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1201 Views 5 Replies Latest reply: Jun 14, 2010 7:48 AM by amx05462 RSS
ferryman2000 Just Startin'
ferryman2000
3 posts since
Mar 19, 2008
Currently Being Moderated

Jun 13, 2010 2:48 PM

After 20 minutes or so of playing my variax 300 electric cuts out

The lead has then to be unplugged and re inserted for the guitar to continue playing again for about another 20 mins to half an hour...etc ad infinitum. This hapens on both battery and power supply. The guitar is two years old and I did used to use it for gigging. Not any more, help!

  • silverhead Expert Line 6 User
    silverhead
    9,592 posts since
    Apr 1, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 13, 2010 6:42 PM (in response to ferryman2000)
    Re: After 20 minutes or so of playing my variax 300 electric cuts out

    The bad news is that this is a common problem with the Variax 300's. It's believed to be a grounding issue in the motherboard assembly. The only known solution is to replace the 'coffin assembly' which is a metal housing for the motherboard. Search this forum under the term "Variax 300 coffin assembly" to get more information.

     

    Unfortunately the solution can be expensive unless you can persuade Line 6 that they should consider this a lifetime warranty issue.

     

    As an aside, in some cases the problem does not present itself when using the VDI interface as the power source. This is only possible when connecting your Variax guitar to a Variax-compatible Line 6 product such as the POD X3/ POD XT Live or Pro.

    • ferryman2000 Just Startin'
      ferryman2000
      3 posts since
      Mar 19, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Jun 14, 2010 4:30 AM (in response to silverhead)
      Re: After 20 minutes or so of playing my variax 300 electric cuts out

      Thanks for taking the time to reply, From the look of all the other posts you are right.

      • amx05462 Power User
        amx05462
        3,495 posts since
        Sep 1, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Jun 14, 2010 5:42 AM (in response to ferryman2000)
        Re: After 20 minutes or so of playing my variax 300 electric cuts out

        one thing you can try  is  insulating  the  coffin case    from the  main board.   you can do it  by  electrical tape  or  by  painting  it   with a  non conductive   paint.one  more thing you can try is  remove  the  cover  and  leave  it off  just use  the base  of  the  cofin case    remove the  main board  and  add  a  few  plastic  spacers  to get the  board  away  from the  metal case.    the  only  reason there  is a  metal case  is to make it a  drop in unit.  you really  dont  need the  case  at all.  so if  you raise  the  main board  away  form it  with   plastic  spacers    this  should   eliminate  any  grounding  problem  as well. you also  dont need  the  two ground  wires  that go to the  wood  there  just to  ground  the  shielding  paint.

        • ferryman2000 Just Startin'
          ferryman2000
          3 posts since
          Mar 19, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          Jun 14, 2010 6:31 AM (in response to amx05462)
          Re: After 20 minutes or so of playing my variax 300 electric cuts out

          I will certainly try that thanks!

          • amx05462 Power User
            amx05462
            3,495 posts since
            Sep 1, 2008
            Currently Being Moderated
            Jun 14, 2010 7:48 AM (in response to ferryman2000)
            Re: After 20 minutes or so of playing my variax 300 electric cuts out

            btw  theres a   thing called  liquid  electrical tape  if you dont  want to use  paint.  ive used  it at work  its  ok but a  bit messy. i think its avalable from  radio  shack  . its  like  using  fingernail polish  but  if you dump it into a  small  container  you can use a  small brush. let me  know if this  solves  your  problem.    also   i eliminated all of the coffin case  accept   the  part  where  the  main board  screws  on.  no problems  with  my 300.  so eliminating  the  top cover  will give  you no problems.   i would  have  removed  all of it but  didnt  want  screws  sticking  up through  my pick guard.  on a  transplant  so i just  epoxied  it to the  back   of the  guard   then when dry   remounted  the    board.  i know they eliminated  the coffin case  and  went  back to the  origonal  mounting  on the  700 series  so they must  have  figured  that there  was a  problem  because  they could have  just as easily  dropped  it all in from the  back.

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