Line 6 Variax 300

Variax 300, 2005, Made In Singapore, Solid Alder Body, Unique Body Style, Unique Headstock, Rosewood Fingerboard, Volume Nob, 5-way switch + guitar model dial, Piezo Pickup, Active DSP Modeling, Fixed Bridge, Medium Jumbo Frets, Included Gig Bag, Floor Power Box, Data Cable, Instruction Manual, & Models 28 different guitars.

1st Thanks to all the reviewers especially the negatives. Even though I like this guitar, I knew what to expect thanks to NEGATIVE REVIEWS. This guitar is comparable to a real guitar in the way that an electric piano is comparable to a real, acoustic piano. First, let me cover what the Variax will NOT do well in terms of sound. DISLIKES = 1) Variax does not create all the harmonics of a real guitar. 2) Variax will not produce pinch harmonics (ZZ-Top) like a real guitar. 3) It does not react to distortion (Rock & Heavy Metal)like a real guitar. 4) It does not respond to hand muting like a real guitar. 5) It is NOT a good guitar for Heavy Metal sound. 6) Variax does not sound exactly like all the guitars it models although some sounds are close, or at least similar. 7) Many of the sounds have a wierd, subtle compressed phaser-like sound even with the latest flash memory upgrade. 8) Finally, the sound is somewhat sterile when clean & harsh when distorted (Honk).

But, now let me tell you why I like this guitar. LIKES = 1) Variax sounds good for clean rythm-style playing on a variety of models. 2) Variax sounds good for flat picking-style playing on a variety of models including some of the acoustics. 3) Makes a cool sitar simulation (Rolling Stones). 4) The tone is completely consistant everywhere on the neck in a way that is unlike a real guitar. 5) Because it does not have all the harmonics of a real guitar, individual notes stand out unlike a real guitar. 6) Sounds ok for certain styles of clean lead playing. 7) The tones are delivered SUPER QUIET unlike single coils on a real guitar. 8) If you tweak the guitar and reduce volume, you can get some unique and ok sound with distortion. 8) Finally, the best thing Variax does is deliver a VARIETY of clean tones.

I have used the Variax through my tube amp (Fender Blues Deville 410) and it sounds good. I have used the Variax through a POD XT-LIVE and it can sound good with a lot of tweaking. The Gibson J200 Acoustic model sounded great thru XT with NO AMP setting patched through the Power Amp in on my tube Amp. The Variax sounded horrible through my Metal Zone pedal on ALL MODELS and no amount of tweaking could fix it. Some of the models sounded ok through my Real Tube Overdrive pedal by reducing the guitar volume and with a lot of tweaking of the pedal, but definitely NOT like a real guitar (missing harmonics).

My first Variax 300 was defective, so line 6 sent another from the factory. The replacement plays fantastic for such a cheap guitar ($300). The action is relatively low and VERY playable on the whole neck. The guitar had many small flaws in the finish on the body and neck, but nothing too obvious or that would affect tone playability.

I suppose the Variax could hold up to live playing, but only time will tell. The hardware seems fine and stays in tune. The finish will probably wear off in time. Strap buttons are solid. I would NEVER gig without a backup for this guitar because it can't do everything a real guitar can do and the Variax has digital components that can break.

Big companies always seem to suck at support. I guess they were ok this time since I bought a defective guitar and they had it replaced within a week. It has a 1 year warranty.

I have been playing guitar for about 15 years. I mainly write my own music, but have been getting back into covering music in a garage band. I own a 1993 Gibson MIII (Metal, Rock, Clean, All Tone!), a 1981 Fender Srat (USA, Blues & Rock), a 1950 Danelecrto with lipstick pickup (Slide), a 1987 Epiphone Fat-Strat Copy (Rock), 2004 Dillion Fat-Strat Copy (Blues),a 1994 Ovation Acoustic/Electric, a 2002 Takamine Acoustic/Electric, and the 2005 Variax 300 (Rythm & Flat Pickin').

I plug through Boss Compressor/Sustainer, Real Tube Overdrive, MT-2 Metal Zone, or Pod XT Live via a 1995 Fender Blues Deville 4x10.

If the Variax was stolen, I might buy another. But, chances are the digital modeling technology will improve over time, so I might replace with something else.

For a Korean made axe I was impressed with the fit and finish. The satin neck is nice, although it really needed a to be set up out of the box. The frets are crowned well. It feels good in the hand.
Been playing for 37 years and I admit I was pretty surprised concidering the price.
The sounds are too cool.

I play hillbilly surf music and this guitar is now my main stage axe.
The sounds are pretty true to form as I have some of the real ones to check them against. If for no other reason I would recommend the guitar for the Coral sitar sound alone. It is quiet and sound great even plugged directly into my Blue Voodoo and marshall cab.

As already stated it needed set up. That was a breeze. I still give it an 8 because it is a pretty little thing

We will see.

Trying to register the thing on line was nigh on impossible as their website is a convoluted mess.

The local guy gave me a used case, which was very cool of him to through it in. He's trying to expand his product range, so I give him my exclusive guitar business, basses included, set-ups, strings, cables,acoustics,capos,harps,sax reeds,straps,etc....the one I have was on the wall. It worked fine, I took it home. I would have liked a maple fretboard a little more.

This made my personal studio so much neater and less cluttered, not to mention all the strings I'm not going to change. The sounds are all usable if you do what I do, which is record many styles. I'm running it through a POD 2.0 and it works out just fine.

It plays alright.....not like some guitars I"ve had...like a true 69 thinline, and a true 74 les paul custom. But, I do OK on any old junker anyway. It's fine for me.

It is a recording tool....unless I break it, nothing should happen.

I'm local, they're good to me, it will all work out I'm sure.

Like the rating says, it's a fantastic value.

You will have seen all this in previous reviews. I have the red one. It's a natural '10' given the huge range of sounds on offer.

