Variax

[slodge]

I played a Variax 300 at a friend's house last night and was pretty damn impressed overall.

 

What can anyone tell me about them? what are the differences between the models? (I see a bunch of 500's on ebay, but they're discontinued so the line 6 site doesn't have any info.)

 

I'm looking at it as a way to play around with sounds I could never get a hold of otherwise.

 

Especially if maybe you've had one for awhile. Does the novelty wear off?

[GretschGuy]

I have one and like it. I don't use it all that often though.

 

I use the bass constantly to record with because if you have it and that IK Ampeg plugin and a nice DI (I use a U5) bass sounds are a cinch when making demos.

[jhall]

I have a 300 that I bought on a whim. I have many guitars and I needed it like another hole in my head. Well.... The Variax is a BLAST of the first order.

I don't play it a lot but I have a lot of fun when I do. Though the 300 is their low end guitar it it reasonbly good and mine took to a setup very well.

they are good guitars and after a little fooling around they can sound amazing.

Don't be put off at first because I was a little underwhelmed by it too but as I used it and tried different things it grew on me big time.

[BlackHatHunter]

I have stated this before and I'll do it again. I thought the models for the money were great. I just couldn't get used to the crappy guitar itself.

 

www.GuitaristJeffMiller.com is what I wish I had the talent to do!

[ArKay]

The specs for the 500 are still there.

 

http://www.line6.com/variax/specifications.html

 

I will either get this or the 600 as soon as I got my tax returns.

[Solcat]

They all sound the same, the higher end models have more attention paid to quality. I heard that the 500 is pretty good quality wise. I own a 300 and find it to be better quality than a MIM Strat. Action was low, intonation perfect, no sharp frets.

[Blackbelt1]

I have 2 Variax's. My 300 is a year old, the 600 was purchased last June. First I'll say that regarding the 300, quality is hit and miss. Look around and pick out a good one. The other models seem pretty consistent in build quality.

 

The models available in each Variax are identical - the real differences lie in the workmanship, neck profiles, and whether you need a trem or not.

 

I gig the 600 on a weekly basis. I usually start each show now on the Variax and play it until I move to one of the Gretschs to close things out. I also have the Pod XT Live, I don't gig with any amps. I just run the Pod XT Live directly to the P.A.

 

Like GretschGuy said, it's handy for other instruments too, such as the bass. I made a bass for mine by detuning an octave and with the bass amp pack in the Pod, it's very easy to lay down clean bass lines directly on the Variax. You can also tune the resonator up an octave and get a decent mandolin.

 

~Blackbelt

[slodge]

As a couple of you have mentioned, the guitar itself is pretty uninspiring, but I thought it was similar in quality to the lower end strats or the strat copies, i.e. playable but not exciting.

 

A couple of you have mentioned that you like it but don't use it much. Why not?

[warriorpoet]

Warmoth sells Variax bodies and necks, for those uninspired by the quality of the instrument itself.

[archiemax]

My Variax 300 (bought new for $200 at the annual parking lot sale at a store here) is the only guitar I use for one of the bands I'm in. One of the advantages is that you can set two of the knob selections to store five of your favorite sounds so you can use the 5-way switch to switch between Gretsch, 335, LP, banjo, acoustic, etc. on the fly. I just got done strapping my Roland synth rig onto it so I can really go nuts. Plus it plays real nice, stays in tune...I'm really stoked on mine, wish I'd gotten it a long time ago.

[Valtyr]

I have a Variax 500, I use it often. I installed a Roland Midi pickup on mine so I can play it through a guitar synth as well as a Pod XTL. It's a very versitile setup for recording.

 

The 500 is a decent guitar, I think it's much better than the 300 series. I have never tried a 600, and I didn't think the 700 was worth nearly twice the price as the 500.

 

They are great for low gain/clean playing. Lots of gain tends to mask the differences between the models, so I wouldn't recommend them for a high gain/metal player. Their acoustic simulations sound more realistic to me than piezo equipted solid body guitars such as Parkers and Godins. Best of all, you can play the p-90/single coil guitar models and not have to worry about single coil hum.

[leftyjay]

i have 2 vax500 guitars. i use them just about every gig. you definately need a pod xt live to get the most out of the guitar.

[jrockbridge]

 

I'm looking at it as a way to play around with sounds I could never get a hold of otherwise. Especially if maybe you've had one for awhile. Does the novelty wear off?

 

 

I had a Variax 300 and the novelty did wear off for me after a few months. I owned it for 6 months and sold it. By the way, I also owned a PODxt Live and used the two together hooked with the data cable. It's pretty cool to be able to switch both amp and guitar models with one push of a pedal button. The Variax is very noise free which is cool.

 

The main reasons I got rid of the Variax: It doesn't sound all that great when used with high gain distortion. You can't hand mute like a real guitar (yes there are ways to use gates to help this, but gates tend to kill sustain). All the models start to sound the same through a lot of distortion. The Variax does not sound very good through regular gain and crunch guitar pedals especially at high volumes. I always had to tweak my crunch pedals different from my real guitars to get the Variax to work. The Variax does not sound all that great through a real tube amp at high volumes compared to my real guitars. The Variax does not have the same level of feel as a real electric guitar. Yes it has some feel, but is more distant feeling than a real electric. And, the Variax does not have the same note bloom and harmonic characteristics as a real guitar. Technical people will tell you that this has something to do with even order harmonics vs odd order harmonics, but I just care that it doesn't sound as sweet. Most of the time, the piezo component is present in the sound. Finally, I had workbench and tried to use the Variax as a slide guitar and the electronic slide tunings just sounded awful for slide.

