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Variax 700 Acoustic worth buying? Or is it obsolete?


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I recently stumbled upon a Variax 700 Acoustic in a local shop. I had honestly not heard of them previously but had a little play on it and thought it was incredibly cool. Loved the variety of acoustic sounds as well as the other options. Now that I've done a little research, I'm more confused then I was before.....

 

Given that it doesn't work with the HD software and is no longer in production, is something like this worth buying these days? I'm a guy who is back into playing after 25 years away from it and am into the idea of having "access" to many tones and models without having to buy a bunch of gear and I'm just getting back into learning different styles and techniques..... Something like this seems like it would be a fun way to learn how different models, tones and instruments change the way music comes together.

 

I guess I'm wondering if people would talk me into buying one or talk me out of it?

 

Thanks in advance.

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There's some risk involved, as it's no longer in production. Anything with tech in it can go bad, but some products can also have a remarkably long lifetime. I don't know if there's a body of evidence about the Variax acoustic that would point to its reliability and longevity. I certainly haven read much about it, but it wasn't something I was especially interested in when it was available. Maybe some search engine inquiries would help on this.

 

I can say that, if the price seemed attractive, I'd seriously consider it. I have a Variax - now called the '500' -  from one of the first production runs available, and it's still going strong.

 

If the vibe seems good to you...

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I find a lot of value in the older Variax models.  If setup playability can be made right and the electronics work to spec, acoustic 700 is a helluva value, IMO.  

 

If you’re getting back into playing out live remember that Variax acoustic models across all versions need Full Range amplification to sound right.  Basically, DI the mixer/house, acoustic amp, keyboard amp, etc.  I think people use the term FRFR (full range full response)? 

 

The old days of using a Barcus Berry type piezo or sound hole acoustic guitar pickup into an electric guitar amp doesn’t really cut it with Variax acoustic model sounds.  

 

Acoustic models seems to be created/captured/sampled as microphone recordings so I treat the sound much like a post-preamp microphone signal.  Only thing is, you don’t risk feedback or excessive microphonic’s on live gigs.  

 

Obviously, recording is another great application.  I frequently cut acoustic guitar tracks and very talented pros don’t notice they originate from Variax digital source.  In fact, majority say something glowing about my acoustic guitar tracks.  

 

I’m lucky to have many wonderful acoustic guitars but I can’t get close to the mic sound of Variax acoustic models at my recording locations.  

 

One minor con about acoustic Variax IMO is that they have more acoustic volume than the electric body guitars.  When using digital tunings “acoustic†ambient sound bleeding into your ears can make for some funny sounds in your head.  Closed can headphones or IEM buds can isolate that pretty well but it’s something to note.  

 

The Acoustic 700 behaves slightly better with the wrapped 3rd (G) string than compared to the electric body acoustic models that usually use plain 3rd string.  

 

But the bottom line here is that you’re not likely to lose much, if any, money buying a good working used Variax.  Just don’t get carried away with price.  Check completed eBay listings for similar guitars and keep purchase price around those numbers and somebody will always want that guitar if you ultimately don’t care for it?  

 

 

I think people owe it to themselves to find out if Variax is right for them?  Any good working Variax is a good Variax, IMO....

 

Here's ruff clips of "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" using "obsolete" Variax for both acoustic tracks:

 

DraggingAcoustic16s.mp3

DraggingAcoustic5s.mp3

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So I pulled the trigger on the 700 Acoustic. Thanks for the info/input form both of you guys. Playing around with it thus far confirms that I LOVE modelling guitars for the sheer "play around with cool tones and sounds" aspect of it, especially as someone with limited to no experience with varieties of guitars and instruments. I've found that I've got a minor issue with a fret buzzing (1st fret on e string) and I'm going to take it to the shop I purchased from to have them take a look but beyond that it seems to be a winner. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just bought a Variax Acoustic 700 on CraigsList,  love it just plugging in and playing it.
Now however questions are surfacing.

I use Win 10.

I read the Pilot's Handbook and I see no mention of connecting to a PC

Just saving etc.  

 

Is it too old for PC connection?  Is there an area on the Line 6 website that I can learn more.

The RJ45 connector is there can we use it for anything?  I see mention of Workbench, also Line 6 Monkey??

How can I reset to factory settings?

Sorry for the dumb questions.  

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I just bought a Variax Acoustic 700 on CraigsList,  love it just plugging in and playing it.

Now however questions are surfacing.

I use Win 10.

I read the Pilot's Handbook and I see no mention of connecting to a PC

Just saving etc.  

 

Is it too old for PC connection?  Is there an area on the Line 6 website that I can learn more.

The RJ45 connector is there can we use it for anything?  I see mention of Workbench, also Line 6 Monkey??

How can I reset to factory settings?

Sorry for the dumb questions.  

 

Start here brother - http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/guitars/variax-guitars-bass-workbench/

 

You'll need some sort of USB interface to connect to the guitar VDI port.  There's an older USB standalone device can be found or some people use POD's to connect.  

 

I don't know for certain about Win 10 but I connect old "legacy" Variax's running Mac Yosemite.   I bet Win 10 can work with the right configurations?  

