[Bevo]

Did you guys see this yet?
http://fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0117502700

Do you think its a step in the right direction?
Bev

 

[Schluppy]

It's interesting but I'm skeptical of the quality of modeled tones. I've never heard a modeler that sounded as good as the gear modeled.

I'd try it given the opportunity, the alternate tunings are pretty attractive, but I'm reasonably certain I would never buy one. There's just a little too much "just gimme a cable" snobbery still in my blood.

 

[Stratin2traynor]

Tried one out at L&M. I found it a little too weird myself. Never bought into the Line6 Variax either. If you want alternate tunings - then tune the guitar. If you want a guitar that sounds like a Tele - play a god damn Tele! The next thing will be a guitar that plays all by itself. You just buy it for like $6000 hang it on your wall and tell it to play something you like.

I much prefer guitar to amp. Maybe a little flavour in between but that's about it.

:rockon:

 

[violation]

Well said Stratin2traynor!

 

[Accept2]

The VG Strat is based on the model tech from the VG8/88/99. If it has alot of the features found in those units, it should be really cool. I have the VG8 and find it very useful in produceing authentic tones. It is much better to play a VG in 12 string mode than have to deal with the tuning instability of an actual 12 string. Organ and other synthetic tones are cool too. Its not for everyone, but if youre doing alot of live sets or recording, or just want something to experiment with, its great............

 

[Maxer]

This debate reminds me... Last year my friend and I saw Steve Howe here in Toronto... it was a great concert, very intimate with lots of chatter on Steve's part between songs. Along with the usual assortment of amazing acoustic guitars arranged around him in a semi-circle, he also played some electrics, one of which was a Variax.. he went to great pains to say how much he enjoys the versatility of such an instrument. He did caution that some of the tones are fairly unsatisfying and even plain weird, but overall he highly recommended the instrument to fellow guitarists... and then proceeded to pull some amazing stuff out of his Variax.

All of which means, to me at least, that the tools available out there are only as good as the players who utilize them... but even old school types like Howe embrace the best of the digital era while abiding by the principles of their earliest teachings.

 

[djem]

Yet another thing to spend your dough on. Gibson has something similar called the HD.6-X Pro Digital Les Paul:

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Divisions/Gibson%20USA/Guitars/LesPaul/HD_6-X%20Pro%20Digital%20Les%20Paul/

It actually has a CAT 5 jack as well. Not sure if it has the built-in sounds like the VG Strat.

I can see this Strat being useful in a studio context. I would never get one myself because, well, because I don't relate to it on a purist's level. If anything, I would get a synth pickup and install it on one of my cheaper guitars and get a used Roland VG unit. Probably a lot cheaper to.

 

[Maxer]

Yeah, I'm quite happy, in a recording context anyway, to grab a favourite guitar and play it through GuitarRig 2 and my audio-in box - if I want some exotic voicing, that is. I don't feel any great yearning for more digital modeling than is already at my disposal via GR2 and Logic - certainly I don't feel the need for on-board modeling with any of my guitars. Might be nice to try, I suppose, but I likely wouldn't shell out the cash for the experiment. Not now, anyway... good to have an open mind with these sorts of things. Some of the best results come unexpectedly!

 

[Bevo]

The more I try the modeling amps and pedals out there the more it brings me back to a pure tube and HB tone.

If I got this VG it would be fun for a bit then just end up collecting dust.

They may be trying to put that guitar into the hands of a new kind of player that we are not aware of. Someone has to be wanting these for all the big names to start building them.

Bev

 

[Accept2]

Thats incorrect. Its not a new player they are after, its any players that likes to try new things. Never make the assumption that what you like is what everyone else likes. Im amazed at how keyboard players and bassists are always looking to try new things, but so many guitar players act like stubborn mules when they are faced with things that are different from what they use..........

 

[Maxer]

But I'm reminded of this Toronto band I knew in the early 80s... their guitarist MIDI'd his axe and got all manner of sounds from it. Trouble was, it never sounded like a guitar... he got so far from the original instrument he might as well have been using a keyboard sampler. I don't even know if he was a very good guitar player... it was hard to tell from all of the superficial dazzle.

You can get too much of a good thing.

 

[Accept2]

There is nothing wrong with going off the deep end. He probobly sounded unique, which is a good thing. Im sure for fans of electronic music he sounded great..............

 

[gproud]

I fooled around with one for a bit at the local store. I was quite impressed with it to tell you the truth. I would never actually buy one/use one, but if someone is looking for some different tones/tunings without having to lug a bunch of guitars around that require tuning, setups, etc. it would probably fit the bill just fine. But, I'll stick with my guitar plugged into a few pedals and an amp. Indeed, if I want a Tele sound, I'll get a Tele.

 

[Maxer]

There is nothing wrong with going off the deep end. He probobly sounded unique, which is a good thing. Im sure for fans of electronic music he sounded great..............

