Custom Variax Demo

[MarcelRGuimond]

Cool! Beautiful looking guitar... way nicer than original Variax. Nice job bro! I have a variax, and I love it, although I put a custom neck from Warmoth on it, so that it feels more like a nice guitar.

[babyb1988g]

i think ill stick with my parker fly lol

[stampingdragon]

This is totally cool.

I found the build documented on the web the other day and just found this demo

truly awesome.

[Kingofvids2]

Hows that a variax? It has pick ups

[29573428937]

@Kingofvids2 He took the Variax electronics and put them in a custom body.

[FloodofRainAD]

fantastic demo, fine sir! I'm very impressed with the versatility of the guitar. i recently started using the line 6 Pod HD in replacement of the dual rectifier I've been using and to the average listener (especially in a noisy venue) the quality difference is very small. best wishes for all your musical endeavours!

[ddguitarrista]

I have a James Tyler Variax 59 and I can say well:

DON´T BUY THIS GUITAR!!!

It´s a matter of time to start having problems. It would be fantastic if work good. But it doesn´t!!!

[JoergWessels]

@ddguitarrista What kind of problems did you run into?

[jsrnf]

Do you have any tips or instructions on how you used the variax hardware and installed it onto your guitar ?

[chethelesser]

That guitar is pretty... awesome))

[55Computer55]

I heard the JTV's have better processors, Seems like alot of time and money to spend on an outdated ax.

[mattop1]

how do you get so much reverb while playing?

[MrDarinWarren]

Sadly, even through the idea is great. The Variax guitars just sound........like plastic. I owned one, and I've seen many demoed, and none ever sound .... "real" enough for my liking.

I hope they keep working on it. Perhaps one day they'll get it to sound like a guitar.

[ROOKTABULA]

How many hours a week do you need to work out to keep fit enuff to carry that beast with all that tech crammed in there?!

>;P

[gorczow]

what is the model of guitar?

[joe44850]

Great demonstration, thanks for posting. I love the Gibson ES sounds, and the Gibson acoustic was pretty convincing. The Gibson Les Paul sounded kind of cheap. I've heard the strat sounds elsewhere, and they sound pretty decent. I think for live stuff, this guitar would definitely come in handy.

[Thomas314161]

Hey you really make that guitar sing. And there are guitar players in Europe doing the same thing. I bet that the very people who criticize the use of Variax's can't tell the difference, if one sets up the amp right. At any rate, it is not the instrument but the heart that counts. And dude you play well with a lot of expression and control.

[tighttritenight]

You are awesome dude. I would pay good money for that guitar

[IamtheSpankster]

damn, this cat can play

[vZamfir]

build me one too!!!

[vmts1]

Nice, Prince's Bambi@3:31

[clown192]

I bought a variax and opened it to try and make a lefty but everything is orientated right handed. Any ideas on where i could go to find out how to swap one over since they dont make them anymore.

[myhapylife]

I am really interested how did you made 13pin wireless? Did you made 7 transmitters? :D

[novanine9]

what was the original variax transplant model...300, 600, 700...or do they all have the same sound system engine, internally?

Thanks.

[etguitar18]

i don't dig the new direction that guitar companies are going in...all these fx and amp modeling and all that crap. I'm more of a traditionalist. All i need is a Gibson Les Paul and a classic Marshall and I'm all set. I don't need 15 million different sounds. 1 amp, 1 guitar and that's all i'll ever need!

[MidiRoseVax]

@etguitar18 I feel ya. I guess it depends on the kind of music you do. I play in a smooth jazz band that does everything from strait up jazz to fusion to bosa nova to R&B to latin to rock fusion, so a classic Les Paul and a Marshall won't cut it in that situation. All my best to ya.

[Zepplinne]

@etguitar18 ok grandpa

[Zebonka]

@etguitar18 I agree with you, and I don't agree with you. It's important to find a sound you like, obviously, but a guitarist should never close themselves off to new sounds or possibilities. I don't really think the Variax sounds much like the guitars it is imitating, but the sounds themselves are interesting enough to play around with. 1 guitar, 1 amp will just mean you'll sound the same ... forever. Don't be scared to muck around with new stuff.

[TBone98607]

@etguitar18 I'm old and grumpy too but these new guitars are awesome!

[mistermudd]

@etguitar18 Personally, I like having the options available. Plus, you can sometimes model your tone for less cash than you would spend buying a high end guitar and a high end amp. I appreciate that there are traditionalists, though. We want these branches to add to the art, not replace the trunk.

