Line 6 Variax: Still thinking about buying one?

When the Line 6 Variax was first introduced years ago they were compared to MIDI devices. What Line 6 did differently than all other MIDI predecessors was to focus primarily on guitar while excluding the need for MIDI cables. The result? A guitar that models only guitars (or cousins thereof) and the option to use a regular guitar cable or a digital cable (modified Ethernet) depending on your needs and preferences. 

I ran through 3 of the first batch of Variax guitars. These were the pros and cons:

Pros

• Great sounds
• Perfect responsiveness
• No need to set up third party software
• Versatile
• Comfortable design

Cons

• Some would argue that the price was too high. (I’m vetoing this because Line 6 released a $300 model that was made in Indonesia intended to provide an “intro Variax for everyone.”
• Reliability. New technology meant occasional hardware issues. 
• Relied on one 9v or 6 AA batteries for power which only lasted as long as a gig or two.
• Only one alternate tuning could be assigned per guitar model.
• Weak piezo sensors that would inevitably need replacing. 

The next generation of Variax guitars brought us everything we loved in the originals with upgrades to the cons. All of the piezo pickups were upgraded to a much sturdier design. Tones went to “HD”, and alternate tunings received their separate controls. This means that you can have any of your favorite guitar models with any of your favorite alternate tunings at hand. Great! Out went the disposable battery situation as the new generation was reimagined with rechargeable batteries in mind. The new batteries are Li-ion which means that you don’t have to wait for them to be completely dead to recharge them. If you’re practicing at home for an hour before the gig you can jolt it back up to full charge before heading out to play.

Gone are the $300 intro-versions, but do we truly need those? The Variax has been around now for about 18 or so years. We’ve seen them, heard of them, or tried them in one way or another. YouTube has plenty of reviews, and the used market has been on fire ever since its release. My first 3 from generation one were all used models. I had the 300, 500, and 700 and they did me just fine for a time. I used the software to set each up differently. One was for teaching, one was for gigging, and the other was simply at my desk for use with recording. 

The newest line of Line 6 Variax guitars are now in 3 main categories:

• James Tyler Varirax
• Shuriken 
• Standard

The JTVs are still a hugely popular option. They come in a variety of designs so you can choose your physical guitar preference. Les Paul? Strat? Something “metal” with a nice Floyd Rose? Single coil pickups? Humbuckers? They have them all. The Shuriken boasts a slightly unorthodox body shape but plays great and comes with very good high gain pickups. Shuriken was also designed to be “extra-metal” so they released it in a Baritone version as well. The Standard models are very Strat-like and resemble many Yamaha guitars (because they are Yamaha made.) With all of these options to choose from shopping based on look and feel is the easy part. 

How does the Line 6 Variax they sound?

When compared to the original line of Variax I didn’t notice a dramatic difference in tone. Overall, they sound great. What’s interesting is how the sound does affect the feel of the instrument. You do, indeed, physically play a little differently when a Les Paul model is selected then you would with a Strat or Tele, or even acoustic. This is simply because of responsiveness. The guitar is responding differently to each model. Thus, you play a little differently. The Strat models don’t have the sustain and depth that the LP models have. The acoustic models have snappy tone and bite that you won’t get out of an electric guitar, so you produce sound differently. Now, while the acoustic sounds (including the 12-string models) are fantastic you should keep a few things in mind. This is a solid-body instrument which is mimicking tones, not turning magically into a hollow-body guitar. So when you switch to acoustic, you aren’t quite getting the dynamics that you would achieve from a real acoustic guitar. You might have to adjust some effects through a processor or pedals to modify the dynamics. This is not to say that the acoustic tones have no dynamics at all, of course, they do. But in the same way that you can play ever-so-softly on an acoustic and then bang the heck out of it, that’s not going to be quite the same on a Variax. Also, don’t bother tapping on the body, it’s not hollow. Ha! In all seriousness, the sound quality is great and much like every pitch-shifter I’ve seen on the market the alternate tunings are good so long as you don’t get a little too extreme (too high, too low.) Even the Morpheus and Digitech Drop track a little funny at their highest settings.

How’s the Line 6 Variax software?

First off, let me say that the new Workbench HD software is a major step up from the original software which is now obsolete with all of or modern desktop operating systems. I would love to see Variax software (and even Helix) release a mobile version of the software for iPad OS. A touch screen would be great and the use of these devices with mobile recording (or jamming) apps would be fantastic. There are plenty of adapters out there for USB to USB-C which should allow any of these devices to work splendidly with a mobile version of the app. 

