cruisinon2

This might help: http://originalguitarchair.com They're not cheap, and they're made to order, so it takes a while. But they are really nice, and the design shifts you right into the "tradional" playing position. The back is nicely padded and provides good lumbar support. I've gotten so used to it, I almost can't sit with the guitar on my right leg anymore.

I understood you just fine. You want a ready-made solution to click on, and expect the work to end there. Unfortunately that doesn't exist. I tried the customtone route at first, found it almost entirely useless, and wasted a lot of time. I was trying to save you the trouble of wandering down the same fruitless path. But if you'd rather be obnoxious, thats fine too. Best of luck.

You are not likely to find a "drag and drop" solution to this problem. Nothing is ever gonna sound the same from bedroom to gig volume, or from one room to another...I don't care who's gear you buy. There is usually a long learning curve to the HD units...many things to adjust and experiment with. The only way to tailor your patches to the 3 different rigs you mentioned is with your ears. Patches that someone else created with a different guitar, in a different room, and their own preference for what "good" sound is, even if they used same amps you listed, are not likely to translate into a usable tone for you. Too many variables...all you will end up doing is wasting time. There's now way out of the experimental phase, and no shortcuts. Just the nature of the beast.

The "hum" parameter seems to create some odd sounds for me, particularly playing through headphones. I noticed fairly early on that with any sustained note, I would hear an odd overtone. Low, but audible. Sometimes above the note being played, sometimes lower, but never at a consistent or predictable interval. I could reproduce it with any guitar I plugged in, so it wasn't some weird Variax anomaly. Turning "hum" to zero made it disappear, so I considered it problem solved. Didn't concern me much anyway...I've spent 25 years being annoyed by all the extraneous noises that amps and pickups produce, and trying to find ways to eliminate them, so I was a little puzzled as to why one would want to add more aural roadblocks in the first place. So I just set hum to zero by default now. No negative impact on tone as far as I'm concerned...silence is golden.

I can't complain because she scares me... :P

First we'd need a definition of "good". We could spend the next millenia trying...and failing utterly...to get even that far. Almost as useless as asking Bill Clinton for a definition of "is". :P

I'd start with GC. Unless they sell all their used gear "as is", then I'd think that there would still be a window to return it. Start over with a new one. See if L6 is still doing the $150 rebate on the JTVs...you might get closer to that price than you think...you'll just have to wait till 6 months after Armageddon for the check...

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I don't think anybody really knows (inlcuding L6) why it happens to some guitars and not others. Otherwise, after 4-ish years on the market, this problem would have been dealt with, provided that there was one or more universal causes. Likewise, the solutions that some have come up with are just as variable as the problem...works for some, and not others. I've got 11's on my 69, and no "plink"...so much for fatter strings making it worse. It's all a grand and glorious mystery...glad you found a work-around though.

It's all guesswork at this point. I like Strats, so I have no issue with the design, other than the lack of a mag humbucker in place of the bridge single coil, but that can be dealt with. However, I do think that they've alienated a lot of players with only one design. Maybe there are more coming, who knows...but the metal guys and LP fans are gonna walk right by this one. They still have the 59 and 89 to choose from, but for how long? Wouldn't surprise me if those are discontinued soon.

The other thing to consider, is this: It's OK to simply not like a piece of gear. Everyone who has ever played a note has run across stuff they just plain hated. Years ago I wanted to downsize my rig a bit for the sake of convenience, so I got a Boogie 2x12 cabinet that sounded OK at store volume. However, no matter what amp I fed it, when cranked it was nothing but mid-range honk. Almost as if I had turned the mids to 11 and everything else to zero. Sounded like I was playing through a giant nose...with sinus problems. Hated the thing, and eventually sold it. It happens...some stuff you just don't bond with.

Those things are awsome...I have them on my 69. I just wish that the posts matched the rest of the machine. Gimme all chrome, or all black...not half and half.

