smrybacki

Had a patch that was boomy as hell with my JTV59 Variax into my POD HD500, regardless of the guitar model it seemed. The patch itself was a dual tone, comprised of a Bright Channel Plexi and Normal Channel Deluxe. A 63 Spring Reverb and Bias tremolo were pushed into both amps and a volume pedal at the beginning of the chain. I screwed with amp parameters til I was nearly frustrated, and then thought "EQ the signal in". So I put a studio EQ right after the volume pedal and adjusted down the low signal going in and Viola! Makes me wonder what else EQ can do for things elsewhere now...

This ^

I've heard the acoustic Variax models don't do well through the DT25...that is what holds me back. The PE60s do sound pretty good most times. I have the original models that use a "Special Design" Tech21 speaker and I have toyed with replacing those with Celestion Seventy 80s. By tonight I'll be back at it, creating new sounds and textures. I think I'll always reach points when I just want to play with zero fuss but as I get to know my digital rig even better that should be possible.

Yes sir you are correct with that, and I have such patches setup already too... Not quite equal, but equally fun. Lately I have tried with the idea of completing the "Dream Rig" by purchasing a DT25 combo. I would miss the stereo I have now, but the tube tone added to the POD preamp is enticing... I'm wondering if there were a way to use ALL of what I have though - Variax, HD500, DT25 and the Tech21 Power Engines? Any thoughts on that? I mean, if I'm going to tweak, why not have the grand experience right?

The concepts transfer no doubt, but even between firmware releases in a single unit the sounds produced with songs do change the way you set things at times. I know for instance that some people are keeping version 1.9 of the Variax firmware because they don't like a few models in the 2.0. But to be fair, tube swaps and bias adjustments can cause the same things in vintage tube amps. After a stated this thread, I plugged a Tele into my pedal board and into a DRRI and played a solid hour with a looper without adjusting a thing and that made me smile.... But afterwards I began thinking about setting up a digital patch to do that to so I could record it.... I guess hooked on both :-)

There is some wisdom in that reasoning for sure. We all get better at things the longer we do them. But then to, our digital gear will soon be obsolete as advances occur. So unless we are willing to "hold fast" to what we have, our investment in learning these devices is all too soon for naught. By contrast, my analog gear is largely unchanged in the last 50 years lol... And it is what the digital modeling gear is trying to replicate. Ironic, no?

I have a Variax and an HD500 I play through a pair of Tech21 Power Engine 60s. There's no doubt that I can create a whole lot of great sounds using this setup. I also have a pair of, and soon a third Fender tube amps (DRRI, Vibro Champ and a PRRI soon), a bunch of high quality analog stomps and an MIA Strat and Tele that I simply love the sound of, often just guitar into amp truth be known. So after a year fairly involved with my POD, I realize that I kind of have to be in the mood to go to all the effort to create a patch because let's face it, it is an involved process. Just getting the amp "just so" takes long enough, and then you diddle about with effects and finally the guitar choice just to play one song in a semblance of a perfect tone for it. Now understand, I'm not complaining about having this kind of power at my disposal. It's very cool and when I AM in the mood, I often go "wow" at the end of that process. But there are other times I just want to PLAY, you know? Minimum of fuss and maximum of being in the moment of playing. Anyone else experience similar? My friends that I play with are all tube amp, stomp box traditional guitar types so they can't relate really, or maybe they can and just realized long ago to just play. Want say ye Line 6 Commune?

Lol you gotta love the Internet... I meant the POD but yeah, that happens with me to. I put it down to smart phones and computers in all seriousness. E all spend so much time multitasking now, it's nearly impossible to hyper focus in on one thing for very long. Research is baring this out as well...

Lol...It's all good man... We all learn the most when something is wrong and we have to solve it. I'd only been up an hour, one coffee on board and a bit of a hangover and wasn't in the mood. Actually all in all I have loved my POD HD500/JTV59 combination immensely. Has that ever happened to you, just flaked out like that?

And you guys have never been frustrated by any Line6 gear? OK, but half of what I posted was tongue in cheek anyway. In any event, there was no good reason for my gear to do that today for no apparent reason, but whatever. I did learn that the first order of business is to shut it down and try again so it's not all bad.

