Variax - what do you honestly think?

[travelin travis]

So are you saying you really think that the variax sounds and plays better than the PRS? or is the convenience playing a large role in that decision?


Although I don't like the variax, because I'd rather have one good sound than lots of decent ones, I'm in no way against the concept of it, and if they COULD perfect the technology (its not a certainty) then I would get one, and I don't quite understand why some people wouldnt want one even if they could sound exactly like the guitars they were copying.

But it's all speculation really, because they have a long way to go, so I'll stick with the old stuff.

i agree. if the stuff really sounded like what it is emulating, i would have no problem using it. i don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon though.

 

[XLR]

I tried one and liked it for the range of instruments you can dial in and for the alternate tunings. But I like to bang on my classical guitar, which the Variax ain't built for.

I listened to the nylon string audio sample on the Line6/Variax site, hopeful that there might be a new tool worth having in the nylon string realm but...

...NOPE.

A shame though because it's a good idea. Good they're trying, but it's not very close yet IMO.

Tim

 

[the edzell]

I've been reading some reviews of the 500 series and the biggest thing that sticks out is the fact that the tuners stick and the fact that the guitars take so long to fix when they break down.

I've been thinking of buying one, but I'm also tempted to wait until I can afford the 700 model or until the quality improves on the 300 series.

Any thoughts?

 

[philboyd studge]

I listened to the nylon string audio sample on the Line6/Variax site, hopeful that there might be a new tool worth having in the nylon string realm but...

...NOPE.

A shame though because it's a good idea. Good they're trying, but it's not very close yet IMO.

Tim

Till they build one with nylon strings and a classical neck it'll never work. They really should consider it because there is a plethera of cool nylon stringed instruments (I can think of several from Cuba alone) and a ready market throughout the southern hemisphere.

That said, the nylon patch does record fairly well using a distant mic placement on the slider and variing the compression to the song. Still, I'll use a regular classical over the stage nylons or the Variax.

 

[philboyd studge]

too damn funny!

i'm dreading the music that will be coming out over the next 10 years with all this "plastic" tone. oh god! it's just not right. the amps, guitars, direct boxes, etc. it's all like androids of the real thing.

i will admit, i own a line6 amp but as soon as i can afford a decent tube rig, this thing is outta here and won't be missed a bit. using it does'nt stop me from playing, but it's not very inspiring either. i've got about 50 amp sounds that sound like plastic, and maybe 2 of them don't make me want to puke. i just got a fender blues jr. to get me going with the tube thing, but i can't wait to get a nice tube amp.

i personally feel that anyone that is serious about tone will not stay with line6 gear. it may have appeal in the beginning but after you've had the real thing, there's no going back.

i wonder if line6 had anything to do with "real dolls"?

Most likely we'll be seeing something like a Variax from China in Costcos and Wal Marts within a few years for much less than Line 6 can produce them out of Korea.

Ya still gotta be able to play 'em.

 

[Light]

I've been in the music business since long before you were born

I seriously doubt it.

Or maybe you thought I was a kid or something.

and I really don't think you're going to have much influence on my opinion of the Variax line of guitars.

Who said I was tring to.

I'd suggest logging a couple of hundred hours of playing time on the Variax of your choice and then chiming in with an opinion.

Why would I want to spend hundreds of hours listening to something that I knew I didn't like withing the first minute?

When it comes to acoustics, there is NO good way of recreating the true sound, not a mic, not a pickup, and certainly not some lame ass physical model, and this is particularly true of great acoustic guitars, which is what I play. The sound of an acoustic does not come from one point in a speaker, it comes from the whole damn guitar. The battle they are fighting is lost before it has even begun.

If it makes you happy, fine. I think it sounds like shit. Which is MY opinion.

Which is what the thread was asking for in the first place.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Ed Dixon]

So are you saying you really think that the variax sounds and plays better than the PRS? or is the convenience playing a large role in that decision?

I like the feel of the PRS better. It's a higher quality of instrument (fit, finish, neck, appearance, etc). Since it cost about 5 times as much, one would expect this. However the Variax is much quieter and produces a better range of sounds for what I need. The Vax has a similar feel and is in the good enough category (playability) for my needs.

The VAX is butt ugly, but I care less about that. I want sound/tone, not looks. Others views may be different here.

Ed

 

[Ed Dixon]

I seriously doubt it.

Or maybe you thought I was a kid or something.

Your profile shows a birthdate of 1974. If this is correct, that would make you about 31. For those of us a few decades older than that, the statement qualifies.

