Is the line6 Variax JTV69 a toy or a pro piece?

inbouwer

inbouwer

Inspired
Hi everyone, about the James Tyler jtv69, is this a good guitar, can you compare it with a real guitar like a Musicman or Fender or is it a toy guitar?

Could use it in my coverband in theory but is this something you would use in reality?

Like to hear your opinion!


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Can't comment on the '69 - but I have a '59 - based on a LP 59 (Korean built - not US).

Build quality is ok - the neck is a real handful - but thats ok as I have a large hand and it's a nice change sometimes to get away from the slim c profile necks now and again. I'm sure the US made models would have a bit more finesse put into the neck shaping and quality of wood etc. but having been a user of the previous L6 variax model I wasn't prepared to spend more dosh on it .... because ....

The main problems that usually occur with L6 guitars is more about the inner electrical circuits. I'm not saying all of them will give problems .... but lets just say I've now owned 2 and both have developed small but annoying issues.

The previous models were just crap builds - horrible L6 ideas of what guitar necks should be like - they were bolt on so the best thing to do with them was to get the neck replaced with a Warmoth one or similar. However - with that one I also had a piezo in the 'B' saddle that was putting out a lower signal than the rest of the strings and no amount of fiddling around in the software could fix it's level.

My newer '59 has just developed a problem with the pickup toggle switch where it kills the sound completely without warning - thats with either the modelling on or bypassed. I also think the output jack is dodgy too as I get volume drops from time to time. I also had to work a bit at the model selector knob to get it mounting higher above the body as it was stopping me from pushing it down to selecting the A/B options.

Others will probably say that they've had no issues and are really happy - but I'm now highly suspicious of the reliability and quality of the electronics that L6 bung in these things.

When they are working they are useful tools - the acoustic models being the most used probably in a live situation. Some drop tunings are good enough to get away with too. The addition of having real pickups is a good thing - I was quite prepared to have to change them on mine - but the stock ones actually aren't bad.

You do need to spend some time messing around with the software and balance the outputs of the piezos/models with the magnetic pickup outputs - which might involve altering the heights of the pickups.

There is also some latency in most of the more extreme tunings and 12 string models - but that's to be expected in any DSP solution I'm sure.

Would I buy another? No .... I'd probably settle for a conventional guitar with piezos under the saddles and process their output via the AxeFX via a rear input and dedicate a scene to it - just to emulate an acoustic part.
 
I just bought a used 59 sight unseen which is always dicey. Now I am not a big fan of Line6 either; I mean I've owned only a handful of their products and the only thing that I liked was their delay pedal. But anyway I was and continue to be impressed with the guitar. The magnetic pickups sound really good. I would usually have swapped those out first thing, but they aren't going anywhere. The fit and finish were really good too. Now buying a korean guitar the last few years is usually a safe bet, but I was impressed with the neck and frets; not a single issue. It's a big old heavy piece of wood and it's well put together.

But the real question you are asking is probably about the modeling. It's not bad. Now part of the problem is that when you are playing a tele or strat there is more to it than just the sound and you do not get that same feel with it being in a LP shape and what not, but tonally it's a decent facsimile. Out of the acoustic models I only have two that I really like a lot and the rest are just a disappointment. But my biggest gripe is probably the low levels coming out from the modeled instruments. I've cranked them up in the software (which works really well), but they are still very weak compared to the magnetics; except the LP model ironically. I know that a single coil is supposed to be weaker, but even cranking the input gain on the AxeFXII all the way up I can't tickle the red.

The alternate tuning is probably it's weakest point and that's always going to be an issue. I've owned a lot of things that change pitch and tuning in real time and have yet to be impressed with anything going more than a half step down. Part of that is probably because of the ringing of the strings, but it just isn't super convincing or clean. I will say that out of everything out there that it is probably as good as or better than anything out on the market for alternate tunings. If you were playing a gig and didn't want to bring several guitars or something it does work and I think that you could pull it off well.

For me the real question isn't as much about it being 100% authentic or perfect, but more about whether it gives me something to work with. I'd have to say that it definitely does. It's not the best guitar ever made, but it's good enough for me to keep it and play it regularly. I don't hold onto stuff if it isn't going to get used or I don't like it.

