NAMM '17 - Line 6 Variax Shuriken Guitar Demo

[@N8sLaxLife]

A Line 6 thing that's good?!? WE GOTTA GET GLENN FRICKER ON THIS!

[@Fromagreatheight]

The Variax is actually highly regarded. Many people have used it, even professionals, because it's a really, REALLY good tool for guitarists, and the fact is, it's a REAL guitar inside and out, with more under the hood. Honestly think it's the best thing Line 6 created. It's also the best modeling guitar out there.

[@XMetalChefX]

I think Glenn would like this actually. He is big on people being able to record at home and getting a lot for their $$$

[@KRayxKodessA]

I watched the Andertons interview for the Shuriken and HAD to watch this one as well because Stevic gives a great interview. Dude is hilarious.

[@ivandeus]

Wow, when i got my first variax 700 and played with it, i almost immideatly found all the handicaps of 1st gen system, and now all of my wishes came true, good job!

[@Fromagreatheight]

For anyone wondering how the guitar works, it uses the piezo system because it's the best blank slate to work with when carving out the frequency response of a guitar's pickup and other variables, because of how flat and broad piezo pickups frequency response is. It's fed into the processor that is STILL the signal you've played, but just throws it through an impulse response to make it sound like the guitar you've chosen to emulate. That's why it's not midi. If you think about it, it's kind of genius. It's basically stripping away the coloring your pickups, electronics, and guitar body makes, and making the processor emulate that for you.

[@NickMass35]

Had the privalage to tour with twelve foot ninja. Such a great bunch of guys. Cool band as well.

[@megatyaesree]

You have been busy... ...you busy little beaver

[@matrixx29]

i've been busier than a cat!!

[@TinnyHidge]

Mate, everyone knows cats aren't that busy.

[@donniedarko444]

Unless you own a Helix, Firehawk, HD500x, or some other top notch Line 6 product and integrate it daily into your playing, you won't understand the functionality and purpose to it. It's cutting edge, top notch, and very user friendly. Not only does it make playing music more intuitive, it also opens doors to new ideas and ways of writing. I can't wait to get my hands on my Shuriken. It's going to work seamlessly with my Firehawk 1500 and FBV3. Good on ya Stevic. You guys rock.

[@grahamdolsen8507]

Lord Phontaroy I was havin a bad day that day man

[@matrixx29]

Stevic, can't wait to get my hands on one mate! possibilities are endless!

[@twelvefootninja]

Agreed! =)

[@revolutionday1]

This guy is super~knowledgeable.

[@teddeeh]

Terry Hesticles but not about the actual indepth knowledge.

[@revolutionday1]

teddeeh Well....he's a guitar player, in a band; not an engineer. 👌

[@teddeeh]

Terry Hesticles yeah he is a guitar player. But he has been brought there to represent a product and a brand. This is namm, the biggest music convention showing off the latest products. Look at the other brands and products with the people representing them and you will find guitar players etc who know what they are talking about and can give indepth, detailed knowledge and information about what they have been brought there to represent and be the face of.

[@twelvefootninja]

teddeeh do you know how to build a microwave? Who cares? Just needs to heat up food ey?

[@teddeeh]

twelvefootninja but i dont sell microwaves.

[@Transitionsband1]

Just discovered Variax, and this is blowing my mind. I'm looking forward to giving one a go

[@Fromagreatheight]

Definitely try it out. I love mine. Hell, I love my first generation one.

[@joe99173122]

As a fellow Aussie, I love this guy. I'm already a Variax owner, but I'm definitely interested in this model... and I'll most certainly check out Twelve Foot Ninja too. Stevic, keep rockin' my man!

[@twelvefootninja]

Thanks mate!

[@remyr5749]

I'm on board with this cool shape. I have the JTV-59 and love it. It's been rock solid for the last 3 years since I've owned it. I also wish L6 would stick the "Brains" of the Variax into an upgraded Helix or something so that it could be used via wireless with modeling. I can use the 59 wirelessly but only using the magnetic pickups vs piezo digital modeling.

[@eric_casper5150]

Stevic is da man.

[@matrixx29]

wow.. what dick thing to say when you clearly don't know enough about the band. the music very complex. is it for everyone? no.. but that's why there are so many genres of music. and personally i think the music is a great change in direction. you should check out all of their videos just for research and see just many different genres of music is incorporated into their songs. you probably won't like it based upon your first comment, but at least you'll be educated in microwaves!

[@en_ray]

Disagree. As far as their music, it's engaging, wildly diverse and delivered with a wink. In a genre full of people who love to take themselves seriously it's refreshing and great fun.