I use the Variax 300 for home recording - I input directly into my Zoom MRS-802 8 track. The guitar is excellent for this purpose - the noise floor is below the earth's crust!
The best sounds come from the six string electrics, especially when matched to the appropriate on-board modelling effects on my studio e.g. strat/tele through 'Fender Twin'; Gibson firebird through 'Vintage blues'; Epiphone Casino through 'Beatle' etc etc. The Ricky 12 sounds are great within limits - riffing around the D and G strings gives a very authentic George Harrison sound, but hearty strumming results in nothing much more than a chorus effect.
I haven't yet managed to get a satisfactory sound from the acoustic guitars on offer - I will always use my 'real' acoustics for that. 'Reso' sounds are OK apart from banjo (nothing like!!) and Dobro (not Dobro-y enough!). All in all, definitely worth an 8.

Guitar buzzed a like a bee out of the box. Quick neck relief adjustment improved situation greatly, but a full set up is required. Frets are a little sharp. Paint finish excellent. Green-ish tint to scratchplate very pleasing to the eye. Holds tune without any problems.

The guitar feels solid enough and it is reassuringly heavy. I am sure it would stand up to live gigging. My only concern is the guitar selector, which feels a little flaky.

No experience, so N/A.

I am very happy with the Variax 300. The guitar has incredible features for the money, and it is highly recommended for the budget home recording 'artist'. I would definitely get another if mine went missing.
I only have one other electric (an Epiphone Sheraton), so my recent recordings are considerably richer for this new addition to my guitar collection.

Not up to scratch for SERIOUS PLAYING
Ive been playing since i was 13... I am now 49 so ive seen a few guitars.

I hate to be a party pooper. BUT .. I thought the sound of the variax was UNINSPIRING. i MOSTLY wanted it for the twelve electrics and acoustics. The 'doubling' string sound 'sounded' like it was way in the back ground, just very sublte and not in your face like a real 12. I used it through a new line6 spider amp. I found when you spanked the strings really hard everything sounded the same. The sitar you have to hit one string at a time staccato like to hear the effect. To me the acoustics didnt sound any better than acoustic SIMULATORS on modelling pedals. Still had that piezo THIN QUACK SOUND. Again when spanked hard i couldnt tell the acoustics from the electrics. I was using headphones at the time so it was very close to the ear. The only 12 string acoustic that has ever blown me away in all categories is a TAYLOR that cost $4000 dollars, and who can afford that. And i dont think ANY MODELLING could copy the playability and sound I had the joy to demo that day.

The action was 'ok' at best. I dunno why they wanna cut corners on guitars. I have a hand made Peavy Predator made in 1986 and it is AMAZING action maple neck, Id put up against new fenders anyday. i did rewire it with lace sensors and seymour duncans and new pots. It is butter touch. I found the line 6 a bit KLUNKY feeling, and ok in the first block for strumming. They should have had Ibanez make thier guitars, I had a Roland GR 300 back in the early 80's and the Ibanez made Roland-ready guitar was A GEM !! Ive never tried the 700 serious of variax.

Dunno.. didnt buy one.. although I went to the store with INTENT to buy that day. I just DIDNT HEAR IT. The sales person agreed with me.....

never ever got an email back from Line6 EVER!!!!!!!!!!

Id say Line 6 IMHO is at the baby stages of thier modelling technology. Lets see what happenes a few years down the road, who knows. I do know for me it would have to be a much thicker darker sound for me to bite. But i do applaud them for thier efforts, trail blazing is lonely business. Right now I put the instrument under the category of NOVELTY ITEM. I'll give it 5 for effort of inovation.

already stated, difficult to give a high mark due to lack of trem and locking tuners etc...BUT the inbuilt software is what marks it out as different and worth having so i give it an 8.

it sounds brilliant. i dont perform live - i imagine trying to get the sounds right in a gig could be more challenging, but for recording on my PC the Dobro sunds like a Dobro, the Les Paul sounds like a Les Paul, the Banjo sounds like a Banjo etc..etc.. astoundingly good quality when used in a studio as a recording tool. No hum from the pickups even when sitting right next to the monitor (hmmm i wonder if that means no feedback?) i use a Digitech RPX400 as my amp/effect modeller and recording interface and i like the combination of it with my Variax alot = very simple, very cheap, very flexible.
The wide variety of tones/feels available, and the fact they sound so 'real' means this axe MUST be a 10!

its a cheap guitar, but in my opinion a well made one, its very functional. mines black and i like the look of it - its light and the neck plays very well, i enjoy playing it.

well, i've heard of people killing their Variaxes by updating the firmware incorrectly (to use Work Bench), and im very gentle with it as im a bit paranoid about breaking the pots (which dont feel very solid) or damaging the internal circuitry (electronics dont like nocks and its not encased in a pretective shell like your average amp) - it doesnt 'feel' like it will take much punishment - but it might be in my head... ihavent 'tested it to destruction'

kind good?

there's an issue that some 300s cant be upgraded to a sufficient firmware version that will enable them to use WorkBench - in fact trying to do so kills some 300s stone dead! that's a bit of an issue, also some people have complained of micro-phonic feedback at high volume (doesnt bother me for recording) - the admin guys occasionally chip in on the boards to tell everyone they're looking into it. but there are some issues.

