Line6 teamed up with James Tyler for the next generation of Variax...

Google "James Tyler Variax" for more info.. 4x the dsp power... plink-free piezo pickups... dedicated alt tuning knob.. I will be pre-ordering mine and waiting by the doorstep..

The JT Variax already blows away the old Variax... hands down..  a carbon one would be cool but you will probably have to buy a blade and do the  transplant manually... probably not worth it since the electronics and battery are bulky and heavy anyhow...

They hit stores in October.. woooha

Ryan, funny you should mention the James Tyler Variax. I just read about it today on the LR Baggs website while researching the Anthem. If I were playing in a rock band, I would be very interested in an electric Variax that could give me convincing acoustic sounds. However, at this point, I'm playing almost exclusively acoustic and want to get a great plugged-in sound for an acoustic guitar. Since I prefer "real" acoustic guitars (as opposed to the Line6 Varix Acoustic), I'm not interested in the fancier features like virtual capo and alternate tunings, just great acoustic sound. The existing Line6 already provides that; any improvement would just be icing on the cake for me.

Peavey already has some of the best amp emulation on the market, both in software (ReValver) and hardware (the Vyper line of amps).  It's much more likely that they'll follow Line 6 into the guitar emulation realm rather than try any kind of partnership.  After all, Line 6 is a formidable amp competitor.  It's like asking Gibson to team up with Fender to produce the Jimi Hendrix Strat...  However, I do firmly believe that Peavey has the technical capacity to compete in the guitar modelling world aginst Line 6, if only they choose to do so.

Good points, Larry. I guess I think of Peavey more as an amp company, rather than a modeling company. I wonder if they have any technology similar to the Variax?

I guess I don't care if they do it themselves or team up with some other company, but I'd love a composite guitar with virtual guitar modeling that was similar in quality to the Variax. The plugged in sound of the Acoustic Variax beats any pickup system hands down (IMO).

I guess I'm just old.  I don't understand the reason for modeling at all.  Get the guitar you want and play it.  I use K&K pickups because they sound most like the guitar that I put them on.  I don't want the guitar to sound like a different guitar.  I don't want my Cargo to sound like my D-28. 

Doug, I'm plenty old myself, but let's not get into specifics... ;)

In my case, I'm not really interested in making my guitar sound like another guitar. What I want is a really good live sound. The problem is that, short of using a microphone (which just doesn't work for me), it's very difficult to attain that goal. K&K is probably about as good as they get, but they still don't sound just like a miked acoustic guitar.

The Variax acoustic that I heard sounded like a really nice guitar amplified with a really nice mic. It was far and away the best plugged-in sound I've ever heard. I wouldn't care if they didn't give me a lot of different models, as long as it gives me one I really like.

If there's any way you can record a Variax into a DAW for evaluation I would recommend it.  It can be very revealing to hear the tone without other instruments, natural or artificial effects, etc.  My issue with the Variax 700 series (electric and acoustic) is that there is no option to blend with a natural acoustic attack.  I think an acoustic guitar has a certain subtle feel - a string is plucked with a certain amount of force, and a certain amount of vibration is felt in the body.  What we hear matches what we feel.  On a modeling guitar that's essentially an electric body, everything is off.  It's like the difference between striking a key on a piano vs. a keyboard.

When I've recorded my Variax 700 into GarageBand or Live, I've found that the initial attack of the note has an odd fade-in quality.  If I'm using a pick, the absence of an authentic attack sounds even stranger.  It's almost as if there's some digital overcompensation for the piezo quack effect.  Basically I would be very reluctant to use a Variax for any sort of acoustic studio recording - in a quiet environment I can really hear its digital synth sound quality.  In a noisy environment these issues are much less noticeable.

On the other hand, I have one Fishman Aura pedal for nylon string guitars, and I find the sound output to be fine for recording.  I think it's because of the blend option - I can dial in settings so that the output matches the experience of playing.

Now if Line6 is refining their technology, and if they come up with something for a true acoustic guitar, I'll certainly be willing to try it.

Interesting input regarding the Variax sound quality. I only heard this one guitar a couple of times at a local restaurant/pub, certainly not under critical listening conditions. I even got to play it for a song (I struck up a conversation with the guy and he invited to do a song after he found out I played). I thought is sounded spectacular, but, once again, this was not under the best circumstances. Of course, when it comes to playing live, the sound doesn't have to be recording studio caliber, just good. For me, the Variax Acoustic accomplished that better than any guitar I've ever heard.

The fact that the guitar doesn't resonate the same as a real acoustic would probably matter to a lot of people. However, I don't think it would bother me. Furthermore, I want the technology added to a real acoustic, so maybe that wouldn't be that big of a deal anyway.