I have no definitive answer to your detune question. IMO, if you are detuning the Variax by only a semitone, the piezos should still be within their dynamic range. Remember,however, that these pickups generate an electrical potential as a function of pressure applied to the crystal. If you diminish this pressure, you will also diminish the capacity of the pickup to generate a raw signal that can be bussed to the motherboard...

[The reaction of the piezos to "dive-bombing" is a practical demonstration of the phenomenon to which I have alluded in the above paragraph.]

I don't want to diss Line 6's efforts to further develop their excellent guitar and amp emulation algorithms. They sound great, IMO, and have a lot of practical potential. I choose the term "potential" because, IMO once again, the company's stubborn resistance to repackage their models in a rack version that can be accessed by any guitar equipped with hexaphonic output capabilities defies logic. I cannot bring myself to put aside the beautiful instruments that have served me so reliably for so many years, and which I enjoy playing so much, to suffer the spotty, idiosyncratic performance offered by the existing line of Variax models.

I must temper the last statement by saying that my Fuji-Gen-Gakki made Variax 700 was a pleasant, reliable instrument. I do not, however, play on "legacy" instruments for which technical and software support may be withdrawn, arbitrarily and unilaterally, by the manufacturer, at its sole discretion.

For all the complaints and criticism I could level at another well-known guitar manufacturer with a strong-willed and stubborn CEO, it has never abandoned its historical products, for which parts and support (although costly) are still readily available through a vast, world-wide distribution network, as well as directly from the manufacturer.

I continue to support Line 6 in its quest for accessible, credible, reliable modelling technology. My sole wish is that they define this as their area of core competency and competive advantage, leaving the instrument-building to others who have demonstrated their superior abilities in this regard.

Good luck and kind regards,

JellyWheat

Time after time I have read about insulating the grave to protect the coffin against the ground however, I know of many problems that can cause trouble. What I believe to be the number one overlooked culprit; is that many Variax owners have Vari-ing degrees of intermittent problems that reside within the Variax's (fault prone) processor which is the (brain) control center including It's internal memory that can fail and manifest into a major system flaw and for some a complete and disastrous breakdown. YES! the Variax system is very delicate and not robust, one must take care. About your whammy situation, when you are performing your dive bomber runs, you are disrupting the bridge saddles (positive string to piezo pickup) contact thereby loosing It's optimum sound transmission.