1)ive been playing for a couple of years recording on my pc.
2)i wish it had a trem but as the piezo pickups are in the saddles it needs a weird articulated one - i can live with it as a hard tail.
3)if it were lost or stolen i would DEFINATELY get another - its a very reasonable price for what it does.
4)i love the flexibility of it and the way its opened up my creativity and made different sounds/styles of music more available to me to play with - i also love being able to lay down a finger picked acoustic background and then a sweet sustained lespaul solo over the top without changing guitars. If Work Bench works i'll look forward to having alt tunings setup on the custom preset slots also.
5)i dont think you can compare the Variax to other guitars - im not 100% sure i like their effects or amp modelling much , but Line 6 REALLY GOT THE VARIAX RIGHT!

i imagine a 'real' les paul gold top or good strat will have its own charm and particular character in its sound, i dont think the variax is a replacement for these classic instruments - but if you cant afford 25 classic guitars its a very cool second best ;)- and an indispensible tool for the studio (like having a drum machine or a keyboard or a shure mic kicking around for when you might need them)

the balace of what it can do against how much it costs and that fact its nice to play makes this a 10.

bought new on e-bay ?200gbp, cheapo version of the not to impresive 500.Budget spec (no gig bag)

I have just sold a dreadfull 700, the sounds through a pod-live xt, are ok at first but after a while the too clean digi sound is just not quite right,I run the xt,into a modified laney Lc.15 valve amp with a vintage speaker and a special ef86 vint.pre-amp unit(bliss)then d.i. into a desk.The 700(black) was like a ton-weight and the trem is just awful!

The finish etc. is of no importance as I want the electronics to transplant into a yam/pacifica or a strat with a decent trem to make a good guitar.YES!!! you dont need a 700 to have a trem,the 500/300 system works on a 2-point trem (just drill out the holes for wires and swap the piezo sadds.So for ?200 + ?50-?150 for a donor-axe I end up with a guitar that peees all over a 700 for half the price and play's great.

They seem quite reliable so far,though the 700 packed-up on the 3rd gig and had to have a new main board fitted.One of several I have heard of.Must have a back-up!!

Line6 U.K.are very good and quicke to help.But you cant buy the guts seperately(wonder why?).

I am now a solo guitar/vocal entertainer after 40yrs of fighting and bickering with guy's who didnt want to play this song/gig/tour etc.pack-up pay out on new gear/van.I must at some time have owned nearly everything on my wish list,then sold it on and after a bit thought why? Just bought a yam/pacifica 812v,on a whim.have a westone-rainbow ii with a bigsby and s.d.59's that just makes a nonesense of gibson's335. It will go to the fire with me eventually
It sings like an angel.got a bound neck! and f'holes(gibson nil points).the variax will be for accoustic sounds .tele/12string .But only in its frankenguitarstien version.

All well known and documented.

Used through a Spider 2 and a Marshall AS50r. Astonoshing ! Quite frankly I dont how they do it, and I dont really care. All I want to know is when I hit that switch I want it sound and play like the guitars etc it models, and it does! To go from Full on Les Paul to Martin acoustic then to banjo then to whatever is just amazing. For the money for a gigging guitar used 2 or 3 times a week it cant be beaten.

Better than I expected, liked the cream scratchplate and cream dot markers against the red finish, looked different but still not to outlandish. Bridge and truss rod needed a tweak , but hey so did my ?1500 GoldTop when I got it. I have read a few of the reviews here , people say it isnt quite this or it isnt the same as that. Well I have been playing 35 years and I have never been completely pleased with my sound anyway, always looking for the holy grail. Well I dont think this guitar is the holy grail but its very close to it, and as I have said for the money its a no brainer. Better finish than I expected, feels comfortable standing or sitting.

Seems good and solid, have used the Spider 2 for about a year no probs at all, not expecting any.

Never dealt with Line 6, but my local store PMT in B'ham have been 1st class. Very customer service orientated. 10/10

I am considering the workbench product. I kinda feel this technology is just starting. What a leap forward. Who knows what next. Tuners built into guitars, self correcting tuning? how about drums and bass built in to the guitar and vocals! or even a digital recording studio combined with a cd writer in the back to record your live performance, or a built in radio system? Hey maye I should get a job in their RnD dept. But seriously this is just fab.

Built in Indonesia, the Variax has; 22 medium frets, is solid bodied - well ignoring the hollow under the thin scratch plate housing the battery powered/mains powered "electronics", has a volume, tone, model selection controls with a 5 way fender strat like pickup (?) selector, oh and 1 pickup per string! This is modelling guitar!

Its construction is cheap and cheerful with no thrills, the tuners are cheap, there are no bindings or even a back plate for the bolt on "fender Squier" felling neck". That said all very functional.

Accessoriers, a mains adapter for its modelling electornings, but nothing else.

... but (again) its has electronics which makes this very basic guitar have as many features as 25 of the very best guitars put together. And that's the point of the Variax!

Sounds, well for a cheap piece of drift wood (a little unfair may be), it'll blow your mind!

You select the sound you want from one of the 25 presets or 10 custom user settings; a solid bodied fender strat or tele, a Gibson Les Paul, a Firebird, a Rickenbacker 360, a semi Gibson ES or Epi Casino, an Acoustic 6 or 12 string, a Dobro, Sitar or even a banjo.

From reading feed back from other reviews, the sound is very authentic although I have read others with some doubts. The accoustics seem spot on, the 12 string really does sound good, better than my 1970's Fender 12. The strat and tele sound good too. The Les Paul, its a claimed to be a 59 Std, mine is a 2003 Std, but the Variax definately sounds like a Les Paul to me.

The electronics in the Variax 300 are the same as in the more expensive 700 model, and I have to say they both sound 100%.

This isn't a great sounding guitar, this is 25+ great sounding guitars. Ignoring the lack of pick-ups, the 300 looks a bit like a strat and sounds spot on, but close your eye's make the right selection and you really will not know this isn't a Martin or Guild 12 string or even a Les Paul.

Missing though is a nylon guitar, Gibson SG, and some good metal guitars. I'll reserve a slot in the 10 custom settings for when I can download them!

Oh and the Variax (300/700) have no un-wanted noise, its is clean and silent, no hum what's so ever.

This is a real gem!

The set-up of my ex-demo model from Guitar Village, Farnham, Surrey, UK was nearly faultless. Ignoring the 17th Fret, 6th string, there is no fret buz and its not going tot take much to fix that. The action and all is otherwise spot on.

