Got my Variax 300 electric today...what I like and what I don't

[KwadGuy]

My Variax 300 modeling electric guitar arrived today and I wound up playing with it for a few hours...

 

What I like: The electric 6-string guitar emulations are mostly excellent. The neck has a good feel and it's overall pleasing to play. The electric emulations are good enough to gig with, I think.

 

What I don't like: The action is pretty high, even with the bridge adjustments all the way to the floor.

 

The electric 12 string emulations aren't that great, and the acoustic 12 strings are downright AWFUL. They play with a weird flanging effect. I don't know what the problem is there, but if you want the actual sound of a 12 string acoustic, you won't get it on this guitar. The standard 6-string acoustic guitar emulations are OK, but won't replace any decent 6 string guitar with either a pickup or miked. I don't have enough perspective to comment on the other acoustic emulations (Dobro, mandolin, etc.)

 

Setup out of the box wasn't so hot. I had to tune, the intonation was off, and the action was way higher than it needed to be.

 

I haven't replaced the strings yet. The stock strings feel pretty heavy. Maybe heavier strings allow for better emulation?

 

Does anyone with one of these have recommendations for strings, either gauge or type?

[Voltaire]

truss rod adjustment?

[Attila]

Congrats

[seven58]

I just got one last week. I felt the same as you about the acoustic sounds. Interesting, but not perfect. Sorry to hear that your setup out of the box was off. The only thing I had to do was tune mine. I just bought the workbench usb interface to be able to create my own guitars and tunings from a fellow HC'er. Happy NGD!

[jrockbridge]

As has already been suggested, the first step in a setup is to check the neck relief and see if you need to adjust the truss rod. Then, you can lower the bridge or saddles. Then, you set the intonation.

 

But, if the action is still too high here's a solution. Loosen the strings, remove the neck and add a shim. For your situation, you should add the shim at the end of the neck pocket toward the bridge. This will fix the neck angle and allow for lower action. Personally, I tend to use sandpaper for shimming a neck. But, people at HC prefer all kinds of things like pics, business cards, and actual wood slivers. Part of what you use may depend on how drastic you need to adjust the neck angle, but you will be surprised how much a thin piece of sandpaper can change the angle. And, it shouldn't need to be any wider or longer than a finger.

[bdegrande]

It does sound like some adjustments are necessary.

 

If you haven't done so, try the acoustic sounds through a full range amp (acoustic, bass, keyboard, whatever), it makes a significant improvement.

[guitarmandp]

To me the acoustic "simulations" sound like any other solid body electric with a piezo. It's hard to take them seriously that they have some fancy way of modeling guitars when there "Mic'd Vintage Martin D-28" sounds like the acoustic sound on a Parker Fly.

[Knottyhed]

 

To me the acoustic "simulations" sound like any other solid body electric with a piezo. It's hard to take them seriously that they have some fancy way of modeling guitars when there "Mic'd Vintage Martin D-28" sounds like the acoustic sound on a Parker Fly.

 

 

Yeh - i find with line6 stuff it's best not to compare with the stuff it's trying to model (even though that's what they market it as). I use some of their stuff, but I just treat it like any other effect, I either like it/find it useful or i don't...

 

Got to agree about the acoustic emulations, they don't sound a damn thing like a real acoustic guitar and probably never will.

[jhall]

Funny, My Variax Only gets used for the acoustic sims. I stumbled on a preset ( I actually made it myself by sheer luck) that sounds great with the

Hummingbird sim. It really reminds me of Larry Carltons acoustic sound on his album Alone But Never Alone. Here's the clip I made with that Variax and patch:

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=980407&T=2303

Once in a while I doink around with the electric sims but am usually underwhelemed by them.

[bdegrande]

 

To me the acoustic "simulations" sound like any other solid body electric with a piezo. It's hard to take them seriously that they have some fancy way of modeling guitars when there "Mic'd Vintage Martin D-28" sounds like the acoustic sound on a Parker Fly.

 

 

I own Parkers and other piezo-equpped guitars (Godin, Fishman, Baggs) and think the acoustic sounds on the Variax are way better than any piezo-eqipped guitar, plus you have the ability to tweak them with Workbench.

[guitarmandp]

That's a matter of opinion but I haven't met one person who agrees that these "nail" the sound of an old Martin

[Blackbelt1]

I have 2 Variax's, a 300 and a 600. I gig with the 600 constantly.

 

If you're playing the acoustic models through a guitar amp, you're going to be disappointed. Guitar amps do not generally have full range speakers, so you lose a huge chunk of tonal abilities. This isn't a fault of the Variax, it's a limitation of your amp. You have to play the Variax through something full-range in order to appreciate all of the models. Try plugging your Variax direct into a P.A., or into a keyboard amp and then play the acoustic or 12 string models. I think you'll notice a monumental difference!

 

The Variax is the ONLY guitar I use to record acoustic tracks with now. It's much easier to work with, sounds great, and is noise free.

 

A couple of other notes: the Variax by itself is a pretty nifty tool, but if you pair it up with the Pod XT Live it's a killer combo. The Pod XT Live will power the Variax for you and control it so that you don't have to touch the knobs on the guitar at all.

 

Regarding the action, I've found the 300's to vary a bit in quality, from really nice out of the box to downright awful. The 600's and 700's seem much more consistent. I played a lot of 300's before I settled on the one I have which was nice from the get-go. The action on both of my Variax's is nice and low. As someone mentioned, sounds like the OP needs to tweak the trussrod on his and then work from there.