Is there such a thing? Couldn't hurt as a jumping off point, I guess...but where do you put the mic? Most rooms will sound different depending on where you're standing. And when you sound-check, the place is mostly empty, right? Fill it with a couple hundred people, and things have changed again. Every "solution" comes with a new set of problems...just one of the many challenges of gigging. Learn to get the most out of whatever gear you're using, and trust your ears. Perfection and effortless set-up ain't coming anytime soon.

Exactly. "Ideal" for what? Do you want to play "Brown Eyed Girl" or "Master of Puppets"? Is there another guitar to contend with in the mix? Is the bass player deaf and determined to be heard in the next county? Is it your typical hardwood floor barroom, or a more lounge-y type joint with a carpet and bunch of plush couches sucking up all the high end? Until somebody starts building gear that can analyze each unique acoustic environment and adjust itself accordingly, I'm afraid we're all just gonna have to use our ears...global EQ is at least a step in the right direction, and is the closest to a "fix-all" as we're gonna get.

Congrats on finding the secret location of the Island of Misfit Guitars! ;)

It's always easier to get forgiveness than permission...;) Othwerwise I probably would not have purchased any gear in the last 18 years, lol

Seems that the current batch of 89's have some issues...there's a new complaint just about once a day lately.

This is my favorite part... "PROTECTS - Our graphic fingerboard protectors will safely shield your fingerboard from the natural acidic properties of your fingers and hands. Not to mention dirt, grime. Over time, the combination of this acid and friction can develop into small divots that can hurt the value of your guitar." I guess that's why all those old sought after D'Angelico archtops only command 5-figure prices, 50+ years after the last one was made...its all those fretboard divots. If only they could have covered up the gorgeous, handcrafted rosewood and ebony boards with their mother of pearl and abalone inlays with a plastic Mona Lisa, or maybe some super classy zebra stripes...think of what they'd be worth, lol. Some things don't need fixing...

Lol... Cop: "Sir, do you know how fast you were going?" Me: "Nope...friggin' thing said 83%"

The 69s all have a floating trem. 59 has the stop-tail. Also, if you're a fan of thin, flat radius necks like the 89 has, then you probably won't like the neck on the 69. It's a baseball bat. Fortunately this can be remedied, but it means laying out more cash for a replacement. I've had good luck with my 69, as far as funny noises go...although the alt. tunings are not perfect on any of them. Piezo crosstalk with palm muting can be an issue depending on your playing style. I had to make some physical adjustments especially using drop D tuning..theres an old thread about it somewhere.

It would drive me nuts too...I suspect that if they really knew the cause, it would have been addressed by now. The guitars have been around long enough now, if it was fixable they'd have done it. I really think its a case of a mystery clog in some fairly complicated plumbing. Why listen to the chorus of complaints if you don't have to?

Definitely not normal, and certainly not universal...otherwise L6 would have been overrun by angry villagers with pitchforks by now. It's odd that it only shows up in standard tuning. Most of the time it seems that the alt tunings make the "piezo plink" worse. More DSP = more problems. These guitars are funny...and this particular issue seems to affect the 89's more so than the others, at least thats what I gather from what I see around here. Bad piezo, too much fret buzz fouling up the DSP, ringing behind the nut, lots of theories get thrown around as to the cause. Frankly, I don't think anyone knows what causes it half the time...good luck.

Lol...yeah, the whole faux-vintage thing baffles me. Let's build a brand new guitar, then take a belt sander and a ball peen hammer to it so that the guy who buys it can pretend it's old and has "character". Ford and GM should get in on this racket. Dig the specs for a '72 Pinto out of the archives, build a few and wrap 'em around telephone poles, add a little fake rust and bondo, and presto! A "distressed" classic...

Only with twice the shame and regret....

Words fail me... No, I take that back..."vomitous" works nicely.

Frankly, as with many other "classic" product lines, you're buying a name. Now that doesn't mean I don't like my 20 yr old Strat...I just think that the prices have become artificially inflated over time, in some cases to an absolutely comical extent. Brand recognition is what it is, and should never be underestimated...but half of what you're paying for is the name on the headstock. That just bugs me...but I digress. And ORANGE, for Chrissake?!?!? On the Charger in the driveway, sure. Not in the guitar case...but that's just me, lol