[@pdp977]

Welcome to the world of people who mistake their opinions for facts. Don't waste your time arguing - do they sound at all reasonable?

[@cameroncrowley1226]

Awesome guitar! I wish I could own one :'( I love you guys

[@xXxDOZERxXx1]

I would like to check out that set up for myself. great video

[@saunds59]

Cool guy and a good interview

[@Brennosguitarsandgear]

Stevic cracks me up absolute legend.I used to own one of the earlier variax models and the piezo didn't track palm muting very well. I wonder if that has been sorted now ?

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Not remotely of use to me as a product but a most entertaining video nonetheless. Interesting playing and striking sounds. Thanks

[@twelvefootninja]

Thank you for demonstrating respect even if it is not your cup of tea. Respect back to you Paul =)

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Hahahahahaha.....sorry! I've just been (really busy) watching the video for One Hand Killing. I lose track of thiscore and thatcore but this is seriously interesting and good stuff and I will certainly delve deeper. I liked yer man in this video and I am pretty sure I like the band....certainly so far. A good day for me. Thanks

[@bggouvea]

Wow, what a great talent! What was the tuning when you demo'd the acoustic?

[@ziekezang]

I must have this guitar! HD500x is on the way, just have to sell my Tele or LP and wait for the release of this beast! Any news on a North American tour??

[@BHHartman]

Bro… That’s like owning an American-made vintage muscle car and trading it in for five new Camrys because you want more color options.

[@danielnahuelpi]

Stevic has been as busy as a guitarist making a signature guitar with Line 6 and Yamaha

[@cpamiseso]

It's still better to watch Mark Holcomb playing his weird left hand shapes than knowing that a somewhat breakthrough technology actually can make it easier. I'm an old type person I guess, I don't find this appealing (yet).

[@markwhitelaw7192]

Cool guy and I realize this was his design, just wish Line 6 would make a decent looking guitar to go along with their technology. Have yet to see a Variax model I like the look of.

[@Fromagreatheight]

Even the JTV series? The Les Paul looking one is really great looking. The only problem with the Strat looking one is the ugly headstock.

[@MarkToast99]

Wait a minute... This guitar doesn't need a pickup?? If I understand correctly, the bridge picks up the string vibration. If so, then what's the purpose of having the pickup on the guitar?

[@V3xxe]

MarkToast It gives people the option of using the guitar through a normal amp :)

[@Fromagreatheight]

Mark, the new Variax guitars ever since 2010 function both as a modeling guitar and a normal guitar. AKA you can LITERALLY use this as a normal guitar, even if you take the battery out. This was done when people requested improvements on the original Variax guitars. You press the modeling knob and it'll go in and out of modeling mode. The piezos are there because it's a better reference point for modeling an input signal to sound like other pickups and guitars. Piezos have a flatter and broader frequency response than a magnetic pickup does.

[@frozencons]

Huh, that's a pretty cool looking instrument. This kind of thing is not normally in my wheelhouse but I'd definitely like to try one out. I'm still a little confused about the scale length though if you can pretty much keep it in standard tuning and let the software do the detuning. Why impose the increased fret spacing and string tension on yourself if you don't really need to? I know he mentioned something about it being required for the electronics but, if my memory serves me, Variax guitars have functioned pretty well without the 27" scale length. My first finger extensor tendon aches just looking at it.

[@twelvefootninja]

27" tracks better with low tunings. It's one of those things you'd have to play to suss out but the general consensus was that the neck felt great. Wasn't like playing Andre the Giant's guitar or anything

[@Fromagreatheight]

Are bends a pain in the ass though?

[@attherateofarobase]

twelvefootninja a few questions: How does the tone of the pitchshifting compare to typical drop tune pedals? That octave down D sounds well defined and i'm guessing all the drop tunings on your latest album are done digitally with the prototype guitar? Typical drop tune pedals get muddy as you go down a whole octave...does this tech increase the definition or add any eq to preserve clarity as you tune lower? Can you tune the physical strings to other pitches so that you can tune lower than the octave down D? Can the technology be expanded to work with seven string guitars in the future? Will future firmware upgrades allow more than 1 octave up/down of pitch shifting?

