Played a Tyler Variax this morning...

gtrdave · 10-12-2011, 09:56 AM

I stopped by my local music store this morning and saw that they had a new James Tyler Variax guitar, model JVT-69 (the sunburst Strat-like version).
Played it through a Fender HRDx, clean channel w/ a little verb.
I've stated my opinion of the older Variax models in the past: neat technology wrapped in cheap guitars.

Well, this new model seems to have risen above the quality and feel of the old models by leaps and bounds. To start with, it's a heavy guitar. Not Norlin-era Les Paul heavy, but not too far off. Not uncomfortable by any means, at least not in my opinion, but I own a Norlin-era Les Paul and I can deal with its weight bias without any issues...
Right out of the gig bag (shipped from Korea, I'm guessing) this thing was set up nicely and would only need a little tweaking to be fantastic.
Neck was comfy and fast. Frets were nicely finished and the overall feel was spot on.

Plugged in...first I was playing it in 'passive' mode because we didn't realize that the battery pack was not installed, but it sounded like a decent HSS-config guitar. After finding and installing the battery pack is when the fun started!

Okay, the guitar modeling is what it is. It's still a lot of novelty to me, but it is nice to have so much variety on one axe even if it's not truly authentic and still sounds more like basic tone-shaping than serious digital modeling, but whatever. The modeling wasn't the thing that impressed me most.

What impressed me most was the alt-tuning capabilities.
Standard (of course), Drop D, 1/2 step down (Eb standard), Drop Db, whole step down, DADGAD, open G, Resonator open, etc...
WOW!

I want to buy the guitar on this capability alone. It is an awesome feature!
To play drop D or DADGAD without retuning...are you kidding me?
The tracking seemed VERY good...if there was 2ms of delay, I couldn't tell...and any audible artifacts from the digital tuning were kept to a minimum and the only weirdness that I heard was on the open Reso tuning w/ the Reso model, but that's asking a whole lot of a solid body standard tuned guitar to try and copy that perfectly.

So, it's my opinion that the Variax technology is finally presented in a guitar that is worth the price tag ($1399 or so) and I'm now trying to think of what I can sell/trade/etc in order to get one of my own.

**Thrash** · 10-12-2011, 10:35 AM

I don't know anything about this guitar, or the technology. So, correct me if I am wrong, but the guitar has built in electronics which you can tweak on the guitar to change the tone and the tuning to whatever you want without manipulating the guitar itself?

If so, that is awesome. I want one.

Sent from my MB520 using CGR Forum

gtrdave · 10-12-2011, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrash

I don't know anything about this guitar, or the technology. So, correct me if I am wrong, but the guitar has built in electronics which you can tweak on the guitar to change the tone and the tuning to whatever you want without manipulating the guitar itself?

If so, that is awesome. I want one.

Sent from my MB520 using CGR Forum

Yes, it's a modeling guitar much like the Line 6 Spider series or Fender Mustang series amps are modeling amps.

Dial a tone (say '59 Les Paul), dial a tuning (say, drop D) and what comes out is a Les Paul-like tone (on a Strat) tuned to drop D (in standard locked tuning).

Line 6 has been making Variax guitar for about 6 or 7 years now, but not to this level of guitar quality, imho.

**Thrash** · 10-12-2011, 10:48 AM

Wow. That is truly amazing.

My mind is literally boggled. I thought that Gibson that would manually tune itself was cool, but this takes the cake.

Sent from my MB520 using CGR Forum

gtrdave · 10-12-2011, 11:26 AM

James Tyler Variax

martinedwards · 10-13-2011, 03:13 AM

I have two of the earlier 300s

the models are good..... a tele sound that will break glass and that doobie brother strat sound........

a good Les Paul too..... the elactric 12 strings are good, though the acoustic ones are a bit off.

acoustic 6s are better than a piezo bridge in a solid guitar.....

coupled with a POD xtlive the range is staggering.

as to the tuning, on the 300 each model is set up with it's own tuning. it's not like the Gibson Robot guitar that actually tightens and loosens the strings, this is all electronic

the guitar is set at regular tuning, but the trick electronics change the note produced.

the only failing is that the amp volume needs to be up far enough to drown out the natural vibration of the strings. not going to be a problem in a gig setting, but in your living room after the kids are in bed? a slight issue......

I have models set mainly for regular tuning as I'm not clever enough to handle all those different tunings, but I DO have a strat with a open E for playing like a lap steel, and an acoustic model with doubled XXGDAE tuning to sound like an octave mandolin.

what is REALLY impressive is that the POD will switch the guitar models for you throuhg a PC network cable.... (and you can forget batteries if you use the cable)

yes, you can go from acoustic octave mandolin tuned XXGDAE to (a regular tuning) screaming Les Paul through a Solando head into a 4x12 cabinet at a single click with your foot.........

