darthplagis

hi guys, i have a spider II 212 combo, i bought it as it was pretty cheap in a second hand shop :) i am a bassist but there are times i am needed to play guitar too (my band is weird like that LOL) i was wondering if i bypass the pre amp section via the tap button trick, and run my pod X3 in the input in line mode..... can i run stereo through the input jack of the spider? or is the stereo dependent on the modelling internally? its no biggie really, as it was just for texture rather than anything else :)

try the 500 before making the jump..... some people prefer the X3. for me i need the dual tone feature and the connectivity options are better with the X3 (i use for guitar and bass) the only extra functions the 500 brings via VDI, are better connections (use workbench via pod) and ability to assign tuning changes to patches. i like having variax on one path and mag in another..... send acoustic variax model to PA and mag side to amp :)

i have 10-11 hybrids on my 69, just a minor tweak to set up required..... but i have my trem blocked off anyway, so that bit was not an issue.... you may need a little turn to tighten the trem claw screws, my nut is fine with the 11 lower half, no slotting needed.

well it is thankfully the same type end used on the pod.... so you can use it for that :) wouldn't like to use the new interface with a proper PC tower...... laptops its fine, but that weight dangling off a 2' tower.... nah, id be blu tac-ing it to the top or something :)

well i went and blocked the trem with a block of hard cork :) making sure it was no where near the wiring. having already tightened my springs up a tad to take away the knife edge (not my taste), it was just a matter of easing it back (its the block i used for setting up the bridge anyway) i am not a trem user anyway, so hopefully its just a matter of learning the neck and getting used to it, as it looks like my plans for spare cash may be getting flushed down the loo :)

as an addition to the confusion.... i have an X3, i know it does not have the connectivity that the hd500 has but i like the dual channel feature so i don't intend on upgrading unless i have a major break down. but am i right in thinking i can use the VDI connection to the PC in workbench HD (jtv 69) and run the required jack out to my pod so i can monitor the changes made? as i need to re-balance after the recent update. i am a little slow ATM (children..... grrrr) so sorry if it seems a bit of a silly Q.......

like i said, id rather my variax have a maple board anyway.... so at most £150 isnt that bad, plus it allows me to use the variax neck on another project guitar LOL i would love a one of those ball bearing roller nuts fenders and was it music mans used to have? but i imagine those to be a PITA to both find and fit LOL

Like I was saying Charlie, I did the entire drill from a set up stand point, but it seems the neck had too much tension that and a combo of me being a hard tail user (I am a tele man over a stray any day), I think with the trem being so loose my fingers were just not used to it. Sorry if I derailed the thread somewhat :) But thankfully all seems well now, I still would love a maple on maple neck, and may do after summer... But for now I am a lot happier knowing that I am not going crazy bending physics with my variax LOL.

i cant see what a 'pro' can do other than take my money that i have not already tried, fr0sty :) after the neck has settled after the truss rod tweak it seems a bit better. i just don't get the tension issue..... same scale length, similarly adjusted necks, action matched to necks adjustments.... the only difference is the jtv has the trem.... which is tightened (at the claw) to non knife edge vintage style to match my slightly heavier gauge strings (10 tops 11 bottoms) (i did actually block it, but when i took the block out to check it was ok after adjusting, the action of the trem was ok, so i left it open)

yeah its really strange, i can bend like 4 steps on my peavey (Gilmore style) without a strain, but i really struggle on the variax :( guess i'll just have to learn to cope LOL may end up with a new neck later on (after summer) as i HATE rosewood boards!

im not sure of the 500's connectivity, but i just use the XLR out on my pod x3, set my acoustic patch to only output through it, so when i switch to that patch on the x3 it switches the variax to my model and sends the signal straight to the PA..... i use the acoustic/desk pre amp models in the x3 for that patch also.

i cant stand 9's :( i am using the same strings on my peavey as i am on the variax, David Gilmore boomers. i am used to playing 13's on my teles and i am used to bending them (i loved the wound G) so its not a case of too thick a string... maybe its just those strings..... ill see if a set of steel slinkies is any good next month (i am allergic to nickel, so can only use SS) i wish warmoth was an option though..... its cheaper buying a guitar to take the neck off than pay the import duty and shipping to the UK i have seen a few nice necks up on ebay, and the feedback seems good, so i may just stump up for a nice maple on maple neck.

i am not getting any string slippage on my JTV-69, but i am finding it really tight to play (tension wise), i have set up my trem (model 1 bridge) so its almost blocked and tuning is fine.... is it just the jumbo frets making the guitar feel that way? my peavey generation EXP custom is like butter, but i am really struggling with the variax :( if that's the case, would a standard 22 fret 25.5" neck pretty much just drop in? (i am a bassist really, but i am playing in a friends band on guitar.... so i really want my guitar to play nice LOL)