# Guthrie Govan jumps to Charvel guitars!



## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

Also confirmed by John Suhr on TGP.

I'm gonna see him in four days, this will be interesting...USA Charvels own everything imho.


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## Overtone (Oct 11, 2012)

the fuck? 

I have a feeling a lot of fanboys will be subconsciously second guessing their Suhrs now 
I'm all for it, though... Charvel makes some sick guitars and are a lot more affordable. The man himself has always said that a guitar doesn't need to be all that expensive.

Though that looks like one of those real special Charvels they had at The Music Zoo, which go for about the cost of a Suhr/PRS.


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## Overtone (Oct 11, 2012)

I was actually drooling over these for a couple of weeks...

Charvel Custom Shop Exclusive Carbonized Recycled Redwood San Dimas HH Electric Guitar | The Music Zoo


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## ROAR (Oct 11, 2012)

Still doesn't change my desire for a Suhr GG,
and that honestly looks like they just made a Suhr copy and gave
it to him.
Real original. I came here expecting Guthrie with a Desolation Skatecaster!


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

That being said, I miss my USA Charvel San Dimas even more now 

here's another pic


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## technomancer (Oct 11, 2012)

Keep in mind Charvel is owned by FMC so this is about one thing: money. Not saying Charvel doesn't make sweet guitars, but I'll guarantee they were able too make a more lucrative offer than Suhr was given the company sizes


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

technomancer said:


> Keep in mind Charvel is owned by FMC so this is about one thing: money. Not saying Charvel doesn't make sweet guitars, but I'll guarantee they were able too make a more lucrative offer than Suhr was given the company sizes



100% agree. And with the new import series kinda "ruining" Charvel's reputation, I guess they needed someone to rinvigorate their (excellent) Custom Shop.


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## ROAR (Oct 11, 2012)

Drop the imports, push the Guthrie.


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## DoomJazz (Oct 11, 2012)

He's made the jump, which is really to my surprise. I've always had a love for Charvels, and now we can all love them more now that they have such a distinguished player on their roster


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

already posted http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/standard-guitars/214551-guthrie-govan-jumps-charvel-guitars.html


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## Khoi (Oct 11, 2012)

I've always loved Charvels, Suhrs are out of my price range, so I totally wouldn't mind a USA Charvel priced San Dimas with Guthrie's specs.


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## DoomJazz (Oct 11, 2012)

Whoopsies! 

 it up mods!


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## djpharoah (Oct 11, 2012)

^Merging is so much easier - less chance of butt hurt


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## Adam Of Angels (Oct 11, 2012)

Custom Shop Charvels cost about what a Suhr does, and are just as good. Really, you can't find a much better super Strat than a Custom Shop Charvel.


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

Adam Of Angels said:


> Custom Shop Charvels cost about what a Suhr does, and are just as good. Really, you can't find a much better super Strat than a Custom Shop Charvel.



WORD. Too bad about 22 frets, but they sound so good...


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## djpharoah (Oct 11, 2012)

FrancescoFiligoi said:


> WORD. Too bad about 22 frets, but they sound so good...



Guthrie is holding a 24 fret Charvel in that pic


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## SilenceIsACrime (Oct 11, 2012)

My god, that solo in the beginning of that video in the OP was *incredible.*

Personally, I prefer the look of the Suhr's, but not having played either brand (well, I've messed with a lower end Charvel, so not a great comparison) I reserve any judgement on his switch.


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## Steve_U1S (Oct 11, 2012)

Ironic; I just acquired a GG Antique Modern 3 weeks ago based on having soaked in all kinds of GG clinic vid and such...

Having said that, the various features of the Suhr are what hooked me, all the way from the quirky finish to the wood choices... and the non-locking trem.
Were I to want to return it, it would only be due to the fact that getting it didn't magically transform me into a Guthrie-like non-human megaplayer =]

Being as this is looking true, then kudos to Charvel for snagging him; he'll bring them a lot of attention.
And Suhr will continue to sell a lot of GG-spec instruments I imagine, as GG has had quite the impact.


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## s4tch (Oct 11, 2012)

FrancescoFiligoi said:


> ...And with the new import series kinda "ruining" Charvel's reputation, ...



What's wrong with their reputation? The Desolation series got some nice reviews here on ss.org as well as on other sites, too. Bottom line usually goes like "too good for a Chinese cheapo guitar" or something like that. 

I dig the news anyway. Charvel is one of my all-time favorite brands, it's nice to see someone like GG using their axes.


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## DavidLopezJr (Oct 11, 2012)

Is he keeping the blower switch idea? Also wondering what pups he's using.


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## sakeido (Oct 11, 2012)

eh I'll keep my Suhrs.. I had one of those charvel USA music zoo guitars and it was a total dog


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## HighGain510 (Oct 11, 2012)

Yeah the move was more than likely financial, and the guitars GG is likely playing are CS-level so it's probably comparable to the quality he was receiving from Suhr as well. That being said my Modern arrives tonight and I couldn't be happier, Govan moving companies doesn't change a thing about how great Suhr guitars are!  Seeing him play a clinic with a Charvel certainly isn't going to make me rush out and buy one, that's for sure.


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

djpharoah said:


> Guthrie is holding a 24 fret Charvel in that pic









also, that truss rod placement....win.


