eenymason

No-one suggested the OP get on the Variax bandwagon yet? I'm gobsmacked!!

There are probably Graphtech Ghost Piezos to replace the stock Baggs ones - I have upgraded using these on a couple of older variax models, but others here in this forum would know for sure. You could search for "graptech ghost", within. As for painting the bridge plate - I guess it'd work - probably need to sand it back for metal paint to really take though....

The modular connector looks the same as the legacy units (300/600, etc), that I have - they are a tight fit, but should simply pull out. Be careful to pull them straight out, and not twist or bend any pins.

Worth a shot... cheers.

I don't think dinosaurs get updates - they did all their work on the HD series years ago now... I'd reccommend "Let it Go" as an earworm right now.

You can power the guitar with batteries (if the guitar doesn't have one, the battery pack can be found on ebay, and takes 6xAA batteries), and use the 1/4" jack output into a standard amp setup. The power supply box is available also, and you would need a TRS (stereo) guitar lead, to provide power to the guitar from the box. From this box, you can choose to go to PA (for acoustic sounds), via a mic lead output, or to a guitar amp via another 1/4" jack. These are available via ebay, also, or you could contact your nearest Line 6 distributor.

Be careful - what he said..... Not a job for cowboys - Yeehaw!

Clearly, if the Vax is still under warranty, do the done thing, and get Line 6 to fix it. ;) If not, as long as you take care with it, it IS an easy modular replacement part to change. I find it's probably best to take the rear cover off, to give you access to where the leads connect to the onboard PCB, and disconnect from there, thus making sure you don't stress the leads/connections by simply trying to pull them through the output Jack hole. Look away psarkissian - nothing to see here! :ph34r:

Well, that's what I've done, using P90s in the Thinline, but I do wonder if there's another (better?) choice than the P90, being that the genuine Fender Widerange Humbucker, is a different kind of beast, compared to the Gibson PAFs. Would the Filtertrons be closer than p90s to the real deal CuNiFe based Widerange?

Hi punters, I noted only recently, that on the later variax (HD) series, that the famous Fender Widerange Humbucker has been modelled (as used in some Thinlines, and Customs for a handful of years in the 1970s), and I wondered about these being available for the legacy variax models.... I know - don't hold my breath, and all that... Some of my "go to" models have been kind of a tip of the hat to Keef, and I use P90 pups in a Thinline body - both neck, and bridge patches are in my custom bank 1, along with an open G, open E, and both pups on, in an out of phase setup, (for my 40s/50s jump blues style tunes). I'm pretty happy with these models, but has anyone figured out how to get the Widerange Humbucker tones on the legacy variax models? TIA, Ian.

If you have money, replace them with zero hum Kinman P90s - they're true P90 tone, without the noise... Surely a dummy coil would affect tone...

It has been boasted that because of the extra tension over the piezos (because of the longer scale length), the alt-tunings track better, but maybe Stevic only gets it to work due to some agreement he has with Batman - oh and maybe the amp modelling in Helix covers up any ugliness you can hear on an untainted acoustic tone? Just a thought...

You have to use a top quality 9V - cheapies don't last very long at all, in fact some don't even get it to go at all..... I use AA rechargables, which I believe only put out around 1.2v each, so all up there's 7.2v output, but they work well, and last well too. In theory, I would've thought the JTV battery would work, so I don't understand why they won't - maybe it's a conspiracy?

I'd say someone (ie a qualified tech) will have to take a look under the hood on this one...

Unoficially, it may work to an extent, but officially, Helix doesn't support legacy models of Variax. It's called "upselling"

Yea - the body with the special handshake... As opposed to the masonite plank, which doesn't know about the handshake. :lol:

Age of strings shouldn't make much of a difference when using piezos - in my experience there's no noticeable difference between new and weeks old strings.

If you have a Pod HD500 (or Pod XT, or X3), you can connect your variax to that, and the HD500 to the computer via USB. If not, you need to buy the USB Workbench interface - it's not cheap, considering it only allows for variax to computer connection so you can use workbench. They can be found on ebay. The earlier Pods (XT/X3) can be found second hand for a similar price to the interface.

I find the "not as hot as the output as ....." comment by your sound guy to be unbelievable, unless you bought your 69 2nd hand, and the previous owner had lowered the overall string volume VERY significantly. I have Kinman Woodstock Plus pickups in my Strat, and when I bought my first variax, I noticed straight away how the Variax output was significantly hotter than the Strat, and the Woodstock Kinmans are pretty hot for Strat pickups. Note also that I reduced string output on the Variax to 70% when I changed from the stock Piezos to Graphtech Ghosts, which are hotter than Baggs. Also, I have just joined a covers band doing the classic rock schtick, and the singer/guitarist sometimes puts down his Les Paul, and uses my spare variax at rehearsal for drop tuning etc, and same thing - the variax is a lot hotter than his LP. I'd definitely pursue that possibility if I were you, as well as checking specs for optimal mag p/up height in the 69.

Adrian Belew has Variax electronics transplanted into his Parker Fly signature model, but I don't believe he uses the modelling much....

Set Helix to force Shuriken models. If you're not doing this, then you will be hearing whichever model Shuriken is set to manually, via the controls on the guitar.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that the 500X only acts as a go-between with JTV/Standard, and Workbench HD, NOT Legacy model variax, and Workbench. I believe you need an HD500 for this task, not HD500X.

Which is pretty cool, I agree. Not his job really, but he believes in the product, for all the right reasons, and is more than happy to show video of it working for him, plink-free. But really, Line 6 SHOULD be doing more, to really make this know issue, a NON-ISSUE. Not just for Shuriken, but also JTVs, etc... Even it is user related, which I believe it could be, in this day and age, I don't know why they can't setup something, where people can submit video of themselves playing (mp3s are all well and good, but playing technique is an individual thing, and can't be ascertained via audio only...), and known user problems can be troubleshot. There - I just coined a word.

The legacy Variax and Pod models were designed to work together. You may want to confirm with any seller, that the connection to Workbench is working as it should, with whichever budget Pod you buy 2nd hand, otherwise go with a 2nd hand USB connection if you can find one. Helix is designed to work with later model Variaxes only, unfortunately.....

cool - glad to hear it....