[Todd6120]

@etguitar18 I tottally get that BUT..For guys who are doing cover gig who need more than one sound on the Fly youve gotta admit the Idea is pretty cool ..once this technology gets a little more evoled it could be a viable guitar for Any musical situation.

[Desertmark]

@etguitar18 you don't have any idea the knowledgement that requiers to develop all that "crap" as you call it. I think you are strongly wrong. because not everybody can buy a marshall amp or a gibson. and not everybody need just 1 sound. there are musicians who needs versatility in their sound because plays differents types of music and that guitar it is brillant.

I apologize for my english it's not my native language.

[KaiIkariify]

@etguitar18 You're a fucking faggot, dude.

[GreenDogDem]

Im utterly wowwed and amazed. I want one of these! Where did the MIDI sound come in, by the way?

[Baltam314]

I am so tempted to build a transmitter into my guitar now, which is a Godin Multiac ACS SA. Does GK work over the wireless transmitter (or would I have to build my own or do they make special ones already)? Is there a noticeable amount of latency when using GK over air with, say, a Roland GR-20 or GR-33 unit?

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Impressive. 

[danceofthedruids]

Nice demo ... do you know of any Variax adapter kit or box that will take a Roland equipted Brian Moore and allow it to play through a Vetta? Got turned on to the Variax by none other than Steve Howe with Asia. Great job!

[Zepplinne]

could someone please tell me what song he's playing at 3:15? thanks

[viktornolsson]

@Zepplinne

Fourplay - Bali Run, from the self-titled album.

My collegue was actually playing the same cd when i saw the video

[Zepplinne]

@viktornolsson aha! i knew i recognized it, thanks

[af4k]

What - we've seen this build? Not familiar with that model. Who sells it please?

Presume this is something Line6 makes now.... thanks for posting but would love to know what it is too!

[Limitless77]

That headstock kinda reminds me of Bootsy Collins kinda thing, great playing, real smooth. You move up and down the neck like Albert King

[Limitless77]

That headstock kinda reminds me of Bootsy Collins kinda thing, great playing, real smooth. You move up and down the neck like Albert King.................

[HecChavez]

esta bueno el jugetito !!!!

[GaryNull]

I was just about to type "do a demo with the ES 335 and a little distortion . . aka Larry Carlton", then you break out the Les paul with distortion, lol.

[mazsenior]

Wow...for live applications...that's a great setup. I think he could play with twine on a baseball bat and still sound great!

[novanine9]

i've heard from some players that the variax lacks the response of a real electric counterpart. Is that true, and if so...to what extent?

I've seen examples like yours and it sounds great and looks as if it is quite expressive.

I am, seriously, contemplating the investment to buy one for recording

[michaeldfulton]

Was this a custom from the ground up or is it converted from something? I don't recognize the head stock.

Also where did you get the electronics?

[neilmacmusic]

Man you make fantastic guitars!

[SrNutritivo]

with wi-fi, bluetooth, dolby sorround, no frost...? lol... great work! I want one of these!

[waitingisuseless]

the acoustic guitar effects sound like something from a cheap digitech pedal but everything else sounds good

[narancor]

HI where did you buy this one?I have only seen 600,700 models.

[CokeMachineGlo]

He didn't buy that. He took the variax computer & put it inside a guitar that he made.

[Yunneck]

@narancor  it's custom, probably he made it

[NoNameCityBand00]

hi, do you know if it's possible to send gk or 13pin cable info wirelessally to a gr-20 pedal so it still goes back to a 13pin at the end for wireless with a gk-3 pickup?

[aorphia]

What a great guitar you have.

[emilshayeb]

hello, can i buy one of those guitars?

[Ekkiejj]

if you have the money XD

[monkeyrg570]

@555 ,I know theres one fitted to the guitar but this vid says its 100% variaxe circitry sounds on this vid ...awsome guitar tho

[monkeyrg570]

the sustain on that last les paul is a little suspect ...is it really just the variaxe piezo or a little of the magnetic in there?

[555Custom]

there is a sustainer on it ( see keywords)

[poinkero]

npw thats a versatile guitar

[mvince220]

midi ready

wireless transmitter

planet waves locking tuners

sustaniac pickup

hey dude how the hell did you get that thing a built in transmitter??

[MidiRoseVax]

I built it allmyself

[novanine9]

Hi there.

Thanks for the great video.

1) I loved those jazzy chords on the gibson ES175 @ 0:45 and the Gibson jumbo @ 1:18.

