Assembling a Vaiax

[WBJJ06]

Hi! I wonder if it’s possible to build a guitar with a Variax system in it. I figured I might be able to make it with parts from https://www.fullcompass.com

is it possible and which parts do I need, are any specific microphones required, or can I use one of these from reverb:

[silverhead]

You can buy most parts such as the jack assembly you show. But you cannot purchase the main Variax motherboard/CPU. Line 6 does not supply them separately; you have to cannibalize an existing Variax guitar to get one. 

[WBJJ06]

@silverhead do you know if you can buy the mother card used anywhere or if there is a similar mother card for sale anywhere?

 

Also, I saw that Steve Vai have a guitar named Samoht with a built-in de-tuning system, do you know which parts that are used in that guitar and where you can buy them? 

[cruisinon2]

On 3/27/2020 at 5:59 PM, WBJJ06 said:

@silverhead do you know if you can buy the mother card used anywhere or if there is a similar mother card for sale anywhere?

 

Also, I saw that Steve Vai have a guitar named Samoht with a built-in de-tuning system, do you know which parts that are used in that guitar and where you can buy them? 

 

No, you cannot buy the main board separately, from L6 or anybody else... and even if you could, you'd probably end up spending more money one piece at a time than just buying the damn guitar. Besides, these guitars get goofy easily...you're not likely to have much luck trying to cobble together your own version from individually acquired parts, and actually have the finished product work properly. Hell, the factory ones can have weird issues out of the box, and/or develop them along the way.

 

Not to mention the fact that whatever guitar body you intend to stuff everything in, will require major surgery. You'll have to rout out an additional cavity to house the additional electronics... the main board isn't small and the 69 and 89 have an additional board mounted to the sustain block under the bridge. This is where leads from the piezo pickups connect.

 

Used ones aren't hard to find... they're all over Ebay, and you'll save yourself a ton of grief.

[WBJJ06]

Hi! I’ve found two reasonable priced Variax      
guitars, a 300 and a 500. And here is my question, they both have piezo pickups so is it possible to change them out for some other pickup, like a  hexaphonic Humbucker?
 

And also, which one of them is the best to harvest parts from and what is the biggest difference in functions?

[silverhead]

You can swap the piezo. I replaced the original LR Baggs on a Variax 300 with a set of Graphtechs. I had a guitar tech do it for me but if you’re good with soldering electronics you can do it yourself.
 

I think the difference between the 300 and the 500 is in the build of the guitar and the way the electronics are assembled. I believe the modeling, functions and features are the same. You can choose either one - I think the only difference will be the implications on the woodworking inside the guitar body to house the electronics.

[WBJJ06]

Thank you @silverhead! If it's only one piezo can I switch it out for two Duncans? And does the pickup needs to be hexaphonic? If they need to be hexaphonic  Pickups are it possible to use two of these?

[WBJJ06]

Thank you for the replies @silverhead

And also, as far as I’m concerned the Variax 300 doesn’t have a detune system in the guitar but can you still download it from the software?

is it posible to change out the piezo to a more normal pickup, like a hexaphonic or a piezo that is not mounted to the bridge?

The reason I don't want a bridge-mounted piezo is because I've heard that it sounds very bad when you are palm muting and I kind of want to install a Floyd Rose if it fits in. Or is it better to switch out the saddles in the Floyd for these?(see picture below).

Is it possible to install one or maybe two pickups that works separately like in the standard?

 

Does the Variax 300 have the same workbench as the shuriken and the standard?

Edited April 1, 2020 by WBJJ06