cruisinon2

I think that was one of the POD updates...there was a whole setlist called "Variax", if I recall.

There's only so much DSP to go around... some amp models chew up more than others, as do stereo FX vs. mono. Based on what's already in your chain, it greys out anything that would throw you over the limit.

With all 8 footswitches set for snapshots, the only way to toggle between different patches is to set the two up/down switches all the way on the left to "preset". But this only allows you to go up or down 1 patch with each click...so to switch from patch 1A to 5B, for example, it's a whole lot of tap dancing. If you really need that many snapshots per patch, you'll have to store them all in the order they'll be used live so its just 1 click to the next one.  
Unless there's some other magic way to do it that I'm not aware of...
 
For me, the best configuration for playing live is 4 patches on the top row of footswitches, and 4 snapshots at the bottom. I rarely find the need for more than 3 snapshots per patch anyway... usually clean, dirt, and a lead.

You can do that too... you can assign multiple FX blocks to the same footswitch. Save the patch with each effect toggled on or off as desired, then have one footswitch flip everything on or off as needed. It's just a more abrupt change between tones...I grew to like the expression pedal smoothly fading one tone out, and the other one in. No clicks or pops...works great live.
 
You can also position your FX blocks in one path or the other, leave them turned on, and the effect will fade in and out with the expression pedal too.

Hmmm... well, when in doubt back everything up, then do a factory reset and/or reinstall the firmware. It's really the only "fix" there is for these things. If that doesn't work, it's service ticket time.

Yes it does...Line Out/Line In on the back. It's listed on the spec chart on that link you provided.

There's not much room for opinion here... this is as close to objective fact as anything that ever gets discussed around here. If you have signal clipping issues, it ain't the guitar's fault. An instrument level signal is barely sufficient to drive a pair of ear buds by itself.

Happy reading! And good luck. It's a
known issue with no universal solution.
You might be able to mitigate it to some extent with the various "fixes" offered in the first link below, but the bottom line is, don't expect a miraculous turnaround from any of them. Some guitars do it, some don't...same goes for the remedies. Success rates vary widely from one afflicted instrument to the next.
 
http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/guitars/james-tyler-variax-guitars/clang-tone-on-variax-guitars-r863
 
http://line6.com/support/topic/6764-do-you-have-the-same-problem-with-6th-string/page-23?do=findComment&comment=218091

Yes and no...you'll get a cable that is intended only for connecting to a computer for firmware updates and to use the Workbench software. It is short, fragile and designed specifically for use with the stupid USB dongle that should also be included. It's nowhere near sufficient for gigging, or even playing casually at home or rehearsal. You'll end up damaging the connection to the guitar and/or the POD. You'll need to buy a proper VDI cable.
 
Get this one: http://btpa.com/98-030-004-XXX.html
 
The "real" L6 VDI is sub-par, imho. This is much more robust. A little more expensive per foot, but it lasts.

If you're talking about the toe switch on the expression pedal to engage the wah, I'm afraid not. It is what it is.

Active speakers are already powered...you don't need, nor would you want, a separate power amp. You'll destroy the speakers that way.

It's not...at least not automatically. It would be nice if volume normalization were built-in, but it isn't. Some amp models are inherently louder than others...it's been griped about for years, but it is what it is. You have to level everything out yourself by ear. Fortunately, there's no shortage of ways to do it. You've got the mixer block volume, channel volume, and certain FX (like most of the distortion boxes) have adjustable output. You can also use one of the more transparent EQ blocks as a boost, if need be. So you've got plenty of places to boost and cut. It's a balancing act, and an insufferable pain in the a$$, but there's no quick fix.
 
Balancing clean and dirty tones has always been a chore, on any rig I've ever used. Good rule of thumb is to get your clean tones as loud as you can without clipping, and adjust the crunch tones accordingly, otherwise you'll always be drowning out the clean sounds. I've used that approach with every pre-amp/multi fx unit/modeler I've ever had. It's really the only way to make it work.

This question will never be satisfactory answered...because there really is no answer. It's all subjective. You're always gonna get the same two responses, in roughly equally numbers:
 
1) Nothing will ever be better than tubes.
 
and
 
2) Today's modelers are so good that the best ears in the business sometimes have trouble telling the difference.
 
It boils down to your personal preference. You can get excellent results either way.

Is GC "guitarded"? You ever set foot in one? I've had more intelligent conversations with the residents of the primate habitat at the Bronx Zoo...
 
Well you said it's used...I see one of two possible scenarios here:
 
1)The Rhodes Scholar who took it in and/or priced it before it went out on the floor didn't know what he was looking at, probably doesn't know that the made-to-order US versions even exist, much less that new ones sell for nearly $4K (which is wildly absurd for what you're actually getting, but that's another discussion entirely).
 
Or
 
2) Whomever sold it to GC that day had stolen it, also didn't know what he had in his hands, and all parties concerned were assuming it to be the Korean version.
 
