A Tribute to a Friend Passed: The DL4 Still Slays

Reality is sad, sad indeed.  Sad, because I'm about to blog about my sense of loss over material possessions.  Sad, because you're going to read this pathetic post.  But what's most sad, is my long lived Line 6 DL4 has kicked the bucket.  That big green echo monster was my baby, I've had it for 9+ years now.  There are many magic spaceship delays out there right now, and I'm sure there are some that make glitter and unicorns shoot out of your guitar's headstock, but the DL4 was my favorite delay.

I remember getting into guitar gadgets when I was a meaty, sweaty, angsty high school kid.  This mysterious emerald device kept showing up on pedalboards of my favorite guitarists.

Aaron Pill of The Appleseed Cast.  One of my favorite guitarists.
This photo's pretty damn old too.

I probably watched hundreds of YouTube videos about the pedal.  I had to have it...so the antagonizing began.  I was relentless and I never stopped talking my mother into buying it for me.  After over a year of unsuccessful murder attempts my mom plotted against me, she finally had to cave.  On Christmas morn, the glorious DL4 became mine.  Oh the delight I had in twirling its knobs, making whale sounds, and creating god awful feedback!  I used it in every band I've ever played in.  At one point (during a heavy Minus the Bear phase) I had borrowed a second one and had both on my board.

No.  The DL4 does not have the best sounding delay, nor the best features, and there are little annoyances (like the ever-so-common volume drop issue).  I love my DM3, Moog 104M, and I loved my DMM (before Howard Davis f*&#ed me over).  But like these other famous units, nothing else sounds quite like it.  It's not a pristine clean sounding digital delay, it has some quirks.  However, I've had phases where I just flat out didn't want to use it anymore because it was "outdated", I didn't have the $$$ to mod it, or other various pathetic excuses.  The Line 6 M series spaceships came out, promising all of the features of the DL4 but better!  I quickly acquired these devices, hoping they'd knock my DL4 out of the park and provide me with more shit I didn't need.  I've bought and sold both the M13 and M9 on at least two occasions.  They just didn't sound right to me.  They were "too perfect".  The Reverse and Auto Volume didn't sound right, and the new M Series Analog Delay setting didn't sound as dark as my DL4.  The Eventide and Strymon fads have come, and will go.  I've considered "upgrading" on multiple occasions.  Prior to my current debacle, these new units never really offered more realistically usable features than the DL4 did.  

My DL4 had burnt out once previously.  I used it for 8 years, then randomly it farted out last year.  The local prick who fixed it says I was using a "questionable means" to power it (One Spot + L6 Adapter = questionable?  Probably not).  $80 repair.  Pretty hefty cost since you can get them secondhand for well under $150 now.  But hey, it has sentimental value.  A couple weeks ago, I decided to bust it out again.  Plugged it in.  Lights came on.  Abnormally flashed a few times.  Then nothing.  I tried different cables.  I double checked the owners manual to my new power supply I've bought since the last burnout.  I tried a different power supply.  Nothing.  I've read on all the forums about static under the chip, hard resets, yada yada.  I've tried it all, it's toast.  I'm well beyond my warranty on it.  Another $80 doesn't sound too appealing.  So I feel like it's time to retire it.  (Unless someone wants to fix it up free :D  )  

Now I'm in a weird situation I haven't been in for years, what's going to replace it?  Not sure I want a second one yet.  It's like being single after a long relationship, except the end result will have less Crabs.

R.I.P. my little green friend.

-  Stonewall

Being a Consumer, and Being an A$%*@#!

Up until recently, I had been employed by some form of retail work, dating to the dark ages of age 16.  I was a strapping young lad, eager to prove to the world that I could be an exceptional salesman.  Eventually, I landed a sales job at my favorite brick and mortar guitar shop.  Oh, how the excitement coursed through my body.  I would get to spend a majority of my week surrounded by these magical instruments we all love, helping seasoned guitarists, scoffing at hipsters, and squandering all of my cash.  However, being a salesman teaches you how to be a better customer.  Why?  Because it makes you realize when you're being an a$%*@#!, because you deal with some.  So here are a few tips on how to be a better customer.  Enjoy:

(Disclaimer:

I will say this, I did not work on commission.  Most people never believed me when I told them, but I never got an extra dime for selling a Squier Bullet or an R9.  When I was being helpful it was for personal satisfaction.  Maybe that would've changed my outlook on this?  Doubtfully.)

