dbagchee Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Does anyone here tune down their Variax to your "default" tuning and then use the tuning features to provide your alternates? I'm in Drop D 1/2 step down 90% of the time so I'm planning on setting up the Variax (JTV 89 on the way) for that tuning to use the real pickups with and then setting up standard tuning and any other variations with the alternate tuning function. Any issues with string tension and the piezo pickups? I usually use 10s but not sure what the Variax ships with (or if tuning down would require me to go to 11s). I've always kept my Variax 300 in standard tuning and setup the alts for my "standard". I guess I could try it on my 300 but I never did since it doesn't have regular pickups and didn't want to mess with the setup too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay-man Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Dustin Kensrue of Thrice used a Variax in D standard and based the alt tunings off of that. Seemed to work just fine for him. Note that if you go down you might want thicker strings because with low tension, the piezos don't pick up the string vibrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tscoolberth Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Yep, I'm thinking of doing this,too. I use 1/2 step down as my standard and I'll bump up to medium strings. I know at a 25" scale in eflat with 11s I should be where I want to be. Not sure how I'll need to fiddle with the alt-tunings but ... I'm sure I can figure it out. I love my other guitars .. but this JTV 89 is stealing my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owowyas Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Hi. I wasn't clear about this post, so I might be repeating the question. On the JTV-89F, if my band is always tuned a 1/2 step down, can I tune the JTV-89F that way, then get the alternate tunings accordingly? So in other words, if I then change the tuning knob to "drop D", will it essentially be Drop D flat? Or will the guitar move back up to drop D (as if it was normally tuned to E). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealZap Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 you got it right.... its all relative to actual tuning... so ye. if my band is always tuned a 1/2 step down, if I then change the tuning knob to "drop D", will it essentially be Drop D flat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 It's been said that the best way to use the tuning feature in the Variax is to keep your guitar in standard tuning. It has to do with how it was programmed to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tscoolberth Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Been down tuned 1/2 step for a year now .. no problems. Needed and ever-so-slight intonation adjustment, that's it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I am not sure that most realize that if you tune to non standard tuning you need to adjust the intonation. You should intonate to the tuning you are going to use most. If you change string gauge that also changes the intonation. For the alternate tuning to work properly you need your guitar tuned properly and intonated properly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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