LINE 6 VARIAX

LINE 6 VARIAX WORKBENCH GEAR
AUGUST 2005
|
TOTAL GUITAR
| 139
Variax) and plug it into the XPS Mini power
supply. Then – deep breath – you link the
‘Output jack’ of the XPS to your amp via a
normal guitar lead. Your bedroom will look
like spaghetti junction once it’s done, but
you can dump half the wires before you hit
the stage.
What exactly is the software capable of?
The standard Variax 300 has models based
on a selection of classic guitars, from the
Gibson Les Paul to the Gretsch Silver Jet. The
tonal nuances of each guitar are modelled,
as closely as possible, from the character
of the woods to the wiring of the pickups.
That’s fi ne if you want to emulate a 1958 Les
Paul, but how about if you fancy sticking a
Strat-style pole-piece singlecoil in the neck?
Most custom shops would tell you to sling
your hook, but the Workbench turns such
hypothetical fl ights of fancy into reality with
a few clicks of the mouse.
TG kicked off by choosing a Les Paul via
the model select knob on our Variax. To
remind ourselves of the blueprint, we gave
it a strum in its original form and were hit
with the beefy PAF roar that Line 6 have
always nailed so well. Then we got the virtual
hacksaw out. The logical fi rst step was to
get rid of those humbuckers, so we headed
to the ‘Pickup’ section and scrolled down
the list of substitutes. As usual, Line 6 have
laid the options on with a trowel; offering
a choice of 17 different pickups that cover
everything from Gretsch-style Filtertrons to
the kind of P90s you would fi nd on a Les Paul
INFORMATION
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Software and USB
hardware to customise
the Variax electric
RUNNING
REQUIREMENTS: Variax
300, 500 or 700. PC
with at least a Pentium
III 500 MHz [or better]
processor, Windows
XP/2000, one available
USB port and 256RAM.
Apple Mac users need
OSX 10.3 [or higher] and
a G4/G5 running at 400
MHz [or faster]. Internet
connection also required
INCLUDES: Workbench
software, RJ-45
connector, Variax USB
interface
GUITAR BODY TYPES: 28
types, including 1960
Telecaster, 1958 Les
Paul, 1959 Strat, 1968
Rickenbacker 360 and
1956 Gretsch Silver Jet
PICKUP TYPES: 17
types, including PAF
humbucker, Goldtop
P-90 and Gretsch-style
Filtertron
CONTACT: Line 6 UK
01327 302700
WEB: www.line6.com
ALTERNATIVELY
Line 6 PodXT Live – £399
Line 6 Vetta II – £1,559
Both are substitutes for
Workbench hardware
Goldtop. In the interests of undermining
everything the Les Paul stands for, however,
TG dropped a Strat-style singlecoil into both
the neck and bridge...
Then what?
TG was intrigued by the combination of a
mahogany body and singlecoil snap – it
works much better than you might think,
actually – but continued to tear up the
blueprint by adjusting the position of the
pickups on the body and rotating them by 20
degrees. We then adjusted the levels to make
the bridge cut through more than the neck,
put them slightly out of phase and tweaked
the resistance of the tone and volume
controls. Beyond a certain point, you will
probably have to guess how authentic it
all sounds (we don’t know anyone who has
carried out this customisation in ‘real life’),
but there’s no doubting the sheer versatility
on offer here.
Any other features?
Once you are completely satisfi ed with the
body and pickups, a separate section allows
you to save your new customised tunings.
Just turn your amp up so that you’re unable
to hear what the unamplifi ed strings
are doing, then select a tuning from the
Workbench’s comprehensive list. While TG
was initially tempted by a Keef-style Open G,
we eventually settled on Drop D and watched
in awe as the software virtually reconfi gured
our tuning, dropping our low string
(previously tuned to E) to a bowel-quaking D.
Ever wanted to stick a PAF
on a Strat? The Workbench’s
software lets you choose
from 17 different pickups…
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Can you save the customised settings?
The Workbench would be kind of pointless
if you couldn’t unleash your custom models
on a packed venue. Once you have fi nished
tweaking, give your creation a name and
save it into the Variax’s memory banks. Here
again, we didn’t feel the Workbench was as
intuitive as some Line 6 gear – it wouldn’t
have hurt to provide an instruction manual,
for instance – but after a few aborted
attempts we managed to get our heads
around the process.
It’s worth the money, then?
If you’ve already got a Variax and feel you’ve
almost exhausted its potential, we wouldn’t
hesitate to recommend the Workbench. It
offers hours of fun, tons of options, and the
opportunity to create a tone like no-one else
on the planet. If you haven’t got a Variax,
we’d think carefully before blowing the
£400-plus on the guitar and Workbench. This
product isn’t designed for someone who’s
satisfi ed with their Telecaster and Marshall.
It’s a playground for guitarists who are
continually searching for the ultimate tone
and who change their setup more often
than their socks. If that sounds like you,
then the Line 6 Workbench offers a level of
customisation that will blow you away. The
bench mark has been set.
FOR: Cheap and as authentic as you’d expect
AGAINST: Not as intuitive as some Line 6 gear
TG RATING: ✮✮✮✮✮
Adjusting the position
and angle of your chosen
pickups is simple,
allowing you to subtly
customise your tone
TGR139.gear_line6 139TGR139.gear_line6 139 4/7/05 3:39:31 pm4/7/05 3:39:31 pm