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Considering a Variax


PTTRNRCGNTN

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I'm really interested in getting a Variax 600. I really just want to use it as a studio tool. The Workbench software interests me. I'd be using it in really experimental environments. Anyone have any input on this decision? Pros, cons, things to expect, etc.

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I play gigs, and both I and my partner, used Variax's all last year. Bottom line: They can be usefull, if you lower your expectations a little. I personally compared the 600 versus a good acoustic guitar, a good 12 str acoustic, an electric 12 string solidbody guitar etc etc My evaluation? Good, if you can't afford the real thing, or don't have room for the real thing. But the 600 wasn't great. Good, but not great. The sounds had been improved using the software. It definetly does help. But after a year of gigs one of the piezo saddles broke. And to repair, it isn't easy or cheap. And at a gig when one string dies on a variax..it cannot be fixed during the show. The other still works well (one out of 2 isn't bad). So overall: the 600 is good,not great..but useable in the studio. But at my gigs, it's just easier to use a real instrument...I play an acoustic guitar 80 percent of each gig. Hope this helps. I played the newer Variax...the Tyler..and It didnt make sense to spend 1,200 to me. I love the Variax idea..I hope they stay COMMITED to making the line succesful.

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My step dad has both the original Variax and the JTV-69 (one of the more recent versions), and I can say that the difference is day and night. I thought the old one was awful, but the Tyler version delivers on its promise. I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it. I like to play with my own instruments more, because they are customized out the wazoo, and I get more joy out of playing with something that I (partially) put together myself, but I can't deny that the JTVs are very useful tools with the classic tones in spades. My Tele and Strat have their own unique sounds, and that's part of what I love about them, but the Variax sort of has the quintessential versions of the sounds of all the guitars it claims to copy, and I mean that in a good way. I was shocked by what they'd achieved when I first plugged it in, and my step dad got it on an MF "stupid deal" for like $700 or $800. I'm not in the buying market right now, but I'd get one if I had that kind of money to spend on a guitar. I'm a believer.

 

I will say that the original was probably a superior instrument in terms of built quality, but the tones just aren't there. (not that the new one is bad. Similar to Fender standard quality)

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I had one of the original 500s and wish that I had kept it. I traded it for one of the JTV-69s and it was not worth the money. It works for recording with a lot of time spent getting the modeled sound that you want. Most of the time I play the magnetic pickups and it has fair sound quality out of those. For gigging I play one of my 5 other guitars.

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