Line 6: PODXT

Well, now the question becomes, "Do I sell my entire guitar rig that I spent years building and lugging around?" After a few moments with the new Line 6 PODXT I was on my way to my favorite pawn shop. Once again Line 6 has improved on its cutting edge guitar technology. As an owner and fan since version 1, I find the new PODXT to be far superior to POD2.0, and although they have added a few more "bells and whistles" (knobs,outputs and display) it is much easier to navigate. As far as the sound, the new tones are amazing! Whether coming out of the balanced 1/4 " jacks or the new USB out, the warmth of the sound and the width of the stereo imaging is "freaky scary!" Which makes recording easy!, easy!, easy! The amp, cabinet, and mic modeling is unmatched! From clean and buttery to dirty, raunchy and raw, the PODXT is by far the most flexible guitar rig ever that fits into a gig bag. New to XT are mic and cabinet modeling in addition to a full complement of amps, stomp boxes and effects. The built-in tuner is a very nice touch. It gets even more rock-n-roll when the FBV or FBV Short-board is added into the mix. In my case, the FBV Short-board which has a much more solid construction that utilizes one foot controller for wah and volume rather than two. It also has a few more switches for more control over each individual patch. A must for live performances or for one who desires the maximum ride. ($569 MSRP, www.line6.com)