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## Zado (Oct 11, 2012)

+2k Suhrs on craigslist right now


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## themike (Oct 11, 2012)

Kind of shitty that John Suhr only found out last week yet he already have a signature model with Charvel - this has obviously been in the works for a little bit.

John also confirmed that he was told the switch had nothing to do with the guitars themselves and that they Guthrie signature guitar will be available through Suhr with no changes - simply without Guthrie's name on it 

I dont think anyone who owns a high end Suhr will be selling it, they are fantastic.


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## flexkill (Oct 11, 2012)

Not trying to be a smart arse here....but why does this even matter? If you like GG do you really care what guitar he plays??? If you like Suhr are you going to sell and get a Charvel cause GG switched???

I dunno, maybe people do these things.


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## dschonn (Oct 11, 2012)

well, to me, this sucks at the point where maybe charvel wouldn´t allow suhr anymore to use all the innovations suhr and gg came up with such as the blower switch or the special neck profile.
i do own a suhr which is beyond amazing and if i had to sell each of my guitars but one, this i would probably end up keeping.
i was always interested in getting a suhr guthrie model, but i guess now that dream won´t come true since they are probably or at least maybe going to be collectors items...

off topic: guthrie could get a squier signature model and he would still shred/funk/blues/jazz every living man to the ground...


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## themike (Oct 11, 2012)

flexkill said:


> Not trying to be a smart arse here....but why does this even matter? If you like GG do you really care what guitar he plays??? If you like Suhr are you going to sell and get a Charvel cause GG switched???
> 
> I dunno, maybe people do these things.


 
It doesn't impact me as I've never bought a guitar because someone played it or it had someones name on it, but I do find how artists handle themselves business wise very facinating honest


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## DavidLopezJr (Oct 11, 2012)

th3m1ke said:


> John also confirmed that he was told the switch had nothing to do with the guitars themselves and that they Guthrie signature guitar will be available through Suhr with no changes - simply without Guthrie's name on it


Does that mean the price will be going down or no? I'm not sure but was there an up-charge for having the Govan named attached to them?


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## elq (Oct 11, 2012)

DavidLopezJr said:


> I'm not sure but was there an up-charge for having the Govan named attached to them?



AFAIK there was no up-charge. 

I have a guitar very close to the original GG modern (without the rotosound strings and the silly signature on the back of the headstock) and it cost a couple hundred more than the GG model (because I added two options that bumped the price a couple of hundred dollars)...


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## themike (Oct 11, 2012)

elq said:


> AFAIK there was no up-charge.
> 
> I have a guitar very close to the original GG modern (without the rotosound strings and the silly signature on the back of the headstock) and it cost a couple hundred more than the GG model (because I added two options that bumped the price a couple of hundred dollars)...


 

There is no upcharge but I'm sure it's fit into the price of the model. Generually speaking, if someones name is on it, they are getting a fixed rate per unit sold so its there somewhere. Whether or not we or Suhr see a savings now that Guthrie has walked is unknown


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## Black Mamba (Oct 11, 2012)

Dafuq?


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## aawshred (Oct 11, 2012)

Wow, this is insanely awesome. I'm a charvel artist, and i can speak for any of their models. I have one of the US first run So-cals and it's been my "go-to" since I was 13. also have a desolation that sounds incredible, and plays better everyday. This is such cool news.


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## Lagtastic (Oct 11, 2012)

Good for Guthrie. I like seeing top notch guitarists getting paid.


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## Shannon (Oct 11, 2012)

FMIC is a huge company. 2 things.....
1. GG is one of the hottest guys for clinics. It seems FMIC is putting a lot of money into pushing the Charvel brand (finally), so GG is a killer guy to help them with clinics & the promotion of the brand. Suhr can't compete with that.
2. Financially, I would imagine it's a huge boost in revenue for GG to be working with FMIC as a clinician, plus his sig models would be widely available, if not, more affordable. More product moved = more profit. Win win.


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## _MonSTeR_ (Oct 11, 2012)

Interesting that from the few photos available, it seems to be almost exactly the same guitar, just made by a different company. I give the guy credit for knowing what he wants, even if he doesn't know who he wants it from


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## Overtone (Oct 11, 2012)

If it is about money that's only fair... GG deserves every penny and honestly I think that for the amount of talent he has, how hard he's working, and how many people he's inspiring to play, and play more seriously, there's a lot of value associated with what he's doing. 

I don't get the comments saying that guitar looks like a suhr ripoff... it's pretty much just a strat/san-dimas style with a flame maple neck and a natural oil finish on the body.


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

actually Charvel has started doing roasted maple necks before Suhr. 

Suhr at the time just offered vulcanized maple necks which was a different, more extreme, process, and now they've switched to roasted necks too, alongside Charvel and Music Man (and Anderson if I'm not mistaken).


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## Tom Drinkwater (Oct 11, 2012)

Cool guitar. What kind of a price tag will be on the GG sig?


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## DavidLopezJr (Oct 11, 2012)

Tom Drinkwater said:


> Cool guitar. What kind of a price tag will be on the GG sig?


If you are talking about Charvel, there is no word at all of one even coming out. Just speculation. All we know is that they made him a guitar and he now endorsees them.


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## JPMike (Oct 11, 2012)

I wasn't expecting that...