Well, double #$%^... I guess I just needed to unplug and restart the POD... Hmm, never had to do that with an amp yet..... As I said, I code the things (and fight there internal dragons) every work day so I get sick of it after a while...hopefully, this is a simple anomaly and not a trend... Oh, I forgot to add that I forgot what the hell I was going and that inspiration disappeared in an actual puff of smoke.,..just sayin'....

So today I go to get into POD HD Edit and the program tells me I have to update. No problem I think, and head over to the monkey. Sure enough, it says my firmware needs to be updated, and it can't determine my current version but wants me to update to firmware 2.10. I click update and that's when the fun began. I got this message: "Update timed out waiting for response from device" Well $%^... So I went through it again (and again and again etc...) and still, no joy. I downloaded a file called p18.phf and got the same results. Along the way: - It informed me my patches may not work and to consult some place for more info. I'm not far enough along to be worried that much over presets yet. - I tried saying DON't save the patches - I tried saving the patches first - I tried from the Internet - I tried from that file - I got REALLY pissed off because I wanted to work on what I was wanting to do, and not screw with computers today. I code the things for a living! So anyone have a vague clue where to go from here, short of ditching the whole thing? I am half serious too...my "regular" guitars, amps, effect pedals just work and don't require me to upload or download squat. I MIGHT have to change a string or a tube. Maybe. But I NEVER have to screw with a computer to get something done, ever.

I like having a volume pedal at all times for sure...after that, the mind is the limit!

I got the Line6 EX1 pedal for $49.99 from Sweetwater 9also available elsewhere I'm sure). I also considered the Mission Engineering pedal that goes for $129.99. The Mission pedal is by all accounts sturdier and heavier, much like a Dunlop Crybaby Wah. I opted for the EX1 because my situation is an at home guitar experimenter and I don't need mil spec stuff for that. I also found a few folks who claimed to gig regularly who said it was fine and had lasted them a few years in that kind of use. I can tell you that I had the same problem you describe here, namely it is difficult to switch pedals from EXP-1 to EXP-2 via that stiff toe switch, and I figured for $50, I could have both available at once. So far, so good and although this one is made primarily of plastic, it seems sturdy enough for my purposes. Hope that helps....

Man, I didn't really think about the possibilities avaible with such a simple add on. Like having a volume swell and mix level on chorus readily available -- or a hundred other things I haven't even thought about yet. Gotta say that sometimes the simplest things can give you a big boost in creativity.

Thanks for the points on acoustics sounds folks. As I said, I already run the POD through a stereo pair of Power Engines, so I have pretty awesome (but definitely NOT tube feeling) sound there. I started thinking about this watching Sean Halley doing a video with "the Dream Rig" where he had a multi connection deal with a Sitar sound playing at a fifth above the single coil sounds coming out of the JTV69 he was playing. Next thing I remember I was here asking questions about DT-25 amps and I had a slight headache :-\

I think you just saved me a few dollars my friends. Welcome to the Christmas card list...lol

Update a few weeks in... Had to level a fret a bit to kill a buzz in the low E. Sweetwater was more than willing to take my guitar back, make it right and ship it back but it was such a simple fix I decided to just do it with the help of a friend with the right fret working tools. I figure that I like Sweetwater as a company and why cost them over such a thing... In any event, I selling in with this guitar and I truly love it now. I play it every day and I am shopping DT-25 to complete the so called "Dream Rig". Man, Line 6 has come a long way since that firs red bean...

I already have a POD HD500 and JTV59 which I currently play through a pair of Tech21 Power Engines. I have this idea that if I now get a DT-25 amp, I can hook it all up like this: JTV59 -> HD500 via VDI cable HD500 -> DT-25 via Line 6 link cable HD500 -> Power Engines via XLR outs So if I then set my inputs on the HD500 to 1-Variax and 2 Variax Mags, I can send dual signals out to each output setup individually, as in acoustic model to the DT and Mags with effects in stereo to the Power Engines? Do I have this right?

