Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

[KeeperOS]

Ok, when Line 6 and James Tyler came up with their (new) Variax line I was always wondering, why the Strat with a trem but the Shred-stick going hardtail?

All other things aside, it didn't LOOK right. I mean, look at it:

But now:

All this time I thought they hadn't released it because they were looking for an in-house solution. Although this actually might have been the case it appears that they must have given up because in the end they went for a solution that predates these guitars, the Graphtech LB63 Ghost Bridge Assembly, basically a licensed Floyd rose with (from the looks of it) OFR saddles with their stringsaver inserts slotted in and a Gotoh baseplate.

Although I can't really justify buying one myself I can see plenty of session players getting this or even recording artists for the studio or for lives for quick tuning switching even mid-song!
I mean, check this:


Plus, they LOOK bad-@ss (*gasp* even the headstock)

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Simplest guess, for advanced vibrato bridge abuse, the Line6 technology could not track the pitches accurately. (I speak as a lifelong abuser of guitar synthesizers and MIDI Guitar controllers.)

On a fulcrum vibrato system, bending notes downwards involves raising the strings away from the pickups. Pulling sharp risks having the strings choke on the hexaphonic pickup. Hence, the shift to in-saddle piezo elements.

 

[dominus]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

I had a first generation Variax. Could not handle palm muting. Haven't messed with one since.

 

[sixstringsamurai333]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Apparently they've fixed the palm muting problem now. I'm really quite interested to try one of these, or the singlecut version of the JTV, which actually looks quite nice.

 

[CTN]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

i'm confused...

the first pic you say it doesn't look right

and the 2nd pic you're drooling over, despite that it's EXACTLY the same guitar except for the graphtech floyd and a normal-orientation headstock.

They both look ugly to me.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Some day I`m gonna buy a variaxe just to rip the guts out and put it into a guitar that I actually like the looks of.....

 

[sixstringsamurai333]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

^ this would be awesome. I don't mind the look of this, though:

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Some day I`m gonna buy a variaxe just to rip the guts out and put it into a guitar that I actually like the looks of.....

I think a lot of people have done it and posted about it on other sites. To Line 6's credit, though, they have tried to put out models that look more like decent guitars that someone would actually buy.

View attachment 39661

 

[Mincer]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

I use a Variax acoustic quite regularly- wish they would come out with an updated one.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Every Variax guitar has always looked like doo doo to me.

I'm sure they're great players though.

I just... Bleh.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

They are definitely Line 6 guitars.

Countless sounds, cool effects and features built in, ability to completely change your tone without even trying to...

...all with that weird digital modeling aftertaste. I don't drink Diet Coke and i don't use modeling guitars or amps

 

[Mincer]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

I have been very happy with my acoustic Variax and POD HD500- I use it direct to a PA and it sounds better than the piezos in most acoustic guitars.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

i'm confused...

the first pic you say it doesn't look right

and the 2nd pic you're drooling over, despite that it's EXACTLY the same guitar except for the graphtech floyd and a normal-orientation headstock.

They both look ugly to me.

That's because you have not taste!!! :9:

Joking aside, the looks are of a typical Jackson-meets-Ibanez clone, nothing more, nothing less. Looks cool to me, if a little plain (chrome rings would make it pop better IMO).
As for the guts, I have absolutely no idea, never tried the original Variax, doubt I'll have a chance to try these too. Just a cool idea for an all-around guitar IMO.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Joking aside, the looks are of a typical Jackson-meets-Ibanez

That's like cross breeding a racing horse and a donkey.:laugh2:

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Hey, I'll have you know that there are good Jacksons as well as bad Ibanezes :9::9::9::9::9:

Nah, regardless of pedigree these two have more in common than say a Les Paul to a PRS McCarthy.

I for one like it visually, but then again, in spite of the differences it nevertheless reminds me very strongly of one of my own guitars, hence why I said it'd look better with chrome pickup rings.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

Nevermind, I was just trolololing a bit. You see, the guitar has a bit of a weirdo image, the body being somewhat like a slightly overweight suhr modern with the chubby horns of an Aria, what looks like the raised center block a'la Firebird or RGX TT, stained in the hue of a beetroot, and married with a black, much-like-Ibanez headstock with a dizzy looking logo.

It's terribly eclectic, although still an example of stunning beauty, when compared to the first generation Variax.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Here's a little something for the shredder that wants it all!!!

But now:

As mentioned before, the earlier Variax's looked like poo...this one I could live with.

Bet it would be a whole lot of fun too...