When I first picked up this gutiar and played it unplugged, I have to say I was a little dis-apointed. To be fair I didn't like the feel of much better finished Variax 700 either, but that?s me I love my Les Paul.

The neck on the 300 felt very much like a Fender Squier, and very un-polished, not really to my liking. The tuners could be better, but I have to say they still did the job and so far it seems to hold its tune too!

But, plug it in and start playing around with all the sounds and its flaws seem to melt away. I actually can't believe I spent an hour playing it in the shop - nor I guess can any one else in the shop at the time, sorry.

Actually the Variax 300 plays remarkably well, even better after polishing the neck.

I've only had this a few day's, so haven't yet taken to a studio or gig, but would guess it'll do the job!

The strap bottons are secure and will be fine.

I don't know how this guitar will deal with heat changes so I don't know how well it'll stay in tune on the night. At this point I'll have to reserve judgement.

I haven't needed to contact line 6 about anything so far, but would n't downloading some metal guitar voices from the line 6 web site, but alas none found so far. Still the site does have useful info and who know's given time...

If you can accept that this is a cheap guitar, this is a real gem. Actually for the price it plays supprisingly well. Its worth buying just because it sounds so good.

However, when its comes to the Les Paul Std setting, I'll use a real one, thank you. I guess if I had a strat or Tele etc, I'd say the same.

...But a Les Paul Std costs #1300+, a US strat #700, etc, the variax 300 on the other hand costs just #300 (or less), and it can sound like any of the others. Its a bargin, how can you loose.

Erratum ... should have looked at the label before claiming it's "Made in China" in my previous review, it is indeed made in Indonesia, D'Oh!

The same place my former Squire Telecaster was crafted, which was a decent guitar in itself. I stand by my review: once the nut height is adjusted this is going to be one hell of a player!

Made in China, this is the entry level Variax. Style very close to that of a hardtail Stratocaster with the 6 in line machine heads (as opposed to the 3 a side the 500 & 700 have). For those who don't know, the Variax is a modelling guitar, which can emulate the signature sounds of other guitars, both electric & acoustic (see the Line 6 webpage for the full list).

It is based on a L. R. Baggs piezo bridge, which is routed through the modelling circuit. It has a battery pack as well as a power distribution box - it can be played through any amplifier not specifically Line 6 only amps.

It has a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and agathis body. A note on agathis: it is a cheaper, softer wood, similar to basswood ... but nowhere as light weight. My MIM Stratocaster has a poplar body and is much lighter than the variax ...

Standard sealed tuners (nothing stamped on them though), the L.R. Baggs piezo bridge has the strings go through the body (like a Telecaster). It comes with the owners manual, allen wrenches for the bridge & truss rod, the power supply, distributor box and the special stereo cord that connects to the power distributor box.

Sorry, no gig bag!

I'm knocking a point for the weight issue, as far as features go they don't come any more versatile than this!

Is there such a thing as too much flexibility? Add a Line 6 Spider II or any other modelling amp to the Variax and the answer might just be yes! Some people who seem to have a heavy anti Variax bias will say it sounds sterile, that some patches are way off while a few are spot on, blah blah blah ... like a previous reviewer said: this is every sought-after guitar crammed into the one instrument ... personally, I'm impressed!

The only time the sound might be a bit off (hissy, sputtery signal decay) is when I use a pair of cheap high impedance headphones in the Spider II's headphone jack - my other guitars suffer the same side effects.

Here's where I'm a little less satisfied: while not excessively heavy, that guitar is rather on the massive side. And in spite of a in store setup the nut slots seem to have been cut rather high at the factory, something that's been confirmed to me by a fellow Variax owner.

While it's perfect for him as he likes the higher action at the nut for slide work, I prefer may action lower & playable, as I have it on my Stratocaster and home made Les Paul ...

No sharp edged frets that I've noticed (I've read a few complaints about this in other reviews). Once the action at the nut is fixed it will be a 10 ... well a 9.5 anyway!

Well here's the thing about heavier guitars: they can take more abuse. Not that I intend pulling a Pete Townshend on it, but it is solidly built. No name machine heads, they look like Grovers or Gotoh's and they work fine. While I prefer natural and/or translucent finishes over solid ones, the jet black finish looks sharp and glossy, no orange peel finish here folks it's mirror smooth!

Never dealt with Line 6 per se, but they have a wonderful knowledge base on their web page, along with a users Forum where people can share info on their Line 6 products. Going there helped me decide whether or not I wanted a Variax ... the sound samples featured in the products page were also quite the selling point!

Don't let the 'Made in China' label put you off, this is a wonderful instrument once a professional setup is performed. In fact many higher priced guitars can feature the same 'flaws', case in point: I once owned a Faded Gibson SG ... it had sharp fret edges around the 12-15 fret area on the treble side of the fretboard. And even a professional setup couldn't make that guitar comfortable to play.

In the case of my Variax, it's only a matter of lowering the nut slots everso slightly and adjusting the truss rod to make it more comfortable to play.

As described in the previous entries

As far as the sounds go, this guitar is bang on. Anyone who says they can hear the difference between these modelled guitars and the real thing (live or recording) is probably lying. Forget what you think you already know about how certain guitars should sound. Record with this guitar, and I gaurantee nobody will be able to tell the difference(except the lack of hum)

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I've been playing guitar for 23 years. I've owned quite a vast array of instruments in my life, and being able to have all these guitars in one is a miracle. The reality is you can't practically own and play all the models this thing has. Toting 25 guitars to your next gig at the Pub, is by all respects, a silly notion. Buy one of these, use your ears, not your brain, and welcome to tone nirvana.

I just received a 2005 Variax 300 and though I have only about 3 hours playing time on it, felt compelled to submit a review.

You buy a Variax for its 25 guitar variations. You are paying for the cost of the R&D and the electronics to make that happen. With that in mind, and the price of $500, I figured the guitar parts would be inferior, but they are actually quite good.