[@twelvefootninja]

G'day mate, 1.) I blind tested the band with an actual 7 string and the Shuriken prototype in a number of scenarios and they chose the Shuriken every time. It smashes drop tune pedals in my opinion. Plus, you can tune and mix individual strings. 2.) There is no additional EQ on my -12 drop D sound. I use a gate, light compressor, bogner amp sim, Mesa IR in that order and nothing else. 3.) Yes. In theory you could go to an octave below C if you set the guitar up for it. I've never done it! Could be cool! 4.) Possibly. I guess that depends on the popularity of the Shuriken. I think 7 and 8 strings are only needed if you are doing very fast sweeps or something . . . Because you can tune any string to anything, it's easy to have super low on E, A or E, A, D strings and have standard on G, B, E strings. 5.) I cannot predict what future updates will allow. Line 6 are a bunch of Jedi maniacs capable of doing all sorts of insane things. Hope that clears things up! Check out Shuriken Guitars on facebook . . . Have a good one!

[@attherateofarobase]

Thanks a lot for the info...super helpful

[@twelvefootninja]

No worries mate! I'll be making a bunch of videos very soon going into more detail. Stay posted!

[@Fromagreatheight]

I've argued this for a while. The Variax is actually a MILLION times better than any "drop pitch" guitar pedal. I'm not even saying that because of bias, I'm being literal. When you "drop tune" with a pitch pedal, it becomes muddy, because it's stretching out the treble until there's nothing left. If you tune upwards, you get this nasally sound. That's what's called timbre. In some profession pitch shifting software, there is a function called "formant preserve" which shifts the harmonic frequencies to compensate for the deterioration of the timbre. Basically if you did this with a guitar, it literally sounds like a physically downtuned guitar. Now, I actually think the Variax uses this technology with their alt tuning technology. It's not perfect but it's there and it improves A LOT compared to a pitch pedal. If you drop to say, E standard, to B standard, you can hear the crispness of the sound still. It doesn't get flubby sounding at all, at least not until you hit all the way down 1 octave, it gets a little bit. Same with pitching up. It doesn't sound nasally. TLDR: basically it has technology to keep it sounding crisp and it sounds, very realistic to me. It's one of the reasons I love the guitar.

[@opilotto01]

I'm Brazilian , I like a premiere guitar 😀😀😀😀

[@einarabelc5]

Just came from the Batman video. Guadaña!!!

[@JayJayStudios1]

Does anybody know if this awesome piece of technology can be used as a MIDI guitar? Cheers

[@Fromagreatheight]

It's not midi capable sadly. It has nothing to do with midi, to be honest, but that doesn't mean it couldn't have been utilized, since a hex piezo system is a good input for midi guitars. I know the Variax Bass has some synth patches, which proves it can be done, but I think Line 6 wanted to focus on making realistic guitar emulation, not guitar synthesis.

[@firstgiraffeonthemoon]

what is the name of the software he is using ? 2:20 and how does it work in combination with efecctboard and guitar etc. ? are snapshot and helix necesary for using this guitar with all its features? so many questions :) i'm not into gear sorry Thanks for answering

[@V3xxe]

Nils H. The software is Workbench, which comes with the Line 6 guitars :) You can use the guitar without a Helix, changing the tuning/guitar type with the knobs and switch. You only need the Helix pedalboard if you decide to stick different tunings in a track and want to switch INSTANTLY between em when you play live. Hope that helps!

[@V3xxe]

I missed the other question! For Workbench with the Variax guitars it just allows you to change the guitar model/tuning, so it wouldn't really affect any pedals you have any more than swapping out physical guitars would as far as I can tell. The Helix has amp/effects modelling though so you could change multiple effects and even your amp/cab simulation you were using along with the guitar model/tuning.

[@leonk6950]

Serious question: does it Djent? I heard that palm muting is a big problem for the variaxes, is that true?

[@Fromagreatheight]

I've put a treble booster in front of my signal chain and trust me, it can djent pretty damn well, if you're aiming for that high treble high gain sound. You just need to tweak your signal chain.

[@BazNard]

Sweet

[@teddeeh]

I do think it may have been better for line 6 to get someone who actually knew what the hell they were talking about.

[@Dunkelzeitgeist]

teddeeh Stevic does, literally just how he talks

[@revolutionday1]

teddeeh You're out of order, sir.

[@teddeeh]

Terry Hesticles no im not. Im entitled to my opinion. You may be fine with his description of how things work but i am not. I found him lacking alot of knowledge and either trying to joke answer or not understanding the question. I didnt call him names, i didnt swear or be derogatory.

[@twelvefootninja]

teddeeh When you drink beer do you want to know the recipe or do you just enjoy it?

[@Dunkelzeitgeist]

twelvefootninja Well said, exactly what I'm going to do when they're available here in the U.K.

[@megatyaesree]

14:38 Polyphia. 😂

[@Aleph_Null_Audio]

So which is more metal, red or black licorice?

[@twelvefootninja]

I think RED would contrast nicely . . . But matte black licorice could be a thing.

