Variax

Variax is the name of a line of guitars developed and marketed by Line 6. They differ from typical electric and acoustic guitars in that internal electronics process the sound from individual strings to model (replicate) the sound of specific guitars and other instruments. The maker claims it is the first guitar family that can emulate the tones of other notable electric and acoustic guitars. It also provides a banjo and a sitar tone. The Variax is currently available as an electric guitar, but modeling acoustic guitars and modeling electric bass guitars have been available in the past.

James Tyler Variax electric guitars

JTV59
Manufacturer Line 6
Period 2010 - Present
Construction
Body type Solid
Neck joint Set
Scale 24-9/16"
Woods
Body Mahogany with carved maple top and flame maple veneer
Neck Mahogany
Fretboard Rosewood
Hardware
Bridge Stoptail (fixed)
Pickup(s) James Tyler Alnico Humbuckers
Colors available
Black, Cherry Sunburst, Tobacco Sunburst

In 2010, Line 6 released three new models of Variax electric guitars (replacing the old models), with updated technology and bodies designed by luthier James Tyler.[1]

Each model comes in a US-made or Korean-made version. The Tyler Variax guitars all come with standard pickups as well as the electronic modeling capabilities, whereas the earlier Variaxes had no magnetic pickups.

Electronic Models

Models in all Variaxes are based on the following guitars:[2]

Variax electric guitars

Variax Electric Guitar (300/500/600/700)
Manufacturer Line 6
Period appr. 2003 — 2010
Construction
Body type Solid
Neck joint Bolt-on neck
Woods
Body Agathis (300), Basswood (600), Mahogany and Ash (700)
Neck Maple
Fretboard Rosewood (300, 500 & 700), Maple (600), all with 22 frets
Hardware
Bridge Fixed (300, 500, 700), Tremolo (600, 700)
Pickup(s) Bridge saddle-mounted piezo

The earlier solid body Variax electric guitars made by Line 6 were available in four models:

The bridge of a Variax electric guitar has an individual piezoelectric pickup for each string. The instrument's electronics converts each of these six signals to a digital signal, and digitally processes each to emulate the selected sound. Since the system process the strings separately, it can model the effects that one string of a target emulation might cause on another. It can also shift individual string pitches to digitally create alternate tunings instead of pitch-shifting all strings at once.

Some enthusiasts have transplanted Variax electronics and hardware into different instruments. These "transplants" can look like almost any popular guitar, yet produce all the Variax emulations.

Variax acoustic guitars

Line 6 marketed three models of Variax acoustic modeling guitars: the 300 Nylon String and 300 Steel String, which allow varying virtualbody size and mic placement—and the more expensive steel stringed, cedar (later spruce)-topped 700, which pitch-shifts individual strings to provide alternate tunings. The 700 emulates over a dozen rare and desirable acoustic instruments, including an acoustic Indian sitar, rather than the Coral electric sitar modeled in the electric Variaxes. Line 6 discontinued it in 2010.

Variax bass guitars

Line 6 offered the same technology for electric bass guitars with the 4-string Variax 700 bass and the model 705 5-string bass, but discontinued them in 2007.

Workbench Software

Variax guitars have a Variax Digital Interface (VDI) port that connects them via an Ethernet cable to compatible hardware like the Line 6 POD amp modelers, or through the Workbench interface via USB to a computer. Note that the (300-700) guitar cannot be connected directly to the computer but requires a Line 6 USB interface or POD Live / Vetta. Workbench is also the name of the software that lets users customize the electronic models—change body type, change and move pickups, and adjust volume and tone knobs function. Users can create customized models and tunings and then save them back to the guitar.

External links

References

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