It has a Strat-style body and rosewood neck--I swear the neck and tuning machines are lifted from a Fender Squire Strat or Tele with a little trimming of the headstock.

It has a quality LR Baggs strat-style saddle with a piezo pickup in each individual saddle. The six pickup lines are mixed in the Line6 Variax electronics--their volume can be controlled individually (but globally) using Line6 workbench sofware.

The "pickup" switch feels a bit cheap, but the volume, tone, and model selector controls feel quite good.

Red solid finish.

I also purchased the digital cable and POD XT live, though they have not arrived.

Okay, how does it sound? First of all, Since I have only played my Variax for about 3 hours, I definitely have not explored all of the possibilities or possible hang ups. Oh, and FYI, I have three of the guitars it models (Les Paul, '78 Strat, Tele). So how does it sound?

The LP, Strat, and Tele sounds are all very usable, but do not exactly match the originals. However, for my ears and use, it is certainly close enough. Plus, as supporters are quick to point out, these variations are modeled from specific model years--who has those models to compare with?

The Semi-hollow body models are very good.

The Jazz box models are questionable, probably need some EQ tweeks. I did not tell much of difference between them and the semi models. They did not appear to have the deep resonance I look for in such a guitar.

The acoustic models blew me away. They sound great. In fact, playing the 12 string models brought the phantom limb syndrome to mind--it actually felt like I was pressing down 12 strings--I flashback to my trusted Takamine 12 string bartered off for an SG many years ago.

The resos (dobros, banjo, sitar) sound good, definitely offering a different sound for those offbeat tracks.

The Chime (Rickenbacher) sounds did not impress me, but more seasoned Variax Vets claim they are great so I will reserve judgement.

There are enough sound variations from Blue Grass to Hard Rock. However, I had difficulty getting a good heavy metal sound, and I really missed a nylon string model.

Having 25 guitars is great, but they do require some EQ and amp tweeking when switching from one to another. If you think you're going to just switch from a Lester (LP) setting to an acoustic setting and have it sound perfect, it ain't going to happen! The Line6 POD XTL live can be setup to work with each Variax variation, perhaps that is the answer--setup a preset with the proper amp and eq.

Overall, I think the sound kicks.

And now, recording... if you do lots of recording, either home or in the studio, you gotta at least try out a Variax. First of all it emits zero noise--none--nada--clean, clean, clean. Add to that 25 guitar variations.....yeah, it's like latching on to the holy grail!

Caveat 1: Line6 is famous for providing software updates of significant value for all of its products. This is a good thing. The bad part is the Variax cannot be updated without a $400 POD XTL or the $100 Line6 Workbench HW/SW product.

Caveat 2: No nylon guitar model.

From what I have read, and I have read a lot, there must have been a wide variation of Variax 300 quality. All I can say, is Sweetwater music setup my Variax to perfection. Frets, intonation--perfect. No fret buzzing, no string anamolies, just plays perfectly.

No flaws, sharp fret edges, glue, the guitar looks and plays great.

I figure the guitar will hold up to live playing, a lot of musicians, especially in worship groups use them tons. If you're a pro however, perhaps the 700 would be a better choice.

I have emailed Line6 a dozen times and have received feedback within 24 hours.

They have a special phone line just for the Variax.

Line6 has a software download site for all of its products.

Line6 has a custom tone site with zillions of custom tones (presets), though none for the Variax.

Line6 also supports an excellent set of Line6 communities (variax, pod, guitarport).

I have been playing off and of (mostly off) for 30 years. I have a '78 Strat that I bought new, a '77 Takamine D28 copy, and the before mentioned guitars. I am not guitar snob and frankly I have a $99 Dean throw away guitar bought for parts that I setup to play and sound pretty darn good. With that said....

If you're looking for a guitar that has the feel of Les Paul (bound neck, short scale, super solid feel), you may be disappointed with the Variax 300.

For me, it is great! I like the fast neck, bound or not. It has good radius and compliments my non-shred style of playing quite well.

The variations are incredible. There is room for improvement, and I have no doubts that Line6 will continue to release updates that improve the models. The latest update, by most accounts, drastically improved some of the models.

Add to that the Line6 workbench that allows you to further play with the variations, and you have one heck of a guitar playground for $500. Just wish I would have purchased it sooner.

And if you plan to purchase a Variax, figure in the POD XT Live and VDI cable--you will want them sooner or later to do the updates, provide power, record, adjust EQ and AMPs on the fly, etc.

I bought the all black variax 300. It's a solid top, one volume, one tone, one guitar selector knob, and a 5-way pickup selector switch. With certain guitar models, that switch becomes very handy. I haven't changed anything yet as far as swapping out the factory tuners. It plays very well if you ask me. The only thing I don't like is that it didn't come with the gig bag (which i'm plannign on buying a hard case anyways) but with a budget like mine, which is very small, you have to make with what you got. And what I have for it now is the gig bag from my ibanez bass! So a gig bag would've been helpful. The neck is very smooth. i had gotten my guitar right out of the box and i've had no problems with the action. Seems set up very well.

I use a line 6 flextone II with a flooboard. So versitality is the name of my game here. I play in a christian worship band and there's not one style that I stick to. So having the different guitar models AS WELL as the different amp models from my line 6, it's great. The sounds that come out of this guitar are wonderful. The one thing i fell in love with was NO BUZZING. no buzzing coming from the pickups from my other guitars. I used to play a les paul standard and a fender strat and there was always some kind of buzz. I'd always get CRAP from the sound tech about it which always ticked me off. I usually have a sound like The Edge from U2. One thing i've noticed though when i'm really getting into the music, i sometimes have a tendancy of hitting the volume knob. You have all sorts of models to choose from with this guitar. You have les pauls, strats, teles, gretchs, acoustic guitars, resonators, banjos, rickenbachers, hollowbodies. You name it. I've plugged the variax into a fender acousticsonic amp and it sounds beautiful. I love this guitar.

