Guitarkyller

There you go, Australia is well covered alright, what it's covered with is obvious....PEWIE !!!.... trouble is this goes on constantly because it really seems that most, if not all of these "Service Centers" don't know their rear from upside-down. Almost a month after you dropped it off and the guy still hasn't even looked at it ! REALLY ??? That's competent service ??? Waiting for parts will be next if I was a betting man...Whats another couple of weeks anyway ????? Doesn't sound like I would want to do business with either one of them personally, the store or repair shop. I'd like to know why Yamaha/L6 didn't call their retailer and tell them to exchange the product for you. That's just standard practice here in the US. People have exchanged units here more than once to get a good functioning one, no problem. If that's the way they treat you, they shouldn't be allowed to sell the gear. I'm pretty sure that you didn't go shopping for a nightmare when you bought the amp. Nobody likes to say it here......but this is where the whole place goes Sh*t. It ain't good in the USA, there are only 2 places here I would send anything( L6 or Sweetwater), so anywhere else would be almost useless as you are finding out for yourself. I only know of 2 places to get parts too. Either L6 or Full Compass...at least here....there ????? Support/Parts/Service/operating manuals = a Grade of F Help However,...is a grade A+ pain in the A** Real people with real problems are kinda hard to dismiss when one sees the same complaints, with the same gear, that have been posted here for 6 years. That's called product history....they just make the same stuff, never fix any known issues/glitches...and leave the customer to deal with it all. That's why the biggest type of help available is the "USER FORUM".That's US figuring out and fixing our own stuff. Workarounds is the catch phrase most commonly used fix....Pick up the phone and try to talk to a real person...go ahead..I'll wait This gear has great potential, but as a business model what they have in place just falls far to short for me to want to go any further with it. When it all works...Wow !!! When it don't.....******* ******** ***** !!!!!! The only good news in your story is that you could drop it off and didn't have to ship it anywhere, but I would go stick it up the stores rear-end...screw the amp, get your money back. Best 'Of Luck Mate, Shawn

Double tube screamers into a JCM 800 head w/2x12cab doing my best JoeBo imitation. Got it on 11 just like Spinal Tap ! Shawn

"I thought you sold all your L6 gear." Don't know where you got that from. Sitting here now: JTV-59 HD500x 2 - 3t's M20d L6 link And a Spider lV 75 w/FBV that my son left here for anybody who wants to mess with it. Been thru both a Dt-25 and Dt-50 and had one 3t go to poop. Chasing the "Dream Rig", ended up FRFR. Like I said the 59's been repaired twice. Thank God for Sweetwater and their extended warranty. They have replaced and/or gave me my money back/exchanged my gear. "Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you paid for a repair here?" The only repair there involved a brand new guitar, 2 weeks old, being bricked during an up-date caused by a faulty guitar interface box. It was covered by warranty but took almost a month to get it back. Even then it had to be reflashed to get rid of a drop tuning warble...... My question would be, ""How much do repairs cost at any "Service Center"? Here or abroad? Do you fix stuff for free? After the warranty expires? Free shipping included ? When was the last time ANYONE paid for a repair there? What got repaired? AND.....How much was it?? +Shipping ! It's OK to defend the brand ...as long as you keep your head out of the sand. Nothing is perfect in a real world with real problems... What happens when the Honeymoon is over??? When all the "Unique" stuff quits......your gonna get some "Unique" repair bills to go along with it............... There's a hundred guys in almost any town that can fix anything other than one of these. Those are your words my man ! Even simple repairs require a trip to a "Specialist". Send it in for a set-up ??? Send it in for a 3-way switch?? Post after post... Plus I can get repair parts at will. On the road or not.... Those are real facts. Me...I'm just going to use what I have until it quits...Yes, I still use mine, but not in the same capacity that I started out after as my main rig. Not going to throw any more money at this stuff. Just go back to the "Traditional" rigs that seem to never fail me. Think I'll go hug my '68 Les Paul Custom Shop and stomp my tube screamers into life.... It's all good....just askin' real questions here.....Hope that's still OK ???? Shawn

