Variax 6 string Baritone?

[glefty5]

Someone was talking about using these as a substitute for the Fender VI, so here you go!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Line-6-Variax ... 500wt_1118

[pjmuck]

That was me.

The Variax is a fun guitar. There's no substitute for the real deal, but since I'm in a cover band I often need occasional sounds I don't normally require for some songs (baritone, sitar, banjo!). It's nice to have everything available on 1 cool guitar vs. hauling 15-16 different instruments to a gig. I use a baritone patch on my Variax for the Cure songs we do, and I've got to say the acoustic guitar patches are damn good through the PA, much better and realistic sounding than any piezo-equipped guitar I've played. Granted, you give up the tactile "feel" of the real instruments modeled (it might replicate the sound of a LP, but no way it feels like one), but like I said, if you just want a collection of dozens of sounds available, I strongly recommend a Variax.

[AustinLeftyBass]

Different for me, I enjoy playing lots of instruments at a show.
My rack for typical Eggmen show.
L-R: Hofner "Beatle", Fender Jazz, Rickenbacker 4001S, SX BassVI, J.Jones electric sitar.

[Jeroen]

Hubba hubba, tell me more about that SX

[AustinLeftyBass]

Hubba hubba, tell me more about that SX

Long story short, before and after:

Going for this look without spending a lotta dough. Did it for under $200 total, first gig was 3 days after completing it.

[Jeroen]

Cool, nice job and a great idea! I didn't know they built that one as a shortscale too.

[pjmuck]

I don't play bass in my cover band, I'm the lead singer/rhythm guitarist, so the Variax is nice to have when jumping from sound to sound. It's a guitar, so the baritone setup is for sound only. You can't really play it like a traditional baritone (or bass) though, as strings/string spacing is exactly like a guitar.

[AustinLeftyBass]

Ironically, every baritone guitar and 6-string bass I've ever seen had "strings/string spacing exactly like a guitar".

[pjmuck]

How can the strings be the same as guitar? The string gauges are heavier, obviously. I own the Schecter Hellcat VI. I personally can't walk finger style on a standard guitar beyond the wrapped strings (finger picking with thumb, sure, but not traditional index/pointer fingerstyle), and with heavier strings on a baritone/six string bass I find it even more cramped (though doable if I have to). Maybe with practice I could do it, but I currently play it with a pick. Can't do those Ennio Morricone spaghetti western licks without a pick anyway.

[AustinLeftyBass]

String spacing.

[Retag]

Baritones are tuned B-B or A-A, while a Bass VI is tuned ever lower: E-E.

Every octave pedal I have used (Micro Pog, Octron, Akai Unibass) never did a perfect job on lowering octaves. Great in a blended context, but not sure if I would use it to emulate a Bass VI. Not quite sure how the modeling works on a Variax, perhaps it is different.