If at all possible, could you clue me onto the chord names, so that I might incorporate them into my playing?

2) I want to buy a variax and put the electronics into my favorite guitar, a flying v copy.

did it take routing to do so?

Did you built this yourself, or have help with a carpenter?

Is it hard to do...and how is the electronics picking up the strings? THNX

[foad220]

@MidiRoseVax The volume and tone controls are connected to the magnetic pickups as well?

[mvince220]

midi ready

[noooooooooam]

nice sound and playing!! love that guitar

[downburst]

wow thats one awesome guitar!!!!

or a bunch of them!!!

[tsup77]

I want a bass version!

[hovis2]

there is a bass version of the variax I belive

[drflashian]

now that i think of it, how do you create pinching harmonics with a variax guitar, since it doesn't have pickups. or is the P.H. still done if you just set to 'bridge position'?

[Account0903]

pickups don't matter for pinch harmonics. you can get pinch harmonics with an acoustic if you want to.

[carty1995]

i think he got the harmonic using the sustainer

[Diegosaurio]

mmmm negro culiao tocai cmo el pico =)

[Ozbassman]

i so want to jam with this fella

[djdecember]

i dont think that sounds like a tele at all.. but everything else sounds pretty good

[alexl1001]

I want one of those!! NOW!!!!

Hey, guitar player guy.... Who are you and how did you come to get such a beautiful instrument?  That must have cost a LOT of money. Are you a famous guitar player? Session player? Was that guitar built just for you? It's beautiful. And it sounds great, too.

[KHGuitarFreak1988]

He actually built it up all by himself, with some help from his friends on advices...

[ToteNeira]

la verdad es que en vivo nunca va a sonar como una strat de verdad..pero en la grabacion ni siquiera se nota..tengo una 600 y es una hermosura me gusta el sonido..son un poco delicadas pero hasta ahora line6 me ha demostrado tener un exelente servicio tecnico..

[warlockboyburns]

can the Roland GK-3 connect directly to a midi keyboard?

[fighterx]

Want

[PutItAway101]

The feedback sounded fake

[jian2069]

THAT BANJO SOUND WINS

[oldgramps99]

Who is the guitar player?

[poodoo666]

NICE GUITAR

[rgjmce666]

it will never replace the real thing

[GiGaMoG]

I agree that the current Variaxs are not capable of sounding 100% correct to the real thing. But they do come pretty close.

[dynamitesteel]

yes they do...

[dynamitesteel]

I agree with you 100%

[warlockboyburns]

i dont know why you'd want to replace the real thing.... i myself am going to make trippy synth sounds when i get mine

[MarcoZucchi81]

Hello, I' d like to know where I can buy a Variax pickup without buyink the entie guitar.

[variax54]

Actually there's one on eBay right now. But you need more than just the "pickup" (which is actually six pickups, one for each string); you also need the circuit board, the controls and the output jacks. Line 6 has no plans to make these available without buying a guitar.

[Hegonta]

How do you get the Gibson Les Paul sound?

[RockNrolling]

I like that you van play banjo and the sitar

the acoustic sound were also good but the distorsion is horrible really the rest was ok.

[Drakett]

i Would definately buy that guitar. Is it for sale?

[rhythmtandemplayer]

Great innovation.

For another innovative musical instrument you have to check RHYTHMTANDEM.

[bhfam]

damn, you could get a wide variety of tone with that thing.

[flimflam0069]

Loving the Les Paul tone.

[Maafa1619]

I like that Gibson ES 175 sound! It sounded like the beginning of a Joe Pass song.

[ElfDude2112]

This was a very helpful demo. Thanks so much. I've been curious about the Variax for sometime.

[MopHead561]

Great guitar. I really liked the dueling banjoes part. The distortion part kicked ass too.

[squidskunk]

i woulg like to see a close up of your guitar..

[rogerthehat]

i was thinking of using a olp axis for

modding with the 500 guts

[lhudson84]

Hi,

Nice guitar. Out of interest, the les paul sound at the end, is that how the variax sounds out of the box or it that with the sustainer pickup? Sounds awesome

Thanks

[wexallxcarryxon]

with the fernandes sustainer, you have the option of switching off of the harmonic mode, and just susatining the note itself. is it the same with the sustainiac? my main goal is to elongate my sustain, although the harmonic effect is pretty cool as well.

[MidiRoseVax]

Yes you can

[wexallxcarryxon]

thanks for replying!! youre obviously more experienced than i am, so personally, would you recommend the sustainic or something from fernandes? i had never even heard of this type of pickup until recently, and it seems difficult to find a popular brand name, so i don't really know what to look for. any recommendations?