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## -42- (Oct 11, 2012)

So has anyone considered that he might just prefer the Charvel?


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## Trespass (Oct 11, 2012)

He's a professional artist. This is the reality of being a professional artist.

If I were to be offered an endorsement with Suhr for $20k a year, then offered an endorsement with Gibson for $30k a year, I would definitely be switching - depending on terms of the agreement.


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## xCaptainx (Oct 11, 2012)

haha I am fairly certain that NO ONE apart from a select few high end artists have endorsement 'salaries' of 20k etc. The ONLY company I know that does a salary/retainer/pay to play system is Ibanez, for their top tier, biggest names, Mick Thompson is a good example. Most companies provide product, marketing, appearance fees for clinics and sig model profit cuts. 

Charvel has upped their roster recently, and taken on board a few ex Jackson artists. Seeing as Charvel are owned by Fender/Jackson, it would have obviously presented a far more lucrative marketing opportunity, and no doubt he would have a lot more apperances/clinic opportunities with those connections. 

At a guess, I'd say that's why he switched. I doubt a 'salary' (or lack thereof) has much to do with it. 99% of endorsed artists don't get paid to play. And as amazing as Guthrie is, I'd be suprised if anyone on his level of exposure would be paid to play a brand (let's take off our rose coloured glasses here and think of the bigger picture...Mick Thompson is a BRAND...a household brand....your mum has heard of slipknot...Guthrie and the likes are not)


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## gunch (Oct 11, 2012)

I wish both companies the best of luck because they both have solid reputations and legacies.


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## JPMike (Oct 11, 2012)

Btw, I want to see what the pricetag will be on his Charvel sig, if there will be one.

I hope not as pricey as the Suhr.


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## Trespass (Oct 11, 2012)

xCaptainx said:


> haha I am fairly certain that NO ONE apart from a select few high end artists have endorsement 'salaries' of 20k etc. The ONLY company I know that does a salary/retainer/pay to play system is Ibanez, for their top tier, biggest names, Mick Thompson is a good example. Most companies provide product, marketing, appearance fees for clinics and sig model profit cuts.
> 
> Charvel has upped their roster recently, and taken on board a few ex Jackson artists. Seeing as Charvel are owned by Fender/Jackson, it would have obviously presented a far more lucrative marketing opportunity, and no doubt he would have a lot more apperances/clinic opportunities with those connections.
> 
> At a guess, I'd say that's why he switched. I doubt a 'salary' (or lack thereof) has much to do with it. 99% of endorsed artists don't get paid to play. And as amazing as Guthrie is, I'd be suprised if anyone on his level of exposure would be paid to play a brand (let's take off our rose coloured glasses here and think of the bigger picture...Mick Thompson is a BRAND...a household brand....your mum has heard of slipknot...Guthrie and the likes are not)



Cool story bro.

You know that $20k is a drop in the bucket, right? 
That's like $10 an hour. He easily can hit that from clinic fees.
We aren't arguing here.


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## elq (Oct 11, 2012)

Apparently Matt from mattsmusic.com is already talking to Charvel about the pricing and availability. I strongly doubt it'll be cheap.


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## nsimonsen (Oct 11, 2012)

FrancescoFiligoi said:


> 100% agree. And with the new import series kinda "ruining" Charvel's reputation, I guess they needed someone to rinvigorate their (excellent) Custom Shop.


 
This was my mentality exactly.


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## MetalDaze (Oct 11, 2012)

As a long time Jackson/Charvel fan, I think this is great. 

They need someone other than Warren DeMartini on their "Artist Series" page


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 11, 2012)

th3m1ke said:


> Kind of shitty that John Suhr only found out last week yet he already have a signature model with Charvel - this has obviously been in the works for a little bit.



FMIC has a way of doing that.


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## Electric Wizard (Oct 11, 2012)

I wonder what kind of amps he'll be using now.


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## charlieshreds (Oct 11, 2012)

Electric Wizard said:


> I wonder what kind of amps he'll be using now.



My guess is back to the Cornfords.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 11, 2012)

Electric Wizard said:


> I wonder what kind of amps he'll be using now.



Fender or EVH would be my guess.


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## xCaptainx (Oct 11, 2012)

Trespass said:


> Cool story bro.
> 
> You know that $20k is a drop in the bucket, right?
> That's like $10 an hour. He easily can hit that from clinic fees.
> We aren't arguing here.



I realise we aren't. A lot of people think endorsements provide salaries/steady income. 99% of them don't. I doubt this one does (unless he does a 40 week Charvel clinic tour)

Was just trying to dispel the standard 'oh they must be giving him more money' retort.


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## Curt (Oct 11, 2012)

Every high end Charvel I have played has been incredible. As was the Suhr Modern I played months back. Interesting to see where a Charvel GG sig goes.


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## elq (Oct 11, 2012)

xCaptainx said:


> Was just trying to dispel the standard 'oh they must be giving him more money' retort.



I have no doubt that Guthrie left Suhr for business reasons, not necessarily directly money, but I don't doubt for a second that it was largely a financial reason.


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## TIBrent (Oct 11, 2012)

charlieshreds said:


> My guess is back to the Cornfords.


