davidb7170

Could be the original owner changed the pickguard like I did on my Korean gold JTV 69S, and got one from fullcompass. I put the white pearloid one on - it looks great to me. No cut out at the neck... Sounds like the OP lucked out. Another advantage to the US version is the neck is quarter sawn, so would be a somewhat denser wood less likely to warp than the normal necks. Dave

Good one! 😎

All JTV & Standard owners including me, are waiting for this. L6 claims it's on their to do list... Haven't heard anything lately, though I've noticed not too many posts from their group lately, either... Dave

Was going to suggest the level control down a dB or 2, would be the most obvious, but sounds like you've done that from your post. Mix is just the balance between wet and dry signal... I've noticed a bit of a boost, but nothing dramatic. Dave

Don't believe the 89 without the Floyd trem is even offered any longer. If you look at this site's product offerings on the Variax family, it (along with several other models & color options) are no longer shown. Too bad - they could have done a better job at continuing promotion of the line, imo. Besides the addition of the trem on the 89F, IIRC I believe they have a different brand of piezo transducers. Can't remember which they went to. The original 89's had the same LR Baggs piezo's as the rest of them. Dave

Nope. I had the issue on my 59 the first summer I had it - 2011. My bridge corroded from sweat, and on outside jobs on humid days, or nights with dew, the signal on my low E would cut out. I dealt with Rich Renkin, the JTV product manager (great guy, moved on since then). The first run of 59's had supply chain issues, not in spec, and they changed manufacturers. He sent me a new bridge and it's been fine ever since. My 2012 69S has not had the issue at all. The use of the piezo case as the ground was not a good design. If it maintains contact, it's fine, but if it gets corroded, the contact is intermittent, that's when you have a string volume fade or stop. The solder pad circuit board under the bridge has 2 pads per piezo, hot and ground, but the piezo has only the hot lead, and case ground. One guy fixed it (think he posted - yep just above) by soldering a lead to the piezo's, tricky, gotta keep heat low or you'll fry them. Might find an alternative brand of piezo that has 2 leads... Honestly though, both my 59 & 69S have been fine since 2012, so I have not gone that route... Dave

I use "FRFR" and do the HF cuts to mainly reduce the harsher HF tones on the distorted patches. The HF driver in a full range speaker tends to emphasize those frequencies that a normal guitar amp speaker naturally rolls off. But, I also use acoustic guitar patches that I've found don't sound very good through a traditional guitar amp speaker. I don't use a guitar amp model on those, and don't roll off the HF for them. The overtones are present and sound nice and open. In a good 20 - 20kHz system, most folks don't actually hear the 20 kHz high end, but if you limit the audio range much below 15 kHz, a good cymbal sounds like a trash can lid. In the recording end of this world, you hear a lot of discussion of sample rates. 44.1, 48, 90 kHz etc. No human ear can hear those frequencies, but it really has to do with how many samples of the waveform it takes to accurately represent the waveform. The reason the sample rates are what they are is to capture at least 2 samples per cycle, so you see 44 kHz as the bare minimum for a good representation of around 22 kHz, 48 is "better", 96 is "even better", but how much better is the arguing point for a long time... "CD quality" is at 44.1 kHz sample rate, I believe, and of course the super high quality versions of that format are available with much higher sample rates. Most decent mics roll off around 15 - 16 kHz, like the Sure SM-57 or 58 (pretty well respected mainstream mics). But they also emphasize the vocal midranges around 4 or 5 kHz by design. I found my "FRFR" speaker designed for PA use also has the midrange emphasis (for vocals), so for use with my guitar-centric Helix set up, I compensate by reducing that range with the global EQ. While nothing is perfect, it certainly sounds more as I want it to. I would love to get my hands on a good reference mic and frequency analyzer to flatten it out more scientifically (I'm an engineer and tend towards that), but for now, all I have to rely on is the sound that makes me smile. Dave

Variax Work Bench and Firmware updates are key for full functionality. I don't have the DT amps, but think they should also implement their L6 Link for those loyal users. Dave

I never really got why the HD500 supported WB & HD WB, but the HD500X didn't. It only supported HD WB after a fairly long wait for a FW update. I still have my HD500X and HD500 for the use of the WB versions with my Variax 300, JTV-59, & 69S... I also carry my 500X as a spare with the Helix, like I took my 500 to backup the 500X on gigs. I have 2 usb interfaces that I got with my JTV's, and HATE using them. The sound out of the 1/4" is different from the VDI no matter what others say. I tweek the settings of the guitar how I use it. I don't use the 300 out any more, but really don't like that L6 orphans those who have the first generation guitars. At the very least they should make HD WB and FW updates work for the JTV's and Standards, but should also address the functionality of the first generation Variax's with the Helix. The HD500(X) could tell which was plugged in and deal with it. May not have had the bells and whistles of the second generation, but not the gobbly lollipop I saw when I plugged in my 300 to the VDI of my Helix. Hopefully they are circling back to support probably their most die hard users that went all the way with their products... Just my 2 cents worth. Dave

I use the 8 switch snapshot mode, but have 1 preset that I switch to stomp mode for a momentary switch effect I need in one song that I can't do in snapshot mode. It would be handy if you could get a momentary snapshot, then go back to the last snapshot you were in, but don't think that's possible in snapshot, unless I'm missing something. As far as switching presets, I do it as I did in stomp mode, hitting the up/down bank and select the next preset. Dave

