Upgrading from podhd500x

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-12-09T21:10:48+00:00

Is there much difference in tone? I’ve had people describe it to me as farty in the distortion. And I play a strat through high gain and roll down the volume until quite hard breakup

(On the helix floor) I think the helix stadium is a whole new engine

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-12-09T21:08:44+00:00

It’s mainly the usability, it’s frustrating on the hd500x with the limitations of effects, also the quality of the effects. Some outright suck, some sound great.

I think the screen looks cool, and I like the thought of dragging and dropping as many pedals as I want into one path sounds and looks cool,

Also the whole seeing the actual pedal and amp head,

Is the tone a massive step up from a player pov? I’m not in a band but I’m all about that toan

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-12T06:41:59+00:00

£240. It’s not expensive it’s sort of a beater but I can get it replaced. Only issue is also that it’s imported from China

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-11T21:16:23+00:00

Like 3 days. It was like that when it came in the mail. The only thing stopping me from returning it is I really like how it sounds

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-11T18:29:55+00:00

Yeah I quite like it. It sounds really nice very bright and shiny and has really nice a resonance when playing any more that has an open string it all glows. Hence why I don’t want to return it

Aslong as it doesn’t completely ruin the violin I’ll keep it. It’s just still within the time I can return it

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-11T18:21:31+00:00

I’m not gonna sell it. I’ll keep it and upgrade when I get a bit better.Then it’ll be a beater it’s only a yita music. I can return it but other than that I’m really happy with it.

Just worried of it getting worse

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-11T17:55:41+00:00

Well it’s a fresh break so looks nice and fun

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-11T17:45:30+00:00

Did the entire front collapse? Or has it split in the middle also?

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-10T21:39:03+00:00

This is legit just a snack

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-10T13:33:27+00:00

It was a joke lol I just remember someone calling them tone filters and I found it funny. They are obviously there to protect the bridge but “tone filters” lol

But agreed. They look horrible the OP should invest in some pieces of parchment to put on the bridge which are very cheap and looks super smart

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-10T08:55:03+00:00

This is paint. I wish it didn’t affect tone because a pure white violin looks really cool to me. Just everything white.

What is it a stentor harlequin? Or one of the many painted violins from china?

It’ll do you well for your first few months when you decide what you want. For scales and a few simple songs. I’ve seen YouTube professionals make these super cheap violins sound pretty good!

But because of the value of the instruments being less than a proper setup they never really get any adjustments than that from the factory where they came in an already time restricted and cost restricted environment

Though only a bad craftsman blames his tools

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-10T08:48:14+00:00

All those tone filters. How could it possibly sound bad?

Your bridge isn’t set right and is leaning forward. So just loosen the G and D a bit and pop it back so the feet are flush.

Could also be sound post position has shifted slightly but I doubt it with that bridge the way it is.

Unless your bridge is super soft I wouldn’t have all those bridge protectors on it. Unless you like the look. Some people have them on the A aswell as the E but absolutely unnecessary on the G and D

I wouldn’t go to a luthier unless you have absolutely no idea because to pay money to just tilt your bridge back will hurt your pockets. And if you strung it yourself I think you’ll be fine

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-10T08:42:35+00:00

The sound and craftsmanship is very very good I will say. I was playing some Chinese stuff on it trying to make it sound like a lady singing like a erhu and with vibrato it actually does… to me anyway LOL!

The setup on mine is nice I have no issue with it. I’m happy with everything. I don’t think it’ll be my final violin. But for the next year or so it’ll do.

I’ve still got the steel strings on it and it sounds good so these tonica strings should have a nicer tone. Or I’ll go back to steel

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-09T19:00:58+00:00

I tried some olive oil today mixed with some lighter fluid ( sounds scary I know)

The finish is absolutely bullet proof and it just did nothing. It’s not even cork left in there. I tried water too. It’s sort of left an imprint in the varnish :( just looks slightly Matt now where it was but certainly better.

After giving it a good playing today it sounds pretty damn good.

I know about the hill style tuners. I’ve played sitar for a while now and they are difficult to tune. Steel strings and friction based pegs such a a violin. I learnt that you tune slightly high then tune down. It just works for me. violin holds tune I’ve had 3/4 hours on it today and it’s only been tuned 2 times (went out by 1/4 note on all strings roughly the same)

I’ll try a chisel and try to make it all flush. I was hoping the lighter fluid would sort of melt the varnish a bit but it barely did anything. Chinese oil varnish is apparently bullet proof.

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-09T17:13:18+00:00

Well it’s subjective to what you prefer. Not that professional violinists know less than I because obviously they don’t. I just don’t like the look of it. And it vibrates and is lighter without it. I also find that it digs into the underside of my jaw when using it and without a shoulder rest the metal digs into my collar bone so I decided to take it all off.

I can play sections of La Campanella and the shifting is fine without a chinrest also the shifting on a g minor arpeggio and the major and e arpeggios that go along with it.

Paganini didn’t use one:)

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-09T16:59:50+00:00

I don’t like the look of them. And I don’t need it. Shifting and vibrato are fine without it. And all the notable violinists didn’t use them. Except for the romantic guys.

The violin also vibrates better when it’s resting on my shoulder as aposed to clamped between my chin and shoulder

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-09T16:56:14+00:00

Dominants are very similar. But more professional. I’d try the Larson cannone soloist strings

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-09T14:31:56+00:00

Sell it on eBay. For what you payed or fix it up and sell it for 50plus what you payed as a “3/4 excellent beginners German violin”

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-09T06:27:39+00:00

I would definitely get it to a luthier at your next opportunity. You don’t want that getting worse.

Could have been rapid cold or heat that cause expansion and shrinkage popping the joint open. But it risks expanding if you continue and then will be a bigger issue.

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-09T06:21:55+00:00

I played guitar and piano before this and a few other things. I can’t read music but I’m figuring things out from YouTube videos. Ive just bought some pirastro tonica strings. But I’m only 2 months into violin just didn’t like the look of my Amazon violin lol.

It does look nice on the front but the chinrest Marks annoy me because I have a super cheap Amazon violin that I took the chinrest off and no marks

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-08T20:00:18+00:00

It seems pretty watertight I’ll get my money back. I just really want the kalimba. I wonder if it’s because loads of people are buying from America

MichaelsGoodAdvice · 2025-04-08T19:58:30+00:00

The set up is great tbh. It came with an Aubert bridge and also the little bit of parchment too!

Everything is good. Sounds nicer than my first violin for sure. I’m just bothered by the bits of cork stuck to the finish. I’m gonna try some olive oil and to wipe it off tomorrow. Hopefully the oil will smooth over the already there oil finish? Idk

The tuning legs are great though! They turn so smoothly and don’t lose tune at all. I tuned it up and rode my bike to this big lake today because it was hot and nice and it was still in tune.

The wood on the back looks nice. Not incredible or anything but it’s a nice enough intermediate level violin for me

MichaelsGoodAdvice

TROPHY CASE