stevekc

DO you have HipShot Tuners?

There are several small allen screws on the JTV-59 bridge base that is used to locl the bridge base in place 

I'll have to try this out and compare to the real deal" !

http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9291.0

But they were off-the-clock favors for

guitarist Carlos Rios

nest time you see Carlos Rios - tell him Steve Conrad from old Valley Arts  days (circa 1979-1986) says "Hello! 

https://www.snoize.com/SysExLibrarian/

I suggest consult the Line-6 MIDI Continuous Controller Reference -  for details on what you can control on Vetta using standard MIDI CC# messages from any MIDI controller  

http://line6.com/data/l/0a06000f1344c45ecbcd6e0293/application/pdf/MIDI%20Continuous%20Controller%20Reference%20

Vetta Power Supply  U1 is TOP234G SMD PWM Controller IC 

http://www.mouser.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=%252bk6%2f5FB6qrlDlWX4cmr%252bXA%3d%3d&utm_source=findchips&utm_medium=aggregator&utm_campaign=869-TOP234GN&utm_term=TOP234G

http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/328/power%20integrations_top232-234-328116.pdf

I now own two JTV-59 guitars

one in Cherry Burst and the other in Tobacco brown sunburst

both have very similar fat neck profiles  - which as a long time Les Paul player I prefer  

Thermal Relief Guitar
730 West Cheyenne Ave. Suite #120 N. Las Vegas NV, 89030
(702) 395-7005 
info@thermalrelief.com



http://thermalrelief.com/tta002/

Agreed-

GC will give you $500 for your old JTV-59 - then put in on the sales floor for $800 and sell it in 3 months and make $300 profit - its common practice.

I say - sell it on Reverb

https://reverb.com/p/line-6-variax-jtv-59

Thats common for a three year old digital modeling guitar 

http://line6.com/support/topic/22092-differing-neck-and-body-profiles-in-jtv-59/

I purchased a JTV-59 back in 2013.

Their reasoning was that every JTV they have sold had to go back with some sort of issue or another and were very nervous about taking one on trade !!!!

Spoken from an experienced GC sales manager. My 2011 JTV-59 had to go back to Line-6 to replace the toggle switch 

but now they are available here:

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/458044.html

See all Full Compass replacement parts for Line-6 guitars here:
http://www.fullcompass.com/category/Guitar-Parts2.html?brand%5B%5D=LN6

Very few high tech guitars with built in CPU / DSP's hold their value - they tend to track the same decline as a used laptop from similar year as the Variax  -

For example a 2013 laptop PC that sold for $1500 back in 2013 is now worth about $500-$600 today 

Look at Ebay and the prices of 10 year old 1st gen Variax 300/500/700  

which is why modding a Variax to your liking is the way to go- (see mine on my avator on the left  - JTV-59 with Bigsby)

I just purchased a 2nd JTV-59 (used $699 - I love the Neck profile )

 - and will remove all Line-6 DSP bits  - and replace with Antares ATG DSP instead ( like James Hetfield recently did)  

http://www.autotuneforguitar.com/products/products.php?category=Custom_Installation_Kits_7

Their reasoning was that every JTV they have sold had to go back with some sort of issue or another and were very nervous about taking one on trade !!!!

Spoken from an experienced sales manager. My 2011 JTV-59 had to go back to Line-6 to replace the toggle switch 

but now they are available here:

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/458044.html

Happy to hear your good results with the BTPA cables.

BTPA Cables are what Fractal recommends too, as they are consistently good quality !

My old 2005 era VDI cable is a tangled mess  

I suppose I got lucky - when i ordered a new VDI cable from Amazon - it arrived as a tangle free easy to roll up flexible type EtherCon cable

http://btpa.com/98-030-004-XXX.html

Variax Digital Input Cables Compatible with POD®xt Live, Bass POD® xt Live,
Quality made and tested in the U.S.A. with tactical dual jacketed ethernet cable

no ship date available yet!

 it will show up here
http://store.line6.com/accessories/bags-covers.html

Contact a rep at Full Compass

http://www.fullcompass.com/brand/LN6_Line-6/Replacement-Service-Parts.html

My JTV-69 is S-S-H too

as stated above, you will get typical single coil PU noise when using neck PU only or Mid PU Only - 

Compared to the neck single coil PU, the JTV-69 middle single coil PU is a reverse wound  / reverse polarity , so when both Neck and Middle PU's are engaged ( switch position #2) you get humbucking action - just like all Fender Strats for past 25 years.  

http://thermalrelief.com/tta002/

Thermal Relief Guitar
730 West Cheyenne Ave. Suite #120 N. Las Vegas NV, 89030
(702) 395-7005 
info@thermalrelief.com

Im very happy with my Bigsby B7 on JTV-59 (see avatar on left)

I go into all details on installation here

http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9291.0

 

 

I cannot fathom that they would leave this out forever...it would aggravate too many Variaxers.

