Exchanger Pedal: Pickup Compensations.

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Thought this was pretty cool, the demo seems reasonable enough.  I could see this being a practical home studio tool for those that only have 1 or 2 guitar that don't house the variety of pickups emulated by this machine.  I know it's all eq tweaks, but still reasonably impressive for a completely analog signal path.

https://youtu.be/r69RL418DY4

https://youtu.be/QvhFn5FWVxw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzp6s4yYQPw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlprK3vEhFo

Downside, wife may find out & decide that this is better than multiple Warmoth builds...

 

[new-killer-star]

I saw this and thought it was really cool too but then I had the same follow up thought and pretty quickly stopped thinking about it...

Downside, wife may find out & decide that this is better than multiple Warmoth builds...

I’m sure there are many folks that don’t want many many guitars. I bet it’s also useful live where you only want to bring a guitar and maybe a backup. 

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I saw this and thought it was really cool too but then I had the same follow up thought and pretty quickly stopped thinking about it...

Downside, wife may find out & decide that this is better than multiple Warmoth builds...

I’m sure there are many folks that don’t want many many guitars. I bet it’s also useful live where you only want to bring a guitar and maybe a backup.

I could still see a practical use for it in my studio, since my only SC guitar is my Baritone Tele.
It's quick & effective, & services workflow in the absence of the dream guitar that you ultimately want on the track.

 

[Cagey]

Very interesting device. Essentially, a Variax in a box. I can see that be quite useful for playing out. Around the house, maybe not so much, although if you have that one guitar that feels perfect, you could use it more exclusively rather than trading around instruments for different applications. Kinda like NewKillerStar points out - keeps you from needing a big collection.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Very interesting device. Essentially, a Variax in a box. I can see that be quite useful for playing out. Around the house, maybe not so much, although if you have that one guitar that feels perfect, you could use it more exclusively rather than trading around instruments for different applications. Kinda like NewKillerStar points out - keeps you from needing a big collection.

I had Variax in mind as I watched these too, ie; single coils on a 335, etc...
I think this could be quite useful.
Midi equipped, I could see this finding a place on my pedalboard looped into my HD500X first in the chain, with my current Digitech FreqOut right afterwards.

 

[Cagey]

Kill a whole flock of birds with one stone using that setup.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Kill a whole flock of birds with one stone using that setup.

Yup, this seems like a new company, I am not familiar with them.

I could see a pro version (rack or pedal) of this midi equipped for assigning on a per-preset basis.

 

[stratamania]

If you have an HD500X then why not use a Variax with it?

 

[Cagey]

What if he already has a favorite guitar, and would rather play that than anything else?

 

[stratamania]

What if he already has a favorite guitar, and would rather play that than anything else?

Well, that is a point, but you could put a Warmoth neck on a Variax. It's an option if you are going to buy another piece of gear or use a GK pickup and something like a GP-10. With both of those, you are getting some sort of modeling versus a pedal that is basically just altering EQ.

 

[Cagey]

Isn't the Variax just "basically altering EQ"? And can you get a Variax for $200? And can a Variax's modeling be used with any other guitar?

Variax is a nice idea, too, not trying to take anything away from it. I'm just saying it's a different market. It's one guitar that'll sound like a lotta different guitars, while the Exchanger is a box that'll make any guitar sound like a lotta different guitars.

 

[stratamania]

The essential difference is that a guitar with its own pickups and character being altered by a pedal somewhat still has the source of tone as the guitars actual pickups.

A modeled pickup such as a Variax or a Roland/Boss solution might use is not using the guitars magnetic pickups as a source and altering it. It produces a tone that has been modeled of other actual guitars pickups from as neutral a source as possible such as a piezo or hex pickup that has no inherent character of its own.

They are all alternatives, I am just saying there is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Cagey]

True enough. I know a guy who used Alumitone pickups in a guitar for exactly that reason. Start with something very clean before modifying.

Note: No cats were skinned in the making of this thread  :icon_thumright:

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I didn't think that you could use Variax without the Variax guitar.
If you can, then I gotta start doing some experimenting.

 

[amigarobbo]

I misread Classic 50th as 'Classic Goth', and I am disappoint it dosn't.

I would say something about The Tone King's tone, but err.. life's too short.

 

[stratamania]

I didn't think that you could use Variax without the Variax guitar.
If you can, then I gotta start doing some experimenting.

There are folks that have done Variax transplants of the electronics. A Warmoth neck fits the Variax 69 variants apparently without too much modification. But you do need the electronics even if you don't use the rest of the guitar.

 

[Cagey]

I'm surprised Fractal didn't build that capability into the AxeFx III.

 

[stratamania]

There must be some pretty decent EQ blocks in the Axe FX III you could probably come up with something similar.