I got this guitar straight out of the box. The guitar was set up very well. action very low, i liked the all black look. Like i said earlier, there's no buzzing whatsoever because of the piezo pickup in the bridge. Totally eliminates the noise. no need to replace your strat or tele pickups with noiseless ones. This is all you'll need.

The guitar is light compared to the 500 and 700 models. Which is why i bought it. If this guitar only came with a gig bag i'd be happy. i've already broke into it being that right after I got the guitar I went straight into gigs. I only had one night to really explore the sounds. The ebony finish seems to hold up. The strap buttons are solid, but i'd probably upgrade to strap locks. Till I buy the 700 hardtail, i'd use this for everything. Once i get the 700, this will immediately become my back up guitar. In the mean time, i have no choise but to use it without a back up. All my other guitars got stolen!

Haven't had to deal with Line 6 yet. Hopefully I'll never have to.

Overall, i think this guitar is well built. The neck feels like old strat, it sounds great, no noise or buzzing, the sounds are all great. If it were lost or stolen, i'd DEFINATELY buy it again or buy the 700. I was actually looking for something that could combine both acoustic and electric guitars and I found this amazing guitar. I've been playing for 5 years now, on and off piano, but more guitar. I own a fender acoustisonic amp and the line 6 flextone II plus w/the extra cab. So no matter which amp i plug it in, it sounds awesome. I love this guitar.

A hard tail agathis electric guitar with no mangnetic pickups. Instead in the bridge are piezo pickups and a built in digital signal processer that effectively emulates the frequency and phase responses of a variety of famous guitars.

On first go at neighbour friend volumes flicking through the types quickly can be a little disappointing leaving you feeling that you are just selecting a range of EQ presets ? but to some extend that is effectively what real guitar body and pickup responses are. However with real guitars your feel all the resonances and experience the instrument in a way an emulation can?t reproduce ? much like you experience playing a real Steinway in a way you don?t with an electronic keyboard.

Though when plugged into a pod (or ampworks) with suitable amp models for the different types, monitored through headphones and recorded with Sonar - you really get the point of this instrument. All the models do a pretty good job at capturing the distinctive timbre of the guitars that they try to emulate and if you listened to the finished recordings you wouldn?t be able to tell you?re not hearing a regular guitar.

The models aren?t perfect ? the Strat doesn?t sound quite as planky as the real thing, the Rickies aren?t quite as delicate and the acoustics have a hint of peizo edge that anyone who owns an Ovation will be familiar with. Though it?s fair to say all models are 95% there and the variety is really quite impressive. I especially like the neck pickup settings of the Gretsch 6120, Ricky 360 and Thinline Tele.

(as well as the twelve string Ricky - which with a little compression takes you to Byrds heaven).

Note - the acoustics models should really be played into a mixer or keyboard amp to be appreciated ? the frequency response of a regular guitar amp might spoil the effect.

Not bad though the frets could have been finished off better. It plays like an average #300 guitar ? nothing special.

Don?t really know yet ? feels sturdy ? though given it has microelectronics in the body it?s probably worth investing in a case and a stand ? and registering for the warranty.

Line 6 has and extensive web site ? and from my experience with the Pod they do email back when you have problems.

Overall I?m really glad I bought this guitar ? it?s a heck of a lot of fun and inspiring to record with.

I have too many really nice guitars including a Gordon Smith, Eggle, Burns, Epiphone Sheraton, a few acoustics and a bass. I?ve also borrowed a US Tele and a Ricky 360 for long periods so know these guitars very well. The Variax certainly doesn?t have the looks, the feel and perhaps subtly of the rest of my much loved collection though this guitar is the guitar I practice and record with these days ? the fun factor is so much greater than the rest.

I currently play keyboards in a band, though will probably be taking my Variax (and wonderful little Korg Ampworks) to rehearsals for those numbers where a second guitarist might be handy.

The Variax is to guitars what the Pod was to amps or samplers were to orchestral instruments ? the technology works so well it?s a serious option - and will get even better and cheaper. Luthiers beware!!!

The 300 is made in Indonesia,the guitar I tried in the shop came right from the box and to my surprise the factory set up made it instantly playable. It also came fitted with a set of 9's Daddario strings which is my preferred string choice anyway.
I would imagine it would need a slight adjustment for your own preferences of make and guage of strings.
I have bought dozens of guitars over the years and this is the first one ever that needed no tweeking on the set up,it truly was perfect from the get go.
The body shape takes a little getting used to but after wearing it and playing it for a while it feels very comfy. If you want a stat or les paul you should buy thr fender or gibson.
Your buying a well designed instrument that is packed with features that are well worth the price and I believe it will either be used by the player as great asset and addition to their collection or indeed you'll get rid of all your other guitars and never use anything else apart from the 300.
I bought a black 300 and preferred it to the red. It took me longer to decide blkack or red than it did to try the guitar out.
Mde from basswood without any visible pick ups there are none,this takes a few minutes for your eyes to take in but you have to bear in mind the whole ethos of the guitat's technology is what the variax is all about. It would probably be like wearing a strat to play I think would be the best description and the bride set up is very good ,it has to be ,this is where the sounds all start from.
The tuners are strat style in line and are adequate but I would imagine some guitar players would change them for a better quality movement.
The rosewood neck is very nice and has a vintage look to it which I liked/
It came with no gig bag ,mains unit trs lead batteries etc.

The sounds are stupendous for the money. I play a whole mixture of styles of music and they are all here.
I use a marshall mg 250 combo which is very rich full body sound and it will suit the guitar with your own settings.
There is no extraneous noise whatsoever at full tilt it is silent.
Every kind of guitar sound you may wish to play can be rich full bodied say for a gibson and then over to tele sounds in an instant it is really impressive
Sitar, banjo are fun sounds yet convincing and acoustic sounds and twelve string are terrific.
There is nothing not like about this guitar it is one instrument which does so much

The factory set up for me luckily suited my playing and string requirements so once again full marks.
I have played mega expensive guitars that were much worse in every respect. I really think line 6 have come up with a winner here.

