cruisinon2

This friends, is all one needs to know about extended warranties... it only ends up being worth it if you happen to be one of the unfortunate few who actually has to use it. And for the overwhelming majority of purchases, you won't. The store is playing the odds that the vast majority will never result in a claim... and they're right. There's only one winner in this scenario.

I can't speak to anything that goes on north of the border...but round these parts, the first rule of warranty repair is "find any plausible excuse not to do it". And in my experience the bigger the corporate entity, the more of a runaround you can expect to get what you paid for. The one exception I've found down here is Sweetwater. I haven't set foot in a GC in years for a variety of reasons, but when last I checked they weren't exactly known for their legendary customer service. Maybe it's better of late, but I would have laughed at $250 for an extended warranty on a $1700 purchase. That's ~15% of the purchase price. It's ridiculous.

Extended warranties offered by retailers are a scam. It's free money for them, generated by preying on your fears that something unfortunate will befall your shiny new toy. If you're determined to spend money on it anyway, you can extend the 2-year factory warranty directly with Line 6. There are a few options to choose from, and this way you don't have to deal with GC as the middle man... because should it ever need a repair, they're just gonna ship it off to L6 anyway.

Yup... and those opposing views will endure forever. Some guys can't live without the aforementioned "amp in the room" thing, and they pronounce modeling to be worthless as a result. In the end it's all personal preference, and modeling isn't for everybody. You'll have to be the judge.

Yes you can... use the POD. Connect it to your computer (you'll be wanting the POD Edit software anyway), plug in the Variax with the VDI, and you can get into the Workbench software via the POD connection. You no longer need the stupid USB dongle (but save it anyway...). That said, I'd agree that it's unlikely the previously owner turned the low E volume down to nothing on every model, but you never know...maybe he was a big Keith Richards fan ;)...Anyway, you can check if you want to. That'd be my guess. Don't bother. If the piezo is dead, there's nothing you can do anyway, unless you want to try ordering a replacement and do it yourself. Just take it back while you still can and let them deal with it. You paid for a functional guitar...

Don't use an amp+cab block... for what you're trying to do it's pointless, and all you're doing is using up extra DSP. Go into the preamp-only menu, and pick the amp model you want from there.

Openly advocating for an even longer delay between updates will not endear you to the "WHERE'S MY NEW STUFF?!?! WHERE'S MY NEW STUFF?!?!" folks who start and/or frequent these threads. You're a brave man...;)

Hey hey hey... if you get your unicorn before I get my pony, then we're gonna have words! I've been waiting forever...;)

Uhhhh... you said "big knob", huh- huh.

My guess is that because of the 6 block limit, the Stomp probably doesn't have the exact same list of factory presets as the rest of the Helix line. If I'm mistaken, I'm sure somebody will chime in...

You really don't have any options at the moment. You need one of two things: 1) A functioning battery, or 2) Another Line 6 device (Helix, POD, etc) capable of supplying power via a VDI cable. Otherwise you're stuck with just the mag pickups.

What if "c-a-t" really spelled "dog"?....

The world clearly needs a "wartless" modeler to satisfy the obsessive nitpicker demographic...;)

No... and that includes the folks doing the coding. "When it's ready" is the only meaningful answer you're ever gonna get.

It would certainly spare us all some of the pi$$ing and moaning...

Better to ask this one in the Shuriken forum. Never seen one anywhere... and as for the neck dimensions, published specs rarely have anything but the width at the nut anyway. The 69's neck is narrower at the nut than your typical Strat. If you've got big hands, you may find open position chords to be a pain in the a$$, as the string spacing is a bit tight down there. Fortunately, any Strat replacement neck will fit the pocket. Some mods will be required to accommodate the offset mounting holes, but this is minor and easily done by any competent tech/luthier. This is a whole lot easier said than done... don't plan on this as a viable option. It's major surgery for any guitar body you'd choose to stuff the guts into, and it wouldn't be cheap unless you have the tools/skills and intend to do it yourself.

The blocks in the signal chain "light up" (well they get slightly brighter, anyway) when the effect is engaged. It's subtle, but that's as good as it's gonna get.

Never has been, and the smart money says there never will be. Chasing bugs takes forever... it's almost guaranteed to not be ready by any date they were to guess at in advance.

A bunch of little (but very reassuring) dancing multicolored lights...;)

This thread is 3 years old... don't hold your breath for a response.

Most here are modeling fans, and some use preamp models into the FX return of their favorite amp and are perfectly happy with the results. But it's not for everybody, and nobody can predict if any one configuration will work for you or not. There's only one way to find out... Yes. If you want the option of getting your basic tone from either your amp or using the models, then you'll need to connect everything via the 4 cable method (4CM). There are a thousand threads around here discussing it in detail.

If you intend to do any home recording, that would definitely be a reasin to consider the Helix. You could still use it for FX only with your amp, but if you wanted to also record direct using amp models, then you have the option.

Because folks will argue over the color of $hite around here...;)

Depends on who you ask... personally, I find a heavier gauge works better, especially for the acoustic models. Others will tell you that it makes no difference. Ymmv...

Load in a bunch and audition them one by one. Eventually you'll figure out what mic and position combinations you tend to gravitate towards, but until then there's nothing to do but go down the list one at a time. Yes, it's tedious and time consuming initially. Once you get familiar with a few that you like, you'll be able to weed out much of what's supplied in the typical IR package without having to try them all. Yes...you're limited to 128 slots. So if you intend to try out more than that, obviously they can't all be loaded at once. While I'm sure there is somebody out there who's pi$$ed because 128 IR slots just isn't enough, realistically you will end up with only a handful that you like and use regularly. Put them in whatever slots you see fit, rename them if you want as the file names they come with are often obtuse and difficult to decipher until you get used to it. But whether or not the remaining slots are filled with ones you'll never use, is really neither here nor there. There are a dozens of factory presets in at least two set lists that I never use, or even look at for that matter... but there they sit. Who cares? Use what you use, organize it in whatever way makes sense to you, and ignore the rest.