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Up to Discussions in Variax 300 Endangered Species Consortium
2086 Views 8 Replies Latest reply: Jul 5, 2011 9:24 PM by jesuscares RSS
jesuscares Just Startin'
jesuscares
240 posts since
Feb 3, 2007
Currently Being Moderated

Apr 20, 2011 2:23 PM

A neck swap on variax 300.

After reading a useful article on swaping a variax neck for a squier neck -it's worth a try ( http://line6.com/community/docs/DOC-2214 ) .I haven't drilled holes on the neck yet,( the outside holes dont fit in so we may need to drill in 2 holes on the back of the neck)  but I did install the squier neck with just the 2 screws for now & got the strings back on the keys.I found no buzzing or intonation problems but just that the action from the 9th fret on is a bit too high.Do you have any suggestions on what I could do.I lowered the bridge saddles with an allen key but it doesnt seem to help.Will it be helpful if I placed a shim at the bottom of the neck where the screws fasten to the body?Any suggestions will help.

The squier neck plays well, only thing it squeaks when i do a vibrato or tremlo on my left hand ,like ths ound of new wood..Never had that sound on other guitars this far.

  • VARIAXED Just Startin'
    VARIAXED
    52 posts since
    Aug 22, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Apr 25, 2011 9:38 AM (in response to jesuscares)
    Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

    It seems like you might have a neck relief issue ( the need for a truss rod neck adjustment).  I have replaced the neck on three of the four Variax 300's that I now own with Fender Squire necks and each neck replacement procedure varied slightly.  However you will need to make sure that the heal of the neck butts up tight inside of the neck body pocket and that the neck is properly aligned, then you can carefully mark, drill and mount the neck with all four screws, when strung up and tuned,  you will then need to check the neck for it's proper relief (Your preferred personal action, the way it's most comfortable for you). To adjust the action and set the relief on the guitar, you will sight down the length of the neck from the headstock end, all the way down to where the neck meets the body and next you will insert the hex key into the truss rod adjustment hole and make sure that the tool fits tight in the socket. Turning the hex key to right will take the bow or dip in the neck out and straighten the neck, bringing the strings closer to the fret board, and turning the hex key to the left will deepen the bow or dip in the neck, widening the distance between the frets and the strings. You mentioned that  the action was too high and that you had lowered the bridge saddles, so you will need to tweak both the truss rod and the saddles. Also you must remember to maintain that profile curve of the neck radius when you are adjusting the saddles, which can be accomplished by eye balling it from the back side of the bridge while making saddle adjustments. Take your time and rough set the neck first and then work the saddles and with a bit of finesse and patience you should be able to properly setup the neck and do not have to fool around with shims. Let me know about your progress and if you have any more questions  please do not hesitate to email me.

  • VARIAXED Just Startin'
    VARIAXED
    52 posts since
    Aug 22, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jul 21, 2011 6:52 AM (in response to jesuscares)
    Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

       Greetings jesuscares, this attached diagram should help you along the way. Correction: there is something important that I might have forgotten,  try only loosening the four corner screws at first before lifting up the bridge. I believe the center or middle screw passes through and might fasten the piezo pickup connection circuit board mounted under the bridge plate. I don't remember if that screw floats or if it passes through the circuit board and screws into the guitar body.

    Attachments:
    • jesuscares Just Startin'
      jesuscares
      240 posts since
      Feb 3, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      May 3, 2011 2:57 PM (in response to VARIAXED)
      Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

      Thanks for the excellent diagram.Regarding the piezo attached to one of the screws,I will try emailing L6 to shed some light on this before I unscrew them.Any one here who has seen the guts of Variax 300 may also know.

      May be the 1st option would save from the risk of messing with the piezo.I remember you mentioned raising the bridge height.Can you please tell me how you did it? Option 1 or 2.If I only knew which screw held the piezo I might just loosent it a bit & use washers for all other screws.

      • VARIAXED Just Startin'
        VARIAXED
        52 posts since
        Aug 22, 2006
        Currently Being Moderated
        May 3, 2011 6:25 PM (in response to jesuscares)
        Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

        Greetings again jesuscares, Here are three attached photos. Two photos showing that the center screw is a flat head screw bolt with nut that holds the  bridge plate and cicuit board together and the other photo shows the bridge body pocket with allowance for that center flat head screw bolt with nut to float in the body pocket. So you only need to remove the four corner bridge screws. P.S. I have used both solutions, however I would choose solution 2 because it does not tilt the saddles up. In a perfect world the bridge saddles should be parallel to the bridge plate for a better string to pickup contact. I posted a document about bridge problems.

