cbrillow

If it breaks, you'll probably be able to get some assistance getting it fixed, although it's likely you'll have to pay. Beyond that, I wouldn't count on any other type of support. IMO, McCoy said it best on Star Trek: "He's dead, Jim"...

I like the Les Paul-like styling of the JTV-59, but... Having spent many hours with the 5-way Strat-style selector switch on the original Variax, I've had a hard time adapting to the same 5 models being apportioned to two different settings on the 3-way switch in the '59. If I had to do it again, I'd get the '69, instead...

Have to agree that a cheap bass likely would provide a more satisfying experience. I've created tunings for bass on both my Variax 500 and JTV, and used them with the bass amp model pack in my old Pod XT Live. Yeah, they kinda work, especially when buried in the mix with other instruments. To me, it doesn't sound too realistic when it's the only instrument you hear. Fun to fiddle with when you're warming up and there's someone around who's not familiar with the capabilities of the Variax. Care needs to be taken with the way you attack the strings, too. That has a significant impact on the overall 'bass sound'...

Basically, I agree with this, too. I do it one-at-a-time more out of habit than fear that something will get messed up. Plus, if I changed the way I do it now, I'd have to come up with some other silly habit, like changing the stings in the same order every time. And then I'd have to remember the order that I used the NEXT TIME I changed strings... At my age, the less I have to remember, the better...

Sigh. We feel your pain. As you've probably noticed, you're not the first person this has happened to... Isn't there a label with the S/N somewhere on your Amplifi? If you can find that, you might find that Line 6 will work with you on a resolution, at least to minimize the cost of your brick... iOS devices can auto-update, but that's under your control. It seems unlikely that it was an app update, however, as there hasn't been one (that I know of) in quite some time...

Most acoustic-electrics have output signals that are equivalent in amplitude to an electric guitar. Just use a 1/4" guitar cable into the input of your Amplifi 30 and you should be all set. You'll have to find a preset that best complements the acoustic guitar, though. You may have to build one that sounds good to you in the Amplifi Remote app, as I don't think there's a preset especially suited to what you're looking for. It'll need to be clean, of course. Other characteristics, like reverb, EQ, etc., will be up to you.

Decent tip, thanks. I usually just change strings one at a time, though, which lets me keep the neck fairly consistently tensioned. Don't know if this is generally recommended or not, it's just the way I've done it for years...

I believe that the preset change is actually made when the footswitch is released, rather than when it's pressed. You can verify this by holding the switch down with your foot for an artificially-long period of time. If you do this and the change doesn't take place until you take your foot off the switch, you'll have your answer. And, if this is the case, the only thing you can do to speed things up would be to very quickly 'tap' the switch once in order to change the preset. Avoid holding it down for any length of time.

Hmmmm... Sounds like it you're narrowing it down. Do you have access to another phone or device to try streaming audio via BT? That could tell you even more... Since you have a new amplifi, you should have some options. You could see about a return or exchange, for example, if you don't feel like tracking down the problem, yourself. It just might be something with the hardware. I still recommend opening a support ticket and see if you can talk to a tech on the phone, rather than waiting for a definitive answer on the forum. Good luck and please keep us informed!

Thanks for the additional information. It's somewhat helpful, and does raise a few questions: Is your Amplifi 30 a recent acquisition, and did you buy it new? If you've had it for a while, were you ever able to stream music to it via bluetooth? Since you say you can load and edit tones, I'm assuming that you can hear your guitar signal. I believe the paths for the guitar signal and BT music are separate, where the amplified guitar signal is fed to the main speaker, and external music goes to the other full range speakers. Could be that there's something wrong with the path for the external music. Maybe you could try connecting a phone or mp3 player to the Aux IN on the back, via a 1/8" (3mm) stereo cable. I believe that would use the same amplifier circuits and speakers that BT audio uses. Could be a good clue if that also doesn't work. I'm guessing that you've tried adjusting the guitar and music volumes in the app, although I think they'd boot up to a default volume that would let you hear the streaming music. Seems unlikely that this setting could have been set to 0 and retained upon restart. Have you pressed the main volume knob down and tried adjusting the guitar/streaming audio balance that way? Although there's one Line 6 tech who checks in here with helpful information, I'd recommend opening a support ticket to make sure you can talk to someone directly about this. This is primarily a user forum with a lot of knowledgeable members, but you might want to contact support for this one. I've had good luck getting a tech on the phone. They generally know their stuff and are very willing to work with you to resolve the problem.

A little more information on what you're trying to do might help. I'm assuming that you're trying to use it with the amplifi remote app, but it should also work with other music playback apps when connected via BT. Does it make a valid connection to your BT device?

USB3 isn't exactly new -- it's been on motherboards and laptops for quite some time. I would expect that the backward-compatibility would assure that older USB2 devices would work without difficulty. (Even Line 6 devices...) Maybe the original post is actually referring to USB-C, which is an emerging standard and appears on newer iPhones. Maybe some newer laptops are starting to support this, too? That's a different animal, in that there's an entirely new connector involved. But, with a suitable adaptor, good chance that it would also work...

