NMGD- Variax Standard

stimpsonslostson

New Modelling  Guitar Day.

I recently bought a Variax Standard & rather than posting an immediate NGD I thought it prudent to try it out first. 

https://www.livelouder.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Line-6-Variax-Standard-Midnight-Black.png

Context- I'm a home player. I play occasional jams with some friends, but it's recreational. I mainly play covers of a range of artists from Ed Sheeran to Springsteen to Foo Fighters to Avenged Sevenfold. 

I bought the Variax in the hope that I could cover all my bases (& tunings) without constantly tuning etc. 

My rig is guitar-> zoom G1xon -> Yamaha THR10c

So here's my initial assessment of the guitar.

Looks: it's a black Pacifica with a rosewood board, slightly different headstock & an extra knob on the plate. Inoffensive/functional bordering on dull. MrsLostSon didn't notice it at all. 

Build: it's essentially a Yamaha Pacifica. The guitar itself is good- it all works. The guitar holds tune admirably & the finishing is good. 

"Normal" sounds: rather than a normal Pacifica HSS this model is SSS. It sounds like a Stratocaster, so no surprises there. The pickups seem slightly hotter than the MIM Strat I had, but that's fine. The pots are smooth & crackle free. 

I can't comment on the trem- I decked it & don't use it. 

Modelled sounds: This is what a Variax is FOR, so here's where it gets interesting. 

I'm not going to go through every model- there are lots of other videos & reviews doing that. 

The majority of the sounds are good & very useable. I particularly like the D28, LP Special & "Lester", but the resonators etc are lots of fun (She Talks to Angels on an Open E resonator is brilliant). 

Alternate tunings: Are a BIT troublesome. You can choose a variety of tunings. The guitar doesn't get retuned, the signal is pitch shifted. Generally it sounds rather good, although the 12 string models sound quite "digital" when alternate tuned. 

I had problems with a weird dissonance- it seemed the "true tuning" was bleeding into the output & sounding awful- particularly on the B&E strings. 

This only happens at low volumes, turning up the amp seems to reduce the problem- but as someone who generally plays sofas rather than stadia it's an issue. I've reduced it by using my noise cancelling headphones & updating the firmware etc, but it's there still. 

I intend to put heavier strings on next to see if it helps. If any of you have ideas I'd be interested to hear them. 

Software: when I had issues I decided to check on the line6 website & update all the software etc. Not an easy task. You need "monkey" to manage the updates & "workbench HD" to make changes to settings etc. It's not immediately intuitive, but I got there in the end. Now I can "build" a custom guitar & load it to my Variax... Hollowbodied Gretsch with H,S,P90 in D-Standard? No problem. 

Overall: For the current shop price of £400ish, it's an impressive bit of kit. Had I paid the "undiscounted" list price of £550 I'd be less enamored.

I think once I've fully gotten to grips with the intricacies of the guitar I'll really enjoy it, though it does make me want a new multiFX unit- an HD500 probably as then I could switch guitar, amp and FX to suit at the push of a pedal. 

Musicwolf

I'm glad you are having fun with it.  I had the previous James Tyler version (JTV-69S) and I already owned an HD500 at the time.  I actually found it quite easy to integrate the two and this is probably where the Line 6 Monkey is useful if I'm remembering correctly.  I initially had a problem with the E & B sounding weak on the modelling sounds.  I tried heavier strings but ended up taking it to Steve Robinson (Manchester Guitar Tech) of this parish for a setup and he spotted the problem straight away (break angle).

Despite that I never really got on with the guitar.  Sure I could change amp, guitar and, if required, tuning with one tap of a foot switch but when I switched back to my regular Strat through the HD500 it just sounded better.  Let's face it, your average pub audience can't tell a Les Paul from a Strat by listening.  In fact, I'm pretty sure a lot of them can't tell a guitar from an alpine horn.  At home or in the studio then I had a variety of guitars already and I could get a perfectly acceptable acoustic sound live using a Boss AC-3 pedal.  It was a nice concept but, for me, it wasn't quite there.

I did use the Sitar sound on a recording and, of course, it is mandatory to test it by playing 'Norwegian Wood' and / or 'Paint it Black' - it's the law.

ennspek

I've always been curious about these, particularly used with a Helix. Thanks for your thoughts. 

entee

Welcome to the dark side
I have a Variax 700 and LOVE it.  For home recording it is perfect for me.  I recorded a track for a friend couple weeks back and playing 12 string acoustic, over driven Gretsch Sparklejet, and a bass all on the same guitar.  Love the way you can hook up to the computer and 'make' your own guitar with different pickups, phasing, tuning etc.  Wouldn't be without it...

stimpsonslostson

Thanks. 
An update after a month or so. 
I'm still enjoying the Variax. Bizarrely it's made me realize that once you've added a couple of effects the model of guitar you're using is largely irrelevant- so I guess I agree with @Musicwolf. ;
A Tele is a bit twangy, a Strat is a bit bright, a LP is fuller, a Special has a bit more bite. I especially like the Firebird bridge tone- I'd never thought of it before! 

I've shimmed the neck to increase the angle at the bridge & put some 10s on it. The weird ringing has eased more. It plays really nicely- absolutely nothing to dislike about it, but nothing "special" either, I don't get a wee thrill when I pick it up. 

I've now paired the Variax with a HD500 unit I got off Gumtree & the two compliment each other as you'd expect- the interface is seamless & I can go from my silly Metal patch to finger picked acoustic in one press of a foot switch. 

The software integration is amazing & intuitive too- drag what you want to where you want it, hit save & you're done! 

However, there lies the problem. I'm spending AGES building/downloading/tweaking tones but not as much PLAYING!
Some of the sounds I'm getting are great, others are a bit "synthetic".
There is definitely an element of "Option Paralysis" & this set up might be overkill for my needs- the stuff I play is apparently generally achievable with drive, delay & maybe a touch of chorus! So I'm using about 6 patches regularly (out of 250+)
I found myself reaching for my Esquire & plugging direct to the amp because I wanted to just practice a song. 

I don't know if I'll persevere with it or sell up, but it is an extremely clever setup. 

Wonky

Thanks for getting back to the group man.  Interested in you thoughts on it.  I think that everyone has an initial honeymoon period, but the real thing is after a while.
I've often thought of getting a Varix and I still might, but in truth I believe that once you add the guitar to some modern guitar modelling and processing, like a Helix or something, it's basically hard to tell the difference between different guitars.  So I guess it just boils done to how it makes you feel when you play it.  Mojo, if you will.  
Anyway, thanks again for reporting back to the forum dude. Much appreciated.