Build a Variax

Started by Elantric-fgn, August 01, 2009, 12:45:37 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Elantric-fgn

Copied from other boards - but good info to share:


I had contact to a guy who made lots of conversions
and hybrid guitars. Well documented on his homepage:

http://www.transaxeguitars.com/index.htm



This UK based luthier, Chris George, seems to me to be capable of providing excellent blends between traditional aesthetics and Variax transplants.
However, you will find recommendations for mounting the Vax electronics off board, according to Richard McLish, that is the way real professionals do this, in order to be able to also combine other technologies such as Roland 13 pin DIN, wireless, sustainer and whatever else you can think of, without having the worst nightmare imaginable when having to trouble shoot a fault in a Vax transplant combining several such technologies within the same guitar cavity. That said, here is the link:

http://www.chrisgeorgeguitars.com/variax.html

I truly think his work is stunning.... incidentally all such luthiers will require one to provide the donor instrument, and this is becoming more and more difficult as Variaxes are rarely sold at an affordable price, and Line 6 never decided to bite the bullet and provide kits with their Variax technology, presumably for fear of some Chinese company copying it and undercutting them. I don't understand why that never happened, considering the bad reputation most of the cheaper Variaxes deservedly acquired; but that's another story...

--

Aside from the fact that Transaxe ceased to operate years ago, with respect I would call most of what he did butchery, (just look at how he went about making a cavity in the rear of that 335 clone, is that luthiery?) especially when compared to the kind of Variax transplants that have been documented across many forums. The Project Guitar forum has some excellent information in this regard mostly relating to luthiers in the USA, but here in Europe there seems to be less available in the way of choices aside from craftsmen like Chris George - see the link in my previous post.

This is a link to the website of one of the maestros of Variax transplanting, Jeff Miller, also a brilliant player:

http://www.guitaristjeffmiller.com/audio.htm


. . . the future ain't what it used to be . . .

Elantric-fgn

#1
John Page Variax


This guy fitted everything but the kitchen sink into this Variax transplant build, this is an example of what I was trying to describe scroll to the bottom of the webpage to where the project is in the wiring up stage - just look at the crazy spaghetti, and imagine what you would do if something failed on one of the circuits!!!!



http://www.exit45.com/VaxV

http://www.exit45.com/VaxV_files/image148.jpg

http://www.exit45.com/VaxV_files/image149.jpg

Absolutely insane to my mind, though technologically pretty resourceful. See what you guys think....

Remembering the switching combinations and functions while playing live or in a studio session would be too stressful for me too. The idea of the Variax is to keep things simple and easy to remember. Yet even the basic Variax can be difficult to use live if you need to see the rotary selection switch in order to select the particular bank of sounds you need, when you add a further six switches to control Sustainiac functions and mag and GK p/up combinations etc., how on earth can you get into playing the thing?

I would go for a combined 5 way switch between normal Variax selector function and magnetic p/up selection, with a push pull pot to switch between Variax and mag modes when necessary (e.g. if the Variax board fails, which has been known to happen), then a three way switch for the Sustainiac and harmonic modes and a master volume combined with master tone in a double pot.

David


Details on how to Build this guitar are here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=155
. . . the future ain't what it used to be . . .

MCK-fgn

If one was to go in this direction one would need to buy a donor instrument. Most economical option is the VariAx 300. Is there any difference in the electronics between the 300, 500, 600 & 700 series? I understand there are differences in the guitars but the electronics seem to be the same. Is that correct? Thanks
Dark Fire Initial Check Out  - Q/A
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=31267.0

Caig DeOxit - Buy now before you need it !!!
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=31707.0

Elantric-fgn

#3
The connectors on a  300/600 PC board is different shape and uses different I/O connectors.
Pics are here:

http://www.vettaville.com/variax-photos.htm
. . . the future ain't what it used to be . . .

Now_And_Then-fgn


I know that I am very late with this but there is a difference between the Variax 300/600 and the 500/700 models: the 300/600 has two analog-to-digital converters, whereas the 500/700 has three. I am not sure if this makes any difference in real world performance, or not. The 500 is no longer in production, and the 700 Electric ($1399 street price) is far more expensive than the 600 ($799.99 street price).
In all likelihood, not all of that difference is attributable to the different electronics but at least a bit of it most probably is.

Elantric-fgn

#5
Makes no difference.
same effective abilities - simply reconciling the bill of materials and tighter ROHs lead free and FCC emmissions immunity for 300/600 compared to older 500. The PC boards  have different form factor - thus why Warmouth states their bodies are for the 500 guts  not for Variax 300/600.


And likely  you read my own reports of Variax breakdown at ION or Line6 Forums as stevek or steve_c


See the breakdown of each type here:
www.vettaville.com

Variax 300 pics here:
http://www.vettaville.com/variax300pics1.htm

Variax 500 pics here

http://www.vettaville.com/variax-photos.htm
. . . the future ain't what it used to be . . .