Line 6 Variax 700 Guitar, Black Tremolo

by Line 6

Product Features

• Carved-top ash over mahogany body and maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, bone nut, and pearl inlays
• Gotoh Tuners
• 22 medium profile frets, 25 1/2" scale length, 10" radius
• Custom tremolo bridge
• PODXT Live, Vetta II, and Workbench connectivity

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.6 x 0.8 x 3.8 inches ; 20.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 20 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0002D045Q
• Item model number: 99-280-0105
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,598 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #5 in Musical Instruments > Guitars > Electric Guitars > Digital Modeling Guitars

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Line 6 Variax 700 is a 22-fret digital modeling guitar with a mahogany body with a contoured ash top (in translucent colors), or carved-top solid mahogany body in the black model. The Variax 700 features a one-piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, bone nut, and pearl inlays, Gotoh® Tuners, and a custom Baggs tremolo bridge.

A couple of years before Variax® was born, we decided to turn our attention from all that guitar gear to the guitar itself. We wondered—could it be possible to capture a complete range of this tone in one single instrument? It was a daunting task, but then so was the idea of squeezing a whole collection of amps and effects into one little kidney bean shaped metal box. So we figured, why not give it a go?

We knew our sounds would have to be amazingly accurate to meet the needs of discriminating guitarists, so we began an intensive research project into guitar physics. We assembled test guitars that would make Victor Frankenstein blush. We systematically examined every factor that contributes to a guitar's tone, and developed ways to measure the complex interactions of vibrating strings, resonant bodies, and magnetic pickups. More importantly, we developed ways to capture these interactions mathematically so we could get the same sounds from our guitar.

As we refined our measuring and modeling techniques, we began working on a new, powerful hardware platform that could deliver our shockingly accurate sounds. Variax needed to have less noise than a standard humbucker, the ability to switch sounds in the fraction of a second that it takes to slap a pickup selector switch to the next position, and be powered in a variety of ways. And, most importantly, perform so flawlessly that you could forget it's even there.

As the body and brain neared completion, it was time for us to create the soul. We auditioned an amazing array of vintage instruments to find the ones with the most distinctive voices and personalities. We applied our painstaking measuring techniques to these specimens, and refined our models while constantly referring back to the originals for accuracy. When the model reached the point not only sounding like the original, but also being as much fun to play, it was done.

Features:

• Carved-top ash over mahogany body (Translucent Colors) or carved-top solid mahogany body (Black Only)
• One-piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, bone nut, and pearl inlays
• Gotoh® Tuners
• 22 medium profile frets
• 25 1/2" scale length
• 10" fingerboard radius
• Custom Baggs tremolo bridge
• Standard 1/4" guitar output jack
• Digital I/O jack for PODXT Live™, Vetta™ II, and Workbench connectivity
• Volume and tone controls respond faithfully for each model
• Included XPS A/B footswitch selects between two outputs:
  • 1/4" standard guitar output for connection to any guitar amp
  • XLR balanced output for sending acoustic sounds to a separate amp or PA
• Powered by footswitch, on-board batteries, Vetta II or PODXT Live
• Custom-fitted heavy-duty gig bag
• Available in Black or translucent Blue, Red, Amber, Metallic Gold or Sunburst

Variax Workbench:
Build your own custom guitar at home on your PC or Mac®! Variax® Workbench™ gives you your own personal guitar custom shop with all the tools needed to easily create, store, and share the guitar you've been dreaming of.

Variax Workbench allows you to completely customize Variax Electric 300, 500, 600, and 700. Now you have the tools to easily create and store the guitars you've always wanted. Select from a complete list of guitar bodies, choose pickups and placement, and tweak other parameters to design guitar models that are truly unique.

This combination USB interface and software application allows you to see and hear the physical changes as you apply them to your custom guitar. You can even add alternate tunings. Once you've created your custom guitars, model patches can be stored in the included "Tone Locker," downloaded into any of the 60 available positions on your Variax, and even emailed to your friends that own a Variax. Your dream guitar is just a few clicks away!

Variax 700 Frequently Asked Questions
What is Variax?
Variax® is the world's first modeling guitar. It offers the sounds of an entire guitar collection in a single instrument.

Is Variax a MIDI guitar?
No, Variax is a real guitar. All of the sounds available in Variax start with the actual string vibrations of the Variax itself. Our patented modeling process shapes the raw string signal to replicate the sounds of the modeled instruments.

Does Variax work with only Line 6 amps?
Variax works with any guitar amp from any manufacturer.

Is a left-handed version available?
Left-handed versions of Variax 500 are currently available. As of this time, Variax 700 is not available in a left-handed version.

What's up with the footswitch?
Variax includes amazingly warm and detailed acoustic models that sound best when amplified by a full-range system. We include the XPS A/B footswitch to give you a convenient way to divert the output to a PA or acoustic amplifier for these models.

What's up with the extra jack?
This "special" jack is used to connect your Variax to our Vetta™ II amp or PODxt Live™. This one cable (based on industry-standard CAT 5 Ethernet) provides everything needed to make the most complete guitar system ever created. Vetta II or PODxt Live now provides power, a direct digital audio connection, and bi-directional control of the Variax. Read more about it here!

