jerseyboy

Metal compositions do affect tones but wound 3rd probably fuels biggest acoustic model improvement.

For years I’ve enjoyed my 500 setup with D'Addario ECG26 Chromes Flat Wound Electric Guitar Strings. The trick is to buy Medium 13-56 set, throw out the 56 and add a 10 - now you’ve basically got 10-46 set with plain (17) 3rd/G string. Barely changes a thing about the guitar setup (if already using 10-46) and the flat wound exhibit some cool unique qualities with the modeling. I also like how it helps reduce “squeaks” and other piezo artifacts under higher gain amplification. The acoustic models are particularly interesting with an almost “Norman Blake” dead string Martin sound going on….

Tell me about it. I work in situations with lotsa video monitors and single coil magnetic pickups do not play well in such environments. Variax modeling is not affected but such EMI.

One way to test your battery pack would be to rig a simple DVM (volt meter) connection in order to view/measure voltage sag when the battery pack is powering the Variax. I suspect very high IR (internal resistance) of the lithium battery pack so that when even a small/light load is applied the voltage drops below required circuit specifications. Search youtube for lithium battery IR testing/measurement - although normally associated with RC models the technique can be applied to practically any battery chemistry and configuration. Any battery much above 100 mOhm (that's mili Ohm, btw) will sag significantly under even mild load.

There’s 2 schools of thought regarding if JTV Magnetic pickup signal runs analog or digitized over the VDI cable. I suspect VDI carries analog magnetic pickup signal much like a regular guitar cable. From a practical matter, all else being equal, I notice a slight change in volume/tone of the magnetic pickups when using VDI as opposed to the 1/4” phono audio output. Audio output that works with no power to the Variax circuitry. Some folks believe magnetic pickup signal is digitized and sent along the VDI as data and unpacked at the POD/HELIX end. I’m not convinced about that and of course the good folks who do know aren’t saying. Maybe someone can O-Scope VDI to settle the matter once and for all? Perhaps simpler, I suppose a 50-100’ cable would certainly demonstrate if it’s Hi-Z audio or not by noticeably weakening the magnetic audio output of a long VDI cable run? Even still, DC power will have it’s wire length limits and these Variax circuits pull some current (mA). Depending on the wire gauge, 50’ might be too much DC voltage drop for Variax? There again, probably wouldn’t hurt anything to try it and see how the DC behaves and/or if the magnetic pickup audio level/tone noticeably degrades over a longer CAT 5 wire run?

I’ve got countless professional hours on both 500’s and JTV59’s. Each generation have pros/cons. I love my 500’s and some of the models simply sound more to my liking than supposedly same/similar models on the JTV/HD. Maybe it’s because I’m more used to em over 10 years with my 500’s? But some of the HD models sound better than similar 500 models. It’s crazy and all over the map but I find myself more often using JTV59 simply because the magnetic pickups sound really good for LP type axe. Obviously, the 500 is all models all the time. It’s a great and versatile Axe but the JTV59 pups help bring a sense of “comparison” to Variax modeling. I’d estimate 80-90% of my playing relies on magnetic pups and I merely use the models for a few tuning, modeling needs here and there. Many 500’s suffer from dreadful fretwork. Get that sorted out if it’s a problem and with a proper setup nothing wrong with a good old 500. It’s my preference out of all of the 1st generations because of the fixed bridge. I don’t like to use whammy/vibrato bridges very often.

And to be a real nit-picking-A-hole, it’s a Vibrato mechanism. Vibrato is a periodic variation in the pitch (frequency) of a musical note. String tension up, string tension down like a floating guitar bridge/tailpiece = vibrato. In a sane and orderly electric guitar world, Tremolo describes a periodic variation in volume. Play something that rings/sustains and roll your volume control up/down while it decays. That's Tremolo in the guitar sense. It’s very common and widespread to mix up using these terms. I would place most of the blame on early guitar amp makers using the term Vibrato to describe some of their amp models, built-in effects. Analog, vacuum tube circuits find it very very difficult to create true Vibrato (pitch) effect. I believe only one tube Amp maker ever employed a true vibrato effect? Magnatone, IIRC?

