What I like Best about the Line 6 Variax [after one day] 

I own a JTV-69 Variax pretty much since it came out and it has been my main guitar for a number of years. The no. 1 reason I like the Variax is that I only need one guitar for rehearsals and gigs. I use a number of different tunings in our band and also have to go back and forth between e.g. an acoustic sound or delicate clean sound and a full on distorted sound. In combination with my Helix LT and programming of tuning and guitar model changes per snapshot, I can do everything with just the Helix LT and one Variax guitar! Over the years I have experimented quite a bit with the Line 6 Workbench HD software, which allows us to modify all modelled components of the Variax, e.g. pickups and pickup combinations (pickup type, pickup placement, series and parallel wiring, etc.), guitar bodies, control element settings (resistance and capacitance), etc. I found that most of the pre-installed models on the Variax can be somewhat improved in the Workbench software and that I can create good models which are not pre-installed, e.g. a Strat with P90s or a Les P. with mini humbuckers or P90s. I have also bought some Variax preset packages and some of the models in there were very good and inspired me to try new things (like combing two single coil pickups in to a humbucker). The Variax has also enabled me to play songs which I could otherwise no longer play after I injured my fretting hand. Take for example a song which requires extreme stretches. By tuning some strings differently (you can tune each string individually), I don't have to do the extreme stretches. I am also using "quiet strings" on some songs to avoid unnecessary string noise (you can set the loudness per string and hence mute strings). All the above is quite accessible and useable, in combination with the Helix LT, as I can programm everything per snapshot. I do agree with Johnnathan that the sound of the modelled guitars feels a little less responsive than magnetic pickups. I can, however, say, that the recorded sound is phantastic, especially in a mix and definetively very useable for live performances in a band setting. Given that the current Variax JTV modeling technology is already 10 years "old" I am hoping Line 6 / Yamaha will eventually issue an updated Variax! Imagine what could be done with this already great product, if it was updated with todays signal processing power...

I owned a Variax standard that I used in conjunction with an HD500X. I really enjoyed it. I did find that I was spending inordinate amounts of time creating presets that had specific guitars/amps/pedals/tunings-there were days I played one chord on my guitar for hours while I fiddled with the minutiae of the Variax/HD500X partnership. I sold both to put together a pedal board; my motivations weren’t as much about sound as they were supporting what seems to me to be burgeoning field of artistry in the small shop pedal business.

Try assigning the tone control of the guitar to adjust a parameter in your helix preset. It's fun to play with wahs and filters, assigning the tone control to sweep the filter. Or to increase delay time or whatever you can dream up really.

Aside from the alternate tuning knob (which is fantastic), I found that for live gigging, it reduced my need for having a vast number of guitars on stage or in the car .... I'd use the Variax for a bunch of songs, but have my Strat and my main acoustic too, and if anything broke a string, then I had something that would get me through the next song while someone changed the string :D It many ways it's like having an Acoustic Sim pedal on your pedal board, or having something like the Acoustasonic where you can get an electric pickup output from your acoustic ... And in other ways it's like having amp sims and cab sims (and IRs) on your pedal board .... you don't want to carry half a dozen different heads and cabs with you, so you get something that is "close enough" for gigging. Or like using a good sample library for your orchestral backing because you don't want to take an orchestra with you ... ideally you'd have your Strat, your Tele, your Les Paul, your J35, your 0018, your baritone acoustic and electric guitars, and your banjo and sitar with you .... but it's just easier to dial in something "good enough" and it can be very creative. If you really want the sound of a 62 Fender Strat through a Deluxe Reverb, then the best way of achieving that is to actually own and practice with your own gear. But not all of us can afford to buy original or Custom Shop guitars, so picking up a Variax for less than the cost of a Fender American Performer Strat gives us a chance to try out different sounds and cover a lot of ground with a single guitar.

Love my JT 69. My favorite thing about it is the magnetic pickups which sound awesome. Also love the neck. Had to do some fret work on mine when I took it out of the box. These are very nice guitars even without the gadgets. The gadgets are a bonus.

Cool stuff and great playing John! Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights.