How does Variax 700 differ from Variax 500?
Variax 500 in solid colors has a contoured basswood body, a one-piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, custom position markers, and Gotoh® tuners. Variax 700 in translucent colors has a mahogany body with a contoured ash top, one-piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, custom position markers and Gotoh tuners. Available finishes are Black, Translucent Red, Translucent Amber, and Translucent Blue. Check out the Specs page for more details.

Is it upgradeable?
Variax 700 is upgradeable, as is the 500.

Can I use it with Vetta II and PODxt Live?
Variax 700 is fully compatible with Vetta II via our custom, locking RJ-45-based Neutrik® cable. Read more about it here.

What does it come with?
Both Variax 500 and 700 come with a custom fitted gig bag, XPS A/B footswitch/power supply, and a Planet Waves® TRS cable.

Product Description

Variax 700 in black combines Line 6's patent-pending guitar modeling technology in a custom designed solid-body guitar to accurately reproduce the sounds of a variety of well-known vintage electric and acoustic guitars. In addition Variax also offers well-known sounds of guitar-related instruments, such as a resonator, banjo, and electric sitar. Modeled variations include solid-body, semi hollowbody, and hollowbody electrics with single-coil and humbucking pickups, as well as, several six- and twelve string acoustics. Variax 700 features a carved top, mahogany body, optional tremolo, one-piece hard maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and Gotoh tuners.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars COMPLETE VERSATILITY...GREAT TONES, December 2, 2008

By 

Robert Allen "Robert Allen" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Line 6 Variax 700 Guitar, Black Tremolo (Electronics)

The Line6 has been a complete replacement to my guitar collection, I wound up selling a lot of the electric guitars I had. It's excellent in the studio as well as live. The ability to turn a knob and have a completely different guitar at your needs is amazing. And they sound exactly like their descriptions (with a few exceptions [see below]). It's an even better guitar if you have a Line6 Pod XT Live or X3 Live as you can control your sounds as you switch the guitar with whatever amp model you are using. I also recommend purchasing the $99 Variax Workbench. In that software you'll be able to change the pickups, and even customize different tunings (like a capo, drop D, DADGAD) without having to tune your guitar. There are 10 Custom presets you can store on your Variax to be able to do this.

The biggest standout to me, besides the incredible Les Paul, Stratocaster and Telecaster models (which I have used the most) was the amazing tone of the ACOUSTIC models on this guitar (except for the 12-String...see below). My friend has a Taylor and the Variax Martin model ran circles around the tone of his $3000 Taylor with Fishman pickups.

There are quite a few cons to this guitar...but they have not hindered my happiness with owning the 700.

* If you're recording, and are sustaining a guitar chord, you may notice the tones dieing out near the end of a sustained chord. It's almost as if the guitar has some sort of slight noise gate. It's not too bad...but I hope someday they will fix that (there's always firmware updates coming out).

* They have been fixing the latency issue with the 12-string, although it's not quite there yet. The 12-string sounds a little too synthetic to me, compared to a real 12-string plugged into a PA system.

* If you plan to use Variax Workbench, and want to fool around with alternate tunings, there is a slight latency if you detune certain strings a lot lower than they originally are (it gets noticeable if you fool around with full-octave de-tunings). I have not noticed this problem with tuning up, however.

* I don't have this issue, as I have strong shoulders...but you'll notice, compared to a Strat or Tele is the weight of the guitar on your shoulders. It will take some getting used to, as it is heavy. I recommend a good, padded strap. Eventually it won't be so bad.

* There are no straplocks installed on the guitar. Most guitars don't come with them, but it would be a nice bonus for a $1300 guitar. The only straplocks I found to work on the Variax 700 are the Schaller straplocks. I could not get the Dunlop "buttonlocks" to install, as the nails were too small.

I would like to see a Maple neck instead of a Rosewood neck. That's just a personal preference, though. There may be some third party company making them in the future.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good alternative to carrying multiple guitars, June 3, 2009

By 

Mark Murtha (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Line 6 Variax 700 Guitar, Black Tremolo (Electronics)

I wasn't sure about purchasing one of these guitars after reading some negative reviews. Some had mentioned the "cheap" sound of the guitar when unplugged, and the inability to palm mute notes. The guitar certainly does not sound like a quality instrument when unplugged, but that's not how it is intended to be played. When you plug it into an amp, the sounds are really amazing. Palm muting functions exactly the same as any guitar, too. The tremolo is unusable, as far as I'm concerned. It goes out of tune constantly. I tightened the springs all the way, had a professional dress and polish on the frets, and now the guitar plays like a dream (and stays in tune).

The optional software is a must if you want to take full advantage of this guitar's capabilities. You can select from a wide range of body types, pickups, pickup angles, phase settings, series/parallel wiring configurations, and more. You can save your personal settings at any of the factory preset or user-definable "custom" locations on the rotary dial. Also, each of the five positions of the selector switch can be a completely different guitar.

If Line 6 would contract with a better guitar manufacturer, this could be a sensational product.