Start here brother - http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/guitars/variax-guitars-bass-workbench/ You'll need some sort of USB interface to connect to the guitar VDI port. There's an older USB standalone device can be found or some people use POD's to connect. I don't know for certain about Win 10 but I connect old "legacy" Variax's running Mac Yosemite. I bet Win 10 can work with the right configurations?

Of course, any little thing will make some difference. But obviously magnetic properties of metals shouldn’t impact piezo sensors as they do magnetic coil pickups. For Variax piezo’s I believe the acoustic properties of strings have the most influence. ‘Never used those types mentioned but I went through a phase on Vax 500 with flat wound D’Addario Chromes. Plain 3rd. It greatly impacted the modeling tones compared to round wound strings. Mostly a “cool thingâ€, definitely more like you’d expect flat wounds to sound compared to the “piano like†boing of round wound strings. Brought out some interesting timbres with acoustic models as I recall? Sorta Norman Blake dead’ish string Martin Dreadnaught tones? The jazz models really woke up with flats too.

You may have a failed or damaged E1 piezo? I would try gently tapping on the suspect saddle using something fairly hard (screwdriver tip, allen wrench, etc) with volume cranked up and compare output to the other saddles? Percussive tap can sometimes better help reveal if the pickup is almost completely dead? Doesn't hurt anything to try software adjustments but if that's really out-of-whack probably best to open a support ticket and let the good pros help you track it down? Especially under 2 months new, warranty and all of that...

I think I've used copy/paste under EDIT menu in order to move models around to different preset locations?

Early generations Variax (acoustic/electric) from Korea were not known for very good fretwork. A good D&P (dress & polish) should fix it up though. Enjoy the technology, many of us do!

I find a lot of value in the older Variax models. If setup playability can be made right and the electronics work to spec, acoustic 700 is a helluva value, IMO. If you’re getting back into playing out live remember that Variax acoustic models across all versions need Full Range amplification to sound right. Basically, DI the mixer/house, acoustic amp, keyboard amp, etc. I think people use the term FRFR (full range full response)? The old days of using a Barcus Berry type piezo or sound hole acoustic guitar pickup into an electric guitar amp doesn’t really cut it with Variax acoustic model sounds. Acoustic models seems to be created/captured/sampled as microphone recordings so I treat the sound much like a post-preamp microphone signal. Only thing is, you don’t risk feedback or excessive microphonic’s on live gigs. Obviously, recording is another great application. I frequently cut acoustic guitar tracks and very talented pros don’t notice they originate from Variax digital source. In fact, majority say something glowing about my acoustic guitar tracks. I’m lucky to have many wonderful acoustic guitars but I can’t get close to the mic sound of Variax acoustic models at my recording locations. One minor con about acoustic Variax IMO is that they have more acoustic volume than the electric body guitars. When using digital tunings “acoustic†ambient sound bleeding into your ears can make for some funny sounds in your head. Closed can headphones or IEM buds can isolate that pretty well but it’s something to note. The Acoustic 700 behaves slightly better with the wrapped 3rd (G) string than compared to the electric body acoustic models that usually use plain 3rd string. But the bottom line here is that you’re not likely to lose much, if any, money buying a good working used Variax. Just don’t get carried away with price. Check completed eBay listings for similar guitars and keep purchase price around those numbers and somebody will always want that guitar if you ultimately don’t care for it? I think people owe it to themselves to find out if Variax is right for them? Any good working Variax is a good Variax, IMO.... Here's ruff clips of "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" using "obsolete" Variax for both acoustic tracks: DraggingAcoustic16s.mp3 DraggingAcoustic5s.mp3

Link sends to search page and this message: One or all of your search keywords were below 3 characters or you searched for words which are not allowed, such as 'html', 'img', etc, please increase the length of these search keywords or choose different keywords.

Time to make up a 1/4" plug/cable with alligator clips on one end - attach to the bridge pickup wires where they connect to PCB and/or selector switch directly and feed that to an amplifier. I once discovered a bad pickup selector on a Strat guitar with the trusty alligator clips to 1/4" phono. Take the battery out of the JTV59 to avoid possibly shorting any other circuitry.

I've got 2013 & 2017 JTV59's and I wouldn't describe bridge pickups as lacking low end/bass. I don't adjust mine close to the strings either.

