Search options (Page 1 of 4)

The Line 6 Variax guitars come as different models (300, 400, 500, 600,700). The electric 300 was the very first Variax to be released. I bought one, because it was a dinged-up instrument at a large store, and super-cheap...

Playability is excellent gentlemen! The neck has a rosewood fingerboard and is very well made. The guitar actually plays like a high-end Fender, whereas the looks are East-Asia... The sounds are not great, but ultimately usable even in a live situation. For example the acoustic models, the resonator, the sitar and even the banjo are great because I don't own those instruments. Comparing the Tele and Strat models to the real thing shows the shortcomings of this guitar. I still think that it's worthwhile to at least experience the Variax, so you can tell for sure if this is your cup of tea.

P.S. I have owned a POD, and a Roland VG88 system + a VGA modeling amp for many years -the Variax technology is just about as versatile as the Roland modeling approach, but Line6 squeezes all this techno stuff into the instrument itself. Since I only paid $150 for mine (new with a few dings), I can't complain.

cgtriplett,
changing from plastic to just about any other nut material will usually make a nice, noticeable difference -but don't expect a radical change. I changed the plastic nut on a Sigma DR41 acoustic dreadnaught to bone -probably cow...  With the bone nut, this guitar sounded a little more refined, clearer, but only after I made my second nut. The first one got too low, with all my happy filing and sanding...

Now being encouraged, I replaced the plastic saddle with a bone saddle -even better. The final touch came from new brass pins. I believe these pins made the biggest difference. Of course, the guitar hasn't become a genuine Martin either, just a little better sounding, more fun to play. It was worth learning how to do it, and at least I didn't disfigure the guitar, or ruin it.

Play on!

gitaardocphil,
here is my humble assessment of the Zoom H4: I got it about six months ago and I have used it a few times. Why not a lot? First, it has exceptional sound, even with the built-in microphones. It records live performances truthfully, and I mean EVERYTHING as if you were there. The microphones really work like human ears: When I first tried to record a live gig, I couldn't find a place to put the unit and placed it onto my amp head, pressed the (two) recording buttons... My own guitar and the bass right next to me were plenjty loud, as were all my little "f&%$*- ups during playing. Like I indicated before, the unit performs like two ears with memory in between, to record everything truthfully. Great quality, no hum, no errors.

The recording capabilities are top notch, but the USABILITY is not. Second: The overall quality of the hardware is toy-like. Plastic. The controls are tiny and the legend (printed labels) are very hard to read. There is a main latch, concealing the memory card (I got a 2 Gig SD card). This latch is very delicate and made of thin plastic. You got to be super careful not to break it, just under normal use. The batteries are stored under this latched cover as well. The sliding switches and the multi-function control are also tiny and feel flimsy. I rather have something sturdy when I'm out on a stage, recording our band. The H4 comes with a funny Velcro strap and micstand adapter (you guessed it, made of plastic again). It looks like the engineer discovered too late that people wouldn't hold this thing in their hands during recording, and asked his Mom in the kitchen if she could come up with something in a hurry. She did, just in time before the first ship date, she rummaged through the sewing bin and found the Velcro. Holy Moses, what engineering minds were at work at ZOOM?

The unit has a "slick" shape meaning that it never really comes in contact fully with whatever you lay it on. A flat housing would have taken care of this issue. If you do decide to hold it in your hand, you get pronounced handling noise. So don't.

Features I never use: the manual is nice and explains everything, but I actually never have used the 4-track (multitrack) feature, because the control menus are spartan and I fear that multitracking is going to be a nightmare. Most functions involve multi-function button pushes, multiple-layer menus, cursor moves, and in my case also reading glasses. Summing it all up: Great Recording, a flimsy toy, Usability testing was never performed, or if so, by nimble midgets who invented the unit and were familiar with it to begin with. If the newer unit (H2) was available back then, I would have bought it instead, even with only two tracks (stereo). The entire unit costs less and at least looks a little more robust.

Yes, I admit it, I am a Usabilty professional for an electronics company -but we do not manufacture recording equipment -just so you know that I'm not trying to put ZOOM down. I also own a ZOOM MRS 1044 multitrack recorder, for several years. These low price gadgets are sometimes just too tempting. I should have known better.

Play On!

FiveO, I'm glad to be of a little help.

Currently I'm building an ES175 look-alike. I've always liked that guitar, but wasn't real happy with Gibsons pricing/quality, so I'm building my own. Since I'm using the moveable bridge type for hollowbodies (together with a tailpiece), lining up these bridges is a lot less problematic, since they're not screwed down... what a relief! But of course every type of guitar has its own challenges. Glued-in (or set) necks are tricky to line up vertically with the bridge: once you glue that neck in its cavity you don't ever want it to come unglued again -and the neck better be vertically angled and lined up correctly with the nut+bridge, or you just made a nice doorstop.

