Line6 Variax Guitar

Dave Birkett · Post by **Dave Birkett** » 16 Sep 2002 10:37 pm

I wonder how it plays?

Robert Todd · Post by **Robert Todd** » 17 Sep 2002 12:55 pm

Bobby .... tone to the bone hmmm are we talking about someone trying to say his/her axe sounds like a Push Pull

Joey, There are a number of Gibson Les Pauls modeled, That was Duane Allman's slide guitar of choice, muine is a Gibson ES 335 and they have one of those as well.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 18 Sep 2002 10:37 am

I think that having 3 different Les Paul models is silly, but I suppose they know their market. I doubt that the differences between them are noticable to the audience.

If they ever decide to apply this technology to pedal steel, they will have to pay Herb Steiner a visit!

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 18 Sep 2002 10:42 am

I "invented the internet"...not Al Gore.... www.genejones.com

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 19 Sep 2002 8:11 am

I just ordered one from Musicians Friend. They will have them to ship on Oct 15. I ordered the sunburst model.

Free shipping, no sales tax ... my kind of retailer, almost. If they could just get over the "99" price syndrome. The guitar is $999.99. Why can't they just say $1000?

Anyway, I'll let you all know what it's like when I get it. I'm not much of a guitarist, but maybe this gizmo will inspire me enough to get my chops together.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 19 Sep 2002 8:30 am

Boy.... this is sure not a "one knob geetar"

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Sep 2002 8:44 am

Somebody's gotta reverse engineer this thing and build us a 10-string model for steel.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 19 Sep 2002 9:00 am

It would be very difficult to do this on a pedal steel, straight steel maybe, but not pedal steel.

On a six string and a straight steel guitar the bridge saddles can be individual pieces which allow for individual pickups in each saddle. On a pedal steel, all the bridge fingers are mounted on one shaft, not isolated. Not to mention that they move with each pedal and knee lever change.

Rainer Hackstaette · Post by **Rainer Hackstaette** » 19 Sep 2002 5:15 pm

This may be just a small step for mankind, but it sure is a giant leap for Bobby Lee!

Then again: it does have only one pickup ...

I want one too!!

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Remington D 10 8+7, Sierra Crown D 10 gearless 8+8, Sierra Session S 14 gearless 8+5, Peavey Session 400 LTD

Budd Kelley · Post by **Budd Kelley** » 21 Sep 2002 3:14 pm

b0b,

A guy at work bought a Fender Cyber Twin to use with his Ibenez electric and the flattop accustic that I sold him. He was able to "program" amps and settings that sound good to him - but only 20% of the "preset" menu sounded good with his instruments. A friend of his brought over his new Strat, they plugged it in and 80% of the presets were jam up and jelly tight!

It would be interesting to know what amp(s) Line6 used in developing the sounds of the different instruments. Keep us informed!

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 22 Sep 2002 10:03 am

I'm not worried about it. I've yet to find an instrument that doesn't sound good through my Boogie.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)
Roland Handsonic

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 23 Sep 2002 8:07 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Reproduces sounds modeled after:
.... Gibson Mastertone Banjo,<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well I guess we all know which sound Bobby is going to use all the time.

Seriously, not having heard the guitar, I really can't comment on it, but I can comment of multi-effects vs stomp boxes. In my opinion, the phase shifter in my multi effects unit does not sound as good as my MXR phase 90. The fuzz does not sound as good as my Big Muff, and the chorus does not sound as good as my Boss CE-1. The great advantage of the multi effects unit is that it contains so many different sounds, and they can be tweaked and combined in a million different ways. But none of the individual effects sound as good as the dedicated stomp box that does that one thing only.

I'm sure this guitar has a lot of different sounds, and in many ways, it will prove to be a very useful tool and Bobby will find some very pleasing settings on it. But I'd bet it's strat sound will never sound like a real strat, it's acoustic sound will never sound like a real acoustic etc.

BTW I have a pod, and it's a great tool for guitarists, but I have not found a single setting on it that I'd consider an improvement over my basic unaltered steel guitar sound. I occasionally use it for a special effect, but that's all.

[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 23 September 2002 at 03:36 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 23 Sep 2002 8:56 am

I don't understand the connection between this subject and "multi-effects vs. stomp boxes", Mike. Are you thinking of the Variax as a "multi-effects" device?