It will work like any other guitar, but you won't have the helix/JTV control capabilities via wireless like you would with the VDI cable connection. You'll need to switch models and tuning manually, use the battery to power the guitar. Dave

No, just the Variax input block. I set my Variax input parameter not to global, but to Per Preset, then on one snapshot push & turn the model parameter to one model (shows brackets). On the other snapshot change the model parameter to a different model. In mine the tuning offsets were the same for both models, but you can also push & turn those as well to change per snapshot. Dave

Okay sounds like you probably have it sorted, but just in case, make sure they eq block is not bypassed... Probably wasn't, but I've made changes to an fx, thinking wtf, only to realize it was bypassed (face palm) ... Dave

Just wondering, are you using a Variax via the VDI? I do, and the impedance settings have no effect on that. Wish it could... With my traditional electrics into the guitar input, the impedance settings definitely do color the sound by putting a load on the pickups. It helps with my overly bright pickups to take the edge off, and helps reduce the hum as well with my strat and the P90's on another guitar. My Gretch Country Gentleman also benefits from lowering the impedance. Dave

My Variax 300 was the lowest on the totem pole. I bought mine in 2005 for around $500, and found it in a small town music shop about 30 or 40 miles away. It's the red one without trem. It played fine, but the fit & finish was so so. Didn't really like the body shape much. Still have it, and it still works, but the Helix is weird with it, doesn't display the the models correctly, think I heard it won't change models with the patches either. It does on the XTLive, X3Live, HD500, and HD500X I have. The neck was fine,but I need to change the nut that was kind of cheap plastic, and the strings cut their way into it. Heard a lot of folks swapped the neck out for a strat neck. Pretty sure these were the ones made in China, though I'd have to look.... I had picked up an epi LP, and was using the 300 for special models and tunings. I was considering a Gibson Traditional Pro when they came out with the JTV's and I jumped for the 59, then a year or so later the 69S... The 300 was my "gateway drug".... 😎 Dave

Going to try to attach the zip file right here.... Okay, seemed to work. I can never tell what's going to and what's not. I included the Acoustic 6 & 12, plus a variation with the mags into my go to clean amp, then I think particle verb, into a leslie for a background organ type of sound. A fourth patch demonstrates changing JTV models and parameters, these last 2 are for specific songs of the same titles.... I use that "organ" type of background on a couple of songs. The acoustics sound really good (to me) through FRFR, and the PA. My JTV is the JTV-69S, I also have a 59, and I love them both, but I tend to play the 69S more, after 40+ years of being a Fender guy, just feels right in my hands. One thing to note, with my 69S, I roll my tone way back on my bridge, like just above the mud of full, so if you try the electric and it sounds overly bright, either roll back or adjust the amp tone to suit. If you have a 59, I use the same patches, but add a gain block set to -8.2 dB at the beginning of the electric signal path as that guitar's humbucker output is significantly higher than the 69S's single coils. This and the caveats in earlier posts about per preset settings in the variax input block.... Let me know what you think. Dave Export for Sharing.zip

To clarify, when you have your input set to Guitar In on your HD500(X) or helix, you get only the 1/4" guitar input. If you set Aux, you get only the aux in, if you set Mags, and use the VDI, you get only the JTV mags. If you set Variax, you get models or mags, depending on the state of your JTV. If you have the models on,you get the models, if you have the mags on, you get those. If you save the patch with the models on, it recalls the patch with the model on, and vice versa with the mags. The pedal saves the state of the JTV and remembers it when you choose that patch again. It really works nicely. Sometimes people make things too complicated for themselves... I set my Helix and my 500(X) on the per preset for the patches. That way, if I have a preset for mags, it pulls up the mags, if I have a model selected with and alternate tuning, like a drop Db, boom it's there. Dave

Push the model knob in, and you'll get the mags...

I've had my 59 for 5 years and my 69S for 4, and have not had problems tuning them in a noisy bar environment with the band playing with the 500, 500X, or now with the Helix. I use the mags 80-90% of the time, so that is what it usually is tuned with. Solid body guitars are usually very good at not being influenced by outside sound. You have to nearly stick it into a speaker to make it feedback... That's my experience with them and my other electric solidbodies. Dave

I just thought of something with regard to the patches I sent. Make sure you set your input block to switch the JTV from "Don't Force" to "Per Preset" on the preset. Otherwise, you won't get the acoustic patch on the JTV. Just a thought to pass on... In my opinion, this setting should have been in the global settings, not in the preset... Dave

I use my Crate PB case for my Quilter Tone Block 200 -- fits like a glove... Would also fit in the Helix Backpack... Dave

Regalpierot -- I just noticed you might not have updated to the latest Helix FW... Umm, the patches I sent you are from FW 2.01 and may make your Helix choke... I have snapshots on them, and also can switch with a footswitch in the stomp mode... They also switch the JTV via the VDI cable.... Dave

PM sent. Dave

You can make the Helix blend the model and mags by splitting the inputs and either keep them on separate paths or merging the paths, then set the mix either with gain blocks or merge gains. Different ways of achieving the same outcome... Dave

Yes I will - I noticed you said you have a Mac. I use Win8.1 Can you accept zip files? PM me. Dave