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Hi there, I have always wanted a Variax, but because I am left handed I could never get the newer ones. I see the older Variax 500 was in lefty, but they are pretty rare and go for high prices. So I decided to buy a brand new one and do it myself. It's not that hard, I promise and I am no luthier. You will probably void your warranty so do this at your own risk! 1. Remove all the strings. 2. Remove old nut by using a small block of square wood and gently tap (and I mean gently) the block of wood with a mallet. Tap in the direction of the bridge or neck to loosen the glue. And then tap it on the side to slide with a blunt screwdriver, out of the slot. Mine came out really easy and only had a drop of glue in two spots. 3. Replace old nut with the Graphtech TUSQ-XL nut, PQL-5000-L0. This is a lefty nut and is pretty close to the original. Graphtech actually supply the nut for the JTV-69 as standard, but they don't have an exact lefty copy. I sanded mine for about 10 seconds with fine paper to reduce the thickness ever so slightly and then pressed in the new nut. Sand a little, then test. It was a snug fit and didn't bother glueing. 4. Measure the saddles on the bridge (from the rear most straight edge of the bridge to the leading edge of the saddle) and write down each length according to the right handed string setup. You will then reverse all the saddle lengths by screwing them in or out according to what you have written down, with the left handed string layout. 5. Remove the cover on the back of the JTV-69 closest to the bottom. This houses the Variax motherboard. Locate the two grey wires with single white connector attached. This goes back to the bridge piezo pickups. Remove the connector. You will now need to flip the connector around so as to flip the piezos for the lefty string layout. When you plug it back you will notice that the connector doesnt quite align and fit. You will need to cut off a bit of the plastic on the motherboard part of the connector to make it fit. Its not as bad as it sounds. I then secured the plug with a bit of tape. 6. Restring the guitar as lefty, adjust the saddle heights if necessary and re-intonate. But you should be pretty close with the saddle lengths from the previous measurement. 7. Profit $$$! Only downside to this is that its a "Jimi'd" guitar and a bit difficult to reach past the 20th fret. But it plays just like a normal guitar. I dont use a tremelo so have tightened up the springs to make it as hard tail as possible.

If you know are a left hander or you know a left hander, then why not vote for a left handed JTV? http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Left-handed-JTV/506338-23508 UPDATE: While it is may be possible to rewire a right handed JTV, add a new button for the guitar strap, etc - It would void the warranty, and would leave you with a guitar that isn't exactly ergonomic. Hendrix shined with his upside-down Strat, but alas we aren't all Hendrix! To anyone who is left handed by nature, but has forced themselves to play the "right" way up - Well done. Vote anyway?

Does anyone know if it is possible to custom-order a left-handed Variax guitar?

Hi there. I´m a spanish musician playing several times a week in a cover band. Always have had Line 6 products, from the first POD model to HD500, Relay Wireless Systems... etc... Now I´ve sold my HD500 and bought a HELIX LT. I´m quite happy with it; good sound enough for giggin' and great flexibility to organize large setlists of songs with many changes and variations in gain and FX thanks to snapshots. My big problem is... I also have a Variax 500, wich I love, but I can´t see what to do now.. Old Variax models and Helix are not fully compatible. And.... there is no left handed models for the new variax range. I could put my Helix on sale and get an old HD 500 again, but it seems a lollipop solution, don't you think? I don´t want to give up to all my new bank of sounds (better than ever) and the "snapshots" flexibility. If Line 6 is not decided to create a lefty model for new Variax is OK to me, I´m fine with my old 500... but we need a solution for fixing this, and we need it soon, please. Is there any chance to create any sofware "patch" for the Workbench editor in order to connect with Helix? Or any special update for Lefty registered owners? Right handed people can update from Variax 500 to Standard, JTV or Shuriken.... but there´s nothing we can do so far.

I have a Variax 500. Being lefthanded, getting a newer Variax isn't possible. But I look at all the new Variax's available, and I'm jealous of the fact that they don't require the VDI cable to power the guitar. They have rechargeable lithium ion batteries. I realize the battery housing is different, but in theory, is there any reason why a new Variax power supply couldn't somehow be retrofitted into a Variax 500?

Is there any way to get a left hand jtv-69 or standard?

Line 6 has introduced the IdeaScale forum as a means for collecting suggestions for future updates to Line 6 products. Please go and vote for a left handed JTV: http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Left-handed-JTV/506338-23508