I own both HD500  and HD500X and a Helix.

Had to keep the HD500 around because they didnt get Workbench HD functional on HD500X until April 2014 (or 2 1/2 years after HD500X release:

find Workbench HD in the Software downloads area

http://line6.com/software/index.html

Workbench HD currently works with these :

POD HD Pro

POD HD Pro X

POD HD500

POD HD500X

Variax USB Interface

If you need the USB Interface buy it here:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Workbench

or used here

https://reverb.com/au/item/1331115-line-6-variax-workbench-usb-interface-w-both-cables

Here what you are dealing with 

Order Spare Variax Parts here from FullCompass

http://www.fullcompass.com/brand/LN6.html?page=8&query=&categoryOrder=Bestselling

Line 6 01-49-0004
Line 6 Variax Volume Pot

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/444501.html

JTV-69 "User interface" (pots & Switches) 

Line 6 50-02-0321
Line 6 Modeling Guitar User Interface PCB
http://www.fullcompass.com/product/450983.html

Its also due to the wide variability of output signal levels in Piezo saddles.

Rather like matching power tubes  - same paradigm

.

Unfortunately some LR Baggs Piezo Variax saddles have a higher output level, that is clipping  / distorting the A/D converter on the Internal Variax DSP board.

Its like setting the signals too high on an older old DAT Tape Recorder, once you saturate the A/D  - you get dreadful plink on all attack transients if you are an aggressive player.

I own both a JTV-59 and JTV-69, and as luck would have it, my JV-69 Piezo saddles are much hotter than my weak output piezo saddles in my JTV-59.

Variax Models on the JTV-69 shine, while the JTV-59 sounds "flubby" 

But at least neither have the Low E "plink" !

Using Workbench HD, I finally got the JTV-59 sounding closer to the JTV-69, as I discovered the String levels on my JTV-59 were set too low. 

----
For comparison, the RMC-Pickups Piezo saddles ( used in Godins) are all measured at the production line and sorted into sets with matched output levels  and sold to OEM's in matched sets

---

RMC Piezo Saddle Output Sensitivity Range (dB) (see color code band on wire) 
6.0 - 6.49 Blue
5.5 - 5.99 Green -Green 
5.0 - 5.49 Green  
4.5 - 4.99 Yellow-Yellow  
4.0 - 4.49 Yellow  
3.5 - 3.99 Orange-Orange  
3.0 - 3.49 Orange  
2.5 - 2.99 Red-Red  
2.0 - 2.49 Red  
1.0 - 1.99 Brown  
0.0 - 0.99 Black 
-0.0 - 0.99 Black-Black 
-1.0 - 1.99 Black-Brown 
-2.0 - 2.99 Black-Red 
-3.0 - 3.99 Black-Orange 
-4.0 - 4.99 Black-Yellow 

Below is a typical RMC PolyDrive Board Piezo preamp board (to drive  Roland / Boss  GK-13 processor ) inside a Godin xtSA -
showing the Piezo Saddle color code on the wires 

The "RED" color on all 6 Piezo saddle coax cables denotes these are a matched set 
with 2.0 - 2.49 Decibel output level.

 

I tried this last night, and good news !!!!  IT WORKED !!!! I lowered my string sensitivity to 70% on all string and the plink is gone !!!! I highly recommend everyone give this a go. I hope everyone has the same success as i did  :)

Glad to hear changing the String Sensitivity in Workbench  solved your plink problem!

It solved mine!

Its a reminder that Careful attention to each Gain stage in the entire signal path yields best results.

But note it will not fix piezo bridge saddle rattles that can be heard while unplugged, that situation requires a different strategy. (mechanical)

Suggest contact customer support and get your Variax repaired

Helix Editor (V1.12) for Mac
http://line6.com/software/readeula.html?rid=7025

Helix Editor (V1.12) for Windows
http://line6.com/software/readeula.html?rid=7024