cruisinon2

If they could build it into Workbench, fine...but I don't want another 6 knobs on the guitar. ;)

Actually, due mostly to the virtually limitless sense of entitlement possessed by a generation raised on wildly unrealistic expectations and participation trophies, there will always be those who will get all butt-hurt whenever they're denied inside info to which they've decided they "should" have access. Expect their numbers to grow going forward...and for the complaints to be accompanied by an indignant selfie.

Whew! At least that's settled, lol. Plink, plank...plunk. ;)

Aside from supplying power, the VDI connection allows for control of the Variax...you can switch models, tunings, even the position of the tone control can be recalled with the click of a switch. All get saved to a particular patch, but you need a compatible device. POD, Helix, etc.

This is true, but it really doesn't have anything to do with the 500X. Any amp is gonna do this. It's how our ears work...the relative volumes of different frequency ranges are perceived differently, depending on the amplitude. FRFR makes it a little better, but none of them are completely flat. Problem is worse with traditional guitar amps/speakers.

Next up is a build-your-own spy satellite kit. Comes with a hamster wheel, a couple of AA batteries, and a bottle of aspirin. The rest is up to you...$39.95. Ships Easter morning. Pre-order at www.theywillneversayadamnthingaboutfutureproducts.com

Zombie thread...

Works for bikes...hang one from your POD! ;) http://www.gremlin-bells.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=365&zenid=5925f3683be19f3093af098884ada693

When will 'then' be 'now'? Soon...;)

Some of them work, some don't. That much is clear. Getting an answer as to why, not so much. "Raise the action by 8 femto-meters" is about as much of a solution as is ever likely to be offered.

Trying to get ahold of any hotly anticipated product is always a pain in the arse, and generally not worth the hassel. Wait 6 months and Amazon will dump it on your porch 36 hours after you click "place order". Or you can continue to be aggravated by the "liestimates" from retailers.

The Strat model in the latest firmware is great if you want nothing but that one specific Texas blues clang...if you're after anything else, it's not gonna help you. They seem to have modeled a guitar with rather anemic pickups...I find it difficult to get a decent tone without substantially increasing the gain on the amp, almost to the point of silliness. So even in the absence of horrible digital artifacts, the Strat model is of no use to me. Fortunately, there's Workbench. You can get pretty damn close to the Strat model in the older firmware versions by experimenting with different body/pickup combinations...save yourself a custom model, and it's off to the races.

I have a hard time enjoying the sound of anything that escapes a B.C. Rich Warlock...they just look like something that should be swung maniacally by a Viking. ;)

Perception is a funny thing. It's affected by lots of things, most of which are in our heads. Precious few musicians, even really good ones, have the so-called "golden ears". Today's magnificent and inspiring tone can be nails on a chalkboard tomorrow...most of the time, with the same guitar, amp, and room, I don't think the actual sound changes much from one day to the next. We just think it does. Personaly, I think the "tired ears" phenomenon accounts for much of it.

You could try running the POD straight to the PA, and just use the L2 as a floor monitor. You probably won't have to push it as hard that way. I've been running this way for a while now, works great.

Every amp on earth can be pushed too hard, though not all are equipped with a handy flashing light to warn you when you're about to blow it up. Limiting circuits likewise, can only do so much. Maxing out master volume is never a good idea, especially the output stage. All speakers can be blown...on the L2's, the first casualty will probably be the high frequency driver. Plus, these things are loud as f$!#, anyway. You're not gonna need it. I'd dial back the master volume on the POD, if for no other reason than that it's a pain in the arse to have to wrap your arm around the back of the L2 every time you want to adjust your volume. Set the L2's master volume at 12 o'clock, and adjust the POD'S master volume as needed.

Does the two sentence rant even exist? ;) Agitated sputter, at best.

Don't feel bad. Without the paradox of choice and buyer's remorse, capitalism would crumble...

It is aggravating, no? The body affects the modeling, but you can't correct for it....well actually you can, but I can't talk about it, so let's talk about the switches instead...can't tell you what it is, but I'll say it's not the firmware. Try raising the action by 4 microns, see if that helps....no electron microscope? Just eyeball it. Which way is the wind blowing when you hear the artifact? Have someone face south and juggle 3 chipmunks, wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a left sock, while you adjust the string height. The height of the mag pickups is critical too, but the specs are a state secret...which we've entrusted to the 19 yr old at GC who does their set-ups (he's "authorized"), but that info is off-limits to anyone who shelled out $1K for the guitar. Haydn's Guesswork Serenade, Op. 5

If the body style affects the sound of the modeling, and there's no way of adjusting for different body styles, then how do the 3 very different JTV configurations manage to function?

What's really puzzling to me is why anyone would be surprised by any of this. Has anyone ever been to a store? Doesn't matter what they're selling. When they're not clueless, they're lying (often by Royal decree from any one of a thousand middle managers)...and vice versa. And if you catch them just right, you'll get the tag-team employee/manager "clueless lie"...truly a sight to behold. It's just the way the retail game is played. On the bright side, brick and mortar retail is going the way of the dodo, and all these people will eventually be forced to unleash their incompetence on other industries, lol. Cross your fingers and hope that one doesn't end up standing over you on an operating table, holding a scalpel. ;)

Transplants have been done, so it's not impossible, but it is a big job. Would likely require routing the body to accomodate the main board. The ones in the JTVs are a fair size, so I'm assuming that the ones in the Standards are similar, if not identical. Unless you really know what you're doing, or have access to someone who does, it's probably easier to learn to play right-handed. ;)

Sounds like you've got a crappy battery...time to open a service ticket.

Agreed that a regular guitar amp isn't gonna cut it for the acoustic models...however, the OP said: ...so the amp really shouldn't be the issue in this case, unless "low end" really means "absolute crap". If anything, I'm surprised he's not getting better results than the rest of us.

I've owned guitars that I couldn't get to sound good through anything...nothing "wrong" with them per se, just didn't like they way they sounded, so away they went. Anything is possible...