What would attract you to a Variax? Is it the idea of instant alternate/open/drop-D tunings? Which is pretty attractive but IMO not all that unless you’re addicted to a *trem, then yeah, that’s pretty cool. Or is it the modeling? You can get that with any guitar if that’s how you roll.
*I’m a hardtail guy, utterly, but I get the idea of using a trem for ornaments stuff. I’m thoroughly in the Jimmy Page camp versus Jeff Beck.
**No, I’m not at all opinionated, why do you ask? 
I write quite a variety of stuff in different styles, so it would seem handy to have a ‘reasonable’ approximation to many of the classic guitars available…
Much as I would like to have a collection including a classic Strat, Tele, Les Paul, SG, 335, Rick 12, Martin acoustic etc etc, I’m not that rich! And the alternate tunings would be at least fun to play around with, especially since they are configurable.
I’m sure the modelings are not good enough for real professional work, but good enough for a decent demo and live work at the semi-pro level.
Or is it the modeling? You can get that with any guitar if that’s how you roll. <<
I would be very interested to hear about any modeling device or software that can take the output from a standard guitar pickup and do a convincing job, without at least some hardware assist on the guitar itself?
I’m probably? not someone to ask about modeling. I’ve done quite a lot of it years ago - Line6, Amplitube, Guitar Rig - and I’ve never found it especially convincing except for Metal/Crunch style work, and even that wasn’t all that. I enjoy the current lower-end Fender modeling amp, Mustang GT100, and find it pretty satisfying but there’s nothing like tubes.
As far as Variax goes, if the signal path is Line 6-based, I’d be extremely skeptical of their modeling, which in past years frankly sucked. Fender seems to be the gold standard at the moment if you want a traditional sound.
My info may be a bit out of date, so I’ll let someone else chime in with better knowledge of what you’re looking at.
Reverb lists 1 yamaha variax for $390. Says it’s in very good condition.
That’s a good price for tech you may or may not like. It should resale for close to that if it needs a new home.
Link Line 6 (Yamaha) Variax 500 2005 - Candy Apple Red | Reverb
I really love my TC Electronics Flashback delay, now superceded by the Flashback II. On the face of it, it’s a simple to use delay that covers digital, analog, tape, some modulation and shimmer effects and a looper right from the front panel. But you can beam it alternate presets (by holding your phone to a pickup and let it squeal the settings to it like a modem) that unlock a ton of under the hood stuff like chorus, flange, reverb, saturation, etc. Straightforward to use when you want it, complex and fiddly when you’re in that mood.
On a related note, I made the mistake of watching some episodes of That Pedal Show (linked upthread) and ended up watching the Johnny Marr interview late one night a couple of weeks ago. One thing led to another and here we are with another instance of NGD…
Yes, I think they are still available, though maybe used now?
I would really prefer to have a hands-on workout first though.
Will have to have a look at possible sources in the UK…
Thanks for the reminder of the TC Flashback (II) pedal. I’ve seen it around, but completely forgot about it.
40 seconds of loop is enough for me to put down a little bass line or some comping to practice over a chord progression, as a bonus.
And it truly is a Flashback, with the Mini (not “micro”!) USB port! Good thing it comes with a cable…I know I have, like, one somewhere around!
About the Variax…neat. Yeah, I’ve only heard of it being used in the context of swapping to alternate tunings quickly…haven’t heard anything about it recently, though.
Well, now I’m the proud owner of the Flashback II delay pedal.
To my shame, as of its arrival yesterday, I have not yet plugged it in (day job and all that!), but it’s just a beautiful pedal in that mini size. And the footswitch is smooth as butter.
No, I really won’t be using the Toneprint ability at all…just dial in slapback (nothing fancy at all compared to what a delay pedal can do) and try to figure out the looper…haven’t looked at the documentation, but it might be possible to upload to the device a snippet of something from a computer to loop…99.995% sure not, but that’s still fine, since the looper is kind of a bonus feature AFAIC.
All right!
So, thanks again for the recommendation. That steeled my indecision wobbling about the EH Canyon Delay or one the Boss pedals I could have bought a much cheaper delay pedal, but this is something I can feel good about, and it “matches” my main amp, the TC Electronics BAM 200, which I love.
I recommend checking that out at some point. The desktop app that gives access to every single setting is probably more than you want to mess with, but in the phone apps, there’s a bunch of fun presets made by dozens of artists that you can quickly beam to the pedal using the phone speaker. It’s pretty amazing all the non-delay functionality that’s baked into that little brick.
