My Pod XT is about 11/12 years old now and has served me well, but the screen is dying (can just about still make out what it's saying or can just plug it into the pc) but now it's developed a really annoying fault where the reverb keeps coming on and no sooner do you turn it off it comes back on again. Wouldn't be so bad but its cavernous and sounds shit... I've had it apart and sprayed contact cleaner as best i can in the pots and switches but i'm stumped now.
I'm a bit annoyed as i can get some really great sounds out of it and along with the floorboard i've got with it i wanted to use it for the effects in my band. But then i guess it is quite old and i've had my moneys worth out of it.
So, anyone know how i can fix it? And if not whats worth looking at buying next? Pod hd500? Helix looks awesome but not sure i want to spunk a grand on it (is it really that good..??)
Thanks
Comments
Alternative replacements would of course be something like the HD500X if you need the onboard editing or if you don't mind using an app, the Firehawk is pretty awesome.
I play guitar and take photos of stuff. I also like beans on toast.
The reverb fault with your XT is likely to be a duff pot (its digital, therefore any 'crackle' from the pot is interpretted as change and will confuse the processor, switch cleaner will NOT help) - IIRC, these are a standard Alpha 10k pot (can't remember if linear or log) and used to be available as a spare from Line6 when I worked there.
The screen... well, it sounds like the backlight has failed. OR it could be duff solder joint between it and the main board - these joints could crack leading to intermittency. Either way it should be fixable.
At old Line6 prices, I'd imagine this to be about an hours labour (£48 ph) plus the price of the pot (can't remember but assume £5) and worst case a new screen (can't remember... assume £40) plus postage (£20). If the new service centre charge you more than that, well... that's their business. Either way, this *will* be cheaper to fix than buying an HD500x or a Helix.
I'd steer clear of the X3 though. I sold an XT to buy an X3 and regretted it. I preferred the sound of the XT. The X3 sounded fizzy to me.