I can get my cat fixed at any local animal shelter. For free Been here over 6 years with this gear. Some great, some not so good. Everyone with any experience at all knows that there are many shortcomings and unique problems/issues that comes with them. My 59 has been off to both Calabassas AND Sweetwater. But of course you don't have the same issues as the rest of us. Your the repair guy that we all send our stuff to. All you have to do is take it to work with you. Kinda hard to compare a customer with the guy who runs the repair shop. BUT.....Even you have had to repair yours...you stated that here before that that's how you got your rigs. It was just a HECK of a lot easier for you, and it more than likely didn't cost you anything! The rest of us are just COMMON FOLKS spending real time and money to fix our gear. How about a repair price guide/service cost posting for all of this "Unique Stuff" ? Seeing some actual repair bills/shipping costs would cut thru the B.S. and inform owners exactly what they might be in for when that magic warranty period is over...................... Shawn

You know what never gets posted here? What are the actual costs to repair a L6 guitar that is no longer covered by any warranty? Shipping both directions to where-ever +Parts+Expert Labor = ? Not to mention waiting for ? how long ? Any body care to share how expensive it can really be ?? Pick a fix , Post the tix's $$$$ "What ! , I need a new MainBoard and a Front-End Alignment ? What's that gonna set me back ? :-( ooohhhh !! nnnoooo !!!!! Shawn

That's TWO places for TWO entire Countries. So one would assume that with Germany, and Asia, and Australia included that would be at least THREE more ????? I rest my case your Honor........;-) ! Come-on !...... we all know that you just can't get these fixed just any 'ol place...you say it yourself all the time. You have to send it in for EVERYTHING !!!! Shawn

The joy of owning a L6 guitar.......nobody in the entire world could possibly fix it. The answer is always the same....Pack IT UP and SHIP it to Calabassas. $$$$$$$$$$ THIS alone is THE MAIN DRAWBACK to owning one of these things. That and the time involved and lack of parts availability anywhere else on the planet. EVERYTHING is "Special" and needs "An Expert" only found in a far away land............. Imagine living abroad and trying to deal with getting your instrument repaired ?? Or being on the road and needing help?? A nightmare that's more trouble than it's worth and a drawback to the brand. Been thru it all myself, l wish you the best in getting your rig fixed. Shawn

Looks like the lenders are taking control of the famed guitar makers.....never a good sign.

Is this the new "Up-Date" for my L6 "Dream Rig"? Version 2.2 ? Shawn

Looks like that one woofer is 'gonna need a little duct tape......

Yes, you will need a battery to power the guitar. And turn the knobs by hand..... The QUESTION is.... Do I want wireless or Helix/JTV link, or do I want to have them both at the same time ????? :) Shawn

My guess would be that your charger works fine up until the point where it is supposed to switch automatically into the declared "Maintenance Mode". That way you would still get a full charge, if yours blinks for an hour first?, but then seemingly turns off. No harm no foul, but if left in the charger your battery wouldn't be "Maintained". Could be just a fault in the circuit board that operates that part of the chargers functions as it drops into a low amp charge at that point. No stress here either, Just trying to post the info from the manual here for Steve as he said he couldn't find one. Hopefully his works as stated, as mine does, and his questions are answered. Shawn

Hey David, What's the part number on the bottom of your charger? The only one I know of is..Line 6 Li-lon Battery Charger #98-034-0001. If that's the same as yours, then it shouldn't shut off after blinking/flashing for an hour. MAYBE ? yours isn't working correctly ???? They do have a circuit board in them that controls it going into the standby/maintenance mode, etc, and as we all know electrical stuff fails. I got a brand new guitar interface that wasn't any good right out of the box, so a bad charger isn't out of the question either. I've left mine plugged in for days and it still flashes. If yours just shuts off, that don't sound right. Like I said, everything I've posted is straight from the actual physical manual that came with it. Best to "Ya, Shawn