I believe Cornford is all but out of business now
-Brent


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## xCaptainx (Oct 11, 2012)

Me too, I think personally it was more of a lucrative marketing opportunity. More exposure to a larger market, with more money behind the marketing to push his brand/market spread etc.


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## SkweakyMuffin (Oct 11, 2012)

Although I have to say it is WEIRD seeing Guthrie without his Suhr guitars, I really hope that this move brings him more of the exposure that he deserves and hopefully he does some clinics in Florida at some point!


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 11, 2012)

I missed the seminar where it's bad to make good business decisions and money doing what you love.

Embrace it.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 11, 2012)

Dammit, now I don't want to get a Rasmus Modern anymore. 


...Okay, maybe I do.


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## Wings of Obsidian (Oct 11, 2012)

technomancer said:


> Keep in mind Charvel is owned by FMC so this is about one thing: money. Not saying Charvel doesn't make sweet guitars, but I'll guarantee they were able too make a more lucrative offer than Suhr was given the company sizes



This was on Facebook earlier and caught my interest. This is EXACTLY it. Money.

Lets face it....Suhr sure makes better quality guitars. I mean...look at them....

But artists flip endorsement deals based on whatever meets their needs at the time and will help them survive (for example, anyone remember when Chris Broderick was playing a LACS Ibanez with BareKnuckles? But he got a little more in an offer from Jackson....so now he plays a Jackson with Dimarzios because they offered him a little more coverage and cash). I mean, good on the artists! We as everyday Joe-Schmo-players have no right or stature to judge them. By still.....this was a shock!

Sigh.....darn.....watch Charvel sales spike upwards suddenly.


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## Wings of Obsidian (Oct 11, 2012)

charlieshreds said:


> My guess is back to the Cornfords.



No axe-fx?


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## Thrashmanzac (Oct 11, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I missed the seminar where it's bad to make good business decisions and money doing what you love.
> 
> Embrace it.



head to the daemoness guitars thread to catch up on this seminar


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## xCaptainx (Oct 11, 2012)

Wings of Obsidian said:


> This was on Facebook earlier and caught my interest. This is EXACTLY it. Money.
> 
> Lets face it....Suhr sure makes better quality guitars. I mean...look at them....
> 
> ...



Had to correct you there a wee bit. But essentially, you are right. Signature model = percentage of sales profits anyway. From what I know, Ibby only give 7 string sigs to Vai and Munky. So many of their artists have left for signature models elsewhere.


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## Wings of Obsidian (Oct 11, 2012)

xCaptainx said:


> Had to correct you there a wee bit. But essentially, you are right. Signature model = percentage of sales profits anyway. From what I know, Ibby only give 7 string sigs to Vai and Munky. So many of their artists have left for signature models elsewhere.



Ah yes, true in the case of Ibanez.

So, the Suhr Govan model came out rather recently this year.....but why suddenly switch? Charvel offers Guthrie more money, plus Charvel is cheaper and more accessible by us poor people if they give Mr. Govan a sig-model. But still, instrument-design-wise, Suhr are still far superior instruments. What does Charvel offer that Suhr doesn't?

(I'm sorry, that last question was dumb. I just in a state of shock at Guthrie.)


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

Charvel Custom Shop is by no means cheaper than Suhr and, in my little experience, at the same level if not better.

PS: 1000th post


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 11, 2012)

Thrashmanzac said:


> head to the daemoness guitars thread to catch up on this seminar



OT

For those who care not to search, his "seminar" goes a little like this:

_Pop music doesn't connect with me, unlike Metal. You make Pop, so you don't deserve my work. So says the Bible. _

It was worded much more eloquently with grammar far beyond my own, but the point is still there. 

It actually reminds me heavily of Zachary Guitars, only Zachary is doing it tongue in cheek......at least we can all hope. 

/OT


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## technomancer (Oct 11, 2012)

FrancescoFiligoi said:


> Charvel Custom Shop is by no means cheaper than Suhr and, in my little experience, at the same level if not better.



This. Charvel custom shop guitars are fantastic instruments. This stuff that Charvels are cheap crap is hilarious coming from people who have clearly never played a high-end Charvel. Granted production Suhrs are higher quality than production Charvels, but they're also 2 to 3 times the price and come off the same line as "custom" Suhrs


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## Grand Moff Tim (Oct 11, 2012)

Wings of Obsidian said:


> Sigh.....darn.....watch Charvel sales spike upwards suddenly.



I doubt it. If anything, Govan's record sales will go up a little. He really isn't as big as those of us living in the SSO bubble would like to think he is.


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> I doubt it. If anything, Govan's record sales will go up a little. He really isn't as big as those of us living in the SSO bubble would like to think he is.



You're right he's actually BIGGER. Globally recognized as one of the best guitarists in the world, everyone from fusion, to jazz, to blues, to rock and metal, likes him. He doesn't have lots of gigs but he is one of the best clinicians in the world. Right now he's along Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Periphery on fractal audio's home page banner, that must say something on how big is his following.

Imho, just the perfect guy to add some prestige to a custom shop quality brand.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 11, 2012)

Make no mistake, FMIC isn't dishing out the dough for fun. They know good and well that Guthrie is a great artist to have on their roster, and it's no mistake that they chose Charvel, the brand they're currently trying to revive, along with Jackson.


