Variax 2.0 / guitar modeling speculation thread

[ragingplatypi]

Just thought the idea deserved a home here.

Will Variax be resurrected? Will it be tethered to a Revstar? Should Line 6 give us trumpets?

I really like the Variax concept, but it definitely seemed ahead of what the technology could offer in practice.

 

[LScottK]

James Tyler Variax guitars were released in 2010, so the technology in those guitars is really old, in computer years, unless there have been any updates I'm not aware of in the intervening years. I've had two different JTV-59s (both Korean), but I haven't owned one since about 2016.

Things I'd like to see are updated modeling, better accuracy in the 12-string models, more convincing open tuning, more and better options for building custom component combinations. The technology was already passably decent. It would just be nice to get an update after all these years.

 

[Sleezy E]

I've long said that the only "new" guitar I'll ever buy again would be a new variax.

I had 2 jtv59's at one point (sold one to my uncle for his cover band project)

I originally bought them for live use, but now it's my #1 for recording and jamming at home. So many tonal options and the noise floor is spectacular

 

[Enchilada Jones]

If the new ones had really remarkable acoustic simulations and alternate tunings including flawless drop tunings be tempted.
For some reason the subtle differences in guitar ’type’ simulation doesn’t interest me. I don’t think I’d enjoy a strat style body that sounded like a Les Paul or an ES335 no matter how accurate the sound. I’m just weird about that aspect of it I guess.

 

[Axe]

I still own two Variax guitars.. A Variax Acoustic 700, and a JTV-89F

I used the Variax acoustic many yrs ago to do this for my wife..


I will never part with that guitar. I used it a lot on on the Ariel's Attic project as well

 

[Foxmeister]

Just thought the idea deserved a home here.

God loves a trier!

 

[ragingplatypi]

God loves a trier!

 

[ragingplatypi]

If Line 6 ever went the hex pickup route, maybe they could do it with some style, like this…

 

[JiveTurkey]

I thought they put a fork in the Variax officially?

 

[ragingplatypi]

I thought they put a fork in the Variax officially?

Sure. But a boy can dream.

 

[ragingplatypi]

Replace Line 6 with Boss for the last post. The ugly black box on the GK and Tripleplay annoys the crap out of me.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Sure. But a boy can dream.

I got your back

 

[Sleezy E]

I thought they put a fork in the Variax officially?

 

[ragingplatypi]

I also imagine a piezo bridge replacement where the digital guts and controls are in a bigsby-esque tailpiece.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I also imagine a piezo bridge replacement where the digital guts and controls are in a bigsby-esque tailpiece.

You're killing half your "market" with a bigsby though. I think biggest issue with these bits of niche tech is that everything is a compromise and everything requires you deal with a less than ideal choice to end up being able to do what you need to do.

 

[aerial7]

Love my JTV-59 (especially after finally fixing the toggle switch yesterday)....will never part with it.

As I've said, though, Variax tech belongs in a pedal. More cost effective for everyone -- consumers and manufacturer alike.

Seems like the tech is there to do it straight from the mag pickups; there's that pedal I can't remember the name of and Blue Cat's Re-Guitar. However, I'm only interested in something that has both Variax features: lots of guitar models and alt tunings. And honestly, one of the reasons why I got the Boss GM-800 and pickup was the half-deluded hope they'd eventually do something with modeling / tuning....

So I don't think I'm interested in a new Variax guitar. In fact, if this next-generation pedal thingy ever materializes, I'd convert the JTV-59 into a proper 4-knob LP.... It's a great instrument, and I love the Variax features, but I hate the way they used up two of the LPs knobs for modeling.

 

[JiveTurkey]

And honestly, one of the reasons why I got the Boss GM-800 and pickup was the half-deluded hope they'd eventually do something with modeling / tuning....

Don't worry. They won't

 

[ragingplatypi]

You're killing half your "market" with a bigsby though. I think biggest issue with these bits of niche tech is that everything is a compromise and everything requires you deal with a less than ideal choice to end up being able to do what you need to do.

You’re just going to have to hear me blather on here because the Helix has become too good.

 

[Vic Winters]

Maybe they license it out?

 

[laxu]

You'd think that in any next gen version you could either cram the processing into a separate pedal sized box or at least minituarize it with the components available today.

I still think the uses for it are for people who just need a lot of sounds in a single gig, or some sort of traveling studio guitarist who just brings one guitar to cover anything they need to play.

I celebrate the differences in my various guitars. If I could get all of their sounds in one guitar, that would be just less fun because guitars are inspiring as objects alone.