Bravo Jonathan! Corksniffers look down their noses at the variax, but they are powerful creative tools! I use probably a dozen alt tunings REGULARLY, and I toggle song ideas between models to try out different textures...I have lots of guitars but if I could only keep one, it would be a variax. It's not even close...

You can buy guitar presets for the Variax...I highly recommend Chad Husky’s bundle. The Strat sounds are excellent!! Variax & Helix is the ultimate live setup.

Brilliant little arrangement, shows the guitars potential , well played, i have the old Variax 300 , not as good as the new, but still a joy to mess around with

I'm a Variax 59 & Helix LT user and I'm a big fan of the technology. Obviously, it is a compromise as it's a modeled sound and therefore, won't be exact but that being said the tone is still great and it offers unbelievable control. As we know, the tuning and guitar models can be switched but you can also control string volume and re-assign the tone/volume knobs to control parameters on the Helix which has been very helpful. I've used this before to mute strings I'm not playing for super clean octaves, string skipping riffs, or lead sections that are just on the B & E strings. I'm then able to turn the strings back on again with snapshots. I've also used the Workbench software to turn my custom bank 1 into a killswitch and because I'm using the 59 I have the option of two killswitch types: one that has full volume at the bridge position with the other 2 muted and another with full volume at the bridge and neck position which allows me to do stutter effects at twice the speed. The only issue I've had with the Variax is when playing at low volume because if you can hear your strings acoustically in the background when you have adjusted the tuning you'll end up with some seriously dodgy sounding harmonies which can be off-putting so often I play with headphones or at a volume loud enough to drown out the strings. Although it may not be authentic it's close enough for me and in the context of a mix I don't know how many people would really tell the difference. I just hope they continue with the technology as I'd love to see what they could do with it now.

I think it would be nice if Line 6 reworked the modeling again, since it's been about 10 years since the Variax HD update. The HD update helped make some of the models sound less muffled, but I think there's still a weird roll-off on the high end that happens with the modeling tones. You can try to EQ it back, like 15khz to 20khz, but it would be nice if the guitar just sounded slightly more accurate.

Ooooh look at ‘im go ! Variax - midi cables !! This brings such a smile. So one HUGE thing about the variax and workbench is you can name the guitars something a lot more sensible than say SPANK1-5... workbench allows you to upload new names ( and sounds ) then the variax holds those names and Helix floor imports the data to populate helix. If you go and assign the model parameter to your expression pedal - the scribble strip over the EXP will display in large text exactly which Model you’re on. You can also spin through models rapidly this way without hunting and pecking.

Agree 100% - the ability to change tunings on the fly, whether via Helix snapshots or controls on the guitar, is what makes Variax such a useful tool for me. Both from a creativity point of view and for some live situations (try playing a medley of four different songs that require four different tunings/keys just to cater for the limited vocal range of your singer - ask me how I know.....). Nashville tuning for "Hey You" without having to restring your guitar? Priceless. I have a 59, a Standard and an old 300.

ERic tidiedJCVX Please Sir! Best Regards!

i agree with your assessment here. i ended up flipping my variaxe standard after just a few weeks since what I really wanted was a #1 guitar that could do all the fancy tricks, but it just didn't beat out my favorites for tone or player satisfaction. i would love to see some of the control possibilities in a retrofit package for other guitars...

Hi John Nathan, if you've got the Variax Cable that looks like an Ethernet / Internet Cable...You can change tunings in the Helix per Snapshots ...So DADGAD on Snapshot 1, DGDGBD on Snapshot 2, F# Meshuggah / Deftones on Snapshot 3 with the Les Paul Setting etc, and with the Cable, you don't need the Battery....Also, the Acoustic settings and the Banjo / Reso Setting in alternate tunings are quite fun.....With Acoustic use maybe a Compressor , EQ and Delay or Tape tube thingy not amps. Enjoy man! I can't wait to hear what you come up with.....I find it consistently inspirational like yourself especially with the tunings....It would be interesting to A/ B the guitar models sounds with your Real versions. Enjoy \m/

That’s really cool, especially if the guitar itself is very playable.

