northparkpod Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 1. I have played around with a 69, but I haven't hooked one up to a Pod HD500x yet. Am I crazy for basically purchasing "sight unseen"? 2. I am looking at purchasing from Sweetwater (one of the scratch and dent models). Should I not do this or is it ok? Should I get a new one instead? 3. It seems as though the models they have available are made at the end of 2011 or beginning of 2012. Are these good dates or are there updated versions I should purchase? Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 1. I have had good luck with sight unseen purchases. Others haven't. Ya just never know. Just make sure they have a good return policy, Most places have a 30 days, no questions asked policy and I think Sweetwater does too. 2. Again ya never know until you see the product. As long as you can return it, what have ya got to lose. I've heard lots of good scratch and dent stories. 3. Upgrades are free and you can always roll back to the previous version, so you have a free choice at all times. No brainer here. The innards for the JTVs are the same Edit: Oh I think I misunderstood #3 at first. When the 69 first came out I know there were neck issues (E strings falling off the edge of the fret board while playing) but I think those issues were solved by the years you mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrellM5 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I bought the Variax 500 sight unseen in 2004 and the JTV69 the same way recently. I've been very pleased with both purchases. If you're not completely happy, return it to Sweetwater. They should send you photos of the actual guitar prior to shipping, so I wouldn't worry too much about the 'scratch and dent'. It should be a smoking good deal though because I bought mine brand new for $900 from them. Not sure about the manufacture dates and their affect on quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay-man Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Define "sight unseen". I have reviewed extensively the Variax before deciding to buy one, but I have not actually played one myself prior. Does not actually messing with one count as sight unseen? I did a bit of sight unseen on my M-Audio Fast Track Pro and I can tell you I am mad at myself. The thing has a worse noise floor than my POD GX that broke... I highly suggest at least seeing videos as well as reviewing specs and details of stuff you're considering buying. Youtube is a great tool for checking what something does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I bought a "Demo" JTV69S from Sweetwater and it was a very good experience. I was nervous but it worked out fine. You have the option with them to return it if you don't like it. I have purchased some of my guitars from a high end dealer where I could try out several and pick the one I liked. Hard to do mail order. :-) I have also bought several used guitars on Ebay with decent success. There are certainly more potential issues with the JTV guitars - they are much more complicated than a normal electric. My advice is to be fussy and if you see a problem send it back and ask Sweetwater to select one that doesn't have that problem to replace it. Once you get a good one you will love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 1) Its hard to find these guitars in stores, at least where I am (buried in suburban sprawl, with a mall every 8 feet and 2 major music retailers minutes away...even so, nobody stocks them around here). So I had no choice but to buy online. I get your apprehension tho, its the only guitar I have ever bought that I hadn't played first. 2) Mine is a Sweetwater scratch n' dent. Whatever flaws they have are cosmetic, and generally very minor. Unless you play with little white gloves on and never take it out of the house, you're probably gonna scratch and/or dent it worse yourself at some point. 3) Earlier guitars seemed to have more issues than later ones. Also, the bridge was redesigned at some point to fix some cable-routing issues from the piezos. Not sure when this was changed...mine is a 2012 (I forget the month...not near the guitar right now), and has the new bridge. In my experience, Sweetwater is great to deal with. 30 day no questions asked return policy, plus they give you an extra year of warranty on top of the factory one on most things they sell. I've contacted them about a couple of issues before, and gotten a return email (from an actual human, not an auto-reply) within a few minutes, and never more than a couple of hours later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrybacki Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 1. I have played around with a 69, but I haven't hooked one up to a Pod HD500x yet. Am I crazy for basically purchasing "sight unseen"? 2. I am looking at purchasing from Sweetwater (one of the scratch and dent models). Should I not do this or is it ok? Should I get a new one instead? 3. It seems as though the models they have available are made at the end of 2011 or beginning of 2012. Are these good dates or are there updated versions I should purchase? Thanks guys! 1. Bought mi JTV59 "sight unseen" from Sweetwater...they are a great company and will take care of you. The pictures on their Guitar Gallery were 100% accurate in my case, so it really wasn't "sight unseen"...it was without being played first. 2. My Sweetwater guitar was a "scratch and dent" model...if there was either a scratch or dent on my guitar, I couldn't find it. Personally, I think that given there are so many of these scratch and dent deals, this is a simple marketing/sale ploy to move these guitars and boost sales numbers. 3. There is a 2.0 firmware that is supposed to be high def (HD) . Sweetwater does this for you so the guitar you get will be the latest/greatest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 3. There is a 2.0 firmware that is supposed to be high def (HD) . Sweetwater does this for you so the guitar you get will be the latest/greatest. Actually, if I had to find a gripe about Sweetwater, this is it. Got mine at the end of December, and it came with 1.7 firmware, so check when you get it to make sure it was updated, cause it might not be. Minor issues tho, and wouldn't stop me from ordering from them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrybacki Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Actually, if I had to find a gripe about Sweetwater, this is it. Got mine at the end of December, and it came with 1.7 firmware, so check when you get it to make sure it was updated, cause it might not be. Minor issues tho, and wouldn't stop me from ordering from them again. This surprises me. But hey, I guess if we get ANY service these days it's