Regularly playing both a new JTV59, 2017 and an older 2013 JTV59. Physically, even though the “knobs†may be slightly different (maybe they’re simply sitting in the body slightly different height?) the actual electronic taper for Volume/Tone seemed very similar to 2013 JTV59. Myself and our sound dept seem to prefer the active/model sound output of this newer JTV59? I'm talking about the models only here not the passive magnetic pickup sound through the 1/4" audio output. Same FW and models seem identical but something about the entire “active/model†audio output was seemingly nicer, silkier, smoother, clearer than the older 2013 audio output circuitry? There’s one small manufacturing issue on the newest 59 - the neck is kinda lumpy around the 10-12th fret to the joint. Rub my hand and look for it, it’s definitely there. Seems like a little more sanding/filler would’ve taken care of it before finishing. But for the price and Korean construction, it’s not that big of a big deal. Does make me kinda yearn for a USA version someday? Intonation and/or fret placement is very good. Maybe slight nod here to the newer 2017 JTV59? I never suffered the overall bridge misplacement on the 2013 JTV59 as some have reported but I’ve notice some “funny†notes/spots along the fretboard. Even with the best action/intonation setup. Don’t notice any funny’s when playing the 2017 and in fact a couple places sounded slightly more in tune than what I’ve been accustomed to hearing for the last couple months in those passages on the older guitar. The neck is slightly narrower width on the 2017 JTV59. Barely perceptible but this 2017 is not quite as wide as the 2013. I'm sure it's more of a tolerance thing and not radical departure from neck shape/size. Unlike my 2qty old 500's where one arrived super thin/narrow and the other with very fat/thick neck. At least until I wood carved that neck into a nice shape to my preference. I'm probably gonna redo the nuts on both JTV59's. Nothing against the black Graphtech and if this were a whammy guitar I would probably leave 'em be. But I like well fitted bone or might try a ZerO Glide on one of these 59's? I also installed HipShot locking tuners on the older 59. They're nice and smooth plus come with a unique mounting plate system which simplifies drill-less installation. The stock Korean guitar tuners are just OK, IMO. So any UG (upgrade) is probably a good UG. But for JTV59, pinch locking tuners provide a major improvement because it helps make string changes so much easier. The 59 Tyler bridge is NO fun to install new strings without a locking tuner to take up slack and hold the ball end into the bridge trough. Both awesome axes and great values, IMO. This info seemed to be something worth sharing since I have the opportunity to report observations using a well controlled back-to-back comparison of older/newer JTV59.

As mentioned up thread, ‘been heavily using legacy 500’s and now JTV’s for a while. I still like and sometimes prefer many of the old models. They’re kinda more “low-fi†than JTV’s but some of those models still do it for me compared to the same models found in JTV. Now, perhaps it’s more of a “familiarity†thing? But for the life of me I try and try to use the JTV Special bridge pup model as I would the Legacy version model but it just doesn’t hit the same “bliss pointâ€. The Lester is pretty good though and seemingly improved. Conversely, I’ve tweaked Legacy Spank models until I’m blue in the face and I still prefer to play a real Strat with good pups. But gimme JTV Spank models with Masonite Plank body, I’m happy to leave a good Strat sitting in it’s case/bag. It’s just the nature of how Music Art is influenced by technology, IMO. There’s pros & cons about everything and particularly these modeling instruments and the unique variations we’ve applied to them in our work & play. Truly wonderful guitars (when playable) and old or new seem to find a useful place in my various gear setups.

I didn't know anything about the history of the 59 pups, thanks. As someone who's been through many pickup windings in my life they're certainly a pleasant surprise, IMO. Hard to say how much or how little the guitar build will influence final tone but it would at least start out with very similar electrical characteristics and output level.

I saw this a couple days ago - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Line-6-11-26-0008-2-Humbucker-Neck-Pickup-for-JTV-59/271819112865?epid=1438016199&hash=item3f49ae81a1:g:86sAAOSwSlBYsey~ Seems a little pricy for an import built humbucker but it's supposedly genuine JTV59N? I just saw the location of that listing - a line from story/show: "Rahway academy of performing arts!" LOL.... I'm sure there's something comparable (Seymour Duncan) but it might take some experimentation to find it? Start with DC resistance and go from there?

