Originally Posted By: eddie1261
Jim, you seem to know the history. Was it always 50 presets? Eddie, no. The first generation firmware has the same model set as the current generation JTV 59 & JTV 69. However the firmware had duplicate memory slots with half the memory slots available to the model knob and pick-up switch and the others locked into firmware. That way, if you locked-up the motherboard so much that it could not be accessed through the Variax port you can reset the motherboard and the permanent motherboard memory slots will overwrite the accessible memory slots. I've never had to reset my motherboard so I don't remember the step-by-step but can look it up if I had to. I have not played with a new generation Variax but my understanding is the alternate tunings are set across the board so you can switch between models but retain the tuning set by the alternate tunings knob. Generation 1 shipped with two alt tunings that occupy two of the five custom model settings. Using Workbench you can drop up to five frets and up eight but they didn't sound very good. Realistically you can drop three or raise five.

The guy I know that has the JTV has created about 4 oddball tunings so he apparently can edit. I love the idea of playing in open E and then with the push of a knob and a twist of a dial be in open G. Apparently, from what you said, they fixed the motherboard problem. I know that all 3 of the guys with the major problems DID have early models and they crapped out on them during summertime outdoor gigs when humidity was high. We don't have the humidity that Notes has in Florida but Ohio has it's moments.

I asked him about doing a song of mine that needs baritone guitar and he had the preset for it, but I ended up just tuning a guitar down 3 half steps to loosen the strings and made it sound like a baritone.

Jim Fogle - 2024 BiaB (1111) RB (5) Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD
Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD
Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home