Variax

[whojamfan]

I bought one of these guitars when I was in a cover band because I liked the idea of plugging in to my PODXT Live and be able to footswitch through different guitars and amps. Well, I got the 500 dollar one, and when it arrived, the B tracker was broke. I played around with it for a while, and then decided to send it back and get a 330. Anybody use and/or record with one of these guitars?

[whojamfan]

Call the Coast Guard, this threads sinking fast!

[Clint]

What the hell, I'll jump in. I have seen the Line6 DVD demo. While very impressive, I began to think I could get most of the featured tones with a few well chosen stomp boxes. The technology is awsome, I just wish they were using it to find new sounds instead of recreating what most guitar players already have.

A friend of mine wanted a Variax for his home studio, but the only store we could find that had one didn't know how it worked and had no interest in setting it up for a demo. The owner just muttered something about digital **** and all you really need is a Les Paul. Needless to say, we didn't stay long.

[eatswodo]

Call the Coast Guard, this threads sinking fast!

Ok, so let me blast a couple more holes in the bottom...

I've been using a Variax 600/Pod XTLive combination in church now for two and a half years. It's absolutely ideal for the purpose - it allows me to call up a huge array of sounds with very little effort, in a situation where multiple guitars are just not practical. I've not owned the vast majority of the guitars that it emulates, so can't really offer any objective comparison, except to say that the Strats sound stratty, the Teles twang quite nicely, and the acoustic models are way better than the mid-priced piezo UST-equipped things that festoon the walls of your local GC. The alternate tunings work extremely well, provided you don't go too wild.

The guitar itself plays well - feels like a mid-range Strat. I've put Planet Waves tuners on mine, and blocked the tremolo, and will eventually replace the neck with something a tad wider. I still prefer playing my 650D, and do occasionally take it to church when the set allows me to stick with one guitar throughout - I'll use a 'real' acoustic every so often in the same manner. Overall, however, the Variax does the job so well, I'd buy another one like a shot if this one died irreparably.

There, that should do it.

*glug*

[whojamfan]

Thanks for your responses, I didn't have much luck with mine, but it was the cheapest one they had. Glad to see that it does what it promises to do adequately, and appreciate the real world responses rather than the mumbo-jumbo on the internet.

[goofyfoot]

James Taylor plays one. Of course, he could play any guitar, including an Esteban. Just my 2¢ worth. Late.....Goofyfoot.

[blueflamerick]

I used a Variax bass on every song here except for "Jumping Off the High Bridge."

[whojamfan]

James Taylor plays one. Of course, he could play any guitar, including an Esteban. Just my 2¢ worth. Late.....Goofyfoot.

But the gal on Home Shopping says Estabans are comparable to 5,000 dollar guitars

[blueflamerick]

Are you sure she didn't say 5000 yen?

[sloop_john_b]

I used a Variax bass on every song here except for "Jumping Off the High Bridge."

Why did you go with the Variax, Erik?

[blueflamerick]

The guys in my band said they didn't like the sound of my Rickenbackers recorded, plus the lousy wiring and lighting in our practice space made the single coil pickups hum like crazy. I just used the Rickenbacker setting on the Variax.