a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I specifically asked for the update right after it came out last August. They did the update and checked out the guitar afterwards. It came with 2.0 as I had requested. I am sure that any new guitars in stock anywhere will not have 2.0 on them unless the dealer upgrades them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrybacki Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I specifically asked for the update right after it came out last August. They did the update and checked out the guitar afterwards. It came with 2.0 as I had requested. I am sure that any new guitars in stock anywhere will not have 2.0 on them unless the dealer upgrades them. Ok, to be very clear here...when I bought my guitar from Sweetwater in October 2013, the ad page specifically said it would be upgraded by Sweetwater at no cost. Period. And it was. However, that may have changed now, I don't know. In any event, in checking a Shoreline Gold SSS JTV69 page, I found this: Variax HD Upgrade and Workbench software give you unlimited tonal potential This Line 6 JTV-69 James Tyler Variax packs the latest Variax HD upgrade, bringing you more stellar models of rare vintage electric guitars, classic acoustic guitars, and exotic instruments. You'll be blown away once you start exploring these with the Workbench HD software, which gives you more tonal control and all-around tweakability than you ever thought possible. Create your own unique instrument model, then use Workbench HD to fine-tune individual string pitch, string volume, pickup position, and much more. You've never tweaked your tone like you can with the JTV-69 James Tyler Variax! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainframemac Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I got my JTV-69 from Sweetwater and it did not have the firmware upgrade, however, upgrading it seemed pretty easy and really didn't take very long, I first tried it a couple times with the interface module they gave me with the guitar and it wouldn't work so I did it while connected to the Pod HD 500x. Then I later found out I needed to plug a 1/4 inch cable into the guitar to "turn it on" LOL! Now I read everything I can on the systems so I can set it all up better. As a side note I tried to update my Line 6 spider IV straight through the computer with Monkey and it wouldn't take so I downloaded the update to my hard drive and it went right in, they kept telling me I had to register but I clearly had it registered. I am really enjoying the set up and plan to get an L2 speaker to run it all through so i can have cleaner acoustic sounds. I should ad I got the Variax 2 weeks ago, a red one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrybacki Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I got my JTV-69 from Sweetwater and it did not have the firmware upgrade, however, upgrading it seemed pretty easy and really didn't take very long, I first tried it a couple times with the interface module they gave me with the guitar and it wouldn't work so I did it while connected to the Pod HD 500x. Then I later found out I needed to plug a 1/4 inch cable into the guitar to "turn it on" LOL! Now I read everything I can on the systems so I can set it all up better. As a side note I tried to update my Line 6 spider IV straight through the computer with Monkey and it wouldn't take so I downloaded the update to my hard drive and it went right in, they kept telling me I had to register but I clearly had it registered. I am really enjoying the set up and plan to get an L2 speaker to run it all through so i can have cleaner acoustic sounds. I should ad I got the Variax 2 weeks ago, a red one. Well, I guess they quit doing that. You are correct that it is easy enough to do. That need to connect a 1/4" to a glorified dongle is one of the complainst against 2.0 firmware, but it's all I've known as I have only ever had firmware 2.0. Apparently (someone correct me if I'm wrong) you didn't need to do that with firmware 1.9, being able to do the Workbench and firmware updates through a VDI connected POD HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 All you have to do is ask them and they will do it. I was worried about the process because several folks were having trouble so I wanted it done for me in case it went to SH$T. Would save me the trouble of sending it back. They emailed me the pix of my guitar and they followed up to see that I was happy with it. This is what I call great online service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjohung Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I own a old Variax 300 just got it for nostalgic urge. I also own old XTLive and POD. 2.0 M13, etc....R30 Relay etc... Considering JTV Guitars. My recent set up has been pure analogue - well not really.. My Fender Strat or PRS through M13 4CM into Mesa MK3, Egnator R30 etc... So If i get JTV I would still keep my basic setup. with addition to acoustic sound.. My educated guess is that you can use a A/B box to switch between Tube amp for Electric and a full range amp (i.e. Roland KC-500) for acoustic sound.. I do have to do some foot dancing and changing guitar models. am I right? Should I pull out my old XTLive for JTV. is XTL still compatible with JTVs. I can't do HD500 and JTV all at once. and I do not want XTL on my live setup.. I had so much tweaking history with House PA, on stage monitor etc. witn L6 stuff My current set up just can't beat.. and I might ad M13 is one hell of a unit. perfect chain in my rig. I am also thinking.. M13 has stereo L & R out.. can it somehow assign expression pedal to "pan" L to R ....L connected to AMP - R connected to PA and do a smooth transition between Electric and Acoustic sounds.. ghj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjohung Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 I was recording few days ago.. an acoustic guitar track. I used Martin D-28 with LR Baggs. It sounded like Marsahall/LR should sound lke.. I pulled out my Variax 300. dailed in D-18,.... It sounded so bad... Is there ae big improvement on JTV guitar acoustic modeling?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 I was recording few days ago.. an acoustic guitar track. I used Martin D-28 with LR Baggs. It sounded like Marsahall/LR should sound lke.. I pulled out my Variax 300. dailed in D-18,.... It sounded so bad... Is there ae big improvement on JTV guitar acoustic modeling?? You don't say what other gear you're using. Were you recording direct, or through an amp? Point is the problem may not be your 300...million other things can contribute to a lousy sounding acoustic model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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