Thing is, he was in a jazz fusion band. He wasn't doing Kraftwerk or Gary Numan or whoever else. He was, as far as I could make out, trying like hell to decide what he wanted to sound like. As a result he came off sounding like no one particular thing at all. My guess is that this wasn't his original intention, but I could be wrong.

I remember another band from a few years earlier. One of the bazillions of Queen St. West bands that were around in the late 70s/early 80s... not going to mention names here, but their guitarist had a whole board full of pedals, all of which he used in a frantic effort to disguise the fact that his timing was bad and he had a pretty limited palette of ideas.

It is possible to hide behind your tech... or at least try to.

 

[ENDITOL]

It looks like a cool idea but if I where to invest in that why not go all the way? A Godin and a VG-99 would give you so much more flexibility...

 

[famouspogs]

this looks like something teenages will get their rich parents to buy for them so they can show off their ability to play 3 grunge songs on their new hyper stratocaster, and brag to their friends. ive never tried one so i dont know of the quality.

 

[djem]

There is nothing wrong with going off the deep end. He probobly sounded unique, which is a good thing. Im sure for fans of electronic music he sounded great..............

I remember seeing Pat Metheny with Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock and some other jazz dudes at Roy Thompson (arounf 1989/90) and Pat was playing through a guit-synth using a sax patch. After the first few tunes it grew rather tiresome. I would have preferred him to just play the guitar sans synth.

 

[Yerffej]

It actually tracks REALLY well. I was super surprised, and the tones are O.K.

My beef:
-I want some control, some way to edit parameters of the sounds and/or expansion the on sounds.
-why does this not have midi out? The big processor in the back and all you get are the built in sounds. A BIG goof in my mind.

 

[Benee Wafers]

For recording purposes there is a lot of good things can be said of the Variax line. I've just posted looking for a dealer in Montreal.
You know I've got two '76 Rhode Island Guild acoustics ( 6 & 12 strings), an '86 MIJ Squire Strat and a 2000 CIJ Bigsby Fender Tele. Have just these last 2 weeks been checking out the Fender Strat 12 string.
Someone on the Fender Forum suggested I check out the Line 6 Variax models.
I have done so. You know I think I'm gonna go digital all the way.
Especially and exceptionally for recording purposes the Variax makes all the sense in the world. The modeling sounds are remarkable, from LP's ( 4 models), Strat (1959 ), Tele ( 3 models ) ... forget it, look at the list below, I mean electric and acoustic 12 strings, resonators, a sitar for god s sake, Martin D28.... at the flick of a switch, in mid song if you need it.!
Sure sure I know tube sound, vintage guitars,vintage amps, re issues, tube screamers,cry babys, pushing air on and on.
The Variax is a real guitar the 600 offering Canadian Maple neck, bass wood body etc., etc.,
You wanna hear some simply incredible guitar picking and sounds with a Variax listen to this guy play.........http://www.guitaristjeffmiller.com/audio.htm

For me I think enuff with 6 guitars already and looking for another.
Get one that can do it all and sound real good doing it.
I do believe I'm gonna sell my guitars and buy the Variax 600 model, the 700 series with the pearl and bone and mahogany just a little bit out of reach....heres' the list. By the way Steve Howe is on the Line 6 payroll.

Variax Models Based On*:

1960 Fender® Telecaster® Custom [info]

1968 Fender® Telecaster® [info]

1968 Fender® Telecaster® Thinline [info]

1959 Fender® Stratocaster® [info]

1958 Gibson® Les Paul® Standard [info]

1952 Gibson® Les Paul® “Goldtop” [info]

1961 Gibson® Les Paul® Custom (3 PU) [info]
1956 Gibson® Les Paul® Junior [info]
1976 Gibson® Firebird V [info]
1955 Gibson® Les Paul® Special [info]
1959 Gretsch® 6120 [info]
1956 Gretsch® Silver Jet [info]
1968 Rickenbacker® 360 [info]
1966 Rickenbacker® 360-12 [info]
1961 Gibson® ES®-335 [info]
1967 Epiphone® Casino [info]
1957 Gibson® ES-175 [info]
1953 Gibson® Super 400 [info]
1959 Martin® D-28 [info]
1970 Martin® D 12-28 [info]
1967 Martin® O-18 [info]
1966 Guild® F212 [info]
1995 Gibson® J-200 [info]
1935 Dobro® Alumilite [info]
Danelectro 3021 [info]
Coral/Dano® Electric Sitar [info]
Gibson® Mastertone Banjo [info]
1928 National® Style 2 "Tricone" [info]

 

[Bevo]

Now that was pretty cool, those clips do sound close to what I think the original guitar sounds like.

It would be cool to A/B the model and guitar to see if it is that close.

I do see your point for recording that this would be a useful tool but i would not get rid of all my guitars just to have it. The guitar investment you made is not worth the gamble that this modeling guitar is the last one you buy.

Go for it but don't sell anything till you live with it for a year or two, get over the honeymoon period first.
Bev