RE:Tubes versus Modeling Caged Death Match MIME-Version: 1.0

["William R. Walker," <chillyb@cruzio.com>]

 Along this same thread, I did have a chance to try out the variax modeling
guitar by line 6 for a good hour or so. I was suprisingly impressed,
particularly the Strat, tele, and Les Paul models. Even the more complex
models like the electric 12 string and the sitar guitar had sonic merit.
Some fell short, the resonater guitar sounded more like and electric
proccessed through a flanger set to a non sweeping metalic comb filtered
setting. Where this unit falls short, and in its defense this is a pretty
tall order, is in the feel department. As good as the Ricki 12 simulation
sounds, there is no way it is going to have the same feel as a real 12
string. Ditto for the Jazz box sound. A good  usable sound, but incapable
of recreating the feeling of a large resonating archtop craddled under your
arm. That being said, the variax offers a suprising number of good,
accurate sounding models. For someone wanting to expand their guitar
arsenal on a modest budget, this might be the ticket. Also, for someone
with a commercial project studio, the variax offers a lot of tonal variety
without having to drag a bunch instruments out, and tune em up etc. I have
always wanted a  Coral electric sitar, but the price of both used and new
ones, coupled with the amount I'd really play one, has prevented me from
taking the plunge. Ditto for an electric 12 string. A variax would cost
about half of what either of those instruments would run and offer so many
other usable sounds. Seen in this light, the variax seems like a bargain
alternative.
Bill

Hey Stan, I still have'nt sold my Trio, and who knows, maybe I'll drag it
out again someday and replace my pod with it. The reason I stopped using it
live in my loop rig was never about tone. It was more about versatility,
the pod just had more sonic options without having to use more stomp boxes
or outboard effects.