scottjennings
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I've added a Fishman TriplePlay guitar synth pickup and wireless controller to my Ibanez SZ520QML JTV-59 transplant. It is now my go to instrument for recording, and the controller perfectly covers up the through body stringing holes behind the bridge (see the photo back a few posts for reference.)
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I'm hoping to have the first Variax Standard conversion ready to sell in 4 to 6 weeks. My usual paint guys are backed up. As soon as it's complete I'll post images here, and probably video to YouTube.
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Pricing depends on cost of donor and recipient. I’m trying to get it to between $1,600 and $1,800, with all the accessories and a case. The plan is for the Standards to be a bit less, as all I need is the donor and the bodies I’m having made. I’m not trying to make a lot of cash on this project. I just want to get these in the hands of lefty players who have a use for them, and prove to Yamaha that they’re leaving money on the table…
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It wasn’t a great instrument, but it was great technology for its time. I was a beta tester for Line 6 in that era, and my lefty 500 came in handy. I also submitted quite a few presets and banks to the original repository.
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Thanks. I’m purchasing the donor instruments used, so no factory warranties are to be expected. I will certainly make that clear to anyone purchasing a conversion. I’ve owned a business that specializes in left handed vintage instruments for 4 decades. I was also a beta tester for years prior to Line 6’s acquisition by Yamaha. The primary goal here is to provide myself and my customers with instruments they will find useful that the manufacturer does not offer. I would be much happier if Line 6 simply offered the instruments left handed so I could offer them for sale.
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First conversion is just about complete. She’s up and running, I just need to refine the internal control mounts to be more universal. I’m keeping this one, but have another of this model coming that I’ll be converting and offering for sale. The Strat Thinline conversion is in paint, but it’s too aggressively hot to paint right now, so it will be finished in the fall. I’m hoping to have the lefty bodies for the Standard conversions sorted out this week.
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US made Variax, where are they????
scottjennings replied to ichasedx's topic in James Tyler Variax Guitars / Workbench HD
The US ones are much more expensive, so typically custom ordered, and rarely on the resale market. The quality of the Variax Standard is a little iffy, but the other import models are really well made. Particularly the JTV-59. I was really impressed by its fit and finish. -
The current Variax models would be $300 - $600 instruments at retail without the modeling electronics. So there really isn't any room for them to lower the cost of entry. The "current" models are also running 9 year old electronics. I'm quite sure if they were designed today the logic board would fit in any control cavity, and possibly in the bridges themselves. A retrofit bridge and wiring harness that would fit either a Strat or a Les Paul would be the ultimate goal. I just don't believe Yamaha is that interested in the Variax line they acquired with Line 6.
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I am currently finishing up two conversions/transplants for myself, so I know exactly what to expect going forward. I'm working on having a run of Variax Standard left handed bodies produced, so that the majority of the work is just moving the guts over and setting it up (plus lefty side dots on the neck, of course.) I have found a few viable existing instruments for JTV-59 transplants, but they're going to be a little more expensive, as there's more work, and the donor guitar usually costs more. As soon as I have the first ones complete and know exactly the cost and turn around time I'll post here, and on the other lefty request threads, and we'll see how many people want them. It would be nice if it were enough for Line 6 to want to, but as the dates inside the right handed Standards I've seen are from 2016, I'm not holding my breath that Line 6/Yamaha has much interest in their product these days.
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I am currently transplanting and converting both a Variax Standard and a JTV-59 to lefty. The ridiculous thing is that the lefty recipient of the JTV-59 electronics was built in the same Korean factory as the JTV-59. My longer term goal is to do a short production run of left handed Standard bodies, so it will be a reasonably inexpensive conversion. We’re probably 3 months out on that project.
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Good advice. I simply disassemble the connector that goes to the main board and reassemble it for lefty. I always try to avoid a soldering iron with such delicate electronics if at all possible.
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I’m using the same cable harness. The piezo wiring is simple. Side dots have to be installed on the neck for left handed play. It’s not practical to simply flip a right handed one, as resting your arm on controls that push-push isn’t realistic.
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I am currently working with someone to make lefty CNC’d bodies for transplants from the Standard, and am picking up lefty instruments that can easily be converted using the parts and guts from the JTV-59. As soon as I have a couple completed I’ll post photos to get feedback from the forum. * It’s not as simple as mirror-imaging the bodies, due to the way the controls are mounted to a 3D plastic plate inside the Standard. It’s not worth the trouble to replicate that plate, so modifications have to be made to the control cavity routing. (It would be so much easier if Yamaha/Line 6 would just route a few lefty Pacifica models for the Variax guts and see the reaction.)
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The Standard is based on the Yamaha Pacifica models. A Pacifica neck will fit on the Standard, but since they are basically the same neck that doesn’t solve the problem if you don’t like the neck’s feel. A Fender neck won’t work on the Standard body. The scale length is the biggest issue, but they also have different neck screw spacing/neck plate sizes. No one makes replacement Variax Standard/Pacifica necks. I looked into it while researching the lefty transplants I’m building for myself and a few lefty customers. Your best bet at this time is to have someone dress the frets and the fret ends, and set up the guitar to get a more pro feel out of the neck and guitar in general. You’d be amazed at what a difference this can make.
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Thanks. I had a look, and set up an account. I'll contact these people as well.