Line 6 G30, G50, G90

So it's no real secret that we're fans of guitar wireless systems, and have used several over the years. There's a certain stigma related to these systems, that they just make the user capable of running around like an asshole on stage... TRUE, but there's also the convenience factor with these great systems. The negative has always been a) the price, and b) the lack of available information (here in Milwaukee, our guitar gurus stay away from wireless systems like they're the black plague).

Line 6 has been helpful in making reliable systems, that are affordable by comparison to the industry standards. Over the years, we've used Nady, and Shure, and the Shure T-Series was a favorite for 15 years or so. A couple years ago, in researching new systems, we noticed that there were some great reviews on X2 wireless systems, and they were CHEAP! They had been bought and were sold by Line 6. These systems were great, and still are, we still use them after 3 years with no issues. The down side is they were discontinued about a year ago (but can be found still new-in-box at $129 street price). So what to do? The same people who made these great systems now make the Line 6 Wireless guitar units (and wireless mics; Guitar Center in South Chicago tells us they can't keep the XD-V70 in stock). These would be the G30, G50, and G90.

Line 6 G30: This is the lower price unit that is rated for about 30 meters (about 98 feet). It's basically a rehash of the X2 XDS95 (our favorite stompbox sized system ever). It's got the same true-to-cable sound the X2 did, but has one more user channel than the XDS95 had (XDS95 had 5 channels, the G30 has 6). The G30 has a switch for simulating cable degradation, with settings to mimic a 15' cable, or 30' foot cable (or no cable simulation) which seems like Line 6 is trying to incorporate their "modeling" into the new wireless, but seems kinda neat. The big plus is the transmitter for the G30 has 1/4" cable connection like the old Shure T-Series which we loved. This means you can use whatever 3' cable you want which are available at any store, rather than having to order special cables (Guitar Center no longer carries the required cables for Shure wireless systems). Like the XDS95 and XDR Plus, you can run the receiver off the same power supply you use for Boss-type effects pedals, so it's designed for running in a pedalboard. This is a great convenience when setting up, just plug in the pedalboard, plug the one cable to your amp, and you're set.

Line 6 G50: A step up from the G30, this has more range (50 meters) than the G30 due to the antennas, and has a tuner out, which works by using the "Mute" feature on the transmitter. When you mute the transmitter, there's no sound to the amp, but you can still use a tuner (kind of like a tuner pedal). The transmitter for the G50 is the same as the G70, making it compatible with that system. This system has 12 channels (so you can have 12 guitars ripping out bitchin' solos at the same time), but unfortunately doesn't have the 1/4" cable-to-transmitter, however it uses the same type of cables as the Shure systems, which can be ordered from any Shure wireless dealer. The transmitter is pedalboard compatable like the G30.

Line 6 G70: The rackmount version of the G50. This has 12 channels, 70 meters of range, and has a standard out, tuner out, and XLR out for recording (because we all want to run around for recording). If you need this much professional wireless product (priced at a fairly modest $599 street), it may be worth considering both a G50 and a G70, as then you get 2 transmitters for 2 instruments (making switching to a backup guitar/bass take only seconds), plus you have a choice of receivers for when you're going to run the rack, or just the pedalboard, or if you are on the quick-go and are just bringing the guitar/bass, the G50 receiver can almost fit in the case, or a backpack/shoulder bag.

The X2's have withstood the test of time, and we see no reason for these to be any different. Line 6's videos come across as these being new technology, which can be scary, but rest assured, it's basically the same as what has been available for years, and has never failed us.