Don't know that I'll ever have a use for this, but I applaud your effort and consideration for others who may run into the same issue. Good job!

Sure didn't see that at the time I wrote the post. Wouldn't have not commented, otherwise. But my apologies extended -- was just trying to help the OP get what he was looking for.

Sorry, psarkissian, but your answer doesn't appear to be pertinent to the OP's question, which was about piezo pickups.

You're welcome -- hope it works out for you!

No idea about the potential for updates, but I would suggest not holding your breath... It's not clear to me what type of lag you're seeing and what you might find acceptable, however, I'll make a suggestion: Hit the preset switch and get off it as quickly as you can. I'm pretty sure that the preset transition occurs when the switch is released, not when it's initially pressed. So don't 'linger', holding the switch down... Hope this may be of some help...

I have a similar history, although I'm now retired. I've been playing with 'home computers' since 1976, when I build my first one. (256 bytes or ram...) Think I can handle a firmware update... That's why I suggested giving them a call. I don't like to talk on the phone, and would rather use email support, but my experience with email support is that you can write a very thorough explanation of your problem, answering anticipated questions that they may ask of you in advance, and they still ask you if it's plugged in. It's as if they don't bother to read what you've written and you go through this stupid exercise repeatedly, telling them a step-at-a-time in response to their scripted questions, what you've already written! Maddening!! Good luck -- hope they're able to get you up & running. If you bought yours from a local music store, I'd consider a return/replacement. Or, at minimum, have THEM pack it up and send it to California, if that's the only solution.

I don't think the EX-1 can be used directly with the Amplifi, as it's just an expression pedal. The FBV Express MKII can be used, but I think it's a poor choice, because it's very limiting in its ability to dive deeper into the preset settings. All it gives you is the ability to select preset A, B, C or D of the selected Amplifi bank. IMO, a used FBV MKII Shortboard or an FBV-3, despite the additional expense, is a far better solution. The Express is the equivalent of a 4-function pocket calculator, if you're old enough to understand the reference. Enhanced functionality on the other two devices will give you not only the A, B, C, D preset selection switches, but you will see a visual representation of the selected bank and preset, and there are also switches that allow you to turn off individual modules in the presets, like reverb, modulation, tremolo, etc.

No, this isn't normal operation. It shouldn't require a double-hitch, hold-your-tongue-in-the-side-of-your-mouth, startup reset. It should just work. But then, this is Amplifi. All bets are off. For the record, my router -- which has both 2.4G and 5G bands -- is in the same room where I'm likely to use my 30, 150 or FX-100 devices. Haven't ever had a problem that sounds remotely similar to what you're experiencing. You might consider giving them a call, they will let you talk to a tech, which might get you farther, sooner, with a solution. The forum can be hit-and-miss. There is one Line 6 tech - psarkissian, who chimes in, and is helpful - but he may not get back to you soon enough to satisfy. You sound like you might be a 'new' customer -- give their tech support a try, with either a ticket or a phone call. They are pretty responsive. This forum is primarily a user-support venue.

I'd suggest giving Line 6 a call on the next business day. (tomorrow, as I write this...) They will connect you with a tech who will ask questions and 'walk you through' the update process. No guarantee that this will work, though. It didn't for me - I still had to send mine in for repair, despite the fact that I had been doing everything exactly according to procedure, as was acknowledged by the tech I was talking to on the phone. He had me try it with 3 different computers, all of which were up-to-date and well within the specs that should have ensured success. Updating these things can be an absolute nightmare. Since yours is new, it should be handled without any charges. But that doesn't compensate you for the aggravation and loss of use when you should be able to enjoy your new toy. Good luck, my friend...

Hmmmmm... not seeing a simple answer to this, but maybe someone will be able to help. I have a 30, a 150 and an FX100, and have managed to save some of the same presets to the same positions in all 3. It gets complicated because there's no option to save the entire setup as a 'bundle', like you might find on an old Pod device. Add that to the fact that you have to connect via bluetooth, and the different devices (in my case) have separate connections to my iOS/Android remote apps, and that they use the same Line 6 user ID. It's a lot to sort out... In your case, you're looking at having two TTs that connect with the same user ID. There's probably a way to get it done, but I predict that it's not going to be easy...

I would just add that it's often suggested that users connect to a rear-panel USB port if they're using a desktop computer. Those are generally connected directly-connected to the motherboard, and are usually capable of supplying more power to the port than front-panel USB connections, that are connected via small cables. Good luck to both of you -- updating these things can be frustrating, risky and expensive!

Some of the firmware updates have dealt with improvements to bluetooth functionality. While it's not actually 'necessary', if you experience any kind of a problem and seek assistance from Line 6 or here on the forum, you'll probably be instructed to update to the newest firmware. After my experience with turning a newly-purchased amplifier into a boat anchor, I'm not disappointed that there have been no recent firmware updates made available for Amplifi. I am not really in a position to judge the component or physical construction quality of these units. My nervousness is related to how long they might last before some type of expensive electrical failure. Especially since I don't use mine often. It would really be a downer if I turned it on and it didn't work.

Very true. However, the required supply in this case produces AC volts, not DC.