If They Put in the Time, Give Them the Dime

This really should go without saying, yet, you would be surprised how many braggarts would do this to a salesman or a store.  A good salesman will be able to "feel you out" (a mental version of feeling you up) and see if you prefer to be walked through your purchase, or if you like to be left alone with your own disgusting thoughts to make up your mind.  If a salesman gives you excellent service and answers all of your questions (correctly) or gives you a great deal, don't be a prick and buy it somewhere else.  (Example below) However, if you have to buy something online from your favorite store, but need to try something out locally,  try not to waste people's time.  I strongly recommend buying locally, but you do what you gotta do. 

Example:

Customer X walks in.  Says he wants a Multi FX processor because he plays in a cover band and needs lots of swirly wiggly sounds.  X wants something decent, so he's willing to spend extra the nickels for it.  I give him three choices because I don't want to sell him more than he needs, but also give him a quality piece of equipment.  X begins to take interest in the Line 6 M13 spaceship I've shown him.  Now X wants to give the unit a go (also known as third base with the ladies).  I get him all plugged in, show him the basics of editing and saving presets, then cut him loose on it.  Soon a plethora of delayed arpeggios, warm wiggly vibrato sounds, and perplexing ring modulant sounds fill the air.  I return to customer X who's grinning from ear to ear.  X excitedly asks me if this has the ability to switch his amp channels (X owns a mystical MIDI controlled H&K amp) so he can just bring one piece of gear to a gig and be done.  Since I don't know, I tell X that I will do my best to find out.  I find my Line 6 support number and wheel it in to my rotary phone.  After a disgusting wait, question answered (finally), I return to X telling him the good news, that the M13 spaceship will do what he wants.  We start talking price.  Although there aren't any sales going on at the store, I snip some off that price tag for X, because he's a gigging musician like myself.  X tells me he's going to the bank to get a check cashed for the device.  I'm proud because I've sold a Line 6 spaceship, and fulfilled another customers needs.  Not long after he leaves, the phone rings and the caller ID displays "Evil Empire" (GC).  I answer the phone, and I am greeted by the grunting of some form of chimpanzee pretending to a customer, asking me what my bottom dollar is for a M13 spaceship.  I give him a clever answer that gives our pretend customer a go around (I know it's him because he's called before with the same clever pseudonym).  I'm suspicious of X, but I know he'll come back because I occasionally have faith in humankind (no more). The day ends, X never comes back.  I see X a few weeks later when he pops back into the store.   After some small talk, I come to find he cashed his check, and took his filthy money to the Evil Empire and purchased the M13 spaceship for the same price I quoted him.  Wonderful.

Research and Compromise

Most intelligent humanoids research the value of their gear before they perform a trade-in, to protect themselves from getting a thumb in their tush.  There are smart ways, and there are idiotic ways of doing this.  

Idiotic Way:  Doing a generic Google or eBay search, finding the highest price listed, and assuming that's the value.

Stonewall's Way:  Looking your item up on eBay and one other source (TGP, Blue Book, Online Used Gear Retailer), clicking on "Completed Listings", and finding an average sale value for the instrument.  

Why is this important?  There's nothing more frustrating for both parties, than for some moron to bring his old Kay archtop with a broken bridge in, and demand $500 in trade because "Jack White played this same guitar in some YouTube video that they saw".  So please, keep cretinism within the walls of your own home.

The next step is to understand that 90% of the time, you're not going to get that value.  Why?  The store will want to sell it for that value, meaning they need to give you less in order to make something called "profit".  "Blasphemy!" you say to me.  Well guess what, you just failed Stonewall's Business 101 course.  So what does it mean then?  Should we all just start throwing our old sh*% away?  No.  The next step is to see if they can work on the other end of the deal and clip some off the price of what you want to buy.  From here on out you will have to use your own defective judgement to decide yea or nay.  If you can't fork it over, you'll have to try your hand at selling or consigning.  In most cases, I personally say to hell with it and do the trade in.

Don't Be a Fart

This one's short and sweet.  It's fine to kill an hour or so at a guitar store.  But don't waste people's time pretending to buy something if you're not.  If the store isn't busy, use your own discretion.  However, staying from open til close is like lingering flatulence, no one's enjoying it and you can't pretend you didn't do it.  One last thing, the items at a music store aren't yours yet.  So it's fine to try high dollar guitars out, but don't bring your crafted lead guitar pick and your hammer hands and bang on stuff.  That's just rude.  I don't go to your house and rub my hairy chest all over your pillows, so stop, or I will.

Remember, a music store isn't a grocery store or a gas station.  You don't go to it because it's a chore or because you simply have to, you go to it because it's an enjoyable place.  

- Stonewall