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This is more or less a feature request, but if you folks ever decide to update the JTV models again, it would be wonderful to have a Nylon string acoustic in there.  (e.g. Spanish guitar or Django Rheinhardt).  I myself would gladly give up the acoustic-3 "Parlor guitar" for something with a little more flavor.   I'm sure others would disagree, so I'm not sure about replacing existing models, but it seems like a nylon string model could be done, and it would open a huge creative world.  There's nothing but steel string models now.

 

Let me know if that's possible.

 

Thank you.

 

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I never understood why Line6 didn't give us a nylon model since they were able to do it in the Acoustic 700.

explain "able to do it"?

Did it sound convincingly like it? 

 

The problem here is that a nylon guitar uses nylon strings, every model on the JTV uses metallic strings, ergo they can model the sound very accurately.

 

How convincingly can they make steel strings sound like a nylon string? 

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Nylon model on the Acoustic700 sounds pretty good.  That being said, not too many Variax owners are looking for that sound I bet.

 

I'm not sure about that Chralie. It's one of the top posts on Ideascale. It seems like a glaring ommision to me considering there are models for dobros, banjos etc which I would have thought were more niche than a nylon. I know a lot of people love the sitar etc but just sayin'.....

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Actually I like this idea.  I wouldn't use it much but I never used the parlor guitar sound.  Just replace it with the nylon strings.  I would even like to see a string gauge selection patched in.  would be nice to be able to play with 13 gauge strings sound using 10's.

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explain "able to do it"?

Did it sound convincingly like it?

 

The problem here is that a nylon guitar uses nylon strings, every model on the JTV uses metallic strings, ergo they can model the sound very accurately.

 

How convincingly can they make steel strings sound like a nylon string?

If a guitar synth can use a steel string guitar to trigger the digital approximation of an old Hammond B3, then I don't see why there couldn't be a usable nylon string model for the Variax.

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Not the same!  Variax is not a synth!  Variax takes the actual string vibrations and applies models to them to change their sound.  Nylon strings eliminate much of the higher harmonics.  It's possible to apply a model (Filter) to the steel string vibrations to remove the higher harmonics to emulate nylon.  Also, nylon tends to have less sustain.  Again, a model can reduce the sustain.  I have an Acoustic 700 and the nylon model sounds like a nylon string guitar.  I just don't happen to like that sound much so I have rarely used it.  I like the sharp high frequency harmonics that a steel string acoustic generated.

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Not the same! Variax is not a synth! Variax takes the actual string vibrations and applies models to them to change their sound. Nylon strings eliminate much of the higher harmonics. It's possible to apply a model (Filter) to the steel string vibrations to remove the higher harmonics to emulate nylon. Also, nylon tends to have less sustain. Again, a model can reduce the sustain. I have an Acoustic 700 and the nylon model sounds like a nylon string guitar. I just don't happen to like that sound much so I have rarely used it. I like the sharp high frequency harmonics that a steel string acoustic generated.

Everyone here realizes they are not the same. Apples and oranges...we get it. Owned both, used both. Comment was intended for emphasis. The point is, if a guitar synth can convincingly trigger the synth sound of a completely different instrument, given how a guitar string's notes are produced...the attack, how the note sustains and dies, etc etc, then why would it be a Herculean task to create a model that simulates the frequency response of a nylon string guitar? Obviously the answer is "it's not...it's already been done".

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If a guitar synth can use a steel string guitar to trigger the digital approximation of an old Hammond B3, then I don't see why there couldn't be a usable nylon string model for the Variax.

 

It's modeling not synthesis....

 

modeling takes a sound and shapes it to sound different

 

synthesis analysis a sound then forms a replacement sound with data based around the original input sound.

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Everyone here realizes they are not the same. Apples and oranges...we get it. Owned both, used both. Comment was intended for emphasis. The point is, if a guitar synth can convincingly trigger the synth sound of a completely different instrument, given how a guitar string's notes are produced...the attack, how the note sustains and dies, etc etc, then why would it be a Herculean task to create a model that simulates the frequency response of a nylon string guitar? Obviously the answer is "it's not...it's already been done".

