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Posted by: Igorrr Jun 5 2010, 04:01 AM

Hi Everyone,

I am thinking about buying a Line6 Variax 700 guitar and am wondering if there is room for adding a Bridge Humbucker pickup.

I have always been intrigued by the great variety of different guitar models, especially the switching to acoustic guitar and sitar simulations. But I mainly play metal and it seems that the flat body guitar models aren't really cutting it for high gain distortion, but at the same time the guitar body has a nice sustain, where I could imagine some great sound with a ceramic humbucker.

So I am having the idea to add a real humbucker pickup at the bridge position.

Unfortunately I have only been able to test one on a fair/music store and never had the chance to actually open one up. It looks like that there might be electronics where you would mount the bridge pickup.

Can anyone who has a Variax 700 confirm if there is room or not for a humbucker PU at the bridge position?
If not possible with a 700 model I might consider a 600 as well...

Don't worry I won't do the MOD myself I know a luthier that I trust who already did a conversions on my other guitar.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Jun 10 2010, 09:34 PM

I think it may be even possible with an experienced Luther though I'm not sure its worth it. Variax shouldn't be a great guitar, maybe you could get a better "normal" guitar for the price you would pay for variax+pickup+luther?

Posted by: ZakkWylde Jun 10 2010, 09:42 PM

That would be like buying a van and trying to make it into a race car: it will cost much and the outcome won't be as good as a car designed for going fast...

The variax is a *toy* (I know hard words) for achieveing a lot of diffrent sounds from a guitar, it's a studio equipment guitar to model a lot of equipment without actually having it. It also has a guitar pickup modeling, if that isn't enough I doubt it will get better with a real pickup.
Ofcourse it IS possible to somehow get a humbucker into that guitar but I guess the outcome won't throw you off your feet. The variax is not designed to behave like a real guitar so I doubt it will with a humbucker.

My suggestion:
Get a one trick pony - either a variax and use it's possibilities OR a fullblown Metalguitar. The variax with a modification won't sound better than a real Metal axe and drilling into it will propably make it sound worse with it's onboard technology.

Posted by: Igorrr Sep 4 2010, 07:40 PM

HA!!! Sometimes it's really good to not heed every warning!!!

I bought the Variax, had the luthier install 2 Seymour Duncan SH6 Humbuckers and the Guitar is AWESOME!!!!!

Seriously it's not a bad guitar to begin with being a japanese model with Mahagony body with Ash top... already came with a sweet sustain, but because of using piezos as pickups for the simulation did not really respond like a real guitar... now I can simulate an acoustic guitar (and sitar ;-) ) and use full blown distortion on the humbuckers... I am REALLY HAPPY!!!!

Anyway you can see a pic here my luthier has posted!!! For sure I am going to use this guitar on the next http://www.kamala1.net album!!!

WOOHOOO!!!!!

http://ow.ly/i/3Ayj

Posted by: Alexiaden93 Sep 4 2010, 07:47 PM

QUOTE (Igorrr @ Sep 4 2010, 08:40 PM)

HA!!! Sometimes it's really good to not heed every warning!!!

I bought the Variax, had the luthier install 2 Seymour Duncan SH6 Humbuckers and the Guitar is AWESOME!!!!!

Seriously it's not a bad guitar to begin with being a japanese model with Mahagony body with Ash top... already came with a sweet sustain, but because of using piezos as pickups for the simulation did not really respond like a real guitar... now I can simulate an acoustic guitar (and sitar ;-) ) and use full blown distortion on the humbuckers... I am REALLY HAPPY!!!!

Anyway you can see a pic here my luthier has posted!!! For sure I am going to use this guitar on the next http://www.kamala1.net album!!!

WOOHOOO!!!!!

http://ow.ly/i/3Ayj

Posted by: MickeM Sep 4 2010, 09:47 PM

Looks good

Posted by: Igorrr Sep 4 2010, 10:30 PM

QUOTE (MickeM @ Sep 4 2010, 05:47 PM)

Looks good

 Igorrr_PlayingWithNewToy_Variax700_SD_SH6.mp3 ( 2.81MB ) : 967

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Sep 5 2010, 11:11 PM

QUOTE (Igorrr @ Sep 4 2010, 11:30 PM)