As I said before, I don't expect that it will sound exactly like the guitars it emulates. For my mediocre skill level on guitar, I just want to have a variety of instrument sounds (not "effects") to choose from. I don't want or need a guitar collection - I pick up my guitar maybe once or twice a month.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)
Roland Handsonic

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 23 Sep 2002 2:45 pm

Bobby, My point was that just as a multi-effects unit can do a lot of different things, but cannot do any single one of them (in my opinion) as well as a dedicated stomp box, so too will the variax be able to get a lot of different sounds, but none of them will be a true replication of the guitar it's supposed to sound like. Whether the guitar produces esthetically pleaseing tones is another matter. It may well have quite a few terrific sounds built in.

I'd be very curious to try one out in my studio, If you feel like bringing it with you next time you come to L.A., I'd like to hook it up and see what it can do.

BTW, I'd like to know if anybody can really distinguish the sound of a Martin D-28 from a Gibson J-200, or a Les Paul standard from a Les Paul Custom. I'm sure they sound slightly different, but can anybody really tell which is which just from listening?

Jim Walker · Post by **Jim Walker** » 23 Sep 2002 11:20 pm

b0b, I'm really intrested in knowing what you think of your to Variax when it arives. I've been playing though a Line 6 Flextone II Plus for over a year now and I am mostly delighted with the amp models it tries to recreate. Like a virus spreading through town, I bought one after hearing one beeing played through at a jam session. Then others that heard mine bought a Flextone as well. I'll wait to make my resevations for a Variax till I hear it. I might have to make the trip up to see ya, and that ax!

Dave Birkett · Post by **Dave Birkett** » 23 Sep 2002 11:57 pm

On one of the Line 6 forums, I saw complaints about their products' latency. Apparently if you plug a guitar into a Flextone or a POD, and simultaneously into a standard amp, the sound that goes through the Line 6 product is noticably delayed.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 21 Nov 2002 5:20 pm

Any news on this? It's been a while.

Anyone try one yet??

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 21 Nov 2002 5:39 pm

If you had a guitar with this much capability, why on earth would you ever use a flextone or a POD with it?

Just curious.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 21 Nov 2002 6:46 pm

I have one on order at Musicians Friend. They say it will ship around December 1.

My friends are taking bets on how long it will take me to decide to raise the nut.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Tony Harris · Post by **Tony Harris** » 22 Nov 2002 8:09 am

Just been listening to a demo CD of some of the sounds from the Variax. Mimics Gibson and Fender electrics very well. And it's amazing that it sounds like a banjo, a Dobro or an acoustic, but to my ears it sounds a little like a pickup mounted on these instruments - very slightly electric, or a less-than-perfect recording. In other words, amazing onstage for instant instrument-changes, but for recording, you'd use a REAL acoustic, banjo,etc...

Randy Carson · Post by **Randy Carson** » 22 Nov 2002 7:04 pm

guys dont get to excited im a six string picker first and was one of the first to buy a line 6 pod and also the first to get rid of it. did alot of things but never did any of them right. had this discussion with my session ace buddy j t cornflos in nashville and he came to the same conclusion. im sure its a great guitar but im also sure it wont pull off very few of the sounds convincingly.
but hey give it a try. i just know when i want a deluxe with a echoplex thru and old tele thats what i have to pull out play it more than once before laying the cash my brothers
randy carson

Keith DeLong · Post by **Keith DeLong** » 23 Nov 2002 3:45 am

I hope this is not too far off topic, but I was in a music store where they had a Fender CyberTwin and a Deluxe Reverb, I plugged into the CyberTwin, fooled around with the settings, tried different amp models, then plugged into the Deluxe Reverb, a remake of the old original Deluxe, and it was , oh yeaaaah, that's more like it . I haven't seen this new guitar, but I find the sounds on a Line 6 pod come close to the real thing but there's still something missing--warmth, I guess, is the closest I can come to describing it.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 23 Nov 2002 6:00 pm

I'm getting it for songwriting and, if I get any good at playing it, gigging. I don't really expect the emulations to be perfect. I use an old Korg Pandora to get rock guitar tones on my home recordings, so I guess you could say that I'm "not too picky" about that stuff.

I get real picky about tone when I play steel, though.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 24 Nov 2002 9:08 am

It doesn´t have a whammy bar!

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 4 Dec 2002 11:00 am

Hey b0b! Just a reminder to let us know how this guitar sounds. Very curious about this one.