clay-man

I can easily remove the mod or lift the tone knob above the obstruction that keeps the tone knob from passing 8.5-ish. I personally want my guitar to sound as full and lively as it needs to be when the tone is fully rolled up, so I did that. Would be easier if the knobs had numerical marks on them, but since they didn't, I modded mine.

I don't know, but my G string has warbled since about half a year ago when I got my Variax, or at least I've noticed it half a year ago. It's quite noticeable in a clean sound, and can get annoying. I did bump my guitar before by accident. Would this be a problem in the piezos, the Variax hardware? Every string besides that one sounds very natural and sounds great. What would I do to fix this?

Yes. I've modded my tone knob to not roll up past near 8.5 on the knob so I can roll back up to the fullest sound possible when using the knob as quick as I can live. Works pretty great. I believe this issue doesn't exist anymore in the HD update since it uses a completely different modeling system.

I've been seeing a lot of people sending in their old Variaxes and getting them repaired, yes. I don't see why you can't if others can. But like Charlie said, I'm sure it'll be an annoying price to pay.

I always wondered how to do that. I think it would be a nice idea. I honestly think they should allow the POD to store custom patches, at least for the JTV, but I've always thought the Variax was very slow when doing that with Workbench, so I totally understand the limitation of doing that.

Is the factory models from the POD or are you saying the Variax actually has virtually the models on the knob, and in the memory lies dormant the factory models?

Exactly. I can't tell you how worried I was trying to strip the old piezo wire. This was before I knew of the lighter technique so it was pretty horrible. Luckily I soldered it really well. I soldered it to the old wire because I didn't have a desoldering pump to take off the old solder.

Even when I replaced the ones on the knob that aren't on custom 1 and 2? There are times when I wish to use a gretsch or p90 guitar, firebird, etc. I already knew this. It's one of the reasons why I think the JTV has an incredible edge over the original, even excluding the 2.0 update. I waste a LOT of spaces on my knob with the same model duplicated only for an alternate tuning of that model. I could easily have probably twice as much models on a JTV than I do on my 600 if I didn't waste model knob banks for alt tunings.

I want to get ghosts because not only that, it makes the Variax sound twice as good. I don't have a solder kit though and I'm kind of afraid to do that type of stuff anyways. Is it easier than it sounds?

The grounding on the original variaxes were EXTREMELY poorly done. The only thing I think my big E string piezo had to ground was the intonation string. I was getting absolutely no signal until I realized the set screws weren't flush against the bridge. I hope that was the problem. I'm just checking with you guys to make sure I don't have to buy more crap to fix my guitar. I really don't want to have to do piezo maintenance every single year.

So I've been having trouble with me E string, but it's gone completely silent. I messed with it and I think the saddle action setscrewes weren't touching the bridge. I've messed around a few times and it seems like whenever I screw in a setscrew snug, the ground fixes. I assume the ground is transferred via the setscrews then?

Ok, everyone keeps telling me different things. So I'll just load my knob with my custom guitars and use the POD for default models. Still very limiting.

That's what I'm saying. But you're saying I can tell the POD to load default factory banks that would be on my actual knob if I left it default?

Original unaltered models, so basically I have the presets on my knob, and the presets on a default factory knob? I was going to say, someone brought up the fact that one of the updates doesn't allow you to do something with the default presets/banks anymore.

Really? That's ridiculous. So it's just a midi controller for the Variax. Why the heck am I hearing people say I can expand the patches with a POD when I bring up questions like "would you like more custom banks on your Variax"?

Ok. So there's no benifits between an X3 and HD with a gen 1 Variax? That's a shame, but I understand. I understand what you meant about not being able to do custom tunings with the old Variaxes, because yes, the JTVs alt tuning function is programmed with a branch of the pitch shifting system to allow for more control of the alt tunings besides from the patch data. I do think it would theoretically be possible to still allow the custom pitch function to work on the old Variaxes. Since the patches on the HD can change the pitch, all you need to do is to have the HD override the pitch data on the patch your own with the custom pitch you have, and force this to happen each time you change your preset. I understand that they want to try to sell the JTV with exclusive futures though.

Woah woah woah guys. If you guys are trying to tell me that the HD can't tell the Variax HOW to model, I already know that. I am asking if it can load up a preset just like when editting in workbench. A preset is basically data/info telling the Variax the parameters: guitar body, guitar pickups, which pickups are active, PU positions, and the rest that you can edit in workbench. I know the POD doesn't store the algorithms of a Variax. I'm not stupid. What I'm asking is if I can put workbench presets in POD for it to send to the Variax so it'll use that model patch. That's what I mean by "model". By what you guys are saying, it either can do what I just stated above, or it just simply tells the Variax which bank on the knob to select, which is completely pointless and does NOT add to the Variax, but simply gives a new way to control how to get to your patches on the guitar. If it's the latter, than I'm disappointed.

