The Brave New World Of Guitar Modeling
The Variax 600 is Line 6’s cool new retro-styled digital modeling guitar – an instrument that claims to faithfully reproduce the sounds of twenty-five different classic guitars via Line 6’s proprietary modeling technology.
Now, I’ve never played one of these, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has because I find the entire idea highly intriguing… I mean, who wouldn’t want access to all of those great guitar sounds from a single, relatively cheap instrument?
According to Line 6, developing the Variax models was difficult and time-consuming work, as you can well imagine–
We auditioned an amazing array of vintage instruments to find the ones with the most distinctive voices and personalities. We applied our painstaking measuring techniques to these specimens, and refined our models while constantly referring back to the originals for accuracy. When the model reached the point not only sounding like the original, but also being as much fun to play, it was done.
I’m not entirely sure I believe the hype just yet, but if the Variax 600 is anywhere near as good as its been made out to be it would be a real boon to guitarists who find themselves with big dreams, but a very minimal budget.
The Line 6 Variax 600 Features–
- Comfort-Contoured Basswood Body
- Maple Neck
- Maple Fretboard With 22 Frets
- L.R. Baggs Tremolo Unit
- Standard 1/4“ Output Jack
- Digital I/O: For Use With PODXT Live, Vetta II, And Workbench
- XPS A/B Footswitch For Selecting Standard Or XLR Balanced Output
- Comes in Blue, Black, Two-Tone Sunburst, and Vintage White finishes.
As soon as I can get my hands on one of these I’ll be sure to give it an in-depth review.
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June 26th, 2006 at 9:28 am
Hey Cary,
I’ve been playing Line 6 Variaxes (300, 500, and 700 Acoustic) for about 2 years simply because my Fenders/Taylors are a bit to precious and non-verstile to bring to gigs with no security. They play very well, although not as comfortable as my Strat or a nice Tele. The weight distribution seems a bit awkward, but that is certainly not a limiting factor. At the end of the day, they sound “convincing,” and there has not been a single gig that I’ve played with it that someone doesn’t complement me on my sound. The rest of my rig is either a Bose PS/1 or a Mesa Boogie F-30 with the Line 6 PodXT (which connects and powers the Variax digitally through what is essentially an ethernet cable).
Some of the big advantages are:
1. Completely noiseless pickups (no matter what model you are emulating)
2. Alternate tunings without having to retune (I use this a lot for drop D).
3. Dramatic changes in guitar sounds in the same song (from jangly Rickenbacker 12 String to Bistering Les Paul Lead with the flick of a switch).
4. Convincing acoustic tones for live performance.
5. Excellent software available (free if you have a PodXT Live effect processor). It lets you control the PodXT and the Variax setting from a neat computer interface.
Disadvantages:
1. Certain tones do not sustain well (actually breaks up in the high end if you listen closely).
2. Quality control. I had to return my Variax Acoustic 3 times before it worked as advertised. One of the bridge saddles on my Variax 300 just broke…and it’s going to take some effort to fix.
3. It takes a lot of tweaking on the guitar/effect/output chain to get excellent results (I have to use totally different patches depending on what I am outputing to)….although the presets are remarkably good.
4. The Acoustic Variax sounds a bit too piezo-y for studio use.
All in all, I am on the Variax bandwagon for live use. I have used the Variax electrics in the studio, but primarily when I couldn’t get the right tone out of my Fenders. The other guitarist in my band (www.myspace.com/mikesteedmusic) play through vintage & very expensive gear (62 strat, Fender Relics, 58 Les Paul,…Bad Cat amp, etc.) and the Variax does not sound as good as that stuff, but definitely good enough to share the stage…. I spent $2000-3000 on my entire rig….he has probably spent $5000 on his amp alone…and an average $5000 a piece for each of his guitars. He switches guitars during the set. I press a pedal.
June 26th, 2006 at 9:50 am
Wow, I really appreciate you taking the time to leave us such detailed info, Rick :)
Sounds like you’ve got a great set-up for live performances. I would think that especially with the volume of a live band around you, the modeling nuances that aren’t so perfect wouldn’t really be noticeable at all.
And I particularly like the idea of being able to use alternate tunings without actually retuning the guitar – is this something the Variax does by itself? i didn’t notice it mentioned in the features…
June 28th, 2006 at 4:41 am
You’re right about the volume thing. Our grammy winning producer was astounded by the Line6 stuff live, but hated it in the studio.
