delivered.

My current plan is to solder the neck ground to W1 and the hot to W4&5 on the switch board, and for the bridge, ground to W10 and hot to W6&7. I'd love to hear from someone who's tried this before just to make sure I'm heading in the right direction.

I'll try to attach a zip file of the last time I saved the Spank bank...

 

Dave

Thanks Dave, I'll get around to testing them out soon :)

...

 

I have always liked the dynamic response of the mags the most, but have lately been doing extensive model tweaking, now that the Workbench works via the 500X & VDI. On my 69S, I worked a lot on the Spank set, and have it set up to my liking -- so much so that I have to keep an eye on the model knob to tell which mode I'm in -- mags or models....

...

Would you be willing to share your presets Dave? I'd love to hear them.

See I love the playability of the JTV89f, but prefer the sound of the JTV69 mags. So it would be great to try it out.

Recent 89F owner here and it seems to keep great tuning.

If you guys want to discuss advanced techniques then please create a separate post on this topic.  It's extremely inconsiderate to hi-jack someone else's post so please show some decorum and abide by rules. 

lol some people on this internet :)

...*youtube links*...

Thanks for the links.

Forgive my ignorance, but in the 1st and 3rd videos, could the same effect not also be obtained by using a floyd rose?  See I've only just got a JTV-89f after having a JTV-69 for 6 months (currently in repair) and I'm finding I can do a lot more with the floyd rose than I could with the 69 trem. That said however I'm still very much a novice guitar player, and I'm certainly not well versed enough in tremolo usage to really make a judgment.

...

 

There is an "anti Floyd Rose"  school of thought among a few "Super Strat" guitar players who prefer staggered height tuners and lubricated Tusq Nut  and floating strat style bridge  - with a proper set up this type configuration holds a few advantages for many playing advanced techniques  - ( Adrian Belew, Jerry Donahue, Jeff Beck) 

 

...

 

Also Many Variax folks advise its best to "tame" the excess harmonic ringing of the "non speaking" string length ( between Tuner and Nut) with string dampers or elastic hair scrunchies   - and most report this strategy improves the Variax DSP created Guitar modeling tones, and improves the DSP generated  Alt Tuning sounds - ( less warbling anomalies).

Do you any examples of the advanced playing techniques? I'm interested in seeing what can be achieved with a 69 trem that you cannot on a floyd rose.

Regarding the strings ringing out on the headstock, I used some velcro strips that really seem to do the trick. Sounds much better with the strings dampened at the headstock.

Cheers for the info. I'm going to get in contact with Soundslive who I bought the guitar off, it's less than 6 months old so should still be covered for a repair under the Sales of Goods act.

Here's a video showing my issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vitzW12Ygaw

The jack output seems to be very picky about the position of the jack in the socket and the slightest of knock can cut off a good portion of the signal. I have tried multiple cables and all with the same result. I've never been rough with it and the guitar is only a few months old.

Is this a common issue or am I just unlucky?

You could try running a boost or clean OD into the front of the HD500x. Here's how I set mine up:

I have things set up a little differently to what you suggest.

 

I go from the JTV into HD500x via VDI (I never use the Variax input on the HD500x it's connected only to power the JTV and change presets via the footswitchs/patch changes). The 1/4" jack output from the JTV then goes into a DI box (you need a ground lift when using both outputs from a JTV otherwise you get ground loop interference), out the DI box and into an EHX Tortion overdrive pedal, which then goes out into the guitar in on the HD500x.

 

JTV ----via VDI----> HD500x

JTV ----via 1/4" jack----> DI Box -> Overdrive Pedal -> HD500x

 

It works well and really gives me a nice signal going into the HD500x.

 

Then I use the FX loop to place a Strymon Big Sky in there. I do plan on moving it so it takes the output from the HD500x, but then that would render the HD500x's looper useless. When I get a Strymon Timeline I'll definitely have it following the HD500x then, that will free up loads of DSP for the HD500x.

That's a genius work around Rewold but its a shame you have to use a DI and don't get the beneift of the clean VDI signal.  

I did things that way because I have other things in the FX loop. If I do get another looper I can put at the end of everything then I may very well move the overdrive to the FX loop and delays and reverbs after the HD500x. If I did things that way I could then just use the VDI connection.

I have things set up a little differently to what you suggest.

I go from the JTV into HD500x via VDI (I never use the Variax input on the HD500x it's connected only to power the JTV and change presets via the footswitchs/patch changes). The 1/4" jack output from the JTV then goes into a DI box (you need a ground lift when using both outputs from a JTV otherwise you get ground loop interference), out the DI box and into an EHX Tortion overdrive pedal, which then goes out into the guitar in on the HD500x.

JTV ----via VDI----> HD500x

JTV ----via 1/4" jack----> DI Box -> Overdrive Pedal -> HD500x

It works well and really gives me a nice signal going into the HD500x.

Then I use the FX loop to place a Strymon Big Sky in there. I do plan on moving it so it takes the output from the HD500x, but then that would render the HD500x's looper useless. When I get a Strymon Timeline I'll definitely have it following the HD500x then, that will free up loads of DSP for the HD500x.

I got my first EHX Pedal a few weeks ago, the EHX Tortion. 13 days in it broke. I've got a replacement now, but it certainly has me concerned as there seems to be a certain notoriety for poor quality control with EHX stuff.

I am looking to get one of the DT series amps. The DT50 & 4x12 cab is currently on offer for £948 but I think it might be a little bit too much for my needs, so I was wondering if it would be possible to use the 1x12 extension cab instead?

Seems pretty poor that the only thing keeping it attached was a small layer of glue. I haven't been rough with it in anyway and the thing just came off in my hand. I like Line 6 products but their quality control doesn't seem all too great.

Got your patch before while browsing the latest custom tones. I really like it :)

Decided I'm just going to keep it now. I'm happy enough with it, and despite the tiny mis-cut on the neck it's a great guitar that I'm sure will last me many years. Next time I come around to purchasing another guitar I think I'll definitely try to avoid purchasing online, or if I do, give it a thourough inspection first time I unbox it (rather than get carried away having a new instrument and be more interesting in playing than inspecting every little detail).