Guthrie Govan USA Signature Charvel -HSH Caramelized Ash - Demo and Review

[@HarlanHarvey76]

The amazing thing about Guthrie is that he doesn't play 1 style. He is a master of all styles. Blues, Jazz, Metal, Funk, if you find you don't like the sound of one album, just pop in a different one. If you love guitar, you will most likely find something in his repitoire that speaks to you. Not to mention he is one of the most humble and honest musicians on the planet.

[@iamtjwalker]

He's a great player without doubt....I've seen him playing lots of styles on videos. I hear he's a very nice guy too.....I've worked with people who have played with him (he doesn't live too far from me in the UK)! Never seen him live, I'd like to.

[@matejkovalcik9976]

Nah, he must be lame. The overmind geniuses at Roling Stone magazine can´t do wrong.

[@dominiqueob7712]

Wow unreal playing !! so much nuance , you're awesome dude!! 🤘

[@iamtjwalker]

Thanks a ton!

[@FredHampshire]

Incredible playing mate, and thank you so much for the review

[@iamtjwalker]

My pleasure! Thank you.

[@lucarav]

Useful info (!) and unbelievable that at that price they need to be "tuned" ;-)

[@iamtjwalker]

I know.....they should play themselves too!

[@monkeysbum999]

Brilliant Tom ,playing it like it was supposed to be played.

[@iamtjwalker]

Thank you for lending it to me!! Does help when it’s perfectly set up!!

[@BradRocker]

i'm in awe of all your guitars .....especially the Govan and Tyler

[@iamtjwalker]

Thank you! The Tylers are mine......the Govan borrowed!

[@heavymetal6910]

One of those with hardtail bridge, 21 stainless steel frets, 3 x vintage hot single coil pickups and slab rosewood finger board would be awesome

[@Disruptor23]

amazing playing and guitar tones.

[@iamtjwalker]

Thank you!

[@bruceniblett959]

Super cool. I always wonder how much gain Guthrie uses. If you have tone in your hands gain is detrimental. Lots of guys use Uber gain but it compresses everything and makes it sound monotone. Eddies tone was unforgiving in the 70s. All in the hands. Badass guitar. I also like the Floyd without tuners. Awesome dude.

[@mountainman8775]

Sounded improvised If so that’s even more excellent

[@iamtjwalker]

Thanks!

[@araxtypesh]

Thorough review! Who is the luthier/store who set it up? Hard to find great folks nowadays

[@iamtjwalker]

It's Roger who I borrowed the guitar from, he sets them up himself!

[@InstruMentalCase]

Great guitars but I sold my old one years ago, partly because the original Floyd style trem would always impart this weird chorusy resonance. In hindsight I wonder if it was the tremolno. That device is neat but it really adds weird friction to the trem movement and needs to be tightened frequently.

[@iamtjwalker]

The vibrations do seem to make the small thumb screws work loose if it's not in the locked mode. Tuning is good with it....but I'm not sure I'd ever want to lock the trem off unless I broke a string!

[@slash91991]

Bought four Charvels (not at once) but just had to return them all because they all had quality issues, and I am talking about one Japanese made one and three use select models. Really disappointed because I wanted to love the thing so much. Out of the four guitars, Guthrie Govan USA signature was the last. everything was ok, but the bridge just wouldn't stay in tune even after three guitar technicians tried setting up the thing....

[@iamtjwalker]

That's annoying.....I'd have thought the quality control would be pretty good!

[@apostolispaspalakis2627]

Guys I have a question. Does anybody have an issue with a “sitar” like sound on the high e and b strings ? I have the version with the Gotoh tuners and the previous model I had , had the sperzel tuners and didn’t make this sound . Could that be the difference ? Apparently according to techs the reason for that is that this guitar doesn’t use a string tree , however my past model didn’t make this sound and obviously they didn’t have a string tree either . Anyone having this issue with this guitar? I would really appreciate any info

[@iamtjwalker]

I've had this on another guitar.....it was solved by a couple of strokes in the nut slot from a file.....by the person who owned this GG guitar who knows how to do it! I've not had as much success, there is a technique to it.....but when he did it the sitaring went away immediately!