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  • 1 year later...
  • 3 months later...

You can find them on eBay for $400-$700. However, as much as I love mine I would not recommend buying one. I bought one when they first came out and did a lot of work on it getting it set up perfectly. A few years later I bought another one off eBay as a backup. That later became a parts guitar when the original failed and parts were no longer available. About three years ago I bought another one for backup, but that has now become a parts guitar also, and now my primary Variax is failing again. When it fails completely I'll put some Ghost or PMC piezos in the saddle and use it as a regular guitar because it plays so well. I sold the first parts guitar  for scrap, and I'll probably do the same with the second. Without the electronics it's just another guitar, although without pickups. It's not well-made enough to be worth doing anything with. I kept my first one only because of all the time and money I invested in making it play well.

 

I've always been a big Line 6 fan, all the way back to their original Pod, but they just aren't reliable enough for me. Al least half of the Line6 gear I've bought failed, usually within five years. I still have a small practice amp, and a Pocket Pod that works, and my Variax bass is going strong, but those are things I hardly use. I bought a Firehawk pedal three years ago, only used it at home, and it's dead. On the other hand, I have Roland/Boss gear from the 80's that are still going strong. I have a GR-50 rack-mount guitar synth from 1988 that I still use sometimes. Occasionally it needs to be reflashed, which is a challenge because I don't have a Windows 3.1 computer and a floppy disk to do it with. Luckily, I have the original firmware and patches saved as a midi file, and I can play the file to it through a midi player to load it. That's how old it is, but it works fine.

 

I don't expect electronics to last forever, but I think a company should support their products for an acceptable product lifetime. With an effects pedal that may only be three to five years, but that's not acceptable for a guitar. My buddy's '59 Strat still plays like it did when new, better in fact, and there's no reason it won't last another 60 years or more. You can't think of a Variax guitar like that. It's actually like an effects pedal, about as reliable, and when it dies it's done. To me, not worth the investment unless I get one really cheap.

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  • 1 year later...

Line 6  products badly designed and are built to fail. Redundancy by design, the sure sign of a company run by profiteers.

I have a line 6 Variax 300 and. Variax 700 acoustic. Both the two power supply DI boxes with TSR power  to guitars have stopped working. Just lousy component choice, or most likely designed to fail.

 

Regarding any line 6 products from the early 2000 era these are a real gamble, because 70% of them will pack up, and you cannot get spare parts.

 

Line 6 is only driven by pushing new sales older products and customers are left high and dry.

 

Shame on Line 6.

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15 year old product, recently acquired second hand. Components of the time were good.

Contact E&M Electronics in Milton Keynes near Bletchley, or Mark Wright Music in North Hampton, see if they can be of assistance.

Mark used to be a tech at Line 6 Rugby, when we had a location there. He still services Line 6 gear.

 

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psarkissian

 

Thank you for your advice. To compound the suspect "reliability" factor with Legacy Variax product, my lovely Variax 700 Acoustic has now died today for no reason.

 

it is stuck with knob selector at "red" on all the time, not selecting any models  and is providing no connection to USB / Workbench or any output audio sound.

 

I have taken it apart and checked for loose wires etc, and found no faults. Hence it is likely to be circuitry related. Can I get Repair Manual and Circuit Diagrams for my Variax 700 Acoustic so my tech guy can try to fix it? I only acquired the guitar a few weeks ago and planned it to be my main workhorse guitar.

 

Line 6 support provided zero help when I asked them with a support ticket request.

 

Hope you can assist, me and many others with these faults.

 

Dave.

Variax_Acoustic_700_Close-e90b73e6dc203fc7bb9f981ec395e122.jpg

line6variax6-V3KnVKVwlQoBwkpa3vCINpWiZx4gPo8L.jpg

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" Can I get Repair Manual and Circuit Diagrams for my Variax 700 Acoustic so my tech guy can try to fix it? " --- We don't publish service info.

Too much intellectual property and proprietary stuff. And we can't vouch for the tech skills of the general public.

 

" Line 6 support provided zero help when I asked them with a support ticket request. " --- Being a 14+ year old product, more than likely not

supported for the most part. Some get extra units from eBay like sources and use those for spare parts.

 

Best bet would be E&M electronics near Bletchley, or my mate Mark Wright Music in Northampton. Mark was a top tech at these guitars,

back when we had location in Rugby.

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had similar problems on my 700 Acoustic; the selection would randomly jump back and forth between red (alternate tuning) and green (normal tuning).  It turned out to be the switch location (height) being out of whack. I found articles online (can't remember where, but do some searches) on modifying the switch, and was able to get things working again. Haven't had problems since. That may be the case for you, but your problem seems more severe and widespread, so it very well could be  electronics rather than mechanical.

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  • 3 months later...

I just got an acoustic 700 NOS.
Worked great once.
"Once"
Went to update, and apparently ruined it.
Now it makes fart noises, and I have no idea what to do with it.
I just want to reset it to factory default.
So, I ran it through my helix into my computer.
Monkey recognized it, then crashed in the middle of everything.
Ran it straight into the computer with the little USB adapter it came with.

Monkey does not see it.