[@thehappydead1985]

This guitar is insane! MIDI guitar type thing

[@Fromagreatheight]

It's not MIDI at all. It's your actual signal being processed by an impulse response. It doesn't replace the signal, it alters the signal to what it would sound like if it was actually physically running through said emulated pickups and electronics. It's why old strings will sound like old strings on this guitar, because it's literally just the piezo pickups, like on an electric acoustic, or electric with a piezo system. MIDI would imply it's reading the signal, and then replacing it with a new synthetic one. That's why it's called a "modeling guitar" (like an modeling amp) and not a MIDI or Synth guitar.

[@KasbashPlays]

Stevic*! Do your research Premier Guitar!

[@chrominox]

Traditional Punjabi Sound. This guy bhangra's.

[@dropkickmonk3y]

Shopping time.

[@sentry1204]

busy

[@WinstonGuitar]

Warning: 14 minutes in, they're still flappin' their jaws. Not a note played. KZbin seems to be filled more and more with videos of guys who just wanna talk.

[@ianyoung5857]

@7:13 Stevic mentions the guitar is physically tuned to dropped-D. I'd be curious to know if there's any software configuration to compensate for this.

[@ricardogava1604]

JUST PLAY IT!!!!

[@Apopheniomind]

I want that ninja guitaaar....

[@Hillgaard84]

what is the prize of the guitar?

[@revolutionday1]

Another Gamer7ag He said $1,299-$1,399'ish.

[@nazliuz]

squirtward,can i play djent with that ? lol

[@lukaswilliams3328]

Props to him for using a line 6 spider v on tour, sounds too potatoish to me

[@Deauxtje]

All Variax demo’s suck. Stevic is going to save the Variax. He knows how to use it and apply it very good in his live playing.

[@charliear6998]

No 7 string? >.>

[@Fromagreatheight]

They'd probably have to rewrite the coding for a 7th string because all Variax guitars are programmed to handle 6 string signals.

[@MrUltraworld]

More gadgets. I still don't get why it has such a long scale length, it's going to feel awful to musicians who play a 25.5 or shorter scale. I need one or two guitars, not 60. Line6 always pushes this technology, but they've done a lousy job when it comes to integration and practicality. You need this guitar, a Helix, a way to amplify it, a good enough PA for DI. And when it shits the bed (and it will), you're stuck. I thought when Yamaha purchased Line6, this stuff would be taken care of. But Line6 continues to make gadgets.

[@twelvefootninja]

This product sounds like it doesn't suit what you do.

[@einarabelc5]

The wood is not important because the Piezo. Facepalm!!

[@derks0]

lol that guys cool

[@m3t4ldood]

$1400.00! must be nice :p

[@DrRussPhd]

15 minutes of Line 6 fizz/flab/fart noises.

[@likeanuuk6612]

said on a video thats mostly just talking....

[@aidanorawe4574]

Hoshi Hearts Why are you defending line 6 lmao

[@likeanuuk6612]

+Aidan O'Rawe nah, line 6 is mediocre. but its funny when tone snobs make themselves look dumb.

[@Jimboishere11]

"Demo" more like 13 and a half mins of talking. Sigh.....

[@twelvefootninja]

jimboishere11 we were plugged into some piss ant little studio monitors. I used the prototype of this guitar on our latest album "outlier". You can hear how it sounds on that.

[@Jimboishere11]

twelvefootninja Thank you for the relpy. But I'll pass in that one thanks.

[@twelvefootninja]

jimboishere11 ha ha righto mate.

[@replicant8532]

I don't like all that tech stuff in my gear as it makes it age bad.

[@twelvefootninja]

It all depends on what you want to achieve I suppose.

[@Cuzjudd]

Interviewer asked good qs

[@vivzmayster6164]

Less talking, More playing.please.

[@sumithramachandranwatchyou5045]

Stupid product.

[@Fromagreatheight]

Stupid comment. Many people appreciate the Variax.

[@Fromagreatheight]

I'm serious though, how is it stupid to have many sounds of different guitars, AND different tunings in one guitar in the turn of a knob? Not very stupid, and you can't even say "You're ruining guitar with this technology" because it literally functions and looks like a normal guitar. You can chuck the battery out and use it as a 100% normal guitar with magnetic pickups.

[@souperhart]

another guy running his mouth about all kinds of knowledge no one else knows anything about so everyone will think he's 'innovative'

[@Brennosguitarsandgear]

Stevic cracks me up absolute legend.I used to own one of the earlier variax models and the piezo didn't track palm muting very well. I wonder if that has been sorted now ?