The track record of VAX owners show a trend where the initial tryout in a music store went poorly, but later when they had time to work with it on their own gear, things really picked up.

My only experience is with the electric model. The acoustic is very different. However it seems good enough for The Edge of U2 to use it live.

Ed

 

[freshmattyp]

I'm eager to try one out. I need to have a lot of different tones available to me when I play out, and my roadie (wife) is sick of hauling 3-4 guitars to every gig to cover what needs to be played. It would be great to only take 1 instrument. Now if they could just make them look a bit better.

 

[Ed Dixon]

Music store tryouts generally go poorly. There usually is just not the time and silence necessary to really see how it works. One really needs to take it home to see if it fits their needs.

I bought on EBay, with the assumtpion that if I did not like it, I could resell and lose little. I've still got mine.

Ed

 

[ROblows]

It would be great to only take 1 instrument.

Better hope you don't break a string.

 

[ROblows]

The track record of VAX owners show a trend where the initial tryout in a music store went poorly, but later when they had time to work with it on their own gear, things really picked up.

I havn't tried a VAX (obviously), but interestingly, my experience with other Line 6 gear has been the exact opposite. Seemed really cool in the store; was sorely dissapointed when I got it home.

 

[ROblows]

They are also a good fit for young players who have little $ and need multiple sounds.

This whole thing about "needing" multiple sounds confuses me a bit. I have a bunch of guitars. I like to have different sounds, but, quite frankly, I could play an entire gig with any one of my guitars (and I often do). Sure, playing a whole gig with a tele will sound different than playing a whole gig with a 335, but one isn't better or worse than the other. And I get a lot of tonal variation by pickup selection and tone controls anyway. I don't think anyone in the audience thinks "gosh, this song would be so much better if he was using a strat instead of a Les Paul". I guess maybe it's different if you're playing in cover bands and are trying to emulate a particular album sound that the audience is already familiar with. Is that what people mean when they say they "need" multiple sounds?

 

[Ed Dixon]

Is that what people mean when they say they "need" multiple sounds?

Priaise and worship music varies from acoustic to heavy overdrive. One has a few seconds between songs. Being able to press a footpedal and switch from acoustic to metal is a plus.

Same deal with gigs with different sound based songs. Turn, Turn. Turn is 12 string based. Others might feature a banjo. Some might feature the out of phase Strat sound where others like "Money for Nothing" an overdriven Les Paul.

Ed

 

[Ed Dixon]

I havn't tried a VAX (obviously), but interestingly, my experience with other Line 6 gear has been the exact opposite. Seemed really cool in the store; was sorely dissapointed when I got it home.

This has been my general experience as well. Generally Line 6 stuff does well in the store. However the Line 6 forums are full of stories of poor first time store Variax testing. Most store folks are clueless on how they work and quite often connect to the wrong amp.

Ed

 

[ROblows]

Same deal with gigs with different sound based songs. Turn, Turn. Turn is 12 string based. Others might feature a banjo. Some might feature the out of phase Strat sound where others like "Money for Nothing" an overdriven Les Paul.

I can definately see how it would be useful if you're playing in a cover band and trying to match the record as closely (and easily) as possible. I hadn't considered that, as I don't really do the cover band thing. On the occasion that we do play a cover song, my band never attempts to make it sound like the original version. Therefore, I believe I'm safe from ever being tempted to try a VAX.

 

[Ronan]

i spent some time playing with a Variax "acoustic". It played so so, but to me it sounded like a Ovation recorded direct with a really cheap DI and processed by a Yamaha SPX90.

 

[ROblows]

...it sounded like a Ovation recorded direct with a really cheap DI and processed by a Yamaha SPX90.

Good God!!! There's a painful aural image!

 

[philboyd studge]

I seriously doubt it.

If your age is 31 as stated then yes, I've been in music since before you were born. Professionally I began a year after I got out of the service in 1968 with Colgems/Screen Gems with a writing partner. Guess you could go back to 1954 or so with the accordian on local LA tv, but I didn't take it as seriously as my stage mom.

 

[philboyd studge]

i spent some time playing with a Variax "acoustic". It played so so, but to me it sounded like a Ovation recorded direct with a really cheap DI and processed by a Yamaha SPX90.

That's funny. I just tracked 3 songs yesterday with my Ovation custom shop mandcello going direct (LXR) and with a little eq I was suprised how good it sounded. A little too much fret noise though and I'll likely mic it next time.