Yeah, I know I’m asking a lot of questions, and I appreciate the answers and general savoir-faire.
You know how it is when someone starts digging into a new forum and goes all nuts with stuff. I hope I’m not that bad, and I don’t think so.
It could be maybe me playing this little Squier Sonic with the 0.09s “set up” (i.e., as shipped) by Sweetwater having been played so close to a space heater pretty much since I bought it a few months (six?) ago.
Wow. The intonation is incredibly off.
Could be me having swapped her from open G to standard E a dozen or so times, and some other tunings for trying to remember how to play slide (which I can’t, but it’s still fun).
I think it’s a combination of real crap tuning machines/tuners, and me getting off my lazy ass and setting the intonation at the bridge (just regular hardtail Tele bridge).
I know some people around town who recommend a certain shop, but I hesitate to spend any money on this thing. I mean, heck, I was so peeved at the poly finish I took a power drill with a greenie disc sander to get some of the gloss off one I got it.
However, it might be worth it for the Ibanez AF55 hollowbody. I suspect I might have messed up the truss road (although it measures right). But at least in the U.S. the Thomastik-Infeld 14s (flats) were stupid expensive (comparatively) and for a proper set up it’d need a new set of strings. I think there’s some binding at the nut even with the 14s, but if I were going to buy a new set of strings, I’d probably just go nuts and go 16s, Pat Martino style. Bridge cable stable. Why not, you know?
I bet if I brough in my little AF55 and chunked down for some new strings, natch, which might need a new nut or nut filing, I could probably po-mouth my way into having them set up the little Squier Sonic for free, just as good will for their company. Of course I’d wear a full on business suit and necktie to let them know I was an important collector of rare antiquities about town!
Tuners will not effect intonation. Well, unless something bizarre is happening.
This. Setting intonation, at least fairly well, isn’t that difficult. It depends though: is your Tele bridge the 3-barrel type or six saddles?
It looks like it’d be cake to do on your AF55 with that bridge. But if there’s other problems, you need a tech. And if you go to bridge cables, you may also need a tech as that could affect the neck relief.
When you say it’s off, what is the problem? Are the fretted and harmonic octaves off?
You seem to understand the idea of adjusting the bridge so that the fretted octave and harmonic octave are in tune (I’m guessing you have adjustments for each string on the bridge; don’t know what bridge you have).
Have you done that? It isn’t hard. We can go into detail if you want.
Once that’s correct, as long as the action is properly adjusted (which might involve truss rod work, which I might be a bit reluctant to take on myself), the intonation should be fairly good?
I looked and your Sonic would have a ‘modern’ six saddle bridge. That’s easy to set intonation, just a tuner and a screwdriver. There’s YouTube videos that show how, it’s not difficult.
Oh, it’s off in every possible way.
If one were partially deaf and squinted just right, then maybe the fretted notes and the harmonics at the octaves/twelfth frets are sort of OK.
Enough that I could just use a screwdriver and do the standard “if flat, then forward” &c. at the bridge.
Oh, and, yes, the Squier just has the standard hardtail bridge with screws for each string…strings on top of the body, not the through-body design like on a Strat with the Floyd tremolo…not sure what it’s called.
Similar to how I’ve fiddled with the floating bridge on the archtop…in that case just a tiny nudge.
The main problem with the Tele is that she won’t stay in tune at all, which makes me suspect the tuning machines themselves, which just feel “loose” in a general way.
Assuming I can ever get it dead-on accurate to begin with, using any combination of techniques for tuning…harmonics at various frets, fretted notes vs. open strings, just using an electronic tuner…it’s just plain bad. I don’t know if it’s the frets themselves, could be the strings are dead.
Probably best option is to secure the intonation at the bridge which, as everyone says, and even I know how to turn the screws at each saddle point, is very simple, and then try it again.
The more troubling issue is how much I’ve fiddled with turning the truss rod on the Ibanez archtop. Not a fancy guitar, but I think it’s a solid one for keeping investing in as a basic platform. Came with a tune-o-matic bridge, and was strung with 11s, but I replaced with a rosewood bridge and saddle, and swapped in the 14 flatwound set, first thing I did. After applying Meguiar’s #7 to the originally matte finish, she even looks like a player.
