far0n Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Just curious really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='far0n' post='1323859' date='Aug 2 2011, 09:13 AM']Just curious really. [/quote] I know of a guy who sold all his basses and pretty much uses just his Variax bass. He admitted himself that it's not an exact replica of everything. But good enough. Seems like that spoils the fun to me. I've never really dug the Variax shapes (bass or guitar) to be honest but have spent many hours looking at people's projects shoehorning the electronics into something more pleasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Had a 5 string one and bought it new so I could play all types of music. Ended up just using one or two of the settings and deciding whilst they sounded a bit different played solo, in a band setting you could not really tell them apart. Sold it to someone on here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far0n Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 That's the thing that struck me about them, electronically superb but I thought they were ugly....that ridiculous thumb rest that curves in/out baffles me. It should really have looked like a Yamaha RBX A2..... funky, modern looking with cool sound switching. Totally missed opportunity I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='EBS_freak' post='1323954' date='Aug 2 2011, 10:39 AM']I've never really dug the Variax shapes (bass or guitar) to be honest but have spent many hours looking at people's projects shoehorning the electronics into something more pleasing.[/quote] +1 I'd quite like a Telecaster with Variax innards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I've not played a Variax Bass, but I have spent some time with the guitar versions (I was seriously contemplating a Variax Acoustic at one point). Unfortunately even a very average player like me could tell that although some of the sounds were excellent, as instruments from a playability PoV they were a bit pants really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='far0n' post='1323968' date='Aug 2 2011, 10:50 AM']That's the thing that struck me about them, electronically superb but I thought they were ugly....that ridiculous thumb rest that curves in/out baffles me. It should really have looked like a Yamaha RBX A2..... funky, modern looking with cool sound switching. Totally missed opportunity I reckon. [/quote] Totally!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Well the thumb rest was deemed necessary due to the lack of pick-ups to rest against! Just done a googlesearch and there are still some around, new in Dealers, wanting silly money too! I too contemplated dropping the electronics into a Jazz Bass body but then thought, why do this if I don't use all the pre-sets anyway? I was a member of the Line6 forum for some time and at one time L6 were promising a revised model, but then they went and quietly scrapped it, I guess it did not sell the way the guitar ones did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commando Jack Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Not had any experience with the basses, but have used the Acoustic 700 for solo gigs for the past 2 years. I like it because it sounds big and has alternate tunings on the fly, and there are no issues with feedback. Doesn't feel quite right though (no resonances in the body) and it's something I had to get over. The thing that really lets mine down though is the build quality: the frets are badly worn after only 2 years use (big grooves down the nut end as I play a lot of root chords) and the input jack is a piece of plastic that ripped, stopping me plugging the thing in. A real weak point that could have been fixed by having a metal enclosure. I think that's common to all Variax guitars, because the replacement part was a generic line6 component across the range. When it gives up the ghost, I might try gutting the electronics and installing them on a project electric - might make for an interesting combination... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grunge666 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 The guitarists in my band work for Line6 and both use Variax 6 strings - they're trying to convince me to have a bass to save on the changing over between songs. I currently have to change bass 4 times due to the tunings of the covers we do - D, C, Eb and to pitch. I only like 4 strings and tbh - like using most of my basses during a gig. It gets a bit much changing that many times in a half an hour set though!! Jury's out atm but, can't imagine not using a Spector at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Tried a couple, and I like the sounds but I didn't like the basses themselves. The build quality and general feel didn't seem to be on the same level as the electronics, which meant I've had some long-term low-level GAS to get hold of one, rip the innards out, and put them into a nicer-playing, nicer-looking bass. But not at the prices they go for at the mo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far0n Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='yorks5stringer' post='1323975' date='Aug 2 2011, 10:57 AM']Well the thumb rest was deemed necessary due to the lack of pick-ups to rest against! Just done a googlesearch and there are still some around, new in Dealers, wanting silly money too! I too contemplated dropping the electronics into a Jazz Bass body but then thought, why do this if I don't use all the pre-sets anyway? I was a member of the Line6 forum for some time and at one time L6 were promising a revised model, but then they went and quietly scrapped it, I guess it did not sell the way the guitar ones did?