 

 

Cruisinon, the problem is that the 2 string materials give 2 different sounds to work with. 

 

The Variax's sound prior to modeling is basically what a string would sound like prior to going through the pickups, body, electronics.

This is why it's easy to model steel string instruments because they use the same base for their sound.

 

Nylon gives out different tonality, something that a convolution impulse response isn't going to cover completely. You can only shape it to sound like the nylon's frequencies, but there's a lot of characteristics it could possibly miss.

 

I put acoustic strings on my Variax once as a joke and the acoustic models actually sounded even better, because bronze strings and steel strings sound different, but they're close enough to get a good enough representation to model an acoustic on the Electric Variax.

 

 

The question is, if they went through with it, would you guys care about it? Is that gap from difference in material going to throw off the sound too much for you to not like it? That's what they have to consider.

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.... I put acoustic strings on my Variax once as a joke and the acoustic models actually sounded even better, because bronze strings and steel strings sound different, but they're close enough to get a good enough representation to model an acoustic on the Electric Variax....

 

So that sounds fun. How did electric models sound with the acoustic guitar strings?

 

I wonder if one could do a mixed set with... I dunno, bronze for the A and D, e.g., steel for the other four... and get an improved sound without losing anything in electric models.

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So that sounds fun. How did electric models sound with the acoustic guitar strings?

 

I wonder if one could do a mixed set with... I dunno, bronze for the A and D, e.g., steel for the other four... and get an improved sound without losing anything in electric models.

 

Sounded awful and unusable, so I stuck with electrics.

The acoustic models sounded amazing though and sounded spot on realistic.

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Sounded awful and unusable, so I stuck with electrics.

The acoustic models sounded amazing though and sounded spot on realistic.

 

Well, that gives me an idea. I am getting a JTV-69. I have a 500. Perhaps I can string my 500 with acoustic strings and put all acoustic models on it, and use it for acoustic only.

 

(Or, as I told my wife I would, I can sell the 500 to pay for part of the 69. That does have some virtue to it too.)

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Well, that gives me an idea. I am getting a JTV-69. I have a 500. Perhaps I can string my 500 with acoustic strings and put all acoustic models on it, and use it for acoustic only.

 

(Or, as I told my wife I would, I can sell the 500 to pay for part of the 69. That does have some virtue to it too.)

 

You can try. Since it's piezo pickups, acoustic strings work, and bronze strings sound nicer for acoustic stuff.

 

Perhaps use lighter gauges as well, same as electric.

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  • 2 months later...

I would appreciate the attempt, no matter what the obstacles. Variety is what attracts Joe Blow's ears, not virtuosity. The nylon string attempt might not sound exact but might be usable anyway, either for its proximity to the classical sound or on its own. 

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  • 1 year later...

"I never understood why Line6 didn't give us a nylon model since they were able to do it in the Acoustic 700"---

Page-20 in the 700 Acoustic Pilot's Guide, nylon model after a '58 Manuel Velazquez, who built guitars in the

Torres and Hauser way of doing it.

 

Andre Segovia played a Hauser and at some point added a Velazquez to his stable of guitars. There was a piece

earlier this year in a classical guitar magazine on the Velazquez guitar played by Segovia. Last year was a piece

about the Hauser guitar.

 

Yeah, a model done after the Hauser, Velazquez guitars and/or one of the Camps, Ramirez or,.... Antonio Picado,

would be a nice addition in the acoustic domain.

 

Haven't played the Velazquez or the Hauser. But, Cordoba has the sister guitar of Segovia's Hauser. I got to play

a guitar from the line they put out that was done to those specs. Very nice. I've played Camps, Ramirez and the

Picado,... they are wonderful. There are another four makers that would be good choices.

 

Anyone of the afore mentioned, would make a wonderful choice for a classical nylon string Model,.... Hauser,

Velazquez, Ramirez and Cordoba (are classic nylons) and the Camps and Picado (brought me to tears, they

were so good). These would be good guitars to make nylon guitar Models from.

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