In short, if it actually is US version, then yes...it's a steal as far as the price is concerned. Personally though, I'm skeptical that the US ones are actually worth more than 4x the cost of the Korean versions.

HD Edit is useless without the POD. It's just an editing tool, a more convenient way to edit patches without having to stare at the tiny little screen on the POD. It allows you to store individual patch settings, but there's no sound engine in the software. It's not good for anything unless you've got the POD with you. Same goes for Workbench, but that is specific to the Variax guitars. If you don't have one, it's of no use to you.
 
There are any number of interfaces and software based amp sims out there that can do what you want, and most of the interfaces will be considerably smaller than the pod.
 
SonicPort is ok, but it draws it's power from either an iPhone/iPad/iPod, so you can't charge at the same time. All the sounds come from the the Mobile POD app...POD patch settings that you've stored in HD Edit are of no use. Also, that app is a HUGE power drain. Doesn't last too long, but there are some decent tones in it. Couple of hours of continuous use and you're done.
 
Check out the Focusrite 2i4 interface...then start looking at various amp sim programs. The are a million of them now...S Gear, Bias FX, Overloud, Amplitube, etc. Most of them let you download a demo and use it for a couple of weeks before you buy.

Why would you bother changing anything for existing patches? Experiment to your heart's content with an empty one...there's more space than you'll ever realistically need.
 
Besides, mucking around with the inputs isn't really the best way to do that anyway. Create a custom model in Workbench, blending in the mags with the model of your choice, then flash it to one of the empty slots on the guitar.

Yes....;)
 
Use either one. Mags and models go to both outputs.

First line of defense for Variax weirdness...and make no mistake, these guitars can have odd issues...is to re-flash the firmware. For reasons unknown, sometimes it makes a difference. So try that first.
 
Then there's the fact that piezos behave much differently than mag pickups. While a more common complaint is a thin/tinny sound initially, anything is possible, and you might have to mess around with your patches quite a bit, assuming that you dialed them in with "normal" guitars. I have a whole slew of patches specifically for the JTV.

I can't believe the degree of mental gymnastics that you're devoting to a set of strap locks. Why "assume" that the existing screws won't be compatible? Just buy the damn things. It will take all of 4.7 seconds to find out if they fit...then you can worry about drill bits, wood glue and toothpicks...IF you need to. 
FWIW, the Dunlops worked just fine with the OEM screws on my 69. In all likelihood, it's a non-issue.

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

Opinions vary...and more will soon arrive, but here's my 2 cents:
 
Assuming that the amp has an FX loop, just run straight out if the POD into the FX return so that you're only using the amp's power section. If you try and plug straight into the front, it's a God awful mess...it's not impossible, but it's noisy, and just an all around pain in the arse to get decent tones. Create your patches as you see fit, and it's off to the races. Just be prepared to experiment with the POD...a lot...it can be a bit frustrating at the outset. Might take you a while to find combinations that work for you.

If you just happen to stumble upon the exact same tone, immediately stop what you're doing and go buy a lotto ticket...;)  
Because it's far more likely that you'll be half-way through your next life before you accidentally run across exactly what you're looking for...if it ever happens at all.
 
All kidding aside, there really is no "recipe" to follow, it's mostly gonna be trial and error. Listening to the tune, then nipping and tucking the patch until what you hear coming out of your amp is as close to the recording as you can get it. It can be a lengthy process.
 
Unless there is a really obvious effect in use (big delay, flange, phaser, wha, etc), I'd concentrate on the basic dry tone first, and worry about the special sauce later.
 
If you happen to know what amp(s) the player in question uses, you could start with that same model in the POD (or something similar if the exact amp model isn't in there). Or if you have a patch that's "in the ballpark", start with that and season to taste.

I've never played a guitar right out of the box that didn't need some degree of set-up work, especially the intonation..I'd check that first. Out of whack intonation can make the alt. tunings do a lot of strange things. Especially if one string is worse than the others, this could easily be the culprit. After that, try updating and/or reflashing the firmware. Sometimes that fixes weird issues...of which there can be many. And it might sound stupid, but make sure you're turned up loud enough that you're not hearing the guitar acoustically, as this will obviously clash with whatever tuning you've selected. Even with headphones its still possible if you're not cranked loud enough...it fooled me at first. All the JTVs seem to be quite resonant guitars. It might be ringing louder than you think.
 
And I know you said you don't like to tweak things...if you really hate doing that, this might not be the guitar for you. Workbench is a godsend for way too many reasons to get into here...read thru the forums and you'll get the idea. Without it, I'd say 90% of customers probably wouldn't have kept them. And you will need it too. Way too many variables with playing styles, the tones you're looking for. etc, for the stock settings to work universally. Hardly anybody leaves all the models on their default settings (especially individual string volumes). Don' get frustrated...it will take time to get used to this instrument...doesn't matter how good you are or how long have you've been at it...there's a learning curve with these things.