Spiderplayer7

Thanks for your replies, I'm glad to know that it's a method worth trying. And I understand your point, ColonelForbin, about 'suspension of disbelief'. I'm still not 100% sold on some of the tones the HD500 produces, but I Iove the flexibility of the in/out options, it's got a looper, connects with and powers my Variax etc. I mostly use it for gigging, and having been in gigging bands for over 30 years, I'm firmly of the opinion that hardly anyone in any audience is a guitar tone snob, they're at the gig for different reasons... But at times I do find the HD500 overcomplicated and hark back to pedalboard and tube amp days. But I know I'd miss the flexibility and connectivity options. Anyway, I'll try using the FX return and see how it goes. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Hi there, I've been connecting my HD500 directly to the guitar input (via 1/4" out) of my Trademark 30 amp and then taking a direct XLR out from the Trademark into the house PA. I've looked at trying the 4 cable method but it does look at bit overcomplicated and probably provides more flexibility than i really need. I've just thought - what are your thoughts on connecting the Pod to my amp's effects return loop instead - that should bypass the amp's pre-amp (if I'm right) and I could then use the Pod's XLR direct out to the PA and use the Trademark as a stage monitor (the Pod's direct out sounds better to me than the amp's). Has anybody tried this? Does it work? etc. Thanks for your help!

Hi there, I've tried out a number of different solutions to this with my HD500, including a powered Yamaha FRFR monitor, a Fishman Loudbox, an old Mesa-Boogie and a Tech 21 Trademark 30 guitar amp. As you say, acoustic amps (such as the Loudbox) usually have DI outs (but the Trademark does as well...). For a time I used the Yamaha monitor as a source of stage sound (using the 1/4" outs to the Yamaha) and used the XLR out of the HD500 to the board. I also used the Loudbox for a time using its DI out, electric and acoustic sounds generated by the HD500. This worked fine but the sound didn't really work for me. Perhaps part of the problem was that I was using a Variax for the acoustic sounds (700 electric) which were never really realistic enough. At the moment I am using the Trademark 30/HD500 combination using the Trademark's DI out to the PA, and I get a great sound (I use at various times a Tele, a Strat and the Variax) but I've stopped trying to get acoustic sounds as well as electric from my rig. I play a lot of acoustic gigs using a Santa Cruz OM with a Fishman Rare Earth blend pickup - until recently I've been using an AER (Compact 60) acoustic amp but it was destroyed in a flood whilst in storage so is now officially dead (the Loudbox was a back-up to the AER, but has now taken over as my main acoustic amp until I can replace the AER - my Boogie was also destroyed in the same flood hence the Trademark 30 - again my backup electric amp). If you're in the market for an acoustic amp, I would recommend you try out an AER - they're expensive but far far superior to any other acoustic amp I've ever heard IMO. Good luck!

Thanks for your comprehensive reply - I'll try your idea using my POD and see what happens! I'm still of the opinion that an amp voiced for electric guitar never really sounds that great using an acoustic guitar - hence my 'Dream Rig' of two amps in one, or at least a switchable tweeter in a DT-style amp. I can't afford a Rivera Sedona (and anyway, by the look of the specs they're too big and heavy for my purposes). So the quest continues...

Thanks for your post. I have access to 2 powered monitors, a mini-PA an acoustic amp and a keyboard amp if I want a full frequency solution. But I'm really looking for a tube amp with a tweeter so the 2 solutions would be in one box. Like a Rivera Sedona Lite. From Line 6... For me, the Dream Rig is missing this, and the Variax acoustic sounds don't work really through a DT amp (hence all the workarounds that exist).

Ok, so here's the thing... I've got a Variax 700 electric (great guitar, love it) and an HD500 (again, love it). I've been using them in a church worship band and, on occasions, a cover band, at first using a powered Yamaha PA speaker and latterly with a Trademark 30 which I think gives a warmer tone. So now I'm thinking of getting a DT25. But it still leaves the problem of getting good acoustic sounds through the DT25 - they clearly won't be as good as through a PA-type speaker. Which means some sort of work-around, another full-frequency amp/speakers etc. etc. I know I could go for something like an L2t, but then you don't get the valve sound. My idea of a REAL Dream Rig would be for Line 6 to make a DTA (A for acoustic) - their version of a Rivera Sedona Lite. It would have a tweeter that would be switchable to give that full frequency response - matched to a Variax and POD HD500 you would have for me the ultimate, portable rig. Can you imagine, Variax in a gig bag in one hand, HD500 in its carry case over the shoulder, DT amp in the other hand... Oh, and while I'm at it, make a 10 watt version of the DTA (I don't really need 25 tube watts...). Come on, Line 6, there must be a market for this - so many people on these forums seem to spend ages working on how to get both acoustic and electric sounds going at once - especially with a tube amp like the DT25/50. I'd consider selling a kidney to have a rig like that...

Many thanks, guys, for your help and advice. I think I am leaning towards getting a DT25, but my only remaining concerns are around making sure I get good tube sound and 'feel' at low to medium volume (it seems a lot of guys on this forum use external attenuators - not sure I want to go down that road. In fact, unless I'm missing something, if you use an attenuator, I presume you wouldn't get the attenuated signal through the direct out as the DT25 wouldn't 'know' it was being attenuated?). I'm not too concerned about the direct out now - as long as it's mic level that should be ok - my church's PA is new and pretty good (like you, STPLE we also have real drums and floor monitors rather than IEMs). I do like the idea of the integration of the POD and DT - with my old (but brilliant) Variax 700 electric (can't afford a JTV and wasn't too sure about the few I've seen), if I do invest in a DT25 I've nearly got the Dream Rig...

