Any Tone, Any Tuning, Anytime
From cover bands and worship teams to session players and weekend warriors, creative musicians of all types love Line 6 Variax guitars. Line 6 practically invented the modeling guitar, and many of the guitarists here at Sweetwater have been rocking them from day one. Today’s Variax models represent over a decade and a half of technological development, as Line 6 has continuously responded to customers to build better instruments to meet and vastly exceed their needs. With advances such as Variax HD technology and product lines for every level of guitarist, there’s never been a better time to explore what Variax can do for you.
The Variax Experience
Picture this: you’re rocking out onstage or laying down tracks in the studio — absolutely tearing it up with your favorite electric guitar. Suddenly, you find yourself in need of a full-bodied dreadnought acoustic. Instead of swapping out instruments, you turn a knob on your Variax guitar, and you’re all set! What about that song in Drop D? No problem! That’s also just a twist of a knob away. Single-coil, humbucker, jazzbox, jumbo acoustic 12-string, you name it — all the tones and tunings you need are right there in your Line 6 Variax.
The Power and Flexibility of Variax HD
While the Variax line has always been ahead of the curve, Line 6’s Variax HD modeling technology has pushed these guitars into a whole new realm of realism and performance. Best of all, whether you pick up the most affordable Variax Standard model or the most stunning JTV USA Custom Shop model, you’ll get the full Variax HD experience. Here are some of the highlights.
Amazing Guitars Perfectly Captured
No modeling technology, regardless of how good it may be, is worth much unless you have quality guitars to model. That’s why Line 6 went straight to renowned vintage guitar dealer Albert Molinaro to get their hands on the best world-class instruments they could find. Once they had the right instruments (including a Les Paul valued at $250,000), the Variax team applied their extremely detailed approach to modeling. They captured every aspect of each guitar, including each section of the body, piece of hardware, and electronic component, and figured out how they all affect one another.
Just Like Playing the Real Thing
Other than the brilliant sound quality, the biggest benefit of Variax HD’s component-by-component modeling is the amazing flexibility it provides. Everything from the dynamic electronics controls to the most subtle nuances, like body resonance and all those little sounds you hear just handling the guitar, are totally spot on. So when it comes to actually playing, you can be sure your Variax guitar will deliver all the natural expression you could ask for.
A Gallery of Electric Guitars
Flipping through the models onboard your Variax is like taking a stroll through guitar history. These are the instruments that defined many of the world’s most famous guitarists, from George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix to Keith Richards and Jimmy Page. And when you call up your favorite electric guitar, the pickup selector, volume, and tone controls respond so naturally, you’ll hardly believe you aren’t playing the real thing. Here are the models you get:
- 1960 Fender Telecaster Custom
- 1959 Fender Stratocaster
- 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
- 1976 Gibson Firebird V
- 1955 Gibson Les Paul Special
- 1959 Gretsch 6120
- 1956 Gretsch Duo Jet
- 1966 Rickenbacker 370
- 1966 Rickenbacker 370-12
- 1961 Gibson ES-335
- 1964 Epiphone Casino
- 1954 Gibson ES-175
- 1953 Gibson Super 400
A Collection of Acoustic Instruments
One of the first things that early Variax players raved about was the ability to call up acoustic guitar sounds with the turn of a dial. Over the years, Line 6 has continued to develop and expand that range of acoustic instrument tones well beyond guitars. And with the added details and versatility of Variax HD modeling, the sound is more impressive than ever, allowing you to reposition the virtual microphone by turning the Tone knob. Here are your acoustic options:
- 1959 Martin D-28
- 1967 Martin O-18
- 1966 Guild F212
- 1995 Gibson J-200
- Coral Sitar
- Gibson Mastertone Banjo
- 1928 National Tricone Resonator
Instantly Switch Tunings
Alternate tunings have been an age-old mainstay of guitarists from the Drop D loved by hard rockers and metal heads to the DADGAD employed by folksy players and classic rock icons. Thanks to Variax HD modeling, you get instant access to 11 alternate tunings without so much as looking at your headstock. What’s more, you can leave your capo at home and even save your custom tuning for easy recall. Here’s a list of stock alternate tunings onboard your Variax guitar:
- Standard (E A D G B E)
- Drop D (D A D G B E)
- 1/2 Down (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb)
- Drop Db (Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb)
- 1 Down (D G C F A D)
- DADGAD (D A D G A D)
- Open D (D A D F# A D)
- Blues G (D G D G B D)
- Reso G (G B D G B D)
- Open A (E A C# E A E)
- Baritone (B E A D F# B)
Build Your Own Custom Mods
Variax Workbench HD software lets you take Variax HD modeling to the next level by customizing your own unique sounds. With Variax Workbench HD, you can grab any guitar body, load it with the pickups you want, set your favorite tunings, and make it all available alongside the rest of the stock sounds. Whether you want a semi-hollowbody loaded with P90s or a baritone resonator with lipstick pickups, a world of custom guitars waits for you.
Choose Your Variax
James Tyler Variax
The same way Line 6 sought out the best guitars to model, they recruited a true master luthier to create their flagship Variax models. James Tyler (founder of James Tyler Guitars) has been building top-of-the-line instruments since 1980 for a client list including Michael Landau, Neil Stubenhaus, Buzz Feiten, and many others. His contribution to the Variax line — the James Tyler Variax — is a series of truly stunning guitars that stand alone without Variax HD technology.
By coupling premium construction, top-shelf electronics and hardware, and choice tonewoods, James Tyler Variax models lend an extra level of authority to the Variax line. They also take special advantage of Variax HD technology, allowing you to blend their magnetic pickups with modeled instruments for hybrid sounds, modify pickup phase, and even set individual string volumes. What’s more, the switching system lets you keep up to 60 custom models at your fingertips.
Variax Standard
Yamaha is known around the world not just for their amazing high-end guitars but also for the unrivaled quality of their more affordable models. That’s what made them the natural choice for Line 6’s Variax Standard line. Like the JTV models, Variax Standard guitars let you choose between a world of Variax HD modeled instruments and traditional electronics. These single-cutaway guitars come loaded with industry-standard features, including smoothly contoured alder bodies, Graph Tech nuts, and three custom-wound single-coil Alnico V magnetic pickups. All told, Variax Standard guitars are great-playing instruments and the most accessible way to experience Variax technology.
Variax Shuriken SR270
As more and more metal and hard rock players have adopted Variax guitars, Line 6 recognized the demand for a unique model to satisfy the demand for a more aggressive instrument. To meet this need, Line 6 teamed up with both Shuriken Guitars and Yamaha to produce the Variax Shuriken SR270, a sweet-looking 27″-scale baritone loaded with a medium-gain humbucker and killer hardware. The feel is perfect for down tuning, while Variax HD technology lets you extend its range far beyond even 8-string guitars. And of course, the Shuriken Variax includes all the modeling accessibility of the Variax Standard, so you still have an impressive range of alternative instruments on hand.
Expand Your Variax Rig
Variax is far more than a line of guitars — it’s a complete sonic infrastructure! When you pair your Variax guitar with compatible Line 6 products, you get even more access to your Variax HD models. Plug into your Helix, POD HD, or Firehawk FX, and Variax Control lets you store custom Variax settings as part of your presets. That means you can completely reconfigure your entire guitar rig, from your guitar to your stompbox effects, all the way to your amplifier and cabinet models, all with the click of a footswitch!
To learn more about Line 6 JTV Variax guitars, call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.