Yeah - I know we don't need another Variaxe thread - but, I just bought one Friday I got a 300 series (the low end model) for $425 - I figured I've done much dumber things with my money (in my youth I drank/smoked/snorted more than that on any given night ).
So tonight I laid a few tracks - original strings, no set-up, took the axe out of the box, tuned it up and hit record (a "new country" tune).
While the guitar does not have the same feel as a $1,000 guitar, all in all the feel and the constuction was not bad (maybe on level with a Mexi Strat or a "good Squire".
Acoustic guitar (Martin D28)
Very believable acoustic sound - better than I've been able to get from any of the low cost $300-$500 acoustics I have.
Tele (1968 Tele)
Bright sound that was very credible as a Tele (almost as good a sound as my Tele - but I love the feel of my Tele)
Les Paul (1958 Standard)
I've never owned a LP (so I can't really judge) - but I got a decent "humbucker sound" - certainly much different than the Tele sound.
Banjo (Gibson "Mastertone")
While the banjo sound seemed a little too dull - for a basic "color" mixed relatively low, it added a decent "banjo flavor" (probalby could not carry a true banjo featured song)
Resonator (1935 "Dobro")
Like the banjo, this sound is not bright and cutting enough - but for a "color" it worked.
All this from one instrument -I never had to change an axe and best of all, I sat right in front of the computer screen with out any buzz. I'm pretty sure that some better strings and a little time with a proper set-up and this will be a very functional axe.
Like most on this site - I work on my own, playing all the various instruments and candidly, nothing sucks the muse out of me more than constantly changing guitars, setting up mics for acoustic instruments (I have a few acoustics guitars, an acoustic banjo and an acoustic resonator).
All the tracks I listed above were completed in about 1 hour. If I would have been changing guitars, mic'ing etc - I would have spent 4 hours.
I was about to spend $300 for an accoustic/electric resonator - and I thought for $125 more I could get the Variaxe - And I'm very glad I finally committed (I've been thinking about buying a variaxe for about 2 years).
While I'll never get rid of many of my guitars (I really like my Tele and my SG) - I have a feeling they will be spending much more time in cases!!!!
I know there are many who simply will never accept a Variaxe - but for recording (when you simply don't have the time to spend hours trying to get sounds) this is a very good tool!!!!
So tonight I laid a few tracks - original strings, no set-up, took the axe out of the box, tuned it up and hit record (a "new country" tune).
While the guitar does not have the same feel as a $1,000 guitar, all in all the feel and the constuction was not bad (maybe on level with a Mexi Strat or a "good Squire".
Acoustic guitar (Martin D28)
Very believable acoustic sound - better than I've been able to get from any of the low cost $300-$500 acoustics I have.
Tele (1968 Tele)
Bright sound that was very credible as a Tele (almost as good a sound as my Tele - but I love the feel of my Tele)
Les Paul (1958 Standard)
I've never owned a LP (so I can't really judge) - but I got a decent "humbucker sound" - certainly much different than the Tele sound.
Banjo (Gibson "Mastertone")
While the banjo sound seemed a little too dull - for a basic "color" mixed relatively low, it added a decent "banjo flavor" (probalby could not carry a true banjo featured song)
Resonator (1935 "Dobro")
Like the banjo, this sound is not bright and cutting enough - but for a "color" it worked.
All this from one instrument -I never had to change an axe and best of all, I sat right in front of the computer screen with out any buzz. I'm pretty sure that some better strings and a little time with a proper set-up and this will be a very functional axe.
Like most on this site - I work on my own, playing all the various instruments and candidly, nothing sucks the muse out of me more than constantly changing guitars, setting up mics for acoustic instruments (I have a few acoustics guitars, an acoustic banjo and an acoustic resonator).
All the tracks I listed above were completed in about 1 hour. If I would have been changing guitars, mic'ing etc - I would have spent 4 hours.
I was about to spend $300 for an accoustic/electric resonator - and I thought for $125 more I could get the Variaxe - And I'm very glad I finally committed (I've been thinking about buying a variaxe for about 2 years).
While I'll never get rid of many of my guitars (I really like my Tele and my SG) - I have a feeling they will be spending much more time in cases!!!!
I know there are many who simply will never accept a Variaxe - but for recording (when you simply don't have the time to spend hours trying to get sounds) this is a very good tool!!!!