The Variax does the retuning by itself (alternate tunings that is, the guitar itself still needs to be kept in tune). The presets include a drop D strat, and a bunch of chord tuned durbos. You’ll need the Variax workbench with the USB adapter ($100) or a Podxt Live ($400) to configure your own tunings… but once they are configured, they are written to the guitar.
One other thing about the Variax 600 on the review site…It cost $800 but the Variax 300 is essentially the same guitar with no tremolo for $400. You can sometimes get them for $330 on close out at Guitar Center, and I’ve seen them go for as low as $250 on eBay. A lot of people get rid of their Variax because they seem too complicated, or they don’t take the time to tweak them to get the right sound. That’s good news for us bargain hunters. If you can find a Variax 500, they generally have a better build quality, considering all the Variaxes are Asian made. Also, there is a contingent of guitar techs out their who transplant the Variax electronics into other guitars….checkout http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/variax.html I am constantly looking for an in-expensive new-ish telecaster that plays well that I can do this to.
Thanks for keeping up such a wonderful site!
August 9th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
I have a Variax 600 (sunburst), which I have had for about 9 mos.
I simply love it. The neck is a little wider than the Strat I had before (which is a necessity; There was no physical way for me to play a D7 and have all 4 strings ring on the strat–one would always be being muted) but not as wide as my Yamaha Les-Paul-standard style.
The Variax sounds great without being amplified when compared to the Strat unamplified. (You know: You have an idea, so you just pick up the nearest guitar and play it–even if it is an unplugged solid-body…) I has clarity, sustain, and nuance.
Plugged in, it is a delight. One problem: As shipped, the 1st string was far too quiet compared to all the other strings. Wasn’t noticeable while using overdrive, but a serious drawback when not. But with the software available from Line 6 you can adjust the relative volume of each string, a setting that stays in the guitar when no longer attached to a computer, or even with the batteries removed.
The different models have lots of depth. The strat sounds like a strat–better than any I’ve been able to afford before. (It was modeled after a 1959 Strat.) The Les Paul has that rock-N-Roll life that they are so well known for. Yet the Variax was les expensive than any Les Paul that would have satisfied me.
One terrific feature: Since the method of picking up the vibration of the strings is not magnetic, the guitar is immune to hum–completely! I have set it to be a Strat, and held it up 1/2″ from my TV screen, and there is no noise at all.
You can get a free demo CD from Line 6 that really showcases the Variax.
I have one setting with string 5 & 6 “tuned” 1 octave low (the strings vibrate normally, but what comes out of the output jack is an octave low) making it so that I can play my own bass lines while playing guitar parts.
The Variax 300 and 500 (the 500 is no longer being MFRd) are made in China, the 600 in Korea, and the 700 in Japan. There is a noticeable difference in the workmanship.
The 300 / 500 / 700 have bare rosewood finferboards, the 600 a maple fingerboard with a finish on it (of coures). The 300 is made of agathis (listed in one dictionary I consulted as a wood used for making budget guitars). The 600 is basswood, and the 700 is mahogany.
I weighed my 600 with batteries, and it is 7½ lb.
If you use the PODxt Live with the Variax and a Variax cable (looks like a network cable for a computer), the Variax sends digital audio to the POD, eliminating one digital to analog conversion, and one analog to digital conversion, plus, along with the amp/effect/volume/etc. settings in the POD’s presets, you can store a Variax instrument. So with the press of a button, you can go back and forth between an accoustic 12-string with no distortion at all, and a Les Paul with a Marshall and a fuzz driver–mid strum, if you want.
August 10th, 2006 at 9:02 am
Hey Brian… thanks so much for the detailed info on the Variax 600. Sounds like a worthwhile investment for anyone who wants all those options, but at a fraction of the cost of owning all of those classic instruments.
I’ve recently been toying with the idea of picking up one of Line 6’s modeling amps – the Flextone to be exact… you’re endorsement of their guitars brings me one step closer to that decision. I’m starting to think a Variax may be in the cards as well :)
Thanks again for all the info!
