cruisinon2

I understand that the 1/4" needs to be connected to "turn on" the guitar...what is still a mystery however, is why it's OK to have wires hanging out of both outputs for one function, but not others. It's a moot point anyway, as I doubt the answer will be forthcoming. It's probably better that we don't know anyway...it might cause a polar shift, and then we'd all be screwed. ;)

If it's that risky, then perhaps that should have been something that they included in the documentation that comes with the guitar...otherwise you'd have to hang around here a lot to have any clue that it isn't a good idea. And the "explanation" still doesn't address why its perfectly OK to connect both while fiddling around with the USB dongle.

Just one of many mysterious no-no's that are frequently hinted at around here, absent any real explanation. Somehow the fate of the free world would hang in the balance should such sensitive info fall into the wrong hands... This one is extra peculiar though, as in order to use the clunky USB dongle to connect to Workbench, you need to have the battery in, and a 1/4" cable connected along with the VDI in order for everything to work...so apparently it's OK for that process, but if both outputs are connected for any other purpose, the world might end.

All the obsessing over volume baffles me. Using your ears is the only real answer...there's no "magic number" for a bB boost that will work for all patch combinations, because the perceived difference will change based on the overall master volume. The decibel curve is logarithmic. Boosting from 95dB to 98dB is not the same as going from 100dB to 103dB...thus, there is no magic bullet, and there never will be. Use your ears, that what they're there for.

Any of the various Strat replacement necks (Warmoth, Mighty Mite, etc) with a properly cut nut will solve your problem.

Buying blind was my only option...got lucky, had no issues other than loathing the neck on the 69, but that was easily rectified. 2 years later, still never seen one in a store, and I'm within 10 minutes of a fairly large GC, and 2 Sam Ash locations. Nobody stocks them...

It's worked for me for 20+ years, too.

Without customers, multiple products that really only differ aesthetically, and all do the exact same thing, is pointless and costly. JTVs haven't exactly proven to be a "gotta-have-it" guitar. Finding one in a store is a Herculean task...I'm still waiting for my first sighting. Most guitarists don't even know they exist, or if they do it's "oh yeah, I think I read about those once".

Apples and oranges, my friend. As much as I like my JTV, the Variax is a niche product, and it always will be. In terms of volume, they'll never sell as many units as their flagship processors, no matter what the price-point is. And having too many irons in the fire is a financial disaster waiting to happen. Money makes the rules...

Volume is the LEAST of your worries. And standardizing patch volumes still won't change the Fletcher-Munson curve. It is what it is, and it ain't going away. The guitar, pickups, amp (or headphones), string guage, thin picks, thick picks...hell the room the guy was sitting in when he dialed in the patch, all contribute to why he thought it sounded just like Joe Satriani, and to you it sounds more like Joe Perry. Simply put, you're asking for the impossible. All the time wasted auditioning patches that someone else swears sounds just like Metallica, would be better spent jamming an ice pick through your ears...and depending on just how awful the patch in question turns out to be, it might just produce similar results. 1)Learn the gear 2)Tweak to taste 3)Play Anything else is a waste of time.

May as well argue over who's favorite color is "better"...If you like it, it's good. If you don't like it, it sucks. Same thing applies to tennis shoes, golf clubs, and shotguns.

Could be anything in the signal chain...might not be the guitar at all. But as stated above, start with the cables. They get twisted, stepped on, kicked around, etc, and are more likely to crap out than anything else.