Without getting too crazy OT I can quickly comment that in general I think the HD models to be very good sounding and quite useful to me. Are they the same as the older 500? Nope, they’re their own sounds. For example, the 500 Special bridge is/was one of my goto favorites for hot rod picking. For whatever reasons, the HD Special bridge is of course similar, but it’s just not the same. OTOH, another model I think was always lacking in 500 (basically all the pre-magnetic pup Variax) - Spank modeling. Just never hit the spot for me even after tweaking and boosting the model levels. Now the Spank HD? Swap the body for Masonite plank and WHOA, that’s a nice and especially useful Strat 2/4 sound, IMO. A lot of this may be linked to our hearing and experiences? We’ve listened to, cranked up and gone to battle with the older models for so long, I think we’re just more comfortable processing them in our various applications? There’s some good ones no doubt and I’ll never get rid of my 2qty 500’s. Still very useful guitars. But the HD models are also very useful and for me the addition of GOOD sounding mag pup’s makes for an even better overall guitar experience. Now we don’t have to rely solely on the modeling. Kinda helps my brain to stay “rooted†in the good old ways and use modeling “magic†for places where makes the most sense. JTV59’s Mags plus all of the great models is a beast. I find myself switching from the LP type Mags over to Spank 2/4. Funny to hear a nice 2/4 position "boink" coming from an LP type guitar? Plus, all the other stuff that's available. Oh, one nice HD thing is for adding 12 string to basically any body/pups. I think the defaults are a little "strong" but backing off a little of the "tuning spread" and 12 string models generally do it for me. Although now that I’m swimming in 2qty HD’s I’ll relegate one of the old 500’s to full-time Resonator/Dobro lap style playing. Nice tall bone nut and raise the bridge (being careful with the old wiring, of course) Might even put a fake metal pan somewhere under the strings? LOL... But 500 resonator models sound really good and since old Workbench still plunks along I’ve managed to cook up many different tunings out of a base D blues. Got minor/major coupled with slight of hand from the selector switch or XT Live foot selection, look out - they sound like fancy bar slanting! LOL….

In the world of electronics there’s active or passive circuitry. When Variax is using only Magnetic pickups through the audio output jack it’s in a passive circuit mode. The mag pickups come through the audio jack even without a battery installed. Hence “passiveâ€. When we engage the modeling a battery (or power supply) is required for the circuitry to function. That’s why it’s called “active†electronics. What I was saying here is that the newer JTV59 active/model output sounds slightly better, clearer, silkier than the older guitar. But in magnetic or “passive†mode, I don’t catch much, if any difference. My guess is that the newer JTV59 output is slightly better spec than the audio output of older guitars.

Maidened new JTV59, 2017 last night. Very happy and sounded nearly identical in almost every regard. Physically, even though the “knobs†may be slightly different (maybe they’re simply sitting in the body slightly different height?) the actual electronic taper for Volume/Tone seemed very similar to my 2013 JTV59. Still dialing in mag pickup height but the neck pup may be slightly weaker on this newest JTV59? But hardly a problem. Both mags sound quite good which is one of the main reasons I love this model. I’ll need to do more A/B performances between the two but I really liked and seemed to prefer the active/model sound output of this newer JTV59? Models seemed identical but something about the entire “active/model†audio output was seemingly nicer, smoother, clearer? Hard to describe and might be nothing considering I’m recovering from a head cold. A few more A/B’s between the two guitars in this controlled setting and I’ll have a better understanding/realization… There’s one small manufacturing issue, the neck is kinda lumpy around the 10-12th fret to the joint. Rub my hand and look for it, it’s definitely there. Seems like a little more sanding/filler would’ve taken care of it before finishing. But for the price and Korean construction, it’s not that big of a big deal. Does make me kinda yearn for a USA version someday? Intonation and/or fret placement is very good. Maybe slight nod here to the newer JTV59 than the 2013 version? I never suffered the overall bridge misplacement on the 2013 JTV59 as some have reported but I’ve notice some “funny†notes/spots along the fretboard. Even with the best action/intonation setup. Didn’t notice any funny’s last night and in fact a couple places sounded slightly more in tune than what I’ve been accustomed to hearing for the last couple months in those passages. Remember, I’m splitting hairs here. Both awesome axes and great values, IMO. This info seemed to be something worth sharing since I have the opportunity to report observations using a well controlled back-to-back comparison of older/newer JTV59.