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Pickup selector switch


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The pickup selector switch is going bad on my JTV-59. Out of warranty. I ordered a replacement from Full Compass.  Looks pretty simple.  But there is not an authorized Line 6 repair center near Pittsburgh. 

 

My question - 

Is the repair something that can be done by a regular experienced (i.e. local) guitar tech?  (I'm trying to avoid shipping the guitar.)

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My question -

Is the repair something that can be done by a regular experienced (i.e. local) guitar tech? (I'm trying to avoid shipping the guitar.)

The powers that be will likely say no, and attempt to equate fixing a JTV with repairing the Hubble telescope. Tales of woe about some half-wit's botched attempt notwithstanding, as far as I'm concerned, as long as it isn't the guy's first day with a soldering iron, and he can outsmart Forrest Gump...the answer is yes. There are guys around here who don't make a living fixing guitars, yet they've managed to swap out mag pickups, piezos, and busted switches, all without a trip to the ER. It can be done.

 

Half the time an "authorized service center" is your local Megalomusic, and the "tech" is a 19 year old kid. You do the math...

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Normally I would agree, being part of that powers that be (hey, that rhymes), but,....

 

http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/guitars/james-tyler-variax-guitars/jtv-pickup-wiring-diagrams-r64

 

... has the pick-up wiring. The tech will need to pay close attention to where it says Neck and Bridge,

and the polarity. Unless he's an authorized tech, I can't assist or give him schematics beyond what's

on the Knowledge Base, so it's at your own risk.

 

Though you're at the other end of the state, say hello to Lancaster for me, next time you go by there.

 

Happy hunting.

 

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I have two JTV-59 and both had problems with the selector-switch on the mags.

One was a bit loose and tightening the ring-screw of the switch did the job, the other on was magically repaired by a good shot of Kontakt 60 right in it's guts. Both are easy solutions and so something to consider before changing the switch.

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/kontakt_chemie_kontakt_60.htm

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I have two JTV-59 and both had problems with the selector-switch on the mags.

One was a bit loose and tightening the ring-screw of the switch did the job, the other on was magically repaired by a good shot of Kontakt 60 right in it's guts. Both are easy solutions and so something to consider before changing the switch.

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/kontakt_chemie_kontakt_60.htm

I'm gonna give both a try tonight (I have some contact cleaner at home).  Thanks for the advice!

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  • 1 month later...

Just bought a brand new JTV-59 and the pickup selector switch works fine selecting the magnetic pickups.

But it does not work in Variax mode selecting different model guitars.

 

Same switch but different problems.

 

Wiring diagrams don't show how that switch connects to the Variax DSP , or even if it does?

 

Any insight?  

 

 I'm just curious by nature. Doubt a 1 day old guitar would be sent to a repair shop.

(Serial number indicates a 2016/ 7 build  W1607...  )

Just starting the fun process of dealing with return/exchange.    

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I have a 69S and on that, the selector switch appears to have a second pole to signal the DSP. So, it could be that the second pole on your switch is damaged or it could be that a connector has come loose inside the guitar. Just a guess...

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  • 5 months later...
On 1/23/2018 at 3:32 PM, Smashcraaft said:

I have two JTV-59 and both had problems with the selector-switch on the mags.

One was a bit loose and tightening the ring-screw of the switch did the job, the other on was magically repaired by a good shot of Kontakt 60 right in it's guts. Both are easy solutions and so something to consider before changing the switch.

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/kontakt_chemie_kontakt_60.htm

Thanks Smashcraft!!!

I had just ordered a new switch, then saw your electronic spray cleaner suggestion. A quick run to store, a few well placed sprays and 'voila' it's working like a champ!!!

thanks again!!!

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On 1/23/2018 at 9:32 PM, Smashcraaft said:

I have two JTV-59 and both had problems with the selector-switch on the mags.

One was a bit loose and tightening the ring-screw of the switch did the job, the other on was magically repaired by a good shot of Kontakt 60 right in it's guts. Both are easy solutions and so something to consider before changing the switch.

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/kontakt_chemie_kontakt_60.htm

I'd rather pick Kontakt 601 or Tuner Spray because of having issues with residues. Kontakt 60 might help just for a short time and then the issue would return because it wasn't washed out. That's what I've read in a forum about electronics.

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  • 1 month later...

I had the issue with the selector switch just a bit after the warranty on the JTV-69 ended.  The pickups were fine, but the model selection side was very erratic.

 

I ordered a new switch assembly from Full Compass but in the meantime programmed the POD 500 to select the models I needed for various gigs.  That worked fine, but I did finally change out the switch.

 

There is a plug on one end of a cable on the new circuit board and that plugs into the main board.

 

For the actual pickups you have to desolder the wires from the pickups and then solder them onto the replacement board.  I was able to position things such that I could transfer one wire at a time, so keeping them in order wasn't a big issue.  You should always take pictures before starting, and also note the orientation of the old switch.

 

First off be sure the guitar is disconnected from the POD, if used, and also remove the battery.

 

Be sure to protect the guitar to avoid damage from dropping solder on the finish, or inside the body.

 

Discharge any static electricity by at least touching a ground point, or better yet using a grounding wrist strap if you have access to one.  This is a good idea if you are in a dry environment where static is an issue.  I did my switch change when it was fairly humid so no issues with static.

 

Note I had tried the non-residue contact cleaner but that really didn't help much.  The design of the switch is pretty poor and what appears to happen is that it loses tension over time. It doesn't impact the analog (guitar pickup) side of the switch, but because of the "pulse counting" for the digital model selection there is too much contact bounce and that is what seems to cause the issue.

 

I plan on seeing if I can engineer a more reliable solution using the old switch and a couple of ideas I have as I expect that the new switch will eventually fail as well.

 

If you, or your tech, are comfortable with a soldering iron (e.g. you have changed out pickups, selector switches, etc. on your other guitars), then you shouldn't be afraid of doing this repair.

 

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