Play on!

Dunlop is a good company, but there are sooo many wah models to choose from: I have the Classic Wah and don't like it. You really have to listen to them in order to decide which one is right for you. Mine is noisy and the range is somewhat limited. The more knobs a wah has, the more control you'll have dialing in just the tone you like...

Play on!

I've got a friend who's got a Martin D-18 from the 1970s -he loves it. Now get this: he also has a 70s Les Paul that has seen some abuse and has a cherry-burst top. It plays like butter! He hates that one, doesn't like the flashy top... but doesn't want to sell it, because someone told him that old LesPauls are worth a bunch of money. DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE TO YOU? I believe Martin puts something in the guitar that makes you a little wacko...

Play On!

We are having a hard time deciding on a name that suits all of us. It seems impossible. Since we play mostly blues and are a bunch of above middle-age players, we're having a hard time deciding. But we just got a nice gig (meaning a paying gig...) and have to have a name. I suggested "Tennessee Pharm Boys": They thought it sounded too "country"...and it's true that we are from Tennessee.
Now I've just made the decision to name us "Howlin' Earl & The Comfort Waist Band", because when I put my pants on, I found this label inside: "Comfort Waist Band".

Play On!

jaygordon75 and bootleger,
I have built Mahogany necks with angled headstocks. The angle is up to the builder: 13 degree is fine and may be standard, but I'm using 15 degrees. This is mainly due to the tension required where the string runs over the nut. Fender necks have a lowered top section for the tuners, achieving this tension through the downward angle from nut to tuners. Fender necks also require either graduated height tuners (the tuners have different heights), or a pair of "string tree" gizmos to hold the D,G,B,E strings down enough to create this angle just behind the nut.

Bootleger, you're right as well: the connection between the headstock and the neck better be solid. I've actually built several necks and learned the neckbuilding by trial and error, actually broke off a few headstocks with my bare hands, until I read William Cumpiano's book on building guitars. "Guitarmaking" is a book mainly for acoustic builders, but the neck building technique applies for certain electrics as well.

Play On!

You guys are absolutely correct, forgery is a problem. Today, it's relatively easy to "re-engineer" just about anything. I work for an electronics manufacturer, and we found a whole line of expensive equipment (that we have invented and engineered) for sale in China - except that every one of these devices were total rip-offs. Our company is suing. It seems very easy to rip-off unsuspecting buyers. 

I personally have made decals of a Fender logo, that looks stunningly like the real thing. But: I would never pretend that my $245 Squier Jagmasters (I got two) are actually Fenders, and I can also safely tell you that I have never ever sold anything under false pretense. I love guitars so much that I couldn't do that. Besides the logo, there are other easy things to identify real from fake: The serial number for example. I once walked into a pawn shop that had a "Fender" Strat for sale, where I could see the scuff marks on the headstock from sanding off the Sqier logo. Even the "Made in Indonesia" imprint was scratched of with what could have been a dull butter knife - When I pointed that out to the store, they kicked me out! (Most of them also deal in guns, so I responded quickly.)

Yeah, pawn shops and Ebay are the playgrounds of desperate people, taking advantage of other desperate souls, who think everything on the net is for real -grow up! I even think that mass-merchandisers (here in the US it's Target and Walmar**) misrepresent the stuff they sell for around a hundred bucks. Anyone with a painbucket and some woodworking tools can build something that looks like a guitar, smells like a guitar -but is not a musical instrument.

Unfortunately the days of an honest handshake and vintage guitars for what they are really worth -are over. If you think you found a good deal on the Internet, do your homework researching and talk with people (like the folks here on Chordie).

Since I've already spent so much money on crap that looked great in the store, I decided to build my own guitars -it's not cheaper, but at least I know that my instruments are made with care, dedication, and a great love for music.

Play on!

Hey gazza7,
I googled it and it seems still alive: http://www.guitarworld.com/guitar_world_acoustic
Welcome to this forum of unpretentious souls from around the globe. G'day!

Play on!

normtheguitar,
Is this a new guitar as well, or just a new tuner? If just the tuner is new, and you're having this problem just now, maybe the tuner is bad. Or the batteries?

If the guitar is new as well, you could be describing a problem with a nut slot that's cut a little too high. Meaning, the slot that the E string sits in is too far off the fretboard (millimeters...) .

What could happen is this: You tune the guitar, everything is fine. Played open , all strings are in tune. Then you press the low E on the 5th fret and it's out of tune: you might be "bending " that string down onto the fretboard too much, so it touches the fret (as you should). But this bending action stretches the string out of tune.

Let us know what you find out! Play on!