Variax Tyler Jazz Guitar Sound plus Kemper

    Hi folks



    Recorded a short loop ..left side Variax Tyler Jazzbox model with Kemper Andy Deluxe Reverb. Right side same Variax Tyler with Kemper Hendrikksen amp profile. Plus a Jazz bass .. Nothing special just to demonstrate Variax and Kemper sounds


    Variax is a the model JTV-89 (the heavy metal version :) you can now get at Thomann below 600 Euros. I paid 565 Euro.


    Sorry for sloppy playing.. Really just a very quick demo.


    https://soundcloud.com/sacapun…t-bossa-track-to-showcase




    What I have learned is that when one is dedicating style and some sound adjustments, the Variax can sound really ok for demos and composition.


    Cheers


    Sacapuntas

    Very authentic sounding - congratulations!
    Been curious about a variax since they appeared but never got my hands on one - always wondered how playable they were as a regular guitar (e.g action, frets, etc)
    The different tunings feature was also something that really appealed.
    Some great playing by the way!

    Suhr Classic Pro, Fender deluxe Strat & Baja Tele, Gibson ES335, Ibanez S Prestige 2170FW, Eastman AR371CE, Variax JTV > KPA > Patch bay inc. Strymons (Mobius, Timeline, Blue Sky), H9 Max, TC Triple Delay, & POD HD500 > Adam A7Xs

    Sounds great. How do you find the playing feel of the Variax? Do you think it has Kemper-grade feel?


    Hmmm... Makes me want to suggest a Profiler Guitar in the feature requests forum :)

    Hi Brattcave and Djuhntt,


    thanks for your kind comments.


    The guitar is kind of 80ties Rock model, I normally would not buy. However, the price is now so attractive that I did not want to spend more on the LP or Strat model they have. Here I also have several originals :)


    The guitar plays extremely well. Pleasant neck and good frets etc... nothing to complain. The sound of the original pickups is great, too. It is on par with a typical Ibanez in the same price range I would say.


    The feel of the modelled sounds is not exactly like the real thing. Despite there is only very little latency (almost no) it demands that you re-think about the guitar when you play it. You need to adapt your style as you would with the related real guitar. The volume level of the different models needs some change that can be done with the Variax software. If you switch to different tunings the rule is the lower you go the more latency and artificial sounding you get.


    I actually sent the first one back to the shop but ordered it then again. It plays very nice and is a lot of fun.


    Hope this is helpful


    Cheers
    Sacapuntas

    Yeah for the new price it amazing and and lot of fun...Good luck and do not forget to change your mindset when you change the guitar. It is all about imagination...

    For about the price of an upscale Tyler Variax, you can outfit your present git with a 13-pin midi (I like the Ghost Hexpander kit) and then get the
    RackVax (Rackvax.com). Now you can get all the sounds of the Variax in a single rack unit (works great!). I've retrofitted a Brian Moore, Parker and Ibanez and they all sound fantastic.


    Peace,
    DrB

    Just got a Variax JTV-59P today and I'm pretty positive about this technology. Sounds quite good so far, will try more with it. And the (real) P90s are quite good as well.
    What I don't like about them so far:
    The guitar came without any acceptable setup, I had to adjust the intonation on every single string. It was not even close.
    Don't like the (volume & tone) knobs. They don't have any grip.
    Don't like the fact that you have to register to get the free software and updates.

    Hi Folks,

    I jumped on those Thomann offers and just took possession of a new JTV89 Variax (Black). Giving it the once over the neck profile looks a bit lopsided where it joins the body!
    I'm not sure if this is due to the raised left sided body shape but I've attached a couple of pics to show what I mean. There doesn't appear to be any fret buzz and the neck doesn't look bent when I look down it - but I'm never very confident in my ability to see much when I do this :whistling:


    The neck looks aligned to the pick up height though. Might just be the contour of the body on the left side that makes it look odd.
    Any of you guys got a similar neck profile and can put my mind at ease! Diego - is yours anything like this?


    Cheers
    Brett


    [Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57623920/Variax%20neck%201.JPG]
    [Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57623920/Variax%20neck%202.JPG]

    Suhr Classic Pro, Fender deluxe Strat & Baja Tele, Gibson ES335, Ibanez S Prestige 2170FW, Eastman AR371CE, Variax JTV > KPA > Patch bay inc. Strymons (Mobius, Timeline, Blue Sky), H9 Max, TC Triple Delay, & POD HD500 > Adam A7Xs

    Cheers Martin - that puts my mind at ease. Just struck me the moment I saw it and whenever I get new gear I'm overly primed to look for flaws...
    Having now charged up the battery I'm pleasantly surprised by what the Variax has to offer. Still exploring the workbench options but I'm liking the different options you have for sound alteration - - you can even change the pots!


    Have to say the intonation is also out on all my strings as well! Half expected that to be honest. Might lower the action a little as well but it was pretty playable straight away - god knows how long the strings have been on there, my hands were black after 30 mins...


    Will report back after further noodlings but in general a positive start. The jazz box models do sound nice with the KPA.
    Although using this with the KPA it occurs to me... I am SO fake! Amps, Guitars...
    This will only get worse as I'm planning on adding a Fishman Triple Play later this year (If I can squeeze the pick up in that small gap after the bridge humbucker)


    Still... actual authenticity is over-rated as long as you sound authentic :D

    Suhr Classic Pro, Fender deluxe Strat & Baja Tele, Gibson ES335, Ibanez S Prestige 2170FW, Eastman AR371CE, Variax JTV > KPA > Patch bay inc. Strymons (Mobius, Timeline, Blue Sky), H9 Max, TC Triple Delay, & POD HD500 > Adam A7Xs

    Hi Brattcave


    haha -- yes the price for the Variax was too intriguing... Still have mine..


    My neck looks similar to your one shown in the pic. Intonation is very good, no issue at all. Yes I know it is not a PRS but it plays well and the sound variation is fun.


    What I do not like is in some "profiles" the nasal character ... Also when I play my real acoustic vs. the variax mmhh I try to ignore the facts :)


    Cheers
    Sacapuntas

    Hi Diego, I just recorded a demo out of DrZ28 amp with a L5 copy ( 80's Washburn JS6 ) it's quite difficult not to sound boomy on those Hollowbodies, much richer than the average solid bodies ....


    There is no compensation on the bridge like on the variax so I cannot achieve Ted Nugent overdrive yet because of the incorrect intonation between the headstock and middle of the neck !!


    I got a long way to match your clean & jazzy playing :D really cool demo, thx Did you play it without pick ?