 

On the good side of the Variax: Although, I think the Variax has definite limitations and shortcomings it has incredible versatility and ease of use. Not all of the models sound close to the real guitars it models, but most are usable. I think it works best for cleaner tones, and starts to fall apart with higher distortion. The Variax does seem to work pretty well with a PODxt Live for direct recording. Ultimately, the Variax is a lot of fun.

 

Those of you who own and enjoy your Variax guitars, don't take offense. The technology is pretty amazing and I expect that it will continue to improve over time. The Variax wasn't for me, but I can see why people like it.

[Blackbelt1]

 

One of the advantages is that you can set two of the knob selections to store five of your favorite sounds so you can use the 5-way switch to switch between Gretsch, 335, LP, banjo, acoustic, etc. on the fly.

 

 

You can actually store your own creations in all 60 slots. Another advantage of owning the Pod XT Live is that you can write to the 60 slots with your own models, and still recall the original 60 through the Pod anytime you want.

 

~Blackbelt

[BlackHatHunter]

 

Warmoth sells Variax bodies and necks, for those uninspired by the quality of the instrument itself.

 

 

I looked into that, but it ends up being a pricey proposition. First, you got to buy a Warmoth body. Then add $100 for the variax route. And since Line 6 to my knowledge does not sell the guts alone, you got to buy a Variax guitar, gut it, and then get it installed in there.

 

I think about it often, but when I get the calculator out and start adding the cost, I usually back off...

[jimwratt]

 

I had a Variax 300 and the novelty did wear off for me after a few months. I owned it for 6 months and sold it. By the way, I also owned a PODxt Live and used the two together hooked with the data cable. It's pretty cool to be able to switch both amp and guitar models with one push of a pedal button. The Variax is very noise free which is cool. The main reasons I got rid of the Variax: It doesn't sound all that great when used with high gain distortion. You can't hand mute like a real guitar (yes there are ways to use gates to help this, but gates tend to kill sustain). All the models start to sound the same through a lot of distortion. The Variax does not sound very good through regular gain and crunch guitar pedals especially at high volumes. I always had to tweak my crunch pedals different from my real guitars to get the Variax to work. The Variax does not sound all that great through a real tube amp at high volumes compared to my real guitars. The Variax does not have the same level of feel as a real electric guitar. Yes it has some feel, but is more distant feeling than a real electric. And, the Variax does not have the same note bloom and harmonic characteristics as a real guitar. Technical people will tell you that this has something to do with even order harmonics vs odd order harmonics, but I just care that it doesn't sound as sweet. Most of the time, the piezo component is present in the sound. Finally, I had workbench and tried to use the Variax as a slide guitar and the electronic slide tunings just sounded awful for slide. On the good side of the Variax: Although, I think the Variax has definite limitations and shortcomings it has incredible versatility and ease of use. Not all of the models sound close to the real guitars it models, but most are usable. I think it works best for cleaner tones, and starts to fall apart with higher distortion. The Variax does seem to work pretty well with a PODxt Live for direct recording. Ultimately, the Variax is a lot of fun. Those of you who own and enjoy your Variax guitars, don't take offense. The technology is pretty amazing and I expect that it will continue to improve over time. The Variax wasn't for me, but I can see why people like it.

 

 

this sounds exactly like the critiques of the digital amp modelling {censored}. o well. Don't send a computer to do a chunk of wood's work.

[warriorpoet]

I looked into that, but it ends up being a pricey proposition. First, you got to buy a Warmoth body. Then add $100 for the variax route. And since Line 6 to my knowledge does not sell the guts alone, you got to buy a Variax guitar, gut it, and then get it installed in there. I think about it often, but when I get the calculator out and start adding the cost, I usually back off...

Then just get the neck.

[Splendor]

I'm on week three of my first Variax (300) and I love it so far. And I don't even have the Workbench yet. Once I get that, I'm sure it will be even more fun. If I can swing it, I'd like to try a 700.

[BlackHatHunter]

 

Then just get the neck.

 

 

that wouldn't do. The whole guitar feels like junk...

[germanicus2112]

I recently acquired a 300, went through some shenanigans at first however. My first 300 arrived with a damaged pickup selector. The second one arrived with a broken piezo unit. I had it fixed locally by an authorized tech.

 

Im very pleased with the guitar now. Using an xt live and workbench, the possibilities are amazing. My main guitar is a Godin right now, i will be using the Variax as a backup/alternate for songs with alternate tunings live.

 

As to the build quality, my 300 seems solid. I havent had it long, but so far it holds its tune well. Im used to my godin and prefer its feel, however the 300 isnt a piece of junk as some claim here.

 

There simply is no other way of getting such versatility in a guitar right now.

With an XT live, step onto one foot pedal and uyou can go from a les paul through a marshall stack to an acoustic dreadnought in an altered tuning.

 

Im actually surprised that this technology hasnt been licensed out to other guitar manufacturers. I would pay good money to have these electronics in a guitar like my godin.

 

Line 6 should come out with a version with an integrated 13 pin output for the real coup (for midi units).