Variax tele - best option??

axisus · August 2013

I'm having a go at transplanting a variax into a tele. I want to keep the controls simple, so I'm not going to use magnetic pickups as well. There is one thing that I am having trouble deciding though ........ I can't make up my mind whether to include 'dummy' pickups and retain the telecaster look as much as possible (even just having 2 knobs), or stick a cap on and go for that smooth sleek pupless look. I thought I'd throw it out for opinions?

So, either regular tele/scratchplate/pickups look, or something like this (although not necessarily a flame or quilt top - just the pupless look):

Opinions?

koneguitarist · August 2013

I like either, but prefer the orange one, looks classier.

jd0272 · August 2013

I think I'd agree on the zero p'ups option, really looks well. Have a nice 'grain showing' finish. Be lovely.

TTony · August 2013

jd0272 said:

I think I'd agree on the zero p'ups option, really looks well. Have a nice 'grain showing' finish. Be lovely.

Definitely. IMHO.

monquixote · August 2013

I think zero pickups.

Tele OF THE FUTURE.

stickyfiddle · August 2013

They're both [cat picture].

But a no-pickup Tele with solid colour and black guard might work. Maybe...

axisus · August 2013

Hmmn .... having actually looked at the body I'm going to use, it's in a fairly relic'd sort of state, and it's not a great bit of stuff either, sort of laminated ply from the look of it! (although feels pretty heavy?) - which is pointing more in the direction of standard tele look. I kind of feel that the examples above need a really good, pro looking finish so I'd rather start with a really decent body for that. Against opinion I think I may do the 'with pups' look for now and just see how the transplant thing goes. Can always 'rehouse' the gubbins at a later date.

DrBob · August 2013

If it's a fairly trad looking Tele body I'd go no pickups BUT Esquire plate just to break it up a bit

Sporky · August 2013

Bear in mind that rehousing a 300 (if that's the donor) is very tricky if you're putting in dummy pickups - the electronics are laid out under the scratchplate.

axisus · August 2013

Nah, it's not the 300. It's the next one up, but without a trem, so no massive box to fit in, it's a tidy circuit board.

Sporky · August 2013

Then I'd have dummy pickups. And a scratchplate.

fatherjack · August 2013

Dummy pickups. That big expanse of blank wood looks wrong.

hywelg · September 2013

Or a small scratchplate like this.

No way I'd be happy about relying solely on the Line6 electronics for a gig, I'd want magnetic pups as a backup.

axisus · September 2013

Oooohhh! what a gorgeous tele. Is that an Anderson?

hywelg · September 2013

axisus said:

Oooohhh! what a gorgeous tele. Is that an Anderson?

Nope same as you've been looking at, Warmoth
http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryItem.aspx?id=4929

steamabacus · September 2013

I think they'd look better with a 'dummy' sound hole, maybe oval?

(edit) Maybe a bit like this?

digitalscream · September 2013

It's not strictly what you asked, but...for me, the fact that the guitar would be useless when the battery dies if you don't have mag pickups really puts me off. I'd at least have a second backup signal path, just in case, even if it's just a single pickup wired straight to an output jack with nothing in between.

That said...if you don't have any magnetic pickups, you won't have anything pulling on the strings...which can only be a good thing.

Sporky · September 2013

digitalscream said:

It's not strictly what you asked, but...for me, the fact that the guitar would be useless when the battery dies if you don't have mag pickups really puts me off.

Surely you'd use the XPS rather than batteries if you were gigging?

ChrisMusic · September 2013

As @hywelg and @digitalscream both pointed out, it is not a good idea to rely solely on the Variax electronics, if the battery goes or the system freezes or resets (which I have been told the older Variaxes do sometimes) you have to wait for a reboot (embarrassing silence), or recharge or battery change. Real pickups seem like a good idea to me. Then you can dial in your own sound and subtleties to go with the Line 6 sounds, and mix both if you want.

Sporky · September 2013

Out of interest, do any of the people decrying the Variax's reliability actually have one?

koneguitarist · September 2013

Mine allways worked fine when I had a 500,I used the powered lead and DI box, and kept batteries for backup.

digitalscream · September 2013

Sporky said:

Out of interest, do any of the people decrying the Variax's reliability actually have one?

Nope, but my objection isn't that they're unreliable - it's the same objection I have to active pickups, apart from the fact that they sound crap

I actually really like the idea of Variax tech, but I don't think I'd ever trust one enough to gig it (except if there was absolutely no other choice), even with the XPS unit. Studio-wise, though, I'd love one

ChrisMusic · September 2013

Hi @Sporky, yes a friend of mine has one, and he has had that happen live. Not sure if he had any issues with the XPS. I bought a recent one and it is great, no problems apart from some build issues. I got it with a similar idea of building it into my "ideal guitar" sometime, whatever that is, and whenever that is.

So I am reading this discussion with more than a little interest.

hywelg · September 2013

@Sporky, battery powered anything for gigging is asking for trouble IMO. I would never do it. But thats just me, I hate looking like a twat on stage and I have enough trouble keeping my playing together without tech stuff to worry about.

Sporky · September 2013

hywelg said:

@Sporky, battery powered anything for gigging is asking for trouble IMO. I would never do it. But thats just me, I hate looking like a twat on stage and I have enough trouble keeping my playing together without tech stuff to worry about.

So, as I already said, use the XPS instead! Line6 themselves say that the Variax should be used with the PSU and that the battery is for convenience rather than regular use.

hywelg · September 2013

Battery, power supply, matters not to me, I wouldn't have a guitar that required it to operate.

All pedals true bypass, power to board on locking Neutrik Powercon connectors, locking jack sockets for pedal board to amp connection, input lead threaded through amp handle, guitar lead through strap (you'd be surprised how many don't do that!), strap locks etc etc. Its all to reduce the number of possibilites of f**k up at gig time. Its amazing how when under pressure the simplest of faults becomes a major brain spasm. Well for me anyway, not that experienced at gigging.

Sporky · September 2013

hywelg said:

Battery, power supply, matters not to me, I wouldn't have a guitar that required it to operate.

That surely leaves you only able to play acoustic gigs then.

fatherjack · September 2013

I've gigged a Variax 300 and 500, never had a problem. I either used the power supply or made sure I had a fresh set of batteries in for the gig.

steamabacus · September 2013

Sporky said:

hywelg said:

Battery, power supply, matters not to me, I wouldn't have a guitar that required it to operate.

That surely leaves you only able to play acoustic gigs then.

By candlelight

hywelg · September 2013

Sporky said:

That surely leaves you only able to play acoustic gigs then.

Errr no.... I can operate with no power supply to my board in an emergency.

fatherjack · September 2013

hywelg said:

Sporky said:

That surely leaves you only able to play acoustic gigs then.

Errr no.... I can operate with no power supply to my board in an emergency.

I suspect @Sporky was also referring to the power to your amp, mic, PA, etc...

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Variax tele - best option??

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