I just spent the entire day reprogramming the presets on my Line Six Variaxe, and I'm SOOOOOOO happy I did! Now, it's an "Uncle Dave" signature model, and it will be a dream to play. The newest HD software is such a great upgrade - you can now make ANYthng a 12string, or a 1, 2 ,3, 4, or 5 string, for that matter. I programmed a few Ukes, and even a few Jazz guitars without the 2 E strings to help me voice those interesting inner chords that I'm new to. It really helps thin the sound out when I play with a keyboard player ... makes our chords blend better.

I added transpositions, rebalanced string volumes ... MAN, I had a ball. Can't wait to take it out next weekend and give it a whirl in real time.

I admit - I LIKE gimmicks. I have an American Deluxe Strat with a Fishman Bridge, a Roland G5 Strat with COSM models, the JTV, a Taylor T5 ... they all have some cool little FAUX trick that makes the day more interesting. Aside from my acoustic ... it'd be very hard to decide which one to keep if I had to choose only one. Right now .. I think it's the Varixe, because even without all the bells and whistles - it's a terrific Strat all on its own.

Sounds like a great setup Dave. Maybe I really should shell out for the software to customize my Variaxe.

The software is free ... you just can't use the HD with your model! Go to LineSix.com and you'll find it there. You DO need a USB interface or a POD XT to activate it though .... there are SO many tweakable parameters. You gotta try it. At worst, the $99 for the USB interface will be all you need to spend if you can't borrow and XT.