Unfortunately I can't speak with any authority about the 69. I think that once you put a tremolo on a guitar you open up a whole other can of potential issues and with the piezo pickups being in the saddles I would have concerns about it losing string energy if you dive.
 
I'm very interested in the perceptions of people using the Variax with their axeII. I'm in a cover band and have been using the axe to make my coil split humbucker "sound" like an acoustic. On some songs I'm relatively happy and not so much on others. I really need to do my own tone match as opposed to using other peoples. Hearing the youtube videos made me think that maybe the JTV variax would give me the tones I wanted.
 
inbouwer said:
Hi everyone, about the James Tyler jtv69, is this a good guitar, can you compare it with a real guitar like a Musicman or Fender or is it a toy guitar?

Could use it in my coverband in theory but is this something you would use in reality?

Like to hear your opinion!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I owned a JTV69 Korean and a USA model. Disappointed in both. The Korean model high-E string slipped off the neck, the trem wouldn't stay in tune, and I was unable to intonate the high-E because the bridge saddle wouldn't go far enough forward. Sent it to L6 and they fixed the issues but since they're in CA and I'm in FL, I was without it for 3 weeks. The electronics just stopped working on two different occasions. I re-flashed the firmware which fixed it but decided to get rid of it at that point.

Got the USA model which had a much better feel to it. The build quality was quite a bit better but this time the electronics fried. No sound from the modeling or the mags. Couldn't re-flash because their software didn't recognize the guitar when plugged into the USB. Three more weeks and a new mainboard later, it worked for a while and then got a very muffled sound from the modeling and mags. Got it fixed again and sold it as soon as it was sent back. A shame too because the USA model played very nicely and the modeling (both models) was pretty good, but the reliability was horrible.
 
He guys, thanks for writing down your expieriences.

I guess i better not buy a Variax then.
I don't want to buy any trouble, there is nothing more frustrating then gear that wont work during a gig.
I have an acousticaster by Godin that gave me troubles enough, don't want that again.


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Last edited:
I guess I'll chime in with a positive experience. I have both a 69 and a 59P, both Korean. The 69 is a 1st gen. I haven't had any problems with electronics & in fact my battery for the 69 holds charge longer than the newer battery of the 59. I did change the neck on the 69 to a compound radius neck, but that was after having the guitar for over a year. I too had the high E string sliding off the neck but I adjusted my playing & it was fine.

I use both guitars in a cover band & use both acoustic & electric modeling. The main selling point for me is tuning, we play in 5 different tunings and I only need one guitar & a second to turn a knob. Everyone's experience is different depending on luck of the draw & expectations.
 
Does anyone know if there were any modifications on the jtv69 for the circuitboards?
Maybe the electronics are better now than in the beginning?


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From what I've heard from other Variax users, it's not so much the actual idea and features that are lacking, but the general build quality of the actual guitars. Line6 should definitely venture into a cooperation with a professional guitar builder to make the physical build quality and playability and quality of components of those guitars match the versatility.

I just feel that the Variax guitars aim for a market segment that is
1) too expensive for the beginning player that loves the versatility
2) too cheap and low quality for the professional player


To sum it up: it's neither a toy nor a professional tool. It's something in-between. Wether that is good or bad is up to you.
 
Zwiebelchen said:
From what I've heard from other Variax users, it's not so much the actual idea and features that are lacking, but the general build quality of the actual guitars. Line6 should definitely venture into a cooperation with a professional guitar builder to make the physical build quality and playability and quality of components of those guitars match the versatility.

I just feel that the Variax guitars aim for a market segment that is
1) too expensive for the beginning player that loves the versatility
2) too cheap and low quality for the professional player


To sum it up: it's neither a toy nor a professional tool. It's something in-between. Wether that is good or bad is up to you.
Click to expand...

+1

The Korean has poor build quality, the American-made James Tyler has excellent but it'll cost you about $4k. Electronics reliability sucks since it's the same on both models.
 