[MidiRoseVax]

Wex I only chose the sustainiac based on a friends opinion. I think they both are probably about equal from reading the reviews of the fernandes. Oh, one other thing I got some personal phone tech help from the owner of the sustainiac. It was a big plus to talk to him directly. He even called me back when he said he would. :-)

[shuangyang66]

hello, i'm hoping someone could help me. i have my eyes set on a vaiax 300 already, few things i'd like to know.

- can i switch to different tunings/sounds wif the guitar half way durring a performance without using any line6 pedals?

-will the piezo loose its picking up power in the future, coz i heard the some strings(e.g e) would not be picked up as strongly as others

-is there any limitations of a variax compared to a standard guitar?

i'd relly appreciate so help guys. thanks alot

[JesseS420]

get the 600 or 700 and you can change sounds anytime with the knob.

no limitations that i know of

[C7Blackjack]

All Variaxes have the exact same electronics and controls (Vol, Tone and Models). But the 300 model has the feel of a cheap Squier guitar, to be honest. I'd get the 300 if I was gonna put the electronics in a good guitar instead, like a Warmoth or Fender Strat or similar. That's what I'm planning to do with mine.

[ZombieDesertDeities]

Also would you have to use a Variax body or could I get this done to a striped out Steve Vai Ibanez Jem?

[ZombieDesertDeities]

How would I get this sent to me here in Japan, and would you build them or dose Variax? Could you build some for export to my guitar shop here as well.

[guitarguru145]

How can it really sound like a les paul if its only got single-coil pickups?

[justlikethecar]

variax uses saddle-mounted piezo pickup. so it doesn't have anything to do with those magnetic pickups.

[bhfam]

at 4:08, i wonder what scales he was using?

[JesseS420]

sounds like an A minor scale, and D dorian mode.

[ZombieDesertDeities]

It's all digital prosesing. They sample the sound and the guitar recreats it for you. In this case it wouldn't matter what pick-ups the guitar had it will always sound the same with the prosesing.

[VoteClaypool]

I don't like this concept of guitar

[tragictravistie]

that tele model is making my ears bleed. teles arent really that bridge.

[MidiRoseVax]

If you know that particular song that I am playing by Chaka Khan, that is the exact tele sound that Tony Maiden used on the record. All the old heads know that song and sound. You must be a little younger than us. :-)

[tragictravistie]

no, i dont know the song or tony maiden. is it also modelling an extremely bright amp or tone bypass or something?

[MidiRoseVax]

No its not tragic. That is just strait up with a little reverb and echo. If you do a search here on Youtube for " Chaka Khan you got the love rags " you can hear the song. Its from back in the mid 70s. Tony Maiden was the guitar player for Chaka Khan's band Rufus, and he only played teles. Just a strait tele in the bridge position with that extreme nasaly sound. Just Classic tele for that song. No modeling back then, just the real things only. That song was a top 10 hit in the 70s by the way

[tragictravistie]

dont take offense to this, but as far as i can tell over youtube it was not very accurate in my opinion. although that could very well be the recording equipment, setup, or (most likely) youtube sound quality.

[renlex]

that distortion sounds horrible!

[guitarpikz]

i should of ....study..woodshop class..

[Rodbowers031959]

Hey Rose Great job on the guitar and auditioning of tones. Check out my variax conversion . Or your old 700 neck on my v300

[RevJToad]

I just picked up a new Variax 300 for a song - it's been sitting in one of my local shops for a couple of years and they kept lowering the price till I couldn't say no. I wish I had your skills at building and transplanting, though. :>

[RichCrisler]

I looked on youtube and surched on yahoo and goggle but couldn't find anything on this custom Variax CB5. You say in the begining that we all know and have fallowed the build. Where and when was the build and how can we fallow it if I can't find it any where?

[MidiRoseVax]

If you do a google search on ( exit45 variax CV-V ) you will find my external website. That should give you all the info you need :-)

[RichCrisler]

Ok I just herd you call it the Variax CB5 custom so you never said about the CV-V exit45 so I never found it!

[ZombieDesertDeities]

The thing I love is you can save alot of cash the way I have in getting Pro tools, a Boss GT-10 and Boss RC-50, because you don't need so many guitars and stuff on stage and you can switch instraments on stage with out swithing instraments on stage, now thats just killer.

[RichCrisler]

This sounds like a cool guitar but what would something like this cost $10,000?