 

~Blackbelt

[KwadGuy]

 

I have 2 Variax's, a 300 and a 600. I gig with the 600 constantly. If you're playing the acoustic models through a guitar amp, you're going to be disappointed. Guitar amps do not generally have full range speakers, so you lose a huge chunk of tonal abilities. This isn't a fault of the Variax, it's a limitation of your amp. You have to play the Variax through something full-range in order to appreciate all of the models. Try plugging your Variax direct into a P.A., or into a keyboard amp and then play the acoustic or 12 string models. I think you'll notice a monumental difference!

 

 

 

I actually listened to the Variax 300 through headphones to determine if the acoustic modes were crappy because of the amp. Yes and no. The 6 string acoustics sounded better through headphones than through the amp, but still not like a real quality 6 string with proper miking.

 

The 12-string acoustics, through headphones, sounded at least as crappy as played through the amp. In fact, the synthetic flanging effect was even worse.

 

If I want to use a modeled 12-string, I'll stick to the Rickenbacker, chime setting 4. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better, and actually quite pleasing.

[Dmerge]

I actually listened to the Variax 300 through headphones to determine if the acoustic modes were crappy because of the amp. Yes and no. The 6 string acoustics sounded better through headphones than through the amp, but still not like a real quality 6 string with proper miking.

 

Headphones plugged into your guitar amp? Still not the same as running through a keyboard amp or PA.

Also, you can't expect it to sound just like a miked acoustic. Nothing else does. But it does sound better than the average piezo equipped electric acoustic.

[Blackbelt1]

 

The 12-string acoustics, through headphones, sounded at least as crappy as played through the amp. In fact, the synthetic flanging effect was even worse.

 

 

There have been a few firmware updates in the past year, one of which addressed a flanging effect that some (not all) users experienced with 12 string models. You might need to download the latest free firmware to the guitar if that's what you're hearing.

 

~Blackbelt

[shrouded]

 

I actually listened to the Variax 300 through headphones to determine if the acoustic modes were crappy because of the amp. Yes and no. The 6 string acoustics sounded better through headphones than through the amp, but still not like a real quality 6 string with proper miking. The 12-string acoustics, through headphones, sounded at least as crappy as played through the amp. In fact, the synthetic flanging effect was even worse. If I want to use a modeled 12-string, I'll stick to the Rickenbacker, chime setting 4. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better, and actually quite pleasing.

 

 

It does make a very large difference what you are playing it through. Going into a modeller or preamp then directly to a PA, where you aren't coloring it like your amp or cab does seems to make the acoustic models sound much, much better. Playing my 300 with the LiveXT plugged into a Power Engine 60, the acoustic stuff all sounds warmer and less odd than even running off the line out or headphone jack on an amp.

[KwadGuy]

 

There have been a few firmware updates in the past year, one of which addressed a flanging effect that some (not all) users experienced with 12 string models. You might need to download the latest free firmware to the guitar if that's what you're hearing. ~Blackbelt

 

 

Mine did not come with the RJ-45 USB connector to attach it to a PC. It is my understanding that they do not come with that cable. So in order for my Variax to have the bugfixes applied, I need to spend extra cash on a specialized cable and/or the Workbench product. Correct?

[shrouded]

 

Mine did not come with the RJ-45 USB connector to attach it to a PC. It is my understanding that they do not come with that cable. So in order for my Variax to have the bugfixes applied, I need to spend extra cash on a specialized cable and/or the Workbench product. Correct?

 

 

Yeah... you can do it at home with the USB breakout box or an XTL. You should really try to at least get the USB kit... you don't really get to play with the fun bits until you can run workbench, imho.

 

I'm pretty sure that Line 6 will run the upgrade for you if you ship the guitar to them... but who wants to do that?

[KwadGuy]

 

Yeah... you can do it at home with the USB breakout box or an XTL. You should really try to at least get the USB kit... you don't really get to play with the fun bits until you can run workbench, imho. I'm pretty sure that Line 6 will run the upgrade for you if you ship the guitar to them... but who wants to do that?

 

 

Yeah, given that the Workbench is about $90 and it'll cost me $30-40 to have the guitar shipped both ways, it'd be idiotic to ship the guitar to Line 6!

[Blackbelt1]

Know anybody who owns a Pod XT Live? You could plug into those via USB and run the updates. There is a USB/Workbench kit on eBay right now, with bidding still very low.

 

~Blackbelt

[leftyjay]

its been over a year that i've owned 2 500's. I've recorded a ton of songs with these guitars. i've gigged with these guitars when i dont have room for my other guitars. i'm still in love with them. the xt live definately make the difference. also it sounds 100% better directly into a PA system. Through an amp, it lacks in tone variations.

 

only thing that bugged me was the neck finish. i ended up finishing one of the necks in a black gloss. now is slick and shiney and feels like my other guitars. i'm going to do the same to the other variax 500 i own.

 

the action on these guitars are probably the lowest of any of my guitars. it was set like that right out of the box.

[slodge]

I've auditioned a friend's, and listened to him play it enough to be jonesing hard for one.

 

Some of the acoustic sounds are pretty decent, but they all sound like an amplified acoustic, as opposed to a mic'd acoustic. I don't mean that as a putdown, I have a certain amount of affection for that brittle amped sound taht I've heard at every open mic I've ever been to. But I would never confuse it with the sound of a D28 in the room with me.

 

The electric sounds are way cool.