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View Full Version : Saw a Line 6 player last night



Robert
October 22nd, 2006, 08:47 AM
Saw a country band last night, and the guitar player used a Line 6 guitar variax I believe. He was a good player, and he played banjo sounds and acoustic sounds on that guitar. Very versatile tool. I am not sure what modeling amp he used, but I imagine it was a rack version of a POD. He was fiddling with rack once in a while.

However, the tones were really wimpy. No oomph, and no real definition in the tone. Their PA was big and professional, and everything sounded good except the guitar.

I can see the great benefit because of the different sounds, but I wouldn't trade a real amp for what he had. Maybe it would have been better if he had gone through a real amp with all that gear and miked it. I'd take either my Vox AD50VT or Hellhound plus pedals any time. Just my 0.02 cents.

tot_Ou_tard
October 22nd, 2006, 09:07 AM
Thanks Robert,

I always wondered how the different stringed instrument models sounded on the Variax.

jpfeifer
October 22nd, 2006, 10:49 AM
I like the concept of the Variax guitar. It's a very cool idea to be able to model all kinds of guitar sounds at the source. But I always wondered how well it would work in a real gig situation.

I tested out one of the Variax (electric) guitars at Guitar Center, and it really was fun to play for certain sounds. I became addicted to the Sitar sound. It was just fun to play around with that sound especially. Some of the guitar sounds were great and others sounded really thin.

I've only seen one live concert where the guitar player was playing a variax guitar and that was the guy with Michael MacDonald's band. He sounded great, but he was just using standard Les Paul and Strat sounds on the Variax.

I don't think that this technology is completely there yet, but it will be soon.
Check out this demo:
http://line6.com/variaxacoustic300/movies.html

But I'm kind of old-fashioned when it comes to guitars. I like the way each guitar has its own personality in the way it looks, feels, smells, and sounds, etc. If it's all modeled in one guitar then it kind of takes away some of the fun of having different guitars that make you play in different ways, with their own unique look and sounds.

-- Jim

tot_Ou_tard
October 22nd, 2006, 11:21 AM
I like the concept of the Variax guitar. It's a very cool idea to be able to model all kinds of guitar sounds at the source. But I always wondered how well it would work in a real gig situation.

I tested out one of the Variax (electric) guitars at Guitar Center, and it really was fun to play for certain sounds. I became addicted to the Sitar sound. It was just fun to play around with that sound especially. Some of the guitar sounds were great and others sounded really thin.

I've only seen one live concert where the guitar player was playing a variax guitar and that was the guy with Michael MacDonald's band. He sounded great, but he was just using standard Les Paul and Strat sounds on the Variax.

I don't think that this technology is completely there yet, but it will be soon.
Check out this demo:
http://line6.com/variaxacoustic300/movies.html

But I'm kind of old-fashioned when it comes to guitars. I like the way each guitar has its own personality in the way it looks, feels, smells, and sounds, etc. If it's all modeled in one guitar then it kind of takes away some of the fun of having different guitars that make you play in different ways, with their own unique look and sounds.

-- Jim


The same could be said for amps. Except holding the guitar is more physical, primitive, and even sensual (alright now drop that smirk :p ) experience.

That said, if I could by one guitar & have it sound like very good versions of many different types of stringed instruments both acoustic & electric.
Wow! I'd go for it. I don't have alot of space or cash. It'd work for me.

On the other hand, if I could buy a single guitar for the same amount of money & it did it's thing better than any of the models did their thing. I'd have to go with the standard guitar.

Plank_Spanker
October 22nd, 2006, 12:40 PM
But I'm kind of old-fashioned when it comes to guitars. I like the way each guitar has its own personality in the way it looks, feels, smells, and sounds, etc. If it's all modeled in one guitar then it kind of takes away some of the fun of having different guitars that make you play in different ways, with their own unique look and sounds.

-- Jim

Roger!

"This looks like a job for Old Number Seven".........................:D

I try to explain to my wife that each guitar has it's own feel, sound, and mojo, but all I get is a dubious stare and crossed arms in return. :)

SuperSwede
October 23rd, 2006, 03:31 AM
I am really interested in the variax guitars. The acoustic/electric version seems like a great way to get a couple of good acoustic models in one guitar. Anyone here that has tried one?