 

I am just lost at this point.

Not a tech geek, so I hope there is a simple fix.

 

 

monkey.jpg

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I learned about the Acoustic 700 only a few years ago, but I absolutely love it.   I play in a variety band and it's just fantastic to have the ability to instantly use an Open E or open A tuning with the push of a button.  Or de-tune one half step, or 1 full step down, and then instantly back to standard tuning.   No need to change guitars or waste time de-tuning during a performance.  That feature ALONE makes it worthwhile.   

Then of course you can switch to a 12-string sound instantly (no need to bring another guitar with you).    The gimmick tones like a sitar or banjo are fine, but you hardly ever use them.   It's really the ability to de-tune instantly, and have a 12 string "sound" for a few songs per night.


Personally, I think the Dread tone and Jumbo tones are REALLY nice too.    Are the tones just as good as  "real" acoustic guitar?  Is the 12-string model as good as playing a real 12-string? No. Of course not.    But I have to say, the tones are pretty darn good!   Absolutely worthy of playing in a live setting.

 

 And practicality of that de-tuning feature the Acoustic 700 offers during a live performance on stage (with no acoustic feedback issues, I should add) makes it a no brainer to own.

I have 2 of them now, just in case (eventually) one of them craps out on me and wont' be repairable.   You can pick up a fully working Acoustic 700 for around $650 (give or take) as of late 2021.   You just can't go wrong.  

 

BTW, I have a standard Electric Variax too, which is nice, but I enjoy the look and feel and certain tones of the Acoustic 700 way better.  Even the nylon string sound in the Acoustic 700 is "close enough" to a real nylon string guitar to use in a live setting (for 1 or 2 short musical sections during the night).  

Just my 2 cents in case somebody out there is interested.


Dan (in Milwaukee, WI)

 

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Helix firmware is up to date.
I actually managed to update my 700 solid body with Monkey.
Had to update the usb adapter drivers.

Updated just fine.
Took the same cables and plugged into the acoustic.
Monkey saw it.

Started updating.

Crashed.

Now does not see the acoustic.

Helix not involved.

This is straight into the computer with the usb adapter and a network cable.

Well, the guitar IS plugged into the DI box/power supply, then into helix, but I don't really think that is what it updates through.
Not sure.
Gotta be a way to reload the factory software.

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  • 2 months later...

Hello,

 

I have owned both the Line 6 Variax 700 Acoustic and the Electric 700 models for many years.  Recently, I had a piezo pickup fail and I had it replaced by an electronics repair shop authorized to repair Line 6 products.  I have no idea what you have experienced with your model, but if you research online or call Line 6 with a gentle, patient, and respectful manner, I think they will be able to assist  you.  We've all been frustrated and angry over electronics systems that are beyond our comprehension.  And it's a real freak-out if it fails you on-stage, and no one doubts that.

 

Apart from the fact  that I had to buy 3 new copies of the Acoustic 700 when it first came before I found one that wasn't faulty from the get go,  I've had no problems, other than that piezo going out.  But anything that is 15 years old in electronic years is likely to be susceptible to board failures.  You know that printed circuit boards took over the amplified market so that the solid state amps are fairly reasonable.  They are more susceptible to cracking with age and damage from sudden changes in temperature, but they've saved us a lot of money.  But to get all those modeling options in a hand-wired guitar just isn't possible.  Know what a hand-wired amp costs these days?  I can't afford them.  I love both these first modeling guitars and I hope you get some satisfaction.  But look at the Gibson Robot guitar and the Minitune 2014 Gibson Les Paul models and subsequent Tronical Tuning systems from Germany.  All of these things have their problems; nothing new to see, here.  Go back, please, to Line 6 and ask for help.  If they can't help or won't (because they've been yelled at?),  go back to real guitars that are hard-wired.  Stay away from printed circuit ANYTHING, if it's reliability you seek.  But If it's something innovative and new, something that pushes boundaries and is really exciting, there's no other direction we can go, other than continue to buy either the old reliables or take chances on the new.  I buy both.  I just don't expect the same thing from both types; it's a reality.                                            

Edited by reedrainey
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Hi all, i have a question re the 700acoustic. During my set there are a few sections where I need to hit a drive pedal for a few lead sections. Has anyone run the 700 through a boost/drive pedal then into a PA. I have a used 700 on the way so would be good to manage my expectations. Cheers

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  • 1 year later...

To the question of, "is this guitar obsolete?", I believe that is completely up to the player.  If you use it, play it,  and love it than there is nothing obsolete about it.  Granted they are no longer produced or have any updates for the firmware.  I purchased a lightly used Acoustic 700 15 years ago, and still occasionally use it live and in the studio.  This guitar plays well and has a few tones not available on the new HD tones in the JTV series.  My own personal pet peeve is they never included a nylon string patch in the HD variax acoustic set, oh well.  Here's a snippet I recorded not that long ago using the 700.   The early post from psarkissian was absolutely correct, the only reliable way to upgrade or reload firmware is to use the original interface and cables that came with this guitar using power from the adapter and a guitar cable to "turn the unit on". (been there).  Good luck.

 

 

 

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