{"id":84,"date":"2012-01-25T22:48:38","date_gmt":"2012-01-25T22:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bunnyears.net\/guitar\/?page_id=84"},"modified":"2019-09-28T06:32:10","modified_gmt":"2019-09-28T06:32:10","slug":"200x-line-6-variax-bass","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bunnyears.net\/guitar\/basses\/200x-line-6-variax-bass\/","title":{"rendered":"Line 6 Variax 700 Bass"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Year:<\/strong> 2005?
\nFinish:<\/strong> Black
\nOrigin:<\/strong>\u00a0Korea
\nAcquired:<\/strong> 2011
\nMods:<\/strong> Schaller straplocks
\nStill owned:<\/strong> No<\/p>\n

The Story:
\n<\/strong>I love my Variax 500 guitar, and the convenience and pure digital signal path when running through a POD via a Variax jack led me to get the bass model.\u00a0It does most of the same things as the guitar, but for four-strings \u2014 six flavors of Fender, plus Rickenbacker, Steinberger, Gibson, uprights, roundwound & flatwounds, even some synth toys. Being a Beatles fan, I\u2019ve been lusting after a Hofner violin bass for years, but they are fragile and limited. The Variax model based on the Hofner got high praise, so to be able to have that \u2014 AND Flea\u2019s Modulus bass, AND a Stingray, AND a freakin\u2019 8-string \u2014 well, it was worth selling another bass to gain what is basically 20 more in one instrument.<\/p>\n

I broke my long-standing rule of “no sunburst, no black” for this bass. I think sunburst and black finishes are totally cliched and I swore never to support either if I could help it. But the Variax was only made in those two finishes, and its functionality is more important than my grudge. So, this should tell you a) how good this bass is and b) how much I hate sunburst finishes. The moto pickguard makes the black less boring anyway.<\/p>\n

The neck width and shape is perfect for me, sort of the ultimate Fender Jazz feel; the body is a nice hybrid of a P-bass and a Music Man; the thumbrest (which I prefer using, and miss on many modern basses) is perfectly placed and scooped so it doesn’t get in the way for aggressive pick playing. It took me a little while to figure out how to change the digital models (it’s a color-changing LED) but once you get it dialed in, it’s super easy. I put half-wounds<\/a> on it purely for the feel and it became extremely comfortable.<\/p>\n

I sold this after PLSDSP was complete, as I’d acquired a few more basses and no longer owned the POD floor unit that complemented this so well. But it was sold to a friend, so if I ever need to borrow it, I probably can!<\/p>\n