Nothing wrong with how the Ibanez holds tune…in that case…I think I’d be better off just using a straightedge and seeing for a fact if there is some bowing along the fingerboard that I haven’t noticed. And probably hold off on changing the string gauge to higher than 14s, since the added tension will almost certainly need some adjustment I couldn’t confidently make. Not seeing any binding at the nut slots with the 14s.
Edit AND, I should probably stop trying to “adjust” my guitars in the dead of night when killing a bottle of whiskey! Probably could lead to mistakes!
It’s called “string-thru (or through)”.
That’s called “fucking hell, buy a new guitar.”
I would suspect the same. Getting and installing tuning machines is not complex, and a decent upgrade. Get locking tuners if you can, really helps with restringing. Though if you’re kvetching about buying strings for the Ibanez, perhaps not a consideration on the Sonic and you just never restring, so get decent non-locking tuners instead.
Other consideration is perhaps neck instability. Is it a 4-bolt neck? If it is, tighten the bolts (don’t go nuts) and cross fingers. Maybe that’ll improve things, but I’m much more convinced it’s the tuners. If it’s a 3 bolt or some other weirdo config, no clue.
Another is the nut. When you play or tune, do you hear a ‘ping!’ at the headstock sometimes? That’s the nut binding up. Usually annoying but tolerable for tuning, maddening if you bend notes and bam! you’re out of tune. Somewhat fixable with graphite nut lube, better fix is a tech filing the nut but if you’re brave you can do it yourself.
You want the neck bowed front to back, meaning from body joint to headstock, so a straightedge does fuckall to help you. The bow makes sure strings don’t “fret out” when you play. What I’ve read is using feeler gauges to measure the bow, but I haven’t done that, I just fuck with the truss rod until it seems right.
Oh, prime directive: if you want to intonate, do it with new strings. Old strings just aren’t reliable for intonating. I mean, go ahead and take a chance, but you’re looking through a dirty windshield at the intonation.
Lots of good info here. Lemme see if I can add any additional light…
Poor quality tuning machines can be a real problem, but in my experience, the problem is much more likely to be a bad, binding nut. Pencil lead or something like nut sauce can help, but the real answer is a careful application of a nut file. And these days, there are a million great youtube videos to watch so you don’t have to go in blind. Worst you can do is to cut the nut too deeply, so make your focus working on the sides of the cut and rounding off the corners. I recommend a set of feeler gauges both for confirming your string height as well as learning a little more about relief.
Neck relief and truss rod adjustment is a little tougher. I, like @squeegee, usually tweak the truss rod until things look and feel right. But I’d say I know what that is because early on I used feeler gauges to know what I wanted. The only straightedge you need is the strings, capo-ing at the 1st fret and holding the string down at the last fret/where the neck meets the body/at the 17th fret, all depending on who’s instructions you’re following. You’ll be able to see the relief between the 8th and 12th frets, and after you’ve measured it a couple of times, you’ll just know by looking if it’s what you want.
Straight edges. Stay away, I think. Unless you get the notched kind like I have. A regular straight edge has two problems. One is that it may not actually be all that straight, and the other is that it is just telling you about the frets, not the neck. The notched straight edge will actually contact the fretboard and tell you the true story of your neck. I like to take the strings off and use the notched straightedge to make sure I can get the next truly flat, no weird humps or bows that can’t be dialed out. If you have a wavy neck, the truss rod ain’t gonna save you. Anyway, once you know the actual fretboard is flat, you can string up and adjust for the right amount of relief. I find that if the neck is perfectly flat without strings, the relief is right on once I’ve added string tension.
Fret rocker. If you wanna then worry about the height of your frets in relation to each other, get a fret rocker and three frets at a time check if you can feel high spots. You might find a high fret which you’d need to file down, or several high frets, in which case you’d wanna do an all-over fret level.
Intonation. Squeegee is 100% right. Intonate with new strings. I’ve chased intonation problems before that turned out to be a bad string behaving in ways that seem to violate the laws of physics. Once you’ve intonated, and it truly is a simply but fiddly process, you really shouldn’t need to do it again.
I’m gonna see if I can find some of the videos that I’ve found most helpful, but the best advice I think I can provide is to get one or both of Dan Erlewine’s books. I have his Guitar Player Repair Guide and find it to be indispensable. But I’ve also heard great things about How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!