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## Church2224 (Oct 11, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Make no mistake, FMIC isn't dishing out the dough for fun. They know good and well that Guthrie is a great artist to have on their roster, and it's no mistake that they chose Charvel, the brand they're currently trying to revive, along with Jackson.



Both brand have had a growing amount of artists on their roster within the past two years. I think they want to see Jackson and Charvel competing with the likes of ESP and Ibanez. Give them a few years and they will be up there.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Oct 11, 2012)

Church2224 said:


> I think they want to see Jackson and Charvel competing with the likes of ESP and Ibanez. Give them a few years and they will be up there.



Yeah, their Desolation series is at very least an indication that they want to see Charvel competing with LTD and Schecter.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 11, 2012)

Church2224 said:


> Both brand have had a growing amount of artists on their roster within the past two years. I think they want to see Jackson and Charvel competing with the likes of ESP and Ibanez. Give them a few years and they will be up there.



I think you're aiming too high. 

There current plans seem to have them competing with Schecter and LTD. 

If they were bringing out more premium models I could see where you're coming from. The market is all about cheap guitars these days.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Oct 11, 2012)

FrancescoFiligoi said:


> Right now he's along Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Periphery on fractal audio's home page banner, that must say something on how big is his following.



Yeah, because Fractal is a household name .


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 11, 2012)

I would like to point out that FMIC is (despite the imho terrible imports) trying to push Charvel to be a very top class custom shop with elite features. Take a look at this: Video: Red Dave And Killer Old Wood Charvels

I highly doubt these super rare woods have been used for Charvel "just because", plus take a look at all the Music Zoo limited edition Charvels with unique features. To me, it's quite obvious right now that Fender is their classic line, Jackson their Rock/Metal line, and Charvel being more the "elite" line.


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## Church2224 (Oct 11, 2012)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> Yeah, their Desolation series is at very least an indication that they want to see Charvel competing with LTD and Schecter.



No doubt....all that abalone


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## Church2224 (Oct 11, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I think you're aiming too high.
> 
> There current plans seem to have them competing with Schecter and LTD.
> 
> If they were bringing out more premium models I could see where you're coming from. The market is all about cheap guitars these days.



ESP brought a few more Models to the USA this year, plus there have been a large amount of Special orders they have been doing with a few dealers. I am putting my money on Jackson and Charvel making an attempt to counter that.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Oct 11, 2012)

What'd be nice is if Jackson/Charvels sales go up enough in the future that FMIC will think it's profitable enough to release a sub-$1500 MiA Jackson, since they already offer a few sub-$1500 MiA Fenders. However, I kinda don't really see that happening. They won't likely ever be able to sell them in high enough numbers to warrant selling them for so little.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 11, 2012)

FrancescoFiligoi said:


> I would like to point out that FMIC is (despite the imho terrible imports) trying to push Charvel to be a very top class custom shop with elite features. Take a look at this: Video: Red Dave And Killer Old Wood Charvels
> 
> I highly doubt these super rare woods have been used for Charvel "just because", plus take a look at all the Music Zoo limited edition Charvels with unique features. To me, it's quite obvious right now that Fender is their classic line, Jackson their Rock/Metal line, and Charvel being more the "elite" line.



Look up Music Zoo's past. The owner is a hardcore, old school Charvel fan from back in the day. Notice how all the awesome Charvels of late have been via The Music Zoo? 



Church2224 said:


> ESP brought a few more Models to the USA this year, plus there have been a large amount of Special orders they have been doing with a few dealers. I am putting my money on Jackson and Charvel making an attempt to counter that.



The folks buying $2k+ ESPs are not the market that Charvel is looking to capitalize on with the Desolation series, or Jackson with the X-Series, or even the "New" Pro Series.


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## Church2224 (Oct 11, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Look up Music Zoo's past. The owner is a hardcore, old school Charvel fan from back in the day. Notice how all the awesome Charvels of late have been via The Music Zoo?
> 
> 
> 
> The folks buying $2k+ ESPs are not the market that Charvel is looking to capitalize on with the Desolation series, or Jackson with the X-Series, or even the "New" Pro Series.



What I am saying is that maybe Jackson and Charvel will attempt to branch off more and more into that high end market to compete. The USA Select line is some what limited right now and has not had any changes in a few years. They have already refreshed the "pro" and x series lines with Jackson plus their artist relations rep hinted at Jackson USA to be getting more models in the X series 7 string video, so who knows what Fender has planned for these companies?

Then again this could just be wishful thinking, I love Jackson and Charvel and would like to see more high end models models from the both of them. Might have to look into their custom shop I guess.


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## noxian (Oct 12, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The market is all about cheap guitars these days.



this.
i kind of doubt Fender is seriously going to bank on going niche premium versus mass market right now.

keep in mind, FMIC is the big dog of the guitar biz, but they're the big dog of a biz that as a whole isn't doing very well atm.
just a few weeks ago, one of the higher ups of Fender made comments to the NYT pretty much saying flat out Fender has gotten mauled by the economy as badly as everyone else has.
and after a debacle of an attempt to find new investors/owners (i.e. they didn't), it just seems kind of unlikely Fender's going to gamble on going premium ESP/Ibanez versus expanding on the low/mid range market where all the sales are.