The software is the mad scientist’s dream come true. You can do simple changes like body and pickup types. You can do creative adjustments like tunings. If you’re daring, you can dive into the deeper settings to change how the volume and tone knobs respond, as well as how the pickups are “wired” (serial, parallel, in phase, out of phase.) You can truly create just about anything (within reason) that’s something that no other guitar offers. I say no other guitar offers because we must remember this: The Variax is an all-in-one guitar. The sounds reside inside the guitar and you can play it ANYWHERE at ANY TIME without having to carry any sort of proprietary gear. There’s no special software, processor, wires, etc. You can use it professionally, teach on it, or head to the local open mic and be the most versatile sit-in guitarist in the room. 

Alternate tunings.

The model knob allows you to save any of your favorite models and even stack a few favorites in the custom slots. For example, you’re the only guitar player in the band and your band just decided to play Wanted Dead Or Alive by Bon Jovi. You can line up a 12-string acoustic, 6-string acoustic, and electric guitar (perhaps Strat or LP) and switch them up between verses, choruses, and that killer solo. With the alternate tuning knob, you can save any tunings and even create a few on the fly. Yes, you can create a tuning on the go. The guitar is set up with a simple “push and hold” option allowing you to edit and quickly save a custom tuning just for a single song on the fly. Remember that Bon Jovi tune? If you want to add a little something magical to it you could take those 3 guitar models we saved to the custom banks and toss in a dropped D setting to beef up the tone a bit, too. 

My personal experiences with the Variax Standard have been night and day when compared to the original forefathers. That first batch was fun, but these new guitars are tough enough for the road and sound great. If you have a great modeling processor like the Helix, then things ramp up to amazing. I match the Strat tones with great clean amps like the Fender models or hit the heavy high-gain amps and cue up the humbucker guitar models on the Variax. I’ve found some really fun uses for the custom tunings, too. Remember the song Mr. Brightside by The Killers? Of course you do. Those of us who learned to play this song realized right away that the chord fingerings are very intense! They work best if you were born without bones in your fingers. With the Variax, I was able to design a simple on-the-fly tuning that made all of the chords in the song fantastically easier to play. Remember, the alternate tunings ONLY work with the modeled guitars, not the actual magnetic pickups. 

Speaking of pickups, how are the pickups on the Standard models? Well, some would argue that they are a bit thin, they are standard single coils after all. Others would suggest to just adjust tone through your effects, or simply say, “I like lighter pickups, though!” Personal preference is everything. I bought my Variax with upgraded pickups. They sing as nicely as the modeled guitars so with or without modeling the guitar sounds great. For me this was a bonus upgrade, I bought the guitar used and the pickups were upgraded by the previous owner. Being a bit of a rock guy, I think I prefer the hotter pickups. Still, you might very well love the originals, and if you think they aren’t strong enough go with the JTV or Shuriken models for sure. 

Reliability. 

We’ve all experienced quirks like a dead fret, setup adjustments, intonation issues, and even the curse of the G-string. What curse, you ask? I own and have owned and played plenty of guitars where the G-string seemed to go out of tune after a handful of fierce bends. We’re all frustrated by this which is a motivator for some to go with a locking nut setup. The Variax Standard has yet to go out of tune, even when I’ve abused the tremolo bar. What’s more, I’m playing with 11-gauge strings and it’s still really comfortable to play on. 

Conclusion.

All guitars come down to personal preference. If you’re looking towards anything “different” like this Variax is the way to go. There’s no equal on the market, and unlike MIDI guitars it works out of the box. No need for MIDI cables, devices, etc. This is a great guitar in tone and feel, and the price is fair. I bought the Variax Standard gently used with upgraded pickups, strap locks, and locking tuners all preinstalled for $700 and I haven’t been disappointed. If you’re still really thinking about buying one, buy the right model for you and remember that the modeled tones and tunings are the same on every model. You’re just shopping for the look, feel, and magnetic pickup preferences.

One more thing…

Remember the old models? They didn’t have pickups. At all. Nothing. Just modeled tones. That meant that the guitar was always “on” as long as it was plugged in and those disposable batteries were eaten alive from the beginning of your gig right to the end. The new Variax guitars only use battery power when the electronics are activated. If you’re playing with the magnetic pickups you won’t be using any battery power. This means a much longer battery life than the originals (using a rechargeable battery) and a little something extra when you just don’t feel like playing a modeling guitar. Modeled tones don’t feedback. Maybe you want feedback? Turn off the modeling and go with the magnetic pickups.

More from Niko Lalangas @  The Blogging Musician