Variax 700 acoustic as a gig tool?

aziz

aziz

Power User
How's the 700 as a gig tool, does it sound usable compared to a good acoustic with a pickup? My idea is to avoid feedback, which I get a lot with any acoustic pickups other than under saddle piezos, and those sound bad. Line6 doesnt howl, but does it sound any good either? Youtube videos sound quite bad, and I dont have a chance to test one out before buying.
 
No experience with Variax. I use a PRS P245 Semi Hollow with Piezo and that gives good acoustic sounds with my Ax8 loaded with some acoustic IRs.

Are you looking for mostly an electric that can do some acoustic? In that case a PRS with Piezo will work very well. If you're looking for mostly an acoustic that can also do some electric, I would investigate the Taylor T5 series or the Tom Anderson Crowdster series. Or are you looking for an acoustic only without the feedback problem?
 
Acoustic only. The second option is to install some kind of a pickup to a Martin D18.
 
I've had a couple variaxes - both times I bought them with the intent of trying to get a passable acoustic tone out of them and I just couldn't. I didn't have the AX8 at the time though so I think that it's possible with all the options available in it, including acoustic IR's - one might be able to coax a good acoustic tone out of one. I'd be interested to hear someone do that.
 
IMO the acoustics on the Variax are meh..but as @Brian Coonan said , they can probably be tweaked by AX8 into quasi-usability..I only have experience with the more recent Standard and JTV models. @Moke has nice acoustic patches for that, as do others.
 
Had Variax 600 and 300 back then, it’s a nice toy, not more than that and I would not use it in any situation today where I can choose to use the piezo on my Majesty or a good preset on the Axe that makes my electric guitar sound almost identical to an acoustic.
Even though the old Variax are now sells for cheap, it’s a waste of money IMO.
 
dpeterson said:
Steve Howe seems to get by with it ;)
Click to expand...

So?
James Hetfield also used the acoustic type also live for some time many years ago, it's not necessarily mean it’s a good instrument.
Have you had one / used it live and in the studio?
When you first play the 600 / 700 it sounds cool with all the manipulating etc. but after some time and specially live, you find out that its far away from the real thing and its nothing but a nice toy for home use.

On the other hand, there are the newer version of the Variax, the James Tyler model, they are holding more HP under the hood, the processor is more accurate in modeling, so they (L6) say, haven't tried one though.
If I was forced to buy one I would not touch the old versions, only the newer ones.
 
Roadrunner said:
So?
James Hetfield also used the acoustic type also live for some time many years ago, it's not necessarily mean it’s a good instrument.
Have you had one / used it live and in the studio?
When you first play the 600 / 700 it sounds cool with all the manipulating etc. but after some time and specially live, you find out that its far away from the real thing and its nothing but a nice toy for home use.

On the other hand, there are the newer version of the Variax, the James Tyler model, they are holding more HP under the hood, the processor is more accurate in modeling, so they (L6) say, haven't tried one though.
If I was forced to buy one I would not touch the old versions, only the newer ones.
Click to expand...

so the point is, it is what you make it. If you dont like it dont use it, others get by just fine. I'm with you on the newer vs older though, something has had to have been updated. The older guitars were awful, but i'm sure the Tyler ones and now Yamaha ones are all playable.
 
levipeto said:
I have a Fender Roland VG-5 guitar, which has pretty good acoustic sounds.
Click to expand...
I use a USA VG Strat for acoustic sound live but had to use acoustic IRs, unorthodox Axe settings and a Fishman Aura Spectrum(bled in thru the fx loop).
Had a Variax 300 for a short time before I owned my first AxeFx. I think if I tuned it with my current setup, it might be passable.
 
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