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## HighGain510 (Oct 12, 2012)

dschonn said:


> well, to me, this sucks at the point where maybe charvel wouldn´t allow suhr anymore to use all the innovations suhr and gg came up with such as the blower switch or the special neck profile.



 I think you might be a little confused on that thought. Suhr OWNS the model/options specific to that model, they can (and according to John's statement WILL) continue to build the exact same guitar minus his signature on the headstock. It's like if Petrucci left EBMM, do you think Sterling Ball would just go "Well, I guess it's time to retire the JP models..."? Nope, they'd keep making them and just come up with another name for the model. Also keep in mind, other than a specific neck profile, none of the Govan model options are magical and new to the guitar world, it was just incorporating all the options he wanted. The blower switch and the Tremol-No both existed long before his signature model was introduced...


----------



## themike (Oct 12, 2012)

HighGain510 said:


> I think you might be a little confused on that thought. Suhr OWNS the model/options specific to that model, they can (and according to John's statement WILL) continue to build the exact same guitar minus his signature on the headstock. It's like if Petrucci left EBMM, do you think Sterling Ball would just go "Well, I guess it's time to retire the JP models..."? Nope, they'd keep making them and just come up with another name for the model.



Just like the 5150 vs 6505 situation of years past


----------



## HighGain510 (Oct 12, 2012)

th3m1ke said:


> Just like the 5150 vs 6505 situation of years past



Exactly.  

Also like Max said earlier (kinda joking, but not really  ), I wouldn't be shocked to see GG performing live with the 5150 III soon...


----------



## Curt (Oct 12, 2012)

Would honestly love to see that.


----------



## danresn (Oct 12, 2012)

It might also be to do with the clinics he can play, Australia isn't as big as America, or europe but still we only have around 3 suhr dealers in the entire country. However, there is probably 5 shops that sell Charvel guitars within driving distance of me right now.


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## JoeyBTL (Oct 13, 2012)

They definitely know what they're doing. I'll just say that before this whole Guthrie move I wouldn't have given Charvel a second look as far as a guitar for me. I've never played one so I wasn't going to judge their quality but as far as a 24 fret superstrat guitar goes they have nothing to offer. The most Charvels I've seen lately have been the desolation models and that's kinda what I've been branding them as, but if they're going to start offering (relatively) affordable guitars like that then they're going to be able to compete and grab the attention of people who are interested in an Ibanez, Suhr Modern, Jp6 or most any "shredder" guitar. I doubt they'll be making an affordable Koa guitar like the one Guthrie has but if they make a cheaper signature of his or just a high quality, production, 24 fret, flat fretboard, bolt on neck, non locking trem or hard tail and especially with SS frets then I'll seriously look at them. There aren't enough guitars like that in the $15-2500 range IMO.


----------



## m3l-mrq3z (Oct 13, 2012)

Guthrie can kick ass on any guitar. The guy is a genius.


----------



## drmosh (Oct 13, 2012)

Trespass said:


> Cool story bro.
> 
> You know that $20k is a drop in the bucket, right?
> That's like $10 an hour. He easily can hit that from clinic fees.
> We aren't arguing here.



No need to be an ass.
I don't understand what his clinic fees have to do with a salary for playing a particular guitar.


----------



## guitareben (Oct 13, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Dammit, now I don't want to get a Rasmus Modern anymore.
> 
> 
> ...Okay, maybe I do.



DO IT!! (Rasmus are really, really good!)


----------



## eugeneelgr (Oct 14, 2012)

Its quite sad to see this happen to Suhr. They have really supported guthrie, what with the multitude of signature models and also sponsored the aristocrats' album recording iirc. While i understand the business and financial aspect of why guthrie left, i'm still sad that the relationship for them has ended. If anything, this move could even be linked to how piracy in the music business destroys not just artists' careers but also companies linked to the music business such as instrument makers etc. I wish suhr , charvel and guthrie all the best.


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## elrrek (Oct 15, 2012)

This is an interesting move. I'm not sure what to make of it until I see the back of the guitar and the neck joint because if it's a regular Charvel/Fender style SLAB OF WOOD then I'll be confused.

Also, this is posted on that youtube video in the comments section:
I talked to Guthrie about last week he plays the Charvel temporarily to&#65279; try out something new cause the neck on the Suhr antique modern has snapped cause of all the strange climates he travels to 

But that would contradict John Suhr ...


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## Vicious7 (Oct 15, 2012)

How do you pronounce "Suhr"???  "Sir?" "Suh-er"

Me likey Charvel. Charvel's smell good. Govan play Charvel. Govan smell good too.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 15, 2012)

I'm pretty sure it's pronounced "Sir". I've always heard it pronounced like that.


----------



## DavidLopezJr (Oct 15, 2012)

elrrek said:


> I talked to Guthrie about last week he plays the Charvel temporarily to&#65279; try out something new cause the neck on the Suhr antique modern has snapped cause of all the strange climates he travels to


What? I've barely ever heard stories of people who toured like Govan and had a broken neck might as well roasted maple.


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## HighGain510 (Oct 15, 2012)

Vicious7 said:


> How do you pronounce "Suhr"???  "Sir?" "Suh-er"
> 
> Me likey Charvel. Charvel's smell good. Govan play Charvel. Govan smell good too.



