line 6 variax

[normskinormski]

Depending on the sale of one of my guitars tomorrow i may have a space for a variax.
Anyone tell me what they are like because i've fancied one for ages now but don't really know that much about them. I probably will be looking at a cheaper one as funds are quite low,what with crimbo and all that just passing.
Being a truck driver means i'm away from home a lot and rely on an old vintage strat stuffed behind the passenger seat in my cab and an effects pedal so i thought a variax may just be the solution with its inbuilt guitar models.
But what do they play like?
Are the necks like planks?
And are you just paying for the gubbins inside to the detrement of the rest of the guitar.

any advice on this would be appreciated.

And please no Jeremy Clarkson jibes about truck drivers if you dont mind.

[Sporky_McGuffin]

I got a 300 for £150.

It is perfectly playable. It does not, of course, feel like a £2000 guitar, but the frets are well finished, the tuning stable, the intonation correct. Furthermore it sounds good. Each setting is strongly reminiscent of the guitar it purports to mimic. The 12 strings sounded a bit odd to me, all the others were musical and usable.

It is now in bits as part of the guitar I built on the Morgan course.

I have not played any other Variaxes but mine was worth considerably more than it cost.

[dudeiferous]

I got a 300 for £150.

It is perfectly playable. It does not, of course, feel like a £2000 guitar, but the frets are well finished, the tuning stable, the intonation correct. Furthermore it sounds good. Each setting is strongly reminiscent of the guitar it purports to mimic. The 12 strings sounded a bit odd to me, all the others were musical and usable.

It is now in bits as part of the guitar I built on the Morgan course.

I have not played any other Variaxes but mine was worth considerably more than it cost.

I agree that they sound good but they play like a bog standard Encore from Argos. Out of all the guitars I have ever had, the Variax played like a total dog. The actual guitar itself was firewood IMO.

I would be tempted to do a 'transplant'.

[dudeiferous]

even the 500's?

Sorry, should have said that I have not played a 500...mine was the cheaper model.

Actually...it was a while back. I think it may well have been the 500. The 700's look good anyways.

[edit] Where has the post gone ????

[normskinormski]

sorry here it is.........even the 500's?


i deleted it oops

[Fretwired]

The 500s are better than the 300 and 600. They are better made and have the same electronics as the 700s. The main processor board was changed and simplified on the 300 and 600. The 500 also has one processor per string as opposed to one processor for every two strings on the 300 which apparently makes it more reliable.

There's a 500 for sale in the classified section of this forum.

[dudeiferous]

sorry here it is.........even the 500's?


i deleted it oops

LOL...

I cant remember what model it was...it was a while back. I was thinking of the 700's with regards to the good reviews.

My impression about the Variax was that it was an amazing bit of kit but it felt like a really cheap guitar in terms of feel.

[Fretwired]

Here's the thread with the 500 for sale - http://www.musicradar.com/forum/show...d=1#post401154

[normskinormski]

Here's the thread with the 500 for sale - http://www.musicradar.com/forum/show...d=1#post401154

there lies the problem...cant stretch that far.....yet.

as i said crimbo and all that.

i was hoping for on a touch cheaper(in my dreams i know)

[Sporky_McGuffin]

I agree that they sound good but they play like a bog standard Encore from Argos. Out of all the guitars I have ever had, the Variax played like a total dog. The actual guitar itself was firewood IMO.

Mine was genuinely not bad. Far, far better than that piece of crap I got from Soundcontrol (can't remember the make). Perfectly playable.