[/quote] When I mentioned the thumb rest, I meant the way it curves inwards then back out again.... not the reason it's there in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='far0n' post='1324150' date='Aug 2 2011, 12:53 PM']When I mentioned the thumb rest, I meant the way it curves inwards then back out again.... not the reason it's there in the first place. [/quote] I stand corrected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [url="http://www.exit45.com/VaxIV"]http://www.exit45.com/VaxIV[/url] Just in case anyones interested, this is a great site about someone who transferred the guts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 The design/electronics don't allow you to hand/palm mute, among other things. Personally, thought both the guitar and bass versions were cr*p. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyf Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='J.R.Bass' post='1324222' date='Aug 2 2011, 01:37 PM'][url="http://www.exit45.com/VaxIV"]http://www.exit45.com/VaxIV[/url] Just in case anyones interested, this is a great site about someone who transferred the guts.[/quote] Just spent most of my lunch looking at that. Just amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazy_olie Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Tried one years ago and it felt fine to be honest, would have no issue in owning it if I thought I needed it. I think DSP (Digital signal processing) has big potential for future guitars. The amount of control you can get in a chip these days is insane and it's finding it's way in to more and more amps. All the clever work in the variax is likely in researching what filters to apply to get particular bass sounds. They would have done better IMO to team up with someone like Ibanez to actually produce the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commando Jack Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='krazy_olie' post='1324287' date='Aug 2 2011, 02:20 PM']All the clever work in the variax is likely in researching what filters to apply to get particular bass sounds. They would have done better IMO to team up with someone like Ibanez to actually produce the bass.[/quote] I think this is true, licensing would be the way to go with the tech. Plus they could sell kits for the modders. Roland had a better approach and produced the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_VG_Stratocaster"]VG Strat[/url] with Fender. Unfortunately it looks like it was discontinued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='noelk27' post='1324237' date='Aug 2 2011, 01:44 PM']The design/electronics don't allow you to hand/palm mute, among other things. Personally, thought both the guitar and bass versions were cr*p.[/quote] I don't think I got that far in my playing investigation to discover that as I found the guitars simply too nasty. A £100 Yamaha Pacifica was a far nicer instrument to play IMO. However I've heard that there are new guitar versions designed by James Tyler. Are these any better build-wise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Whilst I think the guitar version does a decent job of sounding like quite a few different instruments (my Dad has one), the problem i'd have with it is that it will never LOOK like the instruments. Part of the fun of having different instruments for me is the different look and feel each one gives me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='Machines' post='1324362' date='Aug 2 2011, 03:24 PM']Part of the fun of having different instruments for me is the different look and feel each one gives me.[/quote] I think that was Adam Clayton's thinking at Glastonbury... except I think the only thing that changed on his were the paintjobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) As I also play my five string electric in a swing band, I have always felt aware of jazz purists frowning that I don't at least double on upright. Then I was shocked on seeing the RAF band the Squadronaires Live and the bass player was using a Variax, so how convincing is its upright sound?. I would have thought he would have been court marshalled for even suggesting using one in such a high profile outfit. But happy in the knowledge I can mention this if the topic should come up. They do not feel right to me even before plugging them in. Edited August 3, 2011 by deepbass5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 It's a really great idea, right until you actually want to play the type of guitar it's emulating. For me, there's a lot more to different guitars than just the tone, and If I'm going to have a 'Les Paul' then it needs a big chunky neck, fat frets and sustain that lasts forever, even clean. If I'm going to have a strat then it needs that C shape neck, skinny frets, a body that hugs close and a middle pickup to dig into directly over. It's only about the tone after it feels right in my hands first. I'd expect bass to be similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 [quote name='BigRedX' post='1323970' date='Aug 2 2011, 10:52 AM']I've not played a Variax Bass, but I have spent some time with the guitar versions (I was seriously contemplating a Variax Acoustic at one point). Unfortunately even a very average player like me could tell that although some of the sounds were excellent, as instruments from a playability PoV they were a bit pants really.[/quote] Oh. As someone who'd been playing guitar inadequately for 40 years, I'd say that my Variax 300 is fine in playability terms. I was not quite so impressed by the 500 or 600 (although the 600 does have a maple fretboard which would be better for string bending than the 300's rosewood board) and only briefly tried a 700 which felt awful. I use it for impersonating an acoustic, because it's ergonomically better suited to me than an actual acoustic, and it saves me switching between 6-string and 12-string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I don't play guitar but presumably the alternative route is to find a guitar that is really playable and feels right to you and like the design of then go down the midi pickup / sound module route to be able to play the sounds you wanted? I don't know if there are dedicated sound modules or specialised cards for specific models of guitars but I would have thought they exist as that presumably is what is in the variax set up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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