The Variaxes have been around for a while and meanwhile considerably dropped in price. So I wonder if it might be worth to have one around ???

I'm not a guitar hero at all (more skilled at bass, drums and keys) ... I'd use it for creative purposes and some ad lib tracks on recordings - if it's good enough for that?

I have listened to some dry A/B examples of magnetic pick ups vs variax and in the direct comparison variax clearly loses ... yet in the full processed demos from line6 the sound seems more than suitable.

I remember Charlie Closer once calling it the magic guitar but he might have been paid to say so ... well, what do you guys think? Anyone with hands on long term experience?

I got mine especially for the acoustic guitars (real acoustics being too hard to record and to expensive to buy). I used the Sitar on one track too.
 
At the lower cost today I'd say they are worth it. I had a guitar player friend use it to lay down a track and he was surprised at how well it played. He used the Strat into Amplitube Fender and was satisfied.

How is their build quality?

bapu
At the lower cost today I'd say they are worth it. I had a guitar player friend use it to lay down a track and he was surprised at how well it played. He used the Strat into Amplitube Fender and was satisfied.

thanks for the feedback. much appreciated.
 
I hope there might be others commenting who actually used a variax.
 
 
BTW, just found this post by Charlie Clouser, which kinda confirms that my intentions and expectations are not unreasonable  https://www.gearslutz.com/board/9204738-post2.html
 
 EDIT: actually the entire thread is quite interesting https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-electronic-music-production/851161-anyone-using-line-6-variax-paging-charlie-clouser.html
 

I have the JTV 69 in Candy Apple Red. I am more of an acoustic guitarist, finger style player, so I haven't used it the way I thought I might. I dug deep into what it could do. It has features you just won't find anywhere else. You really can make it sound so close to most models you wouldn't notice.
 
The acoustic models are probably what killed it for me. They sound ok, just nothing at all like playing an acoustic guitar. Compared to other acoustic models it has some of the best. 
 
I realized that I have preference for only a few kinds of sounds. I could have probably been ok with a nice american Fender. 
 
Since the buyout by Yamaha they have come out with some cheaper Yamaha models with the Line -6 tech in them. They aren't built as well. The JTV 69 is well built. The neck is a little larger than some like. Didn't bother me.
 
I suspect the prices are dropping because of the Yamaha buyout, or the modeling concept isn't as popular as it was?. A good value for anyone looking to get into a modeling guitar. I payed 1500.00 for mine. They are way less now.

Thanks for the feedback!
 
I've been researching the web in the past days on that subject and very interestingly, it seems that many people have bought the variax for the acoustic guitar models, were not so incredibly happy with it and ended up not using it much (the exceptions being cover band musos that love it as they don't need to carry that many guitars) ...
 
The other striking observation is the importance of how well it compares to whatever original instrument it models. That I don't care about (as long as it sounds great by itself). I'm not after replicating my favourite sound (I haven't got one TBH), I'm after the variation it could provide and the potentially interesting combinations and when pushed a bit ...
 
I'm still mentally debating the subject, but currently think I should try it on some 30 day return policy ... which I won't be able to do in the next 2 weeks for traveling reasons, so any further comment on the subject is more than welcome!.
 
 

There will probably always be debate on what the "real" sound should be. You could record a Gibson or a Strat and probably come up with numerous combinations of sound. How high the levels were set and the tone setting will make a difference. The amp is a BIG consideration. 
All things being equal I can't tell the difference between a real Strat and the emulation. My guess is that most who claim big differences in sound didn't fully work with the capability of the emulations.
If you grew up playing a Gibson, Playing a Gibson tone on a basically Strat body( JTV 69) probably won't feel quite right to you. You're used to the shorter scale length and body.
Same goes for the JTV 59 built around a Gib body. You might like that one better if you're primarily a Gibson player.
 
The acoustic simms were just too out there for me. I like a real acoustic. It's like, here's a lemon drop that tastes like chocolate. Old dog. I don't like new tricks :)

I've got a JTV-59, and give it a thumbs-up, but with some caveats. My $.02......
 
Things I like:
- Models are all passable, but solid-body models are the most accurate. I really like the strat, LP, and Ric models.
- Acoustic guitar models are usable in a pinch for live performance. They sound better to my ears than most under-saddle piezo pickups (sorry, I just hate the sound of piezos - too harsh and percussive), but not as good as a properly mic'd acoustic.
- Being a solid body guitar, you don't have to deal with feedback issues using acoustic models. Huge plus!
- Quick switching of guitar models means I don't have to go get a different guitar out to try a different sound.
- Single-coil pickup models won't pick up a lot of 60Hz hum like the real thing can (traditional singles) 
- Good build quality. I never had to do any setup adjustment after I got it. Action and intonation were set right from day one. I had some switch and internal connector issues initially, but a little cleanup and reseating of connectors solved it quickly. I suspect the guitar had been exposed to a humid environment at some point.
 
Things I don't like:
- Use of alt tunings does result in audible latency. Not a huge issue, as I can accommodate, but it's there.
- The electronics do produce some noise. Means you have to do some post processing to lower the noise floor
- Acoustic models are limited in terms of how you can alter the sound to simulate different micing techniques
- Hollow-body models don't give you that nice woody lower-end feedback reinforcement that's so critical to the sound.
- Glossy neck. Yeah, I know, I can sand it and refinish it. Just haven't bothered yet.
- Neck isn't wide enough for all playing styles. Would prefer something more akin to a PRS wide neck.
 
The best way I see to use the variax:
- Live performance with solid body models and acoustic models. Quality of solid body models and feedback resistance of acoustic models wins here. Sound of acoustic models ain't perfect, but the JTV is so much easier to handle in a live environment.
- Working up initial prototype tracks where you're still experimenting to find the right guitar sound
 
The ways I won't use the variax:
- Use of all the hollow-body models for any purpose. Inability to utilize feedback to reinforce the low-freq sound makes the variax an inauthentic hollow-body experience. Swing and a miss, Line6. 
- Final tracking. I've got enough other good guitars to use that I can get a better sound from. Noise is also an issue here.
 
Final Thoughts:
I am very glad I got mine. It's a very useful tool, and a nice choice to take to a gig or jam session if you don't want to haul a ton of gear and want to avoid the problems of micing an acoustic guitar. It's a good choice to compare sounds while you're developing a song. For reference, a few of the guitars I own and use a lot: American Strat, PRS Hollowbody Spruce, Eastman El Rey, Taylor 310 (best money I ever spent...cheap and sounds great), EGC Series 1, Travis Bean TB1000S. I've got a bunch more, but those are the ones I use the most.
 
Pete
 

Thanks, Pete, for taking the time to write such quality feedback. Much appreciated!

I'm glad to help. One last thing: If you use the Variax with a Line6 processor (Helix, POD HD/X3), Variax model selection gets stored with the patch. So, one tap with your toe, and you go from a LP through a Dual Rectifier to an acoustic through a console without having to fiddle with settings on the guitar. It's a great capability for live playing.
 
Pete