It's pronounced "Sir", like "fur" with an S.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 15, 2012)

HighGain510 said:


> like "fur" with an S.



Sfur?


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## HighGain510 (Oct 15, 2012)

DavidLopezJr said:


> What? I've barely ever heard stories of people who toured like Govan and had a broken neck might as well roasted maple.



Yeah something about this story doesn't really sound right to me either. John Suhr has always been pretty vocal about folks sticking with non-figured necks as well due to higher stability in varying climates/humidity levels, so either this kid misinterpreted what Guthrie stated or there is more to the story than meets the eye IMO.  Not only that, but Suhr CS is top notch, and I HIGHLY doubt they would have left one of their big artists like Govan without a guitar to use while on tour...


----------



## XEN (Oct 15, 2012)

I owned a CH2 (Floyd style trem, single humbucker, single knob) in the late 80s and it was an amazing guitar.

I know I'm brand new to the biz with XEN, but I can see how hard it's going to be to hold on to players who represent the brand when I have nothing to offer them but love and a discount. If Suhr can't hold 'em....

Another thing worth noting is that a Suhr GG sig is not in the price range of the average user. A Charvel sig might actually be within more people's reach.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 15, 2012)

Even though it's still a bit pricy, don't they have the Rasmus GG for $1400?


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## Shadowspecced (Oct 15, 2012)

If guthrie wants to switch from my favorite guitar company to my other favorite guitar company, by all means, go for it. Charvel makes amazing guitars, it looks like hes rocking one of the music zoo exclusives? They're all great.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 15, 2012)

urklvt said:


> Another thing worth noting is that a Suhr GG sig is not in the price range of the average user. A Charvel sig might actually be within more people's reach.



Not to single this comment out, as others have said it, I don't think anyone should suspect a USA Charvel Signature to be all too much cheaper than a USA Suhr GG. 

Look at the DeMartini Charvels, you're looking at between $2400 and $2800 for a pretty bog standard Charvel with a fancy graphic. Full on models with fancy woods (like the model GG is currently playing) can hit $3600+. Compare that to the USA Suhr GG that hits between $3400 and $3800 depending on model. You're only look, realistically, at something like a $600 difference on an $$$$ guitar. Not chump change by any means, but if you're already making the investment ~20% isn't the biggest gap. 

Then you have the Suhr Rasmus which can be had for as little as $1300 and by all accounts gets you 90% "there" to a USA GG.


----------



## elrrek (Oct 15, 2012)

I've got a Japanese Charvel Pro Mod and to be quite honest if I was going to spend more money than I paid for that on a new "super strat" style axe before gettig into "silly money" I'd be trying to get my hands on a Rasmus before dropping money on anything. They look amazing, have hardware I am interested in and the reviews (apart from that one Polish guy) seem to have them marked down as amazing guitars.


----------



## Baco (Oct 15, 2012)

I hope to see something of that collaberation at NAMM


----------



## Maximal (Oct 15, 2012)

The Charvel is nice but charvels (for me) have quiet an 80s metal image.
But guthrie govan is such a special player, imo suhr was the perfect match.


----------



## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 16, 2012)

just watched guthrie live tonight, unreal show with the Aristocrats. He's still using Suhr amps. The Charvel sounds very bright and cutting, love it!


----------



## Adam Of Angels (Oct 16, 2012)

Maximal said:


> The Charvel is nice but charvels (for me) have quiet an 80s metal image.
> But guthrie govan is such a special player, imo suhr was the perfect match.




Suhr builds super strats..... Charvel builds.... super strats. 

They're not much different, in reality.


----------



## elq (Oct 17, 2012)

Adam Of Angels said:


> Suhr builds super strats..... Charvel builds.... super strats.
> 
> They're not much different, in reality.




Eh. Charvel certainly does have an 80's vibe...







vs.


----------



## elrrek (Oct 17, 2012)

80s


----------



## heregoesnothing (Oct 17, 2012)

superstrats without pickup rings = LOVE


----------



## Steve_U1S (Oct 17, 2012)

I second (and third, and fourth, etc.) the above comment regarding 'Superstrats minus pickup rings' - very much to my liking as well.

(I also seem to prefer the sound of a guitar with the pickups direct-to-body mounted... so win-win for my purposes, and probably many others'...)


----------



## leonardo7 (Oct 17, 2012)

Id rather play Suhr. They are such nice guitars


----------



## elq (Oct 17, 2012)

elrrek said:


> <pic>
> 80s



You forgot about the tiger one  - 






A limited "80's shred" run


----------



## technomancer (Oct 17, 2012)

HighGain510 said:


> Yeah something about this story doesn't really sound right to me either. John Suhr has always been pretty vocal about folks sticking with non-figured necks as well due to higher stability in varying climates/humidity levels, so either this kid misinterpreted what Guthrie stated or there is more to the story than meets the eye IMO.  Not only that, but Suhr CS is top notch, and I HIGHLY doubt they would have left one of their big artists like Govan without a guitar to use while on tour...



This was pretty obviously a story Govan made up to explain him using the Charvel before the endorsement was announced


----------



## JoeyBTL (Oct 17, 2012)

Anyone know how much CS Charvels usually run? I know it depends on specs but I mean like Jackson prices?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 17, 2012)

I'm going to bet around $3000 - $4000.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Oct 17, 2012)

JoeyBTL said:


> Anyone know how much CS Charvels usually run? I know it depends on specs but I mean like Jackson prices?