I've got a definite love/hate thing going with my Korean JTV69. Other than the E-string-off-the-neck thing, the physical part is not bad at all. I don't have any particular issues with it staying in tune, and I tend to use the whang bar a fair amount. The pickups are quite decent, though the singles are WAY brighter than the humbucker.

Electronically, it's been in the shop multiple times. Main issue #1 is the stupid modeling off/on switch continually sinks down just enough that it won't engage (or disengage if I do get it on.) Still twinking around with it myself to try and get the spacing right.

The bigger issue is that when the switch went ga-ga at one point something hosed the alternate tunings where the majority of them sound both the original note and the shifted note. We are talking U-G-L-Y with a capital UGH here. All attempts to reinitialize the tuning fail, and nothing appears wrong when looking at them in workbench.

All of that said, when it does work it is really handy in a live context. Being able to pull a passable 12-string, sitar and other tones out of the hat is really nice. But I still am not sure that I'm not going to just dump it at some point...

My .02,
TT
 
So to make a long story short, the Variax is a handy tool with a lot of flaws.

I said it a few days ago but i am far from convinced to buy one myself.
I am glad that i posted this question here.

So thanks guys for your time and input!!!

I will keep on playing my musicman and others...


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Good call in the end I think

I had a Variax 700 and a POD XT PRO for a couple years as they seemed well suited to the 'covers & not wanting loads of guitars hanging around' task... eventually grew increasingly aware that I had become very detached from the feeling of 'guitar playing'. Tricky to describe, but that 'connection' went missing...
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I have a Korean JTV-69... Replaced the neck w/a nice Warmoth Neck. Much better, but still not the real thing.
 
Tommy Tequila said:
I've got a definite love/hate thing going with my Korean JTV69. Other than the E-string-off-the-neck thing, the physical part is not bad at all. I don't have any particular issues with it staying in tune, and I tend to use the whang bar a fair amount. The pickups are quite decent, though the singles are WAY brighter than the humbucker.

Electronically, it's been in the shop multiple times. Main issue #1 is the stupid modeling off/on switch continually sinks down just enough that it won't engage (or disengage if I do get it on.) Still twinking around with it myself to try and get the spacing right.

The bigger issue is that when the switch went ga-ga at one point something hosed the alternate tunings where the majority of them sound both the original note and the shifted note. We are talking U-G-L-Y with a capital UGH here. All attempts to reinitialize the tuning fail, and nothing appears wrong when looking at them in workbench.

All of that said, when it does work it is really handy in a live context. Being able to pull a passable 12-string, sitar and other tones out of the hat is really nice. But I still am not sure that I'm not going to just dump it at some point...

My .02,
TT
Click to expand...

Regarding the modelling switch, I've heard of people taking a small bit of paper & folding it a couple times, then sticking it up inside the knob to act as a shim. Seems to clear up the problem.
 
I'm ok with mine. The set up out of the box was a bit of a joke but I'm enjoying it more as time goes on. Mag pickups sound great too.
 
inbouwer said:
So to make a long story short, the Variax is a handy tool with a lot of flaws.
Click to expand...

Like I said I can't say anything about the 69, but I wouldn't say that it's as flawed as much as I would say that you have to go into it with some realistic expectations. It's not the real thing and it doesn't pretend to be the real thing, but if it sounds close enough to the real thing than that's mission accomplished in my opinion.

And I'd be real interested to see the difference between the 59 and 69 in terms of quality because I'm completely blown away by the construction of the 59 for it being an import and the economy version. Now maybe because it was used the guy paid to have it set up really well, but regardless it doesn't have any flaws that I can point out.

I mean we ALL get a little bit of the gear snobbery going and I'm one of the harshest towards Line6 gear, but I like to think that I'm fair and objective at times. For what it's trying to pull off it's pretty good. But if you are looking for the absolute best Les Paul and Stratocaster, etc., sounds ever than you need to just go and buy the real things.
 
I can accept the level of workmanship, etc. The ones I've played at GC were all passably playable, and most of the sounds were acceptable.

What really concerns me is that many people (not only on this forum) seem to have major issues with the electronics, repairs, etc. That is not acceptable.
 
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