Trouble with Shuriken Variax

[joelstanfield12]

I'm having issues with my new variax and need some help.  When using the piezo pickups / models, the string volume is pretty different.  The biggest problem here is the low E-string.  It is considerably louder than the rest of the strings and really causes the bass to ring out when the string is picked.  It also seems to be worse on different frets.  I don't really know what would cause this.  If I use the workbench to try and fix it, I have to turn the string volume down by 14 DB to get it to not ring out, at which point the volume is pretty low compared to where it should be.  I just bought this from Sweetwater a few weeks ago.  Do I need to return this or can someone point me in the right direction?

[josehdx]

There has been many similar issues reported here. Troubleshooting should be:

 

Make sure you hare using the default string gauge (.010 to .046)

 

Make sure the piezoelectric pickups are clean and making good contact with the string.

 

Make a video with detailing the issue of tha failing string and share it if possible here

 

If the issue is with the pickup,you need to claim the warranty 

 

[joelstanfield12]

Thank you JOSEHDX for responding.  I'm not a sound engineer or an expert with setting up sound, but I was able to play more with it today and have deduced the following:

 

The High E string is lower in volume than every other string.  If I only use the Workbench to balance them, I have to drop all of the strings by 30 to 40% volume to match them.  I feel like this is excessive, but I don't have anything to gauge it against.

 

The Low E string's bass amount is extreme.  I'm not sure it's only due to string volume.  I had to turn the low frequency on my mixer down a significant amount just to get the bass to stop ringing out and make it playable.  If I didn't use the mixer at all to adjust it, I had to lower the string volume to 30% on the Workbench to get it to stop ringing out so badly.  You could also tell that the string was lower in volume than it should be.  The bass really only rings out hard on Frets 4, 5, 6, and 7.  I can't explain that, it's very strange.  

 

I tried balancing the strings as much as possible in the workbench and dropped the LF eq all the way down on my mixer and was able to get a decent sounding guitar sound out of the unit.   This makes it very complicated going forward.  This was only on 1 guitar model.

 

 

I'm going to try and talk with someone from Line 6 and see what they say.  

 

[psarkissian]

Check the model galley in the user manual,... not all string volumes are the same for the Artist models that Stevic McKay created.

They are like that by design.

 

[joelstanfield12]

Hey psarkissian.  I purchased Chad Huskey's variax bundle from the market place and installed it on the Variax.  I have removed anything that was originally on the guitar by uploading this bundle to the guitar.  It doesn't matter what model I use (acoustic, electric, banjo, etc.), the high E-string is just lower in volume.  I had to change the global setting on the strings and lower every other string by 30% to get it to sound somewhat balanced.  

 

I'm just checking to see if it is reasonable for me to have to set it up this way.

 

The other issue is the amount of bass/low end that I get from the low E-string.  It's pretty bad.  Only happens when using the models and its pronounced on Frets 4 through 7.  I have no idea why.

 

 

[psarkissian]

A 2019 build,... very odd. Frets 4-7,... sounds like the set-up is part of the issue. Log a support ticket.