I am sure the guitar will stand up to live situation and can only hope the the hardware will l;ast ,time will tell.
The finish is well good enough to last and the strap buttons are safe amd I think you may come to depend on it.
I would use it on my live gigs without a back up and probably experiment from gig to gig ,one week its a strat the next it could be a 335 or a les paul that's how my mind works anyway.

I have never dealt with line 6 before so I don't know.
The warranty as far as I know is one year.

I have played professionally for 30 years and have seen great changes in technology and NOW is the best time ever for what is available to any musician. It is awesome the amount of top class innovative ideas that are being researched and developed by many different companies today and we should be inspired by what is available today.
If it were lost or stolen I would probably have to get another to replace it.
I just am amazed at so much guitar sounds are available from one guitar without getting into effects of any description the guitar sounds are worth the money three times over.
The variax 300 represents the best value for an instrument like this I tried the 500 and the 700 they all have the same technology but are slightly different in make as an actual guitar.
I wish it would have had a tremelo on the 300 but hey you can,t have everything.
This is the best new guitar I have ever bought and would recommend you try one and see if it's for you

Ok, let's cut the crap, we all know this thing is made out of Basswood, Black or red, bolt on, and made in Indonesia.

I wish the neck was 24 and 3/4 instead of 25.5. I'm a Les Paul nut, what can I say? Otherwise the neck is just fine. No case, no gig bag, just guitar and a few accessories.

If you combine this with a PODxt, THIS THING SOUNDS AWESOME!!!! I cannot stress the importance of this fact. With the PODxt you can tweak the sounds to pure authenticity, with no buzzing! I have been able to make it sound even better than my Telecaster, the Firebird kicks butt, the Les Paul is right on,harmonics and all. The strat sounds like the old alnicos, and you can use the tone control on the Bridge. Two of the acoustics sound great, one is not so great. The twelve string acoustics sound better than the originals. The tricone, Sitar,and Dobro sound great, the Banjo needs some serious help. The rest, I don't know much about so I won't elaborate on them.

The strings sucked, the neck was bowed, and needed intonation. Of course I took care of all in 10 minutes.

Buoght it brand new, don't know how long this will last.

Never needed any.

I've been playing for 25 years, so I know my guitars. If it were stolen I'd hunt the bastard down like the dirty dog he is, and take it back.
The feel of this guitar is like the Strat.

Recent model, Indonesian made. Nice finish for the price, die-cast machine heads and a better neck than the 500 (for a lot less too). Supplied with stereo lead andpower supply unit. No other extras with the 300 model. I bought the Black model, which has a black scratchplate too, looks far better than the Red body with white s/plate.

Most of the models sound good (except rhe 12 string Rick, although recorded with single string melodies it's passable). The acoustics are excellent and of course you can waste lifetimes with the Sitar and Banjo!!!. I normally use it at home studio only with my Vox Valvetronix, it's great for "ideas", where you can sketch out a song witrh one guitar and then replace the parts if you like later with the "real thing"

Action a little high out of the box, shimmed nexk with a single piece of paper was enough to avoid lowering the saddles right down. New strings made a vast difference, although it was strung with D'Addario's from the box. No gaps around neck pocket, fretwork fine. No neck plate, just bolts but all seems very secure, no movement at all!

This is only to be used at home and I think it will last forever!. I'm planning with a luthier a "transplant" of the electronics into a Warmoth body, to be fitted with two "normal pickups too (probably P90 or P100).

Not applicable at present

Superb value for money, glad I didn't waste #500 on the 500 model as they are all exactly the same inside (same LR Baggs bridge and electronics on the 700 model too!!). You don't get the gigbag but I view this as for home use only.

Agathis wood for the body, and maple neck with 5mm thick rosewood fingerboard. Neck is very similar to my PRS custom 24 (dimensions of course, not the finishing). Frets are medium size.
No magnetic pickups here, only piezo.
My Variax 300 is mounted with 11-52 blue steel strings, and this increases sound and sustain.
1 volume, 1 tone , a guitar type selector and a "pickup or guitar" selector. Body is strat style.
Only a regret, no SG or Ibanez types of guitar.
Sure with the workbench software it 'll be solved.

Sound is really good for the price of the instrument. Telecaster, strat, LP and acoutic sounds are terrific plugged in my H&K Triamp all tube amplifier. Not sure for the other guitar types (335, gretsch), i'm not familiar to these types of sound.
In fact, all the guitars modelled in the Variax doesn't sound exactly similar to the real models, but be sure, the sound is very good and near the original models. The output levels are a little heavier than the originals, but you can use the volume button to drive it.
No noise from this axe, even with single pickup positions.
Beautiful sustain like my Gibson Lespaul or PRS (same duration in fact :) )
Artificial harmonics are well reproduced as all the playing effects you can do.
If only i had this guitar when i started to play !!!

Action and intonation were set by the reseller before he sold it to me.
I told him to change the strings to 11-52, lowering the action, setting the trussrod and the intonation. But only with the factory setup, it was good, just the action was a little high for me.

The guitar is well finished, it's low price is due to a good and modular conception and low cost choices in the design (flat body, electronic is attached on the pickgard, bolt on classic neck, low cost tuning machines).
Quality is very close the quality of a Fender Mex, but sound is better !
I think i 'll change the tuning machine because they're not accurate.

i own this guitar for only a month now, and i didn't have no pb with it.
As i said before, i 'll change the tuning machines else the entire guitar seems built like a rock.
I hope the electronics will not fail.

I also own a POD and they answered me really fast for it.