Thanks for your prompt reply. For about a year I used my HD500 with a Yamaha powered monitor and wasn't that impressed with the sound (too brittle, harsh) - the Trademark is much warmer and more authentic-sounding to me. But I'm a bit concerned about your comment about having issues getting a good signal FOH (I guess you mean via the DT's XLR direct out). I'm getting a nice hot signal at the moment using my Trademark's direct out (and have always had a good signal via my POD's direct out as well) - are there issues with the DT's direct out? I need a good hot signal preferably independent of stage volume...

Hi everyone, I’d be grateful for a bit of advice about the DT25. At the moment I'm running an HD500 through an old Trademark 30 and then using the Trademark’s XLR out to go to the house PA. Sometimes I use a Variax 700 electric (great guitar, by the way), sometimes a Tele or a Strat. Over the last month or the Trademark has been playing up a bit, getting really noisy for a bit and then going back to its normal quiet operation - I fear it may be on its way out and as I bought it second hand at a good price and have played it for about 5 years, I'm ok with that. So I'm in the market for a tube amp. Here are my requirements: - reasonably low wattage - must have XLR out - must have effects loop So there are quite a few amps that would fit the bill, but I feel I'm settling on either a DT25 combo or a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 combo. The Tubemeister has 2 channels, buit-in reverb, XLR out and you can attenuate it down to 5 or even 1 watt operation. The DT25 looks interesting because of the integration with my HD500 via L6 link - it also meets my criteria. So I'm looking for a bit of advice… I've played guitar for over 30 years now, some of the time as a semi-pro, but at present mostly play in a church worship band which in spite of a fairly loud acoustic drummer doesn't need much on-stage volume. My concern with the DT25 is that it might be difficult to get the tubes working at low to medium volumes - if the sound at low-ish volume is mostly a modelled sound, I think I’d be happier with the Tubemeister attenuated down to 5 watts, and link that to my POD using the effects loop. And the other issue is that I don't really use that many amp sounds, just a mixture of a few clean and mildly-overdriven sounds, so the DT25’s flexibility could be a bit wasted… What do you think, DT25, Tubemeister or maybe another solution I haven't considered? Any thoughts on the quality of sound from the XLR out to a PA? I'm not into mic'ing amps any more... Thanks in advance!

I had the same problem yesterday - got my HD500 out after not using it for a bit and the pedal didn't work. So I recalibrated it (search on this forum for how to, there also some YouTube guides - it's pretty simple) - the process took about 2 mins and it now works fine!

I've used my 700 trem for some years now and never once broken a string. I use Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys (they're 10s).

Well, I'll probably give a JTV a go sometime through my rig just to see what the sounds are like. I'm not sure I'll ever get over my feelings about the guitar itself, though... I know what you mean about screw-in arms getting in the way - for some reason the Callaham bridge does this well - if you screw it right down it stays in position but if you back it off one revolution it swings. Another great bridge I've used is he Parker one on the Fly models. My gripe with the 700 trem bridge isn't about swinging or not, it's the 2 - 3mm of play that you get when you grab the arm before the bridge moves (the Callaham and Parker bridges don't have any play). I've tried different length grub screws, various types of tape and washers at the base of the arm to try to pack it out but nothing works. IMO it's just a bad design...

Hi there, Yes, it comes with a screw to tighten the arm but unless I tighten it completely it has about 3mm play in it before the bridge moves. And then it's impossible to remove the arm without an allen key to get it into/out of its case. I really hate this arrangement and wonder why any manufacturer uses any method other than the tried and tested screw-in arm (I've got a strat with a Callaham bridge and it's perfect - the arm screws in and out, there's no play at all in it - why would anyone have any other system?? Anyway, that's my only gripe with my 700 - oh, and the strap buckle broke on the gig bag... As to the differences in sound between the old and new Variaxes, I haven't really heard the JTVs anywhere except on YouTube etc. but I'm prepared to accept that the JTVs sound better - but by how much, I wonder - 10%, 30% - can this even be quantified? Even if they sound 100% better I disliked the guitar itself so much that I'll stick with my 700 - until it eventually dies... I'll worry about what to replace it with then...

I've got a 700 electric trem in black - I bought it new - I play it through an HD500. I really wanted to buy a JTV, even though I love my 700 (because of reports that the JTV modelled sounds are better) so I went looking for a JTV (these are not easy to find in the UK). Found a store that stocked the JTV-69K and tried it out. Sorry to say this, especially as I know lots of people love their JTVs, but I hated this guitar, just hated it. I thought the build quality was poor, the chrome hardware looked cheap, it was heavy, the headstock looked cheap, but most of all I found the neck horrible. Fingerboard too flat, frets too high, nut cut too high etc. I never even bothered to plug it in - I was really disappointed. So I tried out a JTV-59K, hated that too for similar reasons (and this one was much heavier than the 69). Then I found a store which had a US-made JTV-59 and I hated that too - it was finished better (but this one had developed a crack in the lacquer around the neck joint - ok, that could have been a shipping problem) but it still had the same neck profile, and the price was just crazy. But my old 700 - fantastic neck, great tuning stability, not too heavy, feels great on a strap and so far has been utterly reliable. The only thing I don't like is the trem arm - it sits a bit loose in the bridge. But buy a JTV - no, I don't think so!