        Attachments:
        • jesuscares Just Startin'
          jesuscares
          240 posts since
          Feb 3, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          May 7, 2011 1:42 PM (in response to VARIAXED)
          Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

          Wow thanks for those excellent pics.So from what I see it should be sufficinet just to remove the 4 corner screws & insert the washers.I wont have to loosen the middle screws to lift up the bridge & insert the washers.Am I right?

          • jesuscares Just Startin'
            jesuscares
            240 posts since
            Feb 3, 2007
            Currently Being Moderated
            Jul 1, 2011 2:10 PM (in response to jesuscares)
            Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

            Hello Zandru,

            After much delay I finally raised the the brige height on my Variax 300 using carboard shims temporarily & that helps atleast to test out the new neck.The proble I am now having is buzzing beyond the 12 fret as the notes get higher.The neck releif seems okay & I did try adding & taking out releif.I raised the bridge sadles to what I think may be the highest I could go for normal playability,but notes are still slightly dead beyond the 12th fret.Do I need to raise the nut height ir something?

            • VARIAXED Just Startin'
              VARIAXED
              52 posts since
              Aug 22, 2006
              Currently Being Moderated
              Jul 1, 2011 7:03 PM (in response to jesuscares)
              Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

              Welcome back jesus,  You seem to have possibly gotten yourself into a pickle, and I hope your not in over your head.You just might be chasing your own tail with the adjustment order. Getting all the adjustments right can be tedious, and one must be up to the task. Properly mounting the new neck itself is very important. one point being that if the neck screws are not set right , you can tilt the neck off it's horizontal plane in relation to the body, and you need to make sure that you have the proper neck relief by a truss rod adjustment ( these factors are related). First off, do not fool around with the nut. Now! originally I believe you told me that when you had mounted the new neck,  you had to raise all the bridge saddles up to the max, and that you still had a problem, and I recommended that you shim up the bridge by stacking small thin washers under the four corner bridge plate to body mounting screws, so you could lower the bridge saddles and then make the proper intonation and (neck relief) truss rod adjustments. Cardboard is unstable, so you will need to pick up the right kind of washers. If you have a Home Depot near you, they sell (Crown Bolt) brand: flat washers / #6S / SAE / Brass / 12 PCS or an equivalent if you use another home supply / builders or hardware store. I would try this , however what you have been telling me about your progress is getting a bit convoluted. Did you spend time playing the squire strat before you removed the neck, how was it, and when you replaced the neck you also mentioned that the frets were scratchy, which is common for lower quality necks, but as you brake in the new neck , the frets will smooth out. For me this scratchy problem disappeared within a few days to a week or so. OK! CARRY ON!. Please keep me informed about your progress, this project seems to be taking you quite a while to complete. I don't know if you have been dedicating enough time on this project or that you might be getting confused, frustrated and have been, like I mentioned (chasing your tail). PLEASE don't  hesitate to ask for help. I wish I could, but I'm unable to examine your guitar personally, unless you live in North Jersey or New York City. I have attached photos relating to the washers.

              Attachments:
              • jesuscares Just Startin'
                jesuscares
                240 posts since
                Feb 3, 2007
                Currently Being Moderated
                Jul 5, 2011 9:24 PM (in response to VARIAXED)
                Re: A neck swap on variax 300.

                Thanks Zandru.lack of dedication is a sure thing.I have been a bit busy working on recordings etc.besides the GR 55 I got has been taking up some of the variax time.Well the cardboard may not be as good as washers but it helped temporarily raising the bridge to a decent height.I'm going to get washers eventually.I have no problem raising the bridge as high as I want to now.The major problem I have is buzz beyond the 12th fret even when the neck & trus rod is correctly adjusted.I can raise the bridge saddles even more but then the action would be way too high for normal playing.I  still went ahead & did a concert with high action & it was not too bad.The rounded frets helped in all the slides unlike the original bumpy frets of the varix.But still it would be great to have the action normal or I think I would revert to the varix neck as bad as it is.But as you said I've got to spend some more time on it to see what is going on.

                your ideas & suggestions would be much appreciated.

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