I highly doubt that L6 took the time to up-grade a battery charger. They haven't even up-graded the guitar platform or changed the battery since it came out, so what would the point be ? Also, if the LED turned back to solid red, how the heck would you know that it wasn't just still charging instead of being fully charged and now being on a maintenance mode. Just doesn't sound logical that it would function that way? Also, it sounds to me like the OP has the same charger as I do..."After charging all day the lights were blinking". He didn't say they turned back to red either....As far as L6 goes...there could be anything possible....dozens of different chargers...limited edition ones...an American Version that costs 10 times as much..ones in turquoise with a wooden case..and last but not least, a Beta Version ! Psark, A D Brown, Etc, can tell us if there are different ones or not. I'd bet not. Shawn

David is correct. Except the LED doesn't stop blinking after reaching a full charge. Mine doesn't and the manual doesn't say anything about it changing either. Mines on the charger as we speak and it has been fully charged and blinking for 3-4 hours, so I think it's pretty safe to say it just keeps on blinking while in the maintenance mode. Here is the info STRAIGHT 'outa the "Battery Charger Instruction Manual". I have a REAL paper one in hand ! I'm gonna skip 1-6 'cause I think you know how to plug the thing in and put a battery in it ? When you plug it in, it blinks red once, (1 second), to let you know it's ready to put a battery in it. 7. The charge begins and the charger LED turns red. 8. When the battery reaches 90%-95% of it's capacity, charging is complete, the charger LED starts flashing red and the battery can be removed for use. However, it is recommended to leave the battery with the red LED flashing for 60 minutes to ensure a full charge for peak performance. After that the charger automatically switches to a small maintenance charge, to keep the battery in peak condition. Here is where I would also tell you that there are two DIFFERENT types of flashing red LED's. One that indicates a full charge,.. On (1/4 second), Off (2 seconds), On (1/4 second), Off 2 seconds). AND one that indicates a FAULTY battery...Off ( 1/4 second), On ( 1/4 second), Off 1/4 second), On 1/4 second). Like I said, this is copied straight from the manual so I hope it answers your questions. I use both power sources for my 59 and leave my battery in it all the time. I have had the same battery since I bought it almost 6 years ago and have never had any trouble with it. I play quite often thru an analog pedalboard ,1/4 jack, battery power and just make sure I turn off the volume and unplug it when not playing and I seem to have great battery life. The rest of the time I'm powering it thru my Hd500x., but leaving the battery in while doing so doesn't seem to have had any effect. I just keep an eye on the charge status, let it drain down to 1 LED or so, charge it up again until the LED's start flashing, (who knows how long they were blinking?) and put it back in the guitar. Keeping it in the guitar lets it cycle up and down even if you don't use it all the time and the 90%-95% charge seems to give me plenty of playing time and maintains the battery life.....PLUS...I always know where my battery is just in case I need it for a back-up. But that's a whole 'nuther story................. Shawn

Steve-O, There is NOTHING wrong with either your battery or charger. The blinking red LED's indicate a full charge and that the charger has now entered a state to maintain the battery. It will sit there and blink until the cows come home while keeping it fully charged............Hope this helps..... Shawn

Good thing they don't have cursive script ...you'd have to hire somebody with an H1-B Work Visa ! Just KIDDING FOLKS !! Cruz can handle it. One thing to add to my prior post. I know ya'll can't wait....RIGHT ? When you play an acoustic, either unplugged, mic'd up, or with active pick-ups, you have learned to listen to the instrument as you play. You hear it loud and clear. It's a presence in your lap.The disconnect here is that you hear a dead stick electric in your hands and a Pa'd acoustic through the speakers or amp. I couldn't ever quite get used to it. It's even worse if you try to use the Alt Tuning Models as you notice the actual differences between the string played and the notes heard. I think it is the most magnified when trying to use the Acoustic models. If you use a loud monitor or are playing in a loud band setting, you may not hear it so readily though. I seldom use a monitor as I like to play with "extragusto magnifico" and have no trouble hearing the instrument. In a more quiet setting the sound of the guitar itself is a very important part of your complete overall sound. Trust me, you CAN hear it. When you try to de-tune the actual guitar,using a Standard Tuning selected, I also believe that the piezo's do not like the reduction in string tension and the intonation goes south. However if all you want is to be able to strum a little intro, or play softly and carefully and that makes you happy, then I think that's great too. Not everybody expects or needs the same things. I hope everyone can figure out what I'm trying to say. THERE ARE LIMITS AS TO WHAT ONE CAN EXPECT FROM THIS CURRENT TECHNOLOGY . However, it isn't an acoustic guitar in any way, shape, or form. It is what it is....period. That's all I'm sayin' ....... Nothin' more, Nothin' less. You can have a good day or a bad day.....that's up to you to pick. Choose wisely.............. Later, Shawn

