malnack

Definitely sounds like something is wrong. On the Lester setting, my 59P is significantly hotter than the other models and responds similarly to my son's Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III. Battery (and charger) should've been included, along with the USB interface, a gig bag, and a Variax cable.

I use a Presonus Audiobox 1818 VSL as my DAW interface into Studio One Pro.

When I record, I split the guitar signal so that a dry signal goes in to my audio interface and a processed signal from the HD500 goes into another channel. Then I can use amp modellers in my DAW (Studio One Pro v. 2.6) to process the dry signal so that it fits into the track. Sometimes I use just one of the tracks, sometimes it is a mix of both.

I've got a JTV-59P (Goldtop). It actually plays very similarly to the PRS single cutaway models. It is also similar in weight. The build quality on my model is superb. For me, the flexibility of the Variax is hard to pass up. For live work, I've settled in on 3 models that I really like. For recording in my home studio, I've used a bunch of different models. Being able to test a different guitar tone against a track is amazing. Sometimes it is a model I would never have thought would fit. I also have a HD500 and a DT-25. When recording I take both a dry signal and the HD500 signal into my interface which allows me to further alter the tone after recording.

So you're taking the XLR out into an audio interface? When you say buzz, is it constant like a ground loop issue or is it occasional? I'm sure someone here will be able to help.

Welcome aboard! I'm in a similar situation; band fronted by female vocals, sort of a blend of 80's New Wave with a touch of funk. We try to play about once a month. I've got the 59P, the HD500, and a DT25. Since adding the 59P, I've been exploring all kinds of tonal options. Even though I was a strat player before, I've settled in on a combo of the Tele and Lester models for most songs. I use the acoustic models a bit and have not experienced what you described although I've seen others mention it. In contrast, the action on the 59P is a bit too low for me as delivered. I might have raise it a bit. (I've got some old hands as well but prefer the action higher). We record a fair amount too and I'm anxious to try out the Variax in our next session.

I have the same issue. The L6 connector on the HD500 appears to be loose and if the DMX cable moves at all the sound can either cut out or the DT25 will sound completely different. I'm not sure if this is something I can tighten up on my own or not.

Thanks again radatats! I was able to mess with this last night and the sound really was impressive. So much so that I'm going to use one of the 12 string acoustic patches (with ResoG tuning) at a gig this Saturday. I agree with ColonelForbin in that rolling back the volume on the JTV helped as well.

Thanks for putting this up. I'll check it out tonight and give you some feedback.

Strange. I'm running a similar setup, HD500 into DT25 via L6 link and a JTV59 via Variax cable. I just updated the POD firmware last week and haven't noticed any real changes in tone. I think I was on firmware that was about a year old prior to that. Some of my tones with a Blackface and Strat setup are so bright that I think they might be too bright,

Awesome! I've been on another journey; some of the new tracks I've written are heavy on keyboards. I'm hoping to avoid having to lug the keyboard rig out to the next gig so I've been developing some patches between the JTV59 and the HD500 that have some synth type qualities. I'm getting closer. The combination of a swell, an acoustic on the JTV, and some reverb and delays have gotten me in the ballpark. If you're planning on using the Variax cable, I'd consider getting the longer one from Line 6. I know there are others that make them as well. The included cable is short and the build quality isn't great.

I do really like the P-90's, but I find myself in Variax mode most of the time. The primary reason is there is absolute silence when you're not playing. We have some halogen lighting in our studio and it tends to affect magnetic pickups in a bad way. One of the modelled guitars in the Variax has P-90's and they sound really similar to the magnetic ones. Either method has a real nice crunch to them with the DT25 and a little overdrive. As for being able to switch to acoustic on the fly, I did set up an amp model on the DT25 that sounds pretty good. However, I also run the guitar 1/4" output to a keyboard amp when I want a really good acoustic sound. My DT25 patch sounds fine when mixed in with the rest of the band, but if I was going to play an acoustic number, I'd use the keyboard amp. It is possible to set up the HD500 so that it can mute the signal to the DT25 or to the PA for the best results. I'd also agree with your comparison of the JT59 being similar to a PRS Les Paul style guitar. My son has a nice LP Ultra III and the action and feel between them are really different. Before getting the JT59, my primary was a strat style guitar with a humbucker at the bridge. It has been heavily customized (SuperVee tremolo, Dimarzio pickups, etc) and it has become my backup. I do miss the SuperVee, but the JT59 is better in every other way. As for the finish, the gold top is really impressive. I've always had a thing for gold tops with the creme pickups and the photos on the web don't do it justice. It is a nice guitar. The only thing I've replaced are the strap pegs with oval shaped ones to keep my leather strap on. The gig bag is pretty nice as well. I plan on replacing the included Variax cable with a longer one. Same boat for me on the USA models. As a part time rocker, I couldn't justify the cost. The Korean model is excellent quality. Brent

I've had the HD500 for a few years and the DT25 for about 2 years. I just added a JT59P. Getting the volume levels even between patches is indeed the most time consuming part. When I first got the HD500, I set up a different patch for every song in our set list. The changes in volume between them caused me to rethink that approach. When I added the DT25, I was amazed with the quality of tones that I could get. So I consilidated from lots of patches to just a few; a clean, a crunch, and a distorted. That worked pretty well for me for over a year. Then I decided to simplify even further; one patch that has about everything I need as a foot click option. I started by getting a clean patch for my Strat and then assigned chorus, delay, tube overdrive, swell, distortion, and volume to the footswitches and volume pedal. Now it was simple for a gig to have everything I needed without adversly affecting volume levels. Since adding the Variax, I've started over with a similar concept. Have a few base patches that are best suited to the guitar model that I'll be using. Start with the best clean patch for the guitar model in question, and then build on top of it with the other effects. If I had more time available and if we gigged more often, I'd probably spend more time creating mre song specific patches.The way I'm using it is that today I have a pretty good aproximation of an AC30 with some great effects and a nice tube overdrive. If I tire of it, I can change things up and have a Marshall type amp. I'm still carrying a small rig to the show and I know that the levels are going to be pretty consistent for the entire show. I have not tried the L2. It does look promising. My gear has been entirely reliable for lots of shows over the last few years. I did have an issue of the amp cutting out once and traced it to a faulty L6 link (DMX) cable. Hope this helps, Brent

I finally completed my Dream Rig a few weeks ago with the addition of a JTV 59P. I started with the HD500 a few years back with my Spider IV 120. While it was great for recording, the combination of the two was not ideal. I replaced the Spider with a DT25. Huge improvement and I enjoyed the tones I could get out of the rig for over a year. When I added the JTV, the tonal possibilities expanded immensely. I haven't tried the L2, but I have run the JTV out into the PA for acoustic sounds and that has worked very well. The nice thing is that you can set up your patches so that the output to the DT25 is muted on an acoustic patch and vice versa. You can store your Variax guitar settings including tuning, etc. with a HD500 patch. I'm extremely satisfied with the rig!

It started a few years back with the HD500 and then the DT-25. I just added a JT59P. I just got the JT59 updated last night. The DT25 is updated and I believe I'm fairly close on the HD500. Over the years, I had built tones based on the gear I was using at the time. I've got one tone that sounds great with the new guitar, but I'm wondering if I should start over. If I reset the HD500 to the default settings, are there any tones that take the full rig into consideration? If so, I might start with those. I've been reading threads about setting the master on the DT25 higher and lowering the patch volume on the HD500. Has that worked out well for anyone? I'm concerned that I might step on the wrong patch at a gig and end up blowing the place out. Thanks in advance. Happy to finally have the full rig. Brent