Factory/Store Special Runs: $2200+
Full CS: $3000+

At least from what I've seen from TMZ, DCGL, and CMC.


----------



## elq (Oct 18, 2012)




----------



## rockstarazuri (Oct 18, 2012)

So he has moved on to Marshall amps too? 

That Charvel looks like an all maple necked guitar with a koa body


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 18, 2012)

Either he's one of those few guys thats endorsing the JCM900 Reissue, or he's just using an older JCM900 for now.


----------



## median (Oct 18, 2012)

I don't care if he did it for the money. It still rocks. I love Charvel.


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## Black Mamba (Oct 18, 2012)

I wonder what pickups are in there.


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## darren (Oct 18, 2012)

They look like they might be clear-bobbin DiMarzios.


----------



## darren (Oct 18, 2012)

Or maybe the bobbins are wood. It's hard to tell, since the photos are so crappy.


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## Zado (Oct 18, 2012)

elrrek said:


> 80s


yeah,but charvel makes the moste amazin lookin H-H superstrat ever made7






 SO MUCH SEXY


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 18, 2012)




----------



## Zado (Oct 18, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>


you are NOT referring that face to my pic right?


----------



## axxessdenied (Oct 18, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>



I'll second that and yes it is directed at that picture


----------



## TomParenteau (Oct 18, 2012)

I'm diggin' the non-recessed Floyd. I'm from that era.


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## rockstarazuri (Oct 19, 2012)

I recall somewhere that he doesn't really like the overly middy tone of Dimarzios. Might be wrong though


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## -42- (Oct 19, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>


Philistine.


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## Fluxx (Oct 20, 2012)

I realize he has been pictured with the Charvel from the music zoo, but he's not listed on Charvel's endorsee list, and where is there video of him playing it extensively? Suhrs website is changed and theres no artist info atm.... 

So why is everyone dismissing the possibility that he was only temporarily using that Charvel? I know money is a driving factor, and I know its unlikely Charvel offers anything different guitar-wise that Suhr couldn't also offer, but I feel like we don't know the truth until we hear it from the horse's mouth....


----------



## technomancer (Oct 20, 2012)

Fluxx said:


> I realize he has been pictured with the Charvel from the music zoo, but he's not listed on Charvel's endorsee list, and where is there video of him playing it extensively? Suhrs website is changed and theres no artist info atm....
> 
> So why is everyone dismissing the possibility that he was only temporarily using that Charvel? I know money is a driving factor, and I know its unlikely Charvel offers anything different guitar-wise that Suhr couldn't also offer, but I feel like we don't know the truth until we hear it from the horse's mouth....



Because John Suhr stated on another forum that Govan has moved to Charvel


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## ILuvPillows (Oct 20, 2012)

^


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## Fluxx (Oct 20, 2012)

technomancer said:


> Because John Suhr stated on another forum that Govan has moved to Charvel



Clearly, i missed that. lol.


----------



## rockstarazuri (Oct 22, 2012)

New videos :



He sounds like himself no matter through what gear he's using, so it doesn't really matter IMO lol

Though, if Charvel makes a more affordable GG signature I wouldn't mind buying it


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## sell2792 (Oct 23, 2012)

rockstarazuri said:


> I recall somewhere that he doesn't really like the overly middy tone of Dimarzios. Might be wrong though



They do make more than one pickup.


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## stryker1800 (Oct 24, 2012)

I love Guthrie, I love Suhrs, the experience I had with a San Dimas I believe it was was pleasant but seeing as how I won't be affording a guitar in the Suhr Pro price range any time soon, I'll stick with my suhr and not add to my collection. I can respect the move for financial reasons, if he moved for playing preference reason I may be a little surprised though.


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## brett8388 (Oct 24, 2012)

Charvel makes great guitars, especially their custom shop stuff. If Mike Shannon gets his hands on building a Guthrie model, it's going to be bad ass.


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## Mysticlamp (Oct 24, 2012)

looks almost identical


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## ROAR (Oct 24, 2012)

Using Marshalls?
Almost positive GG is still using his Badgers and such,
but renting backline amps is something very common in his life.


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## DeathCubeK (Oct 25, 2012)

I can't wait to see where this goes. I don't think a guy like Guthrie would play just any guitar. Charvel must be doing something really special with their custom shop axes.


----------



## 0 Xero 0 (Oct 27, 2012)

I want to wait and hear what Charvel and Guthrie have to say after they officially announce him jumping ship. I personally love Charvel, Jackson, and Kramer in all of their 80s shred glory. Hopefully people will start hearing and seeing more of these brands now that Fender is trying to reinvigorate them (I realize Kramer isn't a part of FMIC). This will probably get Guthrie more publicity too. As others have stated, he is easily up there with Vai and should be mentioned in the virtuoso category more IMO.


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## Vairish (Oct 28, 2012)

darren said:


> They look like they might be clear-bobbin DiMarzios.



Was watching the Frankfurt gig, appear to be brown bobbins:












and just for good measure, Guthrie playing a rubber pig:


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## rockstarazuri (Oct 28, 2012)

Would love to have one


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## Boojakki (Oct 28, 2012