Crayon Sky Music

Several years ago, a little-known company named Line 6 put itself on the map with the celebrated POD-series of guitar emulators. Though they weren’t the first to model guitar amps, they nevertheless made modeling a household word among guitar players. Line 6 gear has been used by hobbyists and professionals alike.

Oddly enough, even though Line 6 has earned a solid reputation for amplifier modeling, they were still met with skepticism when they announced that they were going to release a modeling guitar. We were included in the skeptics. After all, modeling a guitar amp is one thing, but a guitar? A guitar is far more personal than an amp or an effects pedals. It’s safe to say, though, that after the release of the first Variax, Line 6 converted many of the skeptics into believers. We’ve spent some time with the Variax 600, and must say it has proven to be a “keeper” for both recording and live use. Let’s look at the details a bit more carefully.

When you first test drive a Variax, you’ll probably want to experiment with the variety of sounds available, just to see how “real” things are. Without a doubt, the Variax has *no* shortage of sounds with which to experiment. There are literally dozens of guitar models available.

Line 6 has paid homage to classic guitars from the past forty years, so you’ll find plenty of models from Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Martin, and Guild to suit your tastes. There are a variety of both acoustic and electric guitars here. The possibilities are near limitless. If you want to switch from a Gibson Les Paul Standard to a Martin flattop, you can do so near instantly, or from a banjo to a 12-string Rickenbacker. Pretty amazing.

The first thing you’re probably concerned about is whether the Variax actually pulls off what it claims to do. Can one guitar really sound like so many different guitars, especially when the instrument strives to sound like the best guitars from the past thirty years?

It really depends upon your expectations. If you want one guitar that can sound 100% like fifty different guitars, then you’ll probably different guitars. Rather, think of the Variax as a serious recording and gigging tool. The Variax accurately captures the sounds of the guitars it attempts to emulate, but it is emulation. It’s sort of like an amp modeling device in this respect. Does a POD really sound like 100 different amps? No, but it comes really close, and it’s extremely convenient. That’s how you should look at the Variax.

From Stratocaster Sparkle to Telecaster Twang to Les Paul Heavy, it’s all there. The 12-string models are also very useful, as are the jazz sounds. It’s pretty amazing what the Variax 600 can do given its relatively low price.

If you think Line 6 does a good job with their effects and amps, you’ll likely be pretty impressed with the Variax. Is it going to sound like a 1957 Fender Strat? Nope, but it doesn’t cost $26,000 either!

We’ve spent some serious time with the Variax, both recording and gigging, and we’re pleased to say that what it does, it does incredibly well. It won’t replace every guitar in your arsenal, but it might replace some.

The sounds are definitely happening, but what about the guitar as an instrument? It’s no surprise that the majority of the price in a Variax goes towards the electronics; however, we were pretty surprised when we actually started playing the guitar. Sure, it’s made in China, not a place exactly renowned for quality guitar craftsmanship.

However, once we started putting the Variax through its paces, it actually played very well. We were really pleased with the fretboard, the action, and the playability. The 22 medium jumbo frets were very well polished and the basswood body quite resonant. The fit and finish overall are very well done. It most definitely doesn’t feel, sound, or play like a cheap guitar.

However, there is some room for improvement. The plastic nut and tuning machines were, quite frankly, awful. However, we quickly replaced the Variax tuners with Planet Waves locking tuners. These tuners are a direct replacement, so there was no drilling required. That improved the tuning considerably.

The plastic nut had to go, so we had our local guitar tech replace it with a Graphtech nut, which was a good move as well. Finally, we replaced the cheap string tree with a Graphtech. These modifications cost us less than a $100 and improved the guitar’s tuning immensely. We were left with a guitar that sounded great, played great, and stayed in perfect tune. No complaints here!

You simply won’t find a more versatile guitar than the Line 6 Variax 600. It has earned a permanent spot in our collection. If you want a guitar that’s inexpensive, versatile, and plays well, you’d be hard pressed to beat the innovated Line 6 Variax.

Fender Strat