Well, as the saying goes: "wish in one hand, $#!+ in the other, and see which one fills up first". In order for any of this to work, you'd have to assume some sort of uniformity in how we perceive what we hear, and similar ability to distinguish subtle tonal nuances amongst all those sharing their patches. This will never happen...ever. I've met people who call themselves "musicians", who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, or distinguish a clarinet from a trumpet by ear. The lowest common denominators will always outnumber those who actually know what they're doing...doesn't matter if we're talking music, plumbing, or brain surgery. Want proof? Visit a Walmart... Second, by nature most musicians are not the "rule book" sort...we improvise. Even amongst a group of people who are all using the same unit, everyone will tweak their patches in whatever way suits their needs. And the needs of the bedroom jammer will never be the same as the weekend cover band warrior, or the full time pro. The list of variables is so long, it's not even worth discussing...so your never gonna get any degree of "standard patch creation compliance" from Joe Guitarist. Conceptually, Customtone is great...but so are lots of other things, until you actually try them out, then the love affair quickly ends. The degree of subjectivity involved makes it impossible to implement in any predictable or useful way. It will forever be a crap-shoot. Create what you need on your own. You'll waste much less time, and spare yourself tons of aggravation and disappointment.

Nobody was suggesting that they were gonna mothball the entire Variax concept...the only issue was whether or not the JTVs are gonna stick around much longer. I just don't see enough demand to justify keeping 4 different models in production. And I definitely don't think they're gonna introduce yet another Variax 2 years in a row...the Standard is still in its infancy. But who knows?

Bingo!

I don't envy the position you're in, and I'd be pi$$ed myself. And while I find the extended delays and lack of supply perplexing, this is just a bad idea no matter what you're buying, or from whom. You don't trade in the only car you've got weeks or months before the new one arrives at the dealer, unless you really enjoy walking...predictions and promises are generally worthless, especially coming from somebody who's trying to sell you something. If you can't hold it in your hands, it ain't real.

Lol...at least it worked. I love solutions that require 0.83 seconds of bench time, and cost 11 cents (if that). ;)

Customtone, while a nice idea, imho is a complete waste of time. There are too many variables to expect a patch created by someone else, with a different amp, different guitar,etc...to sound the same for you. You have to learn to create patches yourself...you can waste days or weeks downloading 1000's of patches, and find nothing useful. Start from scratch and build the tones you want. There's no other way to do it.

Patches created through a traditional guitar amp will never sound the same through headphones, FRFR studio monitors, PA speakers, etc...often they will sound drastically different. The frequency response of a guitar amp is VERY different (much narrower) from other output modes/devices. You need to create patches for use with the type of equipment you're listening through. No way around it.

The same can be said for any two different FRFR output devices...speakers, headphones, whatever. "Pure" FRFR doesn't exist. No response will ever be completely flat. Every time you change from one box, or set of cans to another, there will be a difference. It might be very subtle, or it could be night and day, but 100% uniformity across any and all output devices just ain't happening, regardless of what claims are made about FRFR.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...why torture yourself? Eventually, they'll be readily available. Till then, there are plenty of other things I can get aggravated about that I have no control over...why volunteer for extra misery?

I sympathize with ya. That royally sucks. Believe none of what you hear, and half of what you see...especially when there's money involved.

Me neither. Which is precisely why if something is not in stock, then nobody gets my money...because it's an iron-clad, guaranteed hassel. No pre-ordering stuff that doesn't even exist yet, no deposits for "special orders", and most of all, no being seduced by absurd promises from retailers that will never be honored if we all lived to be 750 years old. When I have the money on hand and the item is staring me in the face, I'll buy it. Zero aggravation that way...well, as close to zero as anything ever gets, anyway.

For 99.97% of the history of commerce, there was no "communication" between company and customer. The store either had the item you wanted, or they didn't. Or you ordered something from a catalog, without the slightest clue as to whether or not said item was actually in stock, and you wouldn't find out one way or the other for days or weeks. And we all survived.... The only real "problem" here, is that we've all become accustomed to information on tap, and the instant access thereto...Now, if that info isn't forthcoming in the first 12.5 seconds, everybody pitches a fit. Let's ask L6 to set up a Facebook page...that way, all the Helix updates will be easily found next to the pictures of the marketing department's toenail clippings, and what they had for lunch. ;)

Remember, this is the same bunch that has openly declared info such as the recommended pickup height for the Variax guitars, to be too sensitive for mere mortals to possess. Do you really think they're gonna discuss manufacturing hiccups? You'd have better luck asking for a video clip of the CEO's last colonoscopy...