I am having a similar problem with my new JTV59, namely a buzzing on the low E string, especially in the lower frets up to say 11th. I suspect one of my frets is not level. I called Sweetwater and they were great about it, and said they'd make it right on their dime. I am waiting now for communications from them as to how to return my guitar. Yeah, it sucks to not have it for a while, but I have to admire Sweetwater and their commitment to their customers. This is exactly why they are the only ones I buy from, so long as they have what I need of course. They always have. So other than a buzzy 6th string noticable mostly on the T-Model, Spank, Chime and Acoustic models, this guitar is a keeper for sure. Plays very well, gets excellent sounding model sounds along with my POD HD500. This offers me the opportunity to wank away on all my favorite genres with authentic sounds for a very reasonable price, Not to mention the fun I have experimenting with what exists in the guitar world, and what I think ought to exist (via the Variax Workbench) and the truly unique sounds I have made in just my first 10 days with this thing. Thanks Line 6... I think that if Line6 gets their manufacturing process to that next level with regards to setup, these guitars would knock anyone's socks off.

Thanks man, I'll check it out.

Great idea about the headphones actually and I'll fiddle with no modeling on the acoustics... Thank you!

Since I have a VDI cable and a POD HD500, I know I can connect them using that. But is there any advantage to ALSO hooking an instrument cable from the 1/4" jack to the guitar input as well? While I am at it, what are the benefits/issues with each input I could select inside the HD500, namely Variax, Variax Mags, Guitar/Aux/Variax and so on? I have been selecting "Variax in input 1 and "same" in input 2 so far...

Last Friday, I ordered a JTV59 in Cherry Burst as a so-called "scratch and dent". The reasons for this are articulated in the thread I made then called "Another drink of the Kool-Aid on it's way" or something similar. This is what I think so far, 3 days in. First of all, the fit and finish on this "scratch and dent" guitar is very good. I had to give the truss rod a quarter spin to knock a low E string rattle out, but otherwise it is very good. I cannot thus far detect a scratch or a dent, other than in my wallet. I also have a POD HD500 and I connect it via the VDI cable I also ordered, and the output goes to a Boss RC-30 and on to a mixer which feeds a pair of Tech21 Power Engines. I realize that I am still just scratching (pun intended) the surface of this rig, but I can tell you all that so far I am impressed with the guitar itself. It plays and feels very nice in my hands, and even if ultimately the modeling aspect turns south, I feel I could just play the guitar with the included humbuckers because my other guitars are either Stratocasters or a Telecaster. I was never the hugest fan of a Les Paul style guitar, but this guitar is changing my mind and making me wonder why I felt that way. Mostly, it was the simple fact that I just dig single coil, Fender clean tone with a bit of overdrive above all other sounds -- almost. The other side of me is a rock and roll animal that likes the sounds of hard riven guitars into a Marshall or Mesa amp. In any event and that aside, the models in this thing are mostly very good, and especially the non Fender models. I don't say that because the Fender models are necessarily "bad", but I have three MIA Strats and an MIA Tele so I am measuring against those. I like the convenience of the guitar however and being able to quickly switch between a fender style sound into a Blackface model and a Les Paul into a Marshall at the flick of a switch is excellent! I have thus far spent a LOT of time on the Gretsch Silver Jet model played into plain vanilla Soldano Crunch model and the aforementioned Paul -> Marshall Plexi combination. I have also played with the acoustic models, but I have a question at this point about that; Given my rig, what amp model do the majority of players use to provide a pristine sounding acoustic? Any help there would be great... The 12 string models are fairly decent too, and only if you listen very critically can you sense the processing behind the sound. I find it pleasant to hear in any event, and I'm not making Carnagi Hall any time soon anyway lol. One of the reasons I was so attracted to this guitar was it's ability to model acoustics AND the ability to gin up alternate tunings quickly and easily. With that, I guess I have a complaint, although an answer to my question above about which amp model folks use with acoustics may solve it. When I play alternate tunings in acoustic models, I get a very strange overtone happening. What I have fiigured out is that I am so close to the guitar itself, that even though the tuning is changed when played through the Power Engines, I am still close enough to the string itself that I hear it's actual sound as well. This sort of screws up the whole sense of ambiance obviously, and any advice on how to deal with this is also appreciated. All in all, I feel good about my purchase and I am happy with the quality of the guitar. I figure I have a new learning curve to ascend in a new type of guitar rig, and the upside far outweighs the effort I have to make in the end. In my situation now (couch player), this setup gives me a lot of tonal options and if I can get used to thinking WAY outside the box, I can actually create new and fun textures nobody else has ever heard, right? Right... Dream big man, Steve

PM me at some point and I'll get you my email...if you want to anyway :-)