August 15th, 2006 at 1:29 am
I am always looking for the Holy Grail of guitars. I haven’t found it just yet but I believe I am close. I got a chance to try the Variax and the first thing that impressed me was the look of having no pickups. The beauty of the wood is just plain gorgeous. Being a techno geek even I was a little taken aback by having to plug the guitar into a module but it isn’t really a big deal. When you are used to 1/4″ jacks anything else is a nuissance. The guitar felt fine which blew me away having read reports that the necks were crappy. The guitar is fine. The wierd thing was I half expected the knobs on the guitar to read ‘Les Paul’ ‘SG’ or ‘Telecaster’ and the nomenclature didn’t really describe what I expected (ya,ya, copywrite infringement). I buzzed through the patches and discovered something interesting “why aren’t people buying these like hotcakes” I asked myself. Then I stumbled on to the answer after dialing in the acoustic patch. There is a theory called the uncanny valley which you should look up. The acoustic guitar patch was in essence an acoustic guitar but there was something missing. Where is the fret noise? Where is the rich vibration through the body telling me that this is an acoustic guitar?
If I heard the instrument being played on stage I bet I would be astounded. I didn’t get that sensation playing the instrument. Sure, I thought it was an awesome idea but in practical use I prefer the real thing and all of its harmonic subtleties. I can see how practical such an axe would be on stage but I always feel the uncanny valley nagging at me so I wouldn’t buy one. I hope my critisism is constructive and it helps even the designers who I am certain put a lot of effort into this instrument.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:09 am
Hello everyone,
I am sold, I am going to buy that Variax Line 6, but the question is which one, 600 or 700? Their price difference is about 300 euros at a store here in Athens, Greece. What do you guys think? Does 700 worth the money in comparison with the 600? I read about the different woods that are used, but do they really make any difference? Does the 700 sound the same like the 600? I don’t care about beauty or tremolos.
Keep up posting!
February 17th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Konstantinos…
I have played them all, and out of the amp, the electric models all sound the same on all patches. The 600 has more of a Strat feel, and the 700 has more of a Paul Reed Smith feel. Look on eBay and find a 300 model used. I’ve seen them for $300 USD. It has no tremolo and a basic Strat style body.
The Variax Acoustic is the only really different instrument as far as sound and feel is concerned. It feels like a Gibson Chet Atkins steel string, and is a great “live” (vs. studio) acoustic guitar. You can get some great electric style jazz tones out of it as well.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:33 am
When it came time for me to buy my 1st electric guitar I had a hard time deciding what sound I wanted. The very patient employee at my local music shop helped me demo countless guitars. Finally he suggested the Variax 600. At the time I never heard of it & when he showed it to me I was immediately skeptical. But after listening to him play what sounded like a Fender with single coil pickups & at the flick of a switch it sounded like a 12 string acoustic I was floored. I immediately played the 7 or so chords I knew at the time & I thought the thing was just so cool. Since I couldn’t make up my mind about what type of sound I wanted, I figured the variax was perfect for me. What’s better than having 25 guitar sounds in 1 instrument. I bought the guitar along with a Roland Microcube. Instead of just playing Bad Bad Leroy Brown on my acoustic, I was now able to start to expand the types of songs I can play.
As I became a more proficient player I purchased the Variax Workbench which allows you to digitally build custom guitars & apply alternate tunings without having to actually retune your guitar. This is where the ideas really started flowing & I’ve begun to actually write my own songs.
Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, the possibilities this instrument opens up for you are endless. About the only negative I can say for this guitar is that it isn’t very pretty & the lack of pickups makes it look strange.
March 10th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Why doesn’t Line 6 offer choice of maple or rosewood fretboard on the 700’s? I much prefer maple, my experience yields better sustain, less volume drop with a bend, yada yada. Seems like such a simple thing to offer.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:27 am
I’ve had Line 6 Variax 600 for about a year now. I’ve only played it at home, but now there is a gig coming (our band has been on a break) and I really had to start messing about with the axe.
I’ve played for about 30 years, mainly rock, hard rock, blues, soul, etc. I’ve had electric guitars like PRS (still miss that one), Ibanez, Tokai and now I only have an steel-string acoustic, a nylon-string and Variax.
As I mentioned, my first gig with Variax is coming and the show includes both acoustic and electric songs so I decided to put the Variax to work.
I really must say that this quitar is a treasure! I love the Tele and Strat sounds for clean and slightly overdriven bluesy soloing and the Les Paul sounds for more heavy and crungy raging. And the acoustic sounds blow me away, especially the 12-string, which I’m gonna pull out of the hat and amaze my bandmates at the gig.
The best thing is that it is a quality instrument to play and it looks good too (I’ve always liked the traditional look in quitars).
I recommend this guitar to anyone, pro or non-pro!