Highway1fan · 10-13-2011, 09:55 AM

I heard they were good, but I'll stick to fender and PRS lol

S.B.Nichols · 10-13-2011, 10:21 AM

Dumb question that I could probably just look up...are the string pickups (midi I guess) built into the saddles (a la ghost) or a separate external pup (a la roland)?

gtrdave · 10-13-2011, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S.B.Nichols

Dumb question that I could probably just look up...are the string pickups (midi I guess) built into the saddles (a la ghost) or a separate external pup (a la roland)?

L. R. Baggs Radiance Hex piezo pickup system, similar to my Solidac and, yes, a la Ghost.

pfirst · 10-14-2011, 07:07 PM

Just watched some videos and I think I may have found my next guitar. I'll sell my Variax 300 and my wife's cat and get one.

mygolfcart123 · 10-14-2011, 09:23 PM

The korean made guitars are nice from what I have read. But I just cannot bring myself to lay out that kind of money for a non-US Made guitar.

Maybe when the used prices for the American models come down in a few years I will try one out.

gtrdave · 10-14-2011, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygolfcart123

The korean made guitars are nice from what I have read. But I just cannot bring myself to lay out that kind of money for a non-US Made guitar.

Maybe when the used prices for the American models come down in a few years I will try one out.

I'd gladly pay that much or more for a Japanese-made ESP or Edwards.
Besides, I know that my 'street price' on the Tyler Variax would be less than the $1300ish tag price.
I'll have to find out just how much and then see if that's motivation for me to get one.

S.B.Nichols · 10-14-2011, 09:57 PM

All the street prices I've seen have been in the 12-13 hundred area...

I've devoted too much time to it now...I have no need for this guitar or anything it does, and I usually hate line 6, but I can't seem to knock it out of my head.

martinedwards · 10-15-2011, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygolfcart123

But I just cannot bring myself to lay out that kind of money for a non-US Made guitar.

aw please don't get all xenophobic on us!

Many of us who aren't Americans REALLY don't get this...........

there are a LOAD of magnificent non US brands out there.

Lowden, Avalon, Levinson, Godin, Seagull, Ibanez, not to mention the CIJ Fenders which are easily as good as anything that was ever in the US.

30 years ago Made in Japan had the same stigma as made in China has now.......

There are some pretty decent korean electrics.... I know that in Squier circles, they come a very close second to Japanese made.

One of the reasons I like the CGF it that it's one of the few places on the net that isn't so fanatically "US or DIE"........

$1300 is still over £200 ($300) less than the cheapest you can get them here.

LOVING the 300 (did I metion I have 2?) I'd definitely consider a JTV for $1300 regardless of nationality, but I'd want to play it rather than buy it blind...... but realistically, because I'm so cheap, I'll wait 5 years and get it for $500!

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-15-2011, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinedwards

aw please don't get all xenophobic on us!

Many of us who aren't Americans REALLY don't get this...........

there are a LOAD of magnificent non US brands out there.

Lowden, Avalon, Levinson, Godin, Seagull, Ibanez, not to mention the CIJ Fenders which are easily as good as anything that was ever in the US.

30 years ago Made in Japan had the same stigma as made in China has now.......

There are some pretty decent korean electrics.... I know that in Squier circles, they come a very close second to Japanese made.

One of the reasons I like the CGF it that it's one of the few places on the net that isn't so fanatically "US or DIE"........

$1300 is still over £200 ($300) less than the cheapest you can get them here.

LOVING the 300 (did I metion I have 2?) I'd definitely consider a JTV for $1300 regardless of nationality, but I'd want to play it rather than buy it blind...... but realistically, because I'm so cheap, I'll wait 5 years and get it for $500!

I'll say that with guitars there is more than xenophobia into why I avoid certain locations for guitars.

I will say, I quite like guitars from most places, but I have yet to find many from China and indonesia that are up to par. With Korean ones, there was a major quality upsurge a few years back. I would avoid a fairly old Korean guitar as a general rule, though there are some real gems out there. Simply put, they really stepped up the QC. Some of the most consistent brands are getting there stuff from Korea. Mexico, Canada, Japan, most all of Europe, & Korea for the most part seem to produce quality guitars.

The stuff I have messed with from China and Indonesia has not been very consistent, with the stuff from Indonesia often being the worst. My suspicion is that it is wood drying practice or relative humidity that is the biggest issue for it. (Warping is what I have seen, along with tons of sprouted fret ends, rather rapidly, I know any guitar can sprout fret ends, but 6 months is a bit rapid for me to be comfortable.) However, the last 2 or 3 years Chinese guitars have gone from junk to hit or miss in my opinion, which makes me suspect in a couple more years you could have them near indistinguishable from some of the big names.

But for now, I will admit, overall I do judge a guitar a bit by where it is from. It is just that there are numerous places putting out one heck of a guitar. I am more likely to pay more for a CIJ Squier than an MIC Fender. I am far more likely to buy a Canadian Godin in fact.

However, if I buy a guitar to flip, I try to stick with vintage MIA. It is more collectible and I can get a higher profit margin. Also, on the really beat up side of things I am prone to buy USA. Largely because once you restore it, it is worth a little something if you decide not to keep it.