Nothing to add now, but goddamn, you guys are up on your game! Just wanted to say thanks. And a few of the comments to my penultimate post (including this one as the ultimate) were genuinely “first laugh of the day.”
No, I’m not going to get a set of nut files, nor even feeler gauges. I do have a new digital caliper that was recommended and used by a fellow on an MST3K board.
Yes, if I were really “in the business” as a guitar plinker, I’d probably have already replaced the nut on the Ibanez with a bone nut, but truth is, I’m not that handy. I can buy tools same as everyone, but using them correctly is not the same.
The only thing I’m picky about is that a guitar stay in tune…and I mean dead-on, balls accurate. To my ears, which are pretty good if I do say so myself. I expect an instrument to take an A=440 Hz tuning reference from a tuning fork, and every possible fret combination and harmonic to sound pretty damned good, after tune up.
I think the only real realization is that the Squier Tele is messed up in the hardware department. Yes, it’s a four-bolt neck, and they’re properly tightened. I haven’t used a torque wrench on the bolts, but I’m pretty confident the bolts on the neck are just about perfect.
She sounds fine in Open G, generally.
Only solution? New guitar! Likely another Tele a step up in price (and one hopes, quality). New one should stay in Standard E, restring out of the box with flatwound 12s (unwound G string), and keep this one in open G, since it can handle that.
Or I should say my ears can handle the jangly-ness of the open tuning, even though it’s probably a bit off as well.
I want a portable practice amp. Key features for me…
I strongly considered the classic pig nose. Unfortunately the output is a line out. I’d need a headphone amp. Single speaker
I’ve almost decided on the Yamaha THR5 5W. Runs on 8AA or the supplied brick. Dual 3.15" speakers. USB to send signal to a Laptop editor. The Yamaha includes Steinberg’s Cubase AI recording software
The price difference is only $70. A good headphone amp would cost $40. The only thing I don’t like is the Yamaha is a modeling Amp. I prefer a old school Amp that only amplifies the signal.
But this is primarily for practice and outdoor playing. I can buy 8AA rechargeable batteries.
I am also considering the Roland Mobile Cube. But there’s no headphone jack. No USB. Dual speakers It includes a mixer. Uses 6AA. I don’t think it’s considered a modeling amp. It’s cheaper than the Yamaha.
Decisions, Decisions the Yamaha looks so good. But the mixer in the Roland would be useful. I wish it supported headphones.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/THR5--yamaha-thr5-10-watt-2x3-inch-modeling-combo
I never want to discourage someone from celebrating New Guitar Day; see my post above. But if you can get that Squier working in open G then there’s nothing wrong with it that a proper setup can’t fix.
And I strongly suggest rethinking the feeler gauge thing. Calipers aren’t going to be useful. I’ve tried.
You know, given how many times I’ve tuned and retuned this little Squier Tele from open G (that was its original purpose) back to standard…and back again…I would think a little graphite or whatever lubricant couldn’t hurt applied to the nut.
Yeah, picking up the guitar just now with my LH (damn, that sucker is heavy), I can see at a glance there’s nothing the strings seem too happy with.
Although, the nut slots seem perfectly happy with the 0.09s on there. I think some basic cleaning, lubrication, and string replacement is in order.
New strings, and probably stop inadvertently clipping the capo over the first or second strings on the headstock (!?)!
Hey, new strings? Know what that means? A set of 12 flatwounds with an unwound G.
I think I’m going to change them according to some anecdote told about Pat Martino when he was at the Guitar Institute and some kid came in with a filthy guitar with dead strings…supposedly he just took a flush cutter and cut all the strings off, threw them in the trash and told the kid, “clean your guitar, boy!”
Well I don’t have a string cutter, but I do have a flush cutter, and not too concerned about dulling the edge on the that!
Duly noted. I do have a number of steel rulers which are probably accurate to within 5/64ths of an inch.
TBH, I have had the worst luck with digital calipers. This new one seems OK, bought on the recommendation of an amateur metalsmith, but it still doesn’t work down to the level needed for guitar work. Could be user error, or just the wrong tool for the job.
I don’t know. I’ve looked long and hard on the Yamaha THR line, and they have some real ardent fans.
The big “ask” for me is the secondary input. A lot of the Class D microamps, like the TC Bam200 have headphone outs, but you’d have to use a mixer to get your other source into that, as well as the Quilter line of microamps.
I’ll be interested to see what the local gurus have to recommend.