jzucco

Keep the Piezo's clean and you will have a nice guitar!!!

Roland just did an update with the VG800, however, the Variax is quicker and can be controlled right from the guitar. I use my Variax Standard with a BOSS ME-90 and can get 4 tones (plus the control switch) on each bank on the ME-90. The VG800 does not offer that option. I can switch to an overdriven tone from a clean tone and take a slide solo in E tuning and go back to a clean tone in drop D tuning in an instant. I can also change the tuning while using the magnetic pickups in position 2 by engaging position 2 on the Strat model and have a different tuning but effectively the same sound! I also just made a custom Drop C tuning for a Luke Combs song (Ain't No Love In Oklahoma) that my band plays! Stored it right in the Custom bank on the Variax along with a bunch of others! For palm muting in standard tuning just blend in the magnetics with the Variax model. This only works if the guitar is in the same tuning as the model. The Variax Standard is actually a nice guitar and sounds every bit as good, magnetic pickup wise, as my 91 Strat Plus. I also like the fact the my Variax Standard is 22 frets in a 25 and 1/2" scale which makes it a little easier to play than the Strat which is 21 frets in a 25 and a 1/2" scale. I did re-fret the Variax Standard to Medium Jumbo frets which I like better. I would gladly buy an updated version if Yamaha decides to pursue the Variax line. I guess it's wait and see??

I just put on a set of EB Cobalt .009 gauge and they seem to work fine. I had .010's on it and was getting weird transients. The .009's just seem to work better for me. Why you wanna work so hard??? I also changed out the medium frets on my Variax Standard to medium jumbo. Plays almost as well as the JTV59 that I had. That guitar was like your fingers were floating on air, even with a chunkier neck, but I'm a Strat guy and Standard fits my style better and I like the thinner neck and lighter weight. Also, I do prefer the 5 way switch. My friend immediately bought the 59 from me! I lost $200 on the deal but it covered the cost of the Standard which I think, on its own, is a great guitar! Sounds as good as my '91 Strat Plus!

I was having a problem harmonizing with an Em scale on my POD HD500X. It was not working correctly so I tried a G major scale (relative major) and that didn't work. I finally figured out that I was playing in a IIm7 mode (Dorian) so D major actually worked! Just try a bunch of the different key options and see if one works.

Ignore my last comment. As much as I know a lot of theory I didn't realize I was actually playing in the Key of D! Em is the IIm7 of D!! Doh!

My Smart Harmony feature is acting really stupid. Works fine with my BOSS ME80 but the POD HD500X is all out of wack. Playing the notes D, Db & B in an Em scale and the POD is playing Gb, F and D!! It should be playing Gb, E & D! Plus, it tracks real lousy. Any suggestions and yes, the guitar is in tune and the Smart Harmony feature is set to E minor a 3rd above.

I have both a Variax Standard and a JTV-59. The Standard neck is thin like my real 91 Strat Plus. Not sure why someone would think it's big? The JTV-59 neck is very chunky but actually is way easier to play than the Standard! You can fly around efforlessly on it and I hate chunky necks! I like the magnetic pickups on the Standard a lot better since I have always been a Strat guy. My solution is going to be replacing the Medium frets, which I hate, on the Standard with Medium Jumbo frets and lowering the action. I will, of course, have my luthier do that. I'll keep you posted!