[@mr.timebombman2230]

I liked his old Suhr model.

[@voyxu143]

Looking at these a while ago. $2400 US seemed a little much for the guitar.

[@HarlanHarvey76]

2400$ for a Caramelized Ash GG? I would have been on that, if it was mint. That's more than 1,200$ off retail of brand new ones....

[@voyxu143]

@@HarlanHarvey76 It's been a while, I may have been looking at used ones.

[@iamtjwalker]

It's a well made guitar....retail much more than that in the UK!

[@voyxu143]

@@iamtjwalker I looked at them a while ago, and thought they were a bit overpriced.

[@Mr911Medic]

Thats the MIJ guitar price. The US version (his guitar) is $3699 MSRP

[@snowboardergdable]

Lovely playing Tom,very Cory Wong ish! 👌 😊 I think I prefer in looks and sound Guthries Suhr tbh ! Although I do like natural wood finished guitars but yeah that one is very brown lol...

[@iamtjwalker]

Thanks.....does it sound brown? That's what Van Halen was always going for!

[@frtlzr_official]

Great review, playing and an amazing guitar! It´s unfortunate though that the frets are rough and not highly polished in this price range!

[@DeadGlassEyes]

Walked into a guitar review expecting another crap guitar player giving a terrible demo but this dude rips.

[@iamtjwalker]

Thanks.....appreciate that!

[@boddumblues]

Well apparently Guthrie never sits his guitar down, so he doesn't have the problem with the jack hitting the floor 😁 and that's why he is that good 🤣

[@iamtjwalker]

That explains it😀 I didn't think of that!!

[@jetmonizer]

That's a really brown guitar 😀 ... great playing as usual 🙂

[@iamtjwalker]

Thanks! Does it sound Brown like Van Halen?

[@jetmonizer]

​@@iamtjwalker The EVH might be better for that? 😜

[@iamtjwalker]

@@jetmonizer Good point….definitely doesn’t look as brown though!!😀

[@jetmonizer]

@@iamtjwalker I agree 😄

[@blackgrizzly4987]

Looking at the thumbnail I thought you were Paul Gilbert lol

[@iamtjwalker]

Ha! Nobody's ever said that before!!

[@monkeysbum999]

No apology needed , It's not for me either ,and i bought it!

[@iamtjwalker]

Ha! I was just apologising for not loving the guitar that you kindly lent me.....I know you feel similarly about it as I do......still sounds bloody good when you're playing it whether we like it or not 😀!

[@java620]

Great review. This guitar is the bees knees for me but you eloquently state why it isn’t for you. Different strokes for different folks.. I think this gitfiddle is a great jack of many trades but certainly not the best at any one thing. Money not a factor, it would obviously be ideal to have about 15 different guitars in the “studio” to cover all of the spectrum.

[@CLMTON]

That guitar is nearly 4k new and you’ve got to piss about shimming and re doing the bone nut.. getting to be joke this now with guitars..

[@chelrob2]

San dimas = no pickguard So cal = with pickguard

[@michael1]

Roger obviously only gave you enough lessons to play the first 1:40

[@Mr911Medic]

Locking tuners have NO CORRELATION with (the absence of) a locking nut OR a tremolo. I wish people would stop inferring that locking tuners are any sort of replacement for a locking nut...they arent. All they do is make string changes faster and easier.

[@iamtjwalker]

I didn't realise I had implied they were there instead....it's more to do with the way they've got rid of any angle across the nut that has meant a locking nut isn't necessary.

[@PaulLembo]

More Terrible QC from Charvel/Fender. Nice playing.

[@saunds59]

Not really sensible to set a guitar down when it’s plugged in, especially one costing £3500. Get a stand

[@iamtjwalker]

That is true.....I would always use a stand on a gig.....but just setting it down at home it's a pain! I actually think the worse aspect to it is the damage that it will do to the cable as gravity bends it over. I can see the advantages but on balance I think Leo got it right first time......like so many other things that people have tried to improve on his design!!

[@saunds59]

True. I have one and it is a bit inconvenient. A normal side mounted jack would have done.