Wait I don't get what you're talking about. I can make presets and put them on the HD500 and use that to change tunings? But I can't use it to change the models of the guitar? If you're saying I can't do any of this on a regular Variax, what's the point of having a VDI port on a POD X3? It sounds like I can change the tunings somehow by what you're saying. If I had a POD I could probably remove the wasted banks spent on alt tunings of duplicate models in E standard. If I did that, I could still expand and put more models by taking the wasted space off and replacing them with unique models. My question is, if I can change the tuning, would switching the pickup change the tuning back to the one on the variax? How would I switch pickups without resetting the tuning?

What do you mean recall the models? Many of you told me I can use a POD to expand the models I use on my Variax when I complained about the room I had on the model select knob. You can throw workbench patches on a POD and assign them to your Variax, right?

I can switch patches right? I should be able to do the features the X3 could do on a Variax on an HD right? It's one of the reasons I want to get an HD, to have preset room, but I was just wondering if there's anything else I can do.

Hey. What new features that the HD500 does on a JTV can be applied to an original Variax? I know you can't do everything that it can do on a JTV, but is there anything you can do extra on an old Variax compared to what an X3 can do on an old Variax? I'm probably still going to get a HD500 for sure, but I just want to know the key differences.

Yes, you can replace any position in the model selector knob. 80% of my model knob is all custom guitars/repositions of models because I have a lot of tunings and guitars I've made. For me... Custom 1: D standard Telecaster for Thrice songs(1,3,5), Drop D SG (2,4) T-Model: Default except 2 & 4 are 1 & 5 with LP humbuckers Spank: Default Lester: Default LP except 2 & 4 is my custom SG models (brighter, takes off a bit of the excess low end on the LP) Special: My Jaguar models, based off an actual Jaguar, still a WIP. 1 & 5 E standard bridge and neck, 2 & 4 Baritone, 3 Drop A R-Billy: Smashing Pumpkins presets. 1 & 5 is E flat Strat, 2 3 4 is Drop D Strat Chime: In Flames presets. 1 & 3 C standard Les Paul, 2 & 4 Drop A# Les Paul, 5 Baritone humbucker strat bridge for Soilwork songs. Semi: Rickenbacker relocated to this knob. 1 3 5 is a 360, 2 & 4 is a 360 with an octave up tuning for fun stuff/Radiohead Jazzbox: Rickenbacker 12 string, Sitar, and ES-335. 1 & 5 are 12 string ricks, 2 & 4 is the ES-335, 3 is a sitar Acoustic: Default except 4 is a Jumbo and 5 is an Dread tuned down an octave, giving it a doublebass acoustic jazz sound. Reso: 1 & 5 is a Jazzmaster (wip) 2 & 4 is a ES-175, 3 is a banjo Custom 2: "Thrice SG" 1 & 3 are D standard SGs, 2 & 4 are drop C, 5 is a bass guitar patch I even printed out a custom knob label on mine. Of course, if you had a JTV, you'd be covering up the LED on your knob if you did this.

I've noticed that they changed the pitch shifter a lot, at least it seems. It sounds a lot less high in timbre on the 12 string up-pitched strings. Seems like it might have a bit of formant preserving going on? Yes or no? I thought the original early variax firmware had a little bit of formant preserving, but it's very subtle compared to 2.0. Gives it a more natural sound. If you don't know what formant/timbre preserving is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esF0d7JjbnA

Thanks for the info! I agree that the nut sucks. I am planning to replace it with a graphtech TUSQ. I also have a problem making the tremolo go back in tune if I make it float. It is especially bad if I do a divebomb and then pull it up, it will go sharp. I believe I could fix that with a Maglok, but it's annoying to have to spend money just to fix the trem system. Also, about tuning physically down, I know that the guitarist of Thrice used a transplanted Variax in D standard and it worked well. JTV must have slightly tweaked modeling or pitch shifting, or perhaps the piezos won't allow you to tune down very well. When I try to tune down from E standard, the strings get quieter because there's not enough tension against the piezos.

Johnny, about the tuning problems. My 600 has tuning problems like crazy, at least when using the tremolo. Otherwise, if I stretch the strings hard, it's in tune for about the whole day. Did you have a 700? I wonder how much better the build quality is from a 700 to a 600.