JohnCrichton

I'm very excited to have finally go acquired my first Variax, a JTV-59, and I have some basic questions about setting it up properly and getting started with it. 1. The frets on this thing feel huge. The 59 I played at my local Guitar Center didn't seem like the frets were this big, but I'm probably just remembering it through rose colored glasses. I can deal with it if need be, but I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with replacing the frets with smaller ones, and if so, does it cause any problems with the Variax emulation? 2. I've always used 11s on all my electric guitars. I can't image that would be a problem with the Variax, but I wanted to make sure. 3. I intend to hook it up tonight and to a full factory reset and update it to the latest firmware. Anything I should be know about this process? 4. Is it worth getting a spare battery or Variax cable for it? There are very few circumstances in which I will not be playing it with my Hd500x straight to a PA. 5. Is there are other tips or tricks you guys care to share that would be beneficial for a first time Variax user? I know I've got a lot to explore about it, and I am looking forward to endless hours of tweaking it and creating new settings and patches. I just want to make sure I start off on solid ground with some solid advice. Thanks for any help you can give.

Thanks Everyone! Lots of good info to think about. I really appreciate it!

I've been using the Pod HD500x for a little while now, but I am starting to feel restricted by it. Currently, I use one single preset. I set the Amp so it sounds good clean, and then I use the screamer and the classic distortion to add in the grit. With that set up, it gives me 4 levels of grit: Clean Amp Only, amp + Screamer, amp + Classic Distortion, and Amp + screamer + Classic Distortion. I also use an always on Noise gate and a compressor, and then I set the exp-1 to control the amp Master volume. And that's basically it. Sometimes, I'll throw in a reverb or delay, but not often. My problem is that while this works just fine for me, I am starting to get bored by the simplicity of it, and in a way, I almost feel like I am wasting the potential of the Pod. I primarily play in Church, and in this particular church, "guitar amp" is a four letter word. That's what led me to the Pod in the first place, and honestly, I don't know if I would ever want to go back. I love the ease of walking in with my guitar and pod and being ready to go in a matter of moments. And honestly, no one in the audience can tell that I am doing anything different. Yet, I feel constrained by the pod, and I am starting to think that it is due to the one preset that I have become attached to. I initially liked it and set it up that way because it reminded me of the familiar pedal board setup that I was used to with analog pedals. But I know there are other ways to use the Pod, and that many of you have years more experience with it. So what is your preset configuration philosophy? How do you like to setup and use the Pod? And Why do you do it that way? This last question of "why", is for me, the heart of what I am after. I have checked out customtone quite a bit, and have tried out many different and unique presets from it, but customtone cant tell me the logic, and the instinct, and the feeling behind why you set it up that way. And, yes, I know that ultimately "the way it works best for me, and the way it feels and sounds good to me" is what I should focus on and go after. But to be honest, I have no clue what works best for me yet, nor what sounds good to me. So if your willing, I'd love to learn more about how you wonderful people set up your presets. Do you use one preset? Multiple Presets? Etc. But most importantly, why does that work for you?