I've been playing since 1986 and i own :
Fender Stratocaster 1988, Gibson LesPaul 1995, PRS Custom 24 1994, a few acoustic guitars, and i play it in a Hughes and Kettner 6L6 Triamp stack with a 4*12.
I love the Variax, it permits to me to test some different new guitars into this one.
I think now i will purchase a US Telecaster because i love its sound from the Variax.
Like with the POD for the Triamp, this guitar will make me buy real guitars (and not the reverse path like some other people...)

I'm pretty happy with the Variax,wich is very versatile and sounds good.
For me, the real <put the name of your dream guitar here> sound is not very important, and in fact sound depends on the amp you plug it into.
Sure i will take it for holidays,it costs less than a Gibson or a PRS and sounds really close to them.
I only wish it looks better cause it is UGLY !!!!

Technology is the same as in the 500 and 700. Neck is definately more comfortable to play, and the body is slightly contoured for comfort. Having 25 guitars to play in one instrument still astounds me, so full marks! Didn't buy the guitar, was just testing it out, but will return to purchase it on the near future.

The acoustic models are brilliant. When I plugged it in it was set to an acoustic, and I had to do a double take when I heard what was coming out of the amp! All the twelve strings are convincing except for the Rickenbacker, which sounded like chorus. Les Pauls sound great, really sounds like they're coming through 3 inches of mahogany, minus some sustain. Strat model was quite convincing, as was the Tele. As I actually own a Tele, the variax one was close, but didn't quite get there to the sound of my own. I absolutely loved the sitar, sounded incredible.

The action was fine on the one I played, but the intonation was dodgy, but easily fixable. The controls felt solid and positive. I would probably replace the tuners when I buy one. Felt nice to play overall.

I only tested it, but it seemed pretty solid. It wouldnt be my only guitar for a gig until it had settled in properly, and I was sure of its build quality. Finish seemed fine and was well applied. Strap buttons felt solid, no wobble at all. The bridge was very well built and installed, looked and felt quality.

Only tried it, so didnt deal with them.

I think this guitar was great. Although some of the models dont sound exactly like the originals, their pretty damn close, closer than an Epiphone, Squier or any other copy would sound. It felt great to play, and sounded good on nearly all the models. If you coupled this with a podxt live or vetta ii, youre definately on a winner. I own three other guitars, but I reckon if i bought a variax, they wouldnt get played much after that.

Very well covered in the previous review. I am writing this review because I didnt buy the 300. I waited for it to be released, trotted down to my local music shop and tried it out. I really wanted this guitar to be good, because if you read all the advertising it offers an excellant proposition, and now the price had dropped I thought I would buy one as a second/ alternative guitar, to my existing 12 other guitars! The features are amazing, to have all those options in one guitar is outstanding, I have other Line 6 gear and am not put off by the technology I let my ears decide, after all 60 years ago someone said ' here is an electric guitar and the acoustic fraternity threw their arms up in horror! I am not a technophobe

This is where I felt let down. Firstly the sounds do sound like what they are supposed to. I thought the acoustic sounds routed through an acoustic amp were very very good. But overall it just didnt feel right. The sounds sounded like the sounds you hear on records, not processed in the usual way just too clean if you know what I mean, no character. When I play I get a sort of feeling through the guitar's body that vibrates into my stomach, the way the guitar handles and that was not there. Well it was but it didnt bear any relationship to what was coming out. I felt kinda separated from the sound. Yes the Les Pauls and Strats sounds like the guitars they were supposed to but because the string lengths are wrong playing say a Les Paul sound without the shorter scale and the more bendable string tension made me feel that it wasnt a Les Paul, so the stuff I play on my Les Paul I now wouldnt play on the 300.

Yes all good, the neck is slightly better than the 500, but I was hoping for something a bit slimmer. The body felt like a non descript and because it does not vibrate in the usual way the shape and density could be anything. I suppose they have tried to make it to fit anyone. I tried a Black one and a red one . thought the black looked better.

Dont know , didnt buy it.

Not used

I must give full marks to Line 6 for having a go. Maybe for less experienced players it might perfect, but for me , been at it for over 30 years it just does not beat the real thing. If you want a strat sound use a strat, of you want a Les Paul use a LP, and so on. The acoustics were pretty good, and the banjo and other oddities were fun. But I think how the guitar feels is where the inspiration starts. For me to buy a guitar it has the have that wow factor sorry Line 6, this didnt have it for me

This is the Indonesian built "budget" version of the Variax 500 and 700.
The software is exactly as the other two , so no costs cut there.
Differences are:
1. You dont get a footswitch to go between electric/accoustic amps.
2. You dont get a gig bag.
3. The tuners are 6 in a line [ similar to a Stratocaster ]
4. The controls are mounted on the scratch plate.
5. The controls are positioned differently
6. The neck feels a lot nicer .
Mine is in black with a black scratchplate. Neck is maple with rosewood board and dot markers.Come with Planet Waves stereo cable if you use the included power supply. 6 AA bateries otherwise.

This is what it is all about. Strat, Les Paul and all the other electric patches are really good with clear variations in sound. Accoustic patches really need an accoustic amp to get the best out of them.No noise on the single coil versions, cause there are no pickups !I feel that the guitar is best through clean to mild crunch settings on an amp. If i put mine through the standard patches of a VOX ToneLab SE for example, the sound is a bit wooly. Clean the patch up a bit and its fine

Nicely made,especially the bridge. Change of strings [ same guage ], required intonation to be reset, but the quality bridge makes adjustment easy , both for string hight and length. Paintwork well applied. Just a general nice feel. Felt better to play than the 500.

Have put Schaller straploks on. Not sure I would have the confidence in it yet to gig. Mental leap of faith re batteries and/or power supply.You can't tune it without it being plugged into the mains or without batteries !!

Never used them.

Always fancied one but was never prepared to pay the original asking price for the 500. Still experimenting with it as this stage. Certainly the asking price makes it viable now and the basic platform appears to have improved.