If you train on an real acoustic, and develop tone and technique, it will do more for your playing than all the Gizmo effects in the world combined. When playing one, it's all up to you how one sounds...no crutches allowed..no shortcuts either. Modeling an acoustic on a solid body electric eliminates most of the things that you can do with one. Playing an accompanying finger percussion line is just one example. Playing with a 3 finger-pick aggressive attack style is another. Palm muting, Staccato picking, Pizzicato, and classical tunings and the JTV just falls apart. The "Virtual Capo" is one of the biggest jokes that I've ever had the displeasure to hear. Strum softly and carefully and use a soft pick and change the way you learned to play isn't a realistic answer, in any corner that music is actually taught. However, if you think another pathetic"Workaround" solution will make you sound better, or pass, as even a beginning to play, OR sound like a real acoustic......Then have at it.

Go buy a real, good acoustic, and learn how to play it. No nonsense required.................................. as a bonus, you get to play it as hard as you want. Play softly................Use a flaccid pick.......Play very carefully........Psssshizal ! That's EVERYTHING playing an acoustic isn't about ! How about it being just plainly mediocre sounding at best ? Vote Away...I couldn't care less !! B) I only have 6 yrs of classical guitar training/with international studies,and a Masters Degree, but you must know more than I do .

The inards will die of cancer before it's 10th birthday. That is more likely to happen than it working 20 years later.....IMHO. 55 or 60 years later ??? Not gonna happen. I don't know of many computers now that last much longer than about a decade or so of lifespan. Support won't be here that long either. L6 will just move on. In 10 yrs it will be like having Windows 3. They never fixed any bugs in the JTV's. There's already a rumor of a new Variax platform. Plus....it's refurbished 'cause it was F'ed up. It wasn't there on vacation getting a $4,000 suntan. It is subject to all the gremlins that the Korean ones are....Just in a nicer package.

NSA Wiretapping has verified that the "Russians" are directly involved and that the guitars are actually being made in Siberia by interned slave labor. With tools made from mastodon ivory. And pick-ups 'outa meteorites. How many are made you ask ??........Duh, Umm, Ahhh ..... I would say look at the purchase order/orders ? You guys had 'em made after all. But neither party involved knows "Who", "Who" is ? Even Hostess knows how many Twinkies it made..................... Call me a Cynic,but ILMAO They still have the same crappy onboard computer,That's where the problems lie. So Good Luck ! AND DON'T FORGET TO GET A DONGLE !

There's a whole bunch of their stuff that doesn't work as they first claim it does. I'm beginning to think that no one even gives this stuff a try first before they sell it. You can't up-date thru their pods either ? Why the Heck not ? Says 'Ya can in plain English........... I think everything is perfectly clear......it's called "Shoddy Products".

Try organ anti-rejection drugs first...in case that kidney you just got don't work either. A computer that won't download it's own company's generated software.......what next???? We all know that it shouldn't work this way. How many times do I have to try this to get it to work ? Should be just once ??? Why on Earth would you think that it should take numerous attempts ? Sorry,Try Again, Sorry, Try Again, SORRY,Try Again, &again, &again...Ad infinium....... AAAAAhhhhh!!!, what the heck, I'll give 'er one more go ? Then act like the whole thing is no big deal ? Works just like we advertised, that's why you bought it. Right ? The Hd500x said up-date directly. Now I'm not supposed to ? HHHAAAAHHHHAAAA !!!!!!! Dongle Me Baby ! Integrated Systems my arse. More like "Work Around" all our F-ups....but you'll love it.......Honest. They got more Sh*t that doesn't work as they claim.......but you sure as Hell don't see anybody rushing to fix ANY of it. Color Me, Speechless

Use the proper nomenclature please. It's called the "Death Dongle" ! Plus, I got a bad one right off the bat, so they can also fail. go figure ? I'm just sayin'.......