I had a JTV-69S for a few years and used it as my "rehearsal" guitar as I didn't also need to bring a separate acoustic. It's actually decent strat if you use the magnetic pickups. Most of the guitar models are just so-so. The acoustic modeled tones are barely passable. We did a bunch of Stones tunes so having an open G guitar was handy. In the end, it sounded ok...but just ok. I kept having the fear that Line 6 was just about to release a Variax 2 since it's gotten rather dated. I probably shouldn't have sold it as it had a lot of utility. (regrets)

For home recording, could the acoustic guitar models benefit from using acoustic IR's?

The dadgad tuning gives an Eric Johnson Joe Satriani vibe, i like it.

Yamaha bought Line Six as of 8/4/2023 they have stop production of the Variax this means as soon as you electronic wear out you wont be able to get parts . Fender and Roland did this same thing with the Fender VG and Roland the G5 . The best way to go right now is a pedal for models and open tuning

LOVE that little composition at the beginning of the video! I LOVE the Variax. I usually use the string tunings to adapt to whatever song I am playing in a band context so I really don't have to care about the key a particular song is in. I change nothing but the string tunings and can adapt to still use the chord voicings that I want for the song. I HATE the physical tuning difference over the modelled tuning difference but... what are you going to do. I actually have completely changed the guitar models to get closer to a particular sound for a section of a song which is programmed with the snapshots for that particular snapshot! (for instance, tele model for a bit of twang or a Lester model for really driving a smooth deep distortion sound... and Strat for most of the rest. Though I do like the Semi models for chimey or smooth Jazzy sounds. It's just another tool in the toolbox to suit the band/song/situation! Thank you so much for showcasing the Variax - It really doesn't get the attention that it deserves!

You can get this kind of thing going on with the GR 55, its a pretty versatile unit - the modelling is okaaay for when it came out, but sadly it is lacking in functionality a bit. I never realised until i got a helix. It was a kind if a yrade off in some ways as i loved having the synth sounds. Truth be told i could actually run both but where do you draw the line lol

ERic tidiedJCVX yes please JC

Got a JTV69 to use in the last band I was in, added a Standard for backup. (Like others, put a Strat neck on the 69). Others have covered the high points well, so I'll just add this - if you buy one to have "perfect" models of the various instruments, you'll be disappointed. Think of it as an instrument with a staggering number of sonic possibilities and you're more in the park. Oh, and it's good enough for Steve Howe (who tours with one so as not to drag his vintage babies out on the road), and that's a good enough endorsement for me.

Have you experimented with blending variax sounds? Magnetic on one signal path, modeler on the other (12 string or sitar)?

The pickups sounded great. I played the model without pickups, and it felt and sounded horrid. I realise that you were just using the guitar pickups, but it sounded great. You should have a look at Jim Lill’s video about tone, it’s a game changer. Jim destroyed the tonewood debate.

Dual sounds using Mags and Presets. Take the preset down to a fifth whilst playing the mag. Use the volume and tone to change CC values.

Create a freq-out pedal inside the Helix using a pitch changer and one of the knobs to bring it in.

John - I hope you plan on keeping us updated on your use of the Variax Guitar. Since the HX Stomp does not have a dedicated Variax Input/Output, do you know how much I would be loosing if I purchased a Variax Guitar to use with my HX Stomp? I've just watched an old video on Chad Huskey's RU-vid Channel on how to use the Variax Workbench, and it is mind-numbingly how powerful and flexible it is!

How is the latency with a variax/helix set up?

John, can you hear the clash of the guitar strings (which are in standard tuning) with the digitally altered tuning/tunings? - if you follow me?

hows the lag compared to using the helix to drop the tuning?

Have you noticed any pitch instabilities, tracking problems, latency issues? Does it look like the Variax will work equally well with an HX Stomp or do you require a full Helix?

HI John, How is the latency when using alt tunings with the piezo PUP? Any difference in tracking latency on single note lines vs. strumming?

theres that robo tuner though it takesa few seconds

Very interesting. Love the concept of the variax guitar but why did they have to make it so damn ugly?!

I'd stab myself in the eye if I played a guitar with untrimmed strings. I realise this instrument isn't yours which is probably why you didn't trim the things. It's making me somewhat jittery just watching....

WARNING Yamaha stop Variax production . In a few years you wont be able to get circuit board 8/4/2023

tone charactor can't beat real guitar of course , not a kamer kind guitar,.