[johnnyjolijt]

The jazzy sounds (ES175...)sound very convincing to me. The other presets(?) would perhaps sound better in a live band situation.

By the way...the guitar looks beautiful!

[danrayol]

I would love to see your NylonVariax-3 on you tube!!!!

[MrYohno]

nice job! superb sustain! how much did it cost you? and where can i get one???

[LAGuy800]

lol @ banjo sound

[RorySinn]

haha, loving the duelling banjos

[mijmar67]

you, sir, have built a masterpiece...

seriously.

You're a genius.

The amount of engineering... phenomenal.

I wish you the very best.

[alsline]

superb, congratulations great demo great guitar ***** all day long.

[koolynoodyano]

nice studio bro..

[danrayol]

Very nice! But don't you think that you could have used a Hexpander preamp, which provides a 13-pin hexaphonic Roland and third party compatible 13-pin output, and tap into the same piezos from the Variax Bridge, and not have to use that pick-up from Roland? You save space that way.

[W4d5Y]

I just don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but it sounds sweet, nevertheless.

[buckaroo2you]

Bad to the bone.........nothin more to say

[doyleaudio]

Monster demo!!

[stratojetb47]

Very good. At least you play some clean sounds , for a change!

[jjuup]

God damn that is the ultimate guitar right there! And I've played for 25 years and that is it.. I want one with a rosewood fretboard and block inlays! :)

[MidiRoseVax]

Jjuup you can see more about the guitar at my site exit45 dot com backslash guitar

[hugonorte]

It's sustains is awesome!!!

[danrayol]

Very nice! I did the same to my custom built (done in Brazil with a great luthier) wich i'm yet to put on youtube...I had to buy a used variax to pull the guts out...do you have a better option?...I'm orking on a new project, and this one will have reg EMGs, variax electric, Variax acoustic, and midi...on top of great exotic Brazilian woods, and great desing...I've the guts of the Variax acoustic though a service center here in Vegas but is not easy....I appretiate the help...Thanks.

[cheninja]

nothing variax about that guitar except the parts you don't see. Variax guts only, ontop of all the ohter custom stuff.

[Necromancer47]

an aesome invention, for sure, but I agree with some peeps in that, we rely too much on imitations of sound that the true wave...cant stop the wave dude, and NOTHING compares to playing a genuin LP or a Tele, or an ES and gettin that sound from your Marshall twin stack...

so tis good, its nice, but it aint a sexy room full of guitars to admire (I dont like the headstock lol)

[MidiRoseVax]

I guess when I build your $6500 custom guitar, It'll be a paul with a different headstock huh...........LOL. We all like what we like. By the way I own 2 strats a tele, ES335 some carvins and assorted other guitars. I use the other guitars when recording they do sound better in the studio. But I dont own all the guitars in the variax........or do i own them not that I have a variax...something to ponder????

[Necromancer47]

Ponder indeed....thats a crazy expensive guitar...worth every penny I have no doubt :D and what can I say? I'm a LP addict...was gonna get one but could only afford an SG.

hehe...imagin putting a MIDI function in :D organ on that thing...LOLS.

[robmcgreal23]

Banjo bit = fricken awesome

[91jembleton]

why is the guitar not plugged in ?

[Hieyz0r]

read the description

[jamiesea]

Sounds great! I remember you building ths one!

One question though. At the end of the video you were getting some nice long systains and feedback. Were you going through an amp to get this or can you achieve this just by going through the POD X3 Live direct to your PA or daw?

[oHazEo]

sustainer set to go an octave up?

[spacedmoose]

Really cool man, I've gotta do this sometime.

[abrahampaiva]

the sustain from sustainiac goes thru variax sounds?

[wfranklin]

o snap

[nil1230]

nowadays we rely much on artificial thant the true

[cheath432]

i use my variax on my videos!! check em out!!

[nameformyskreen]

that's an amazing guitar

[bassmajor]

omg i love these overtones!!!!

[Zebonka]

With all of that gear, you'd think he could afford real fish instead of a an aquarium screensaver.

Just jokes :P great playing man

[Zebonka]

These look like awesome fun,

I'd be a little worried that the electronics would die a quick death on the road, but other than that... I'd really like to get one.

[livinforjayflash]

It looks like he's fitted some Magnetic p/ups as a failsafe incase the electronics go down.

[mashedinaction]

that bit with the banjo made my day

[CtpAids]

Awesome chops, man. The Les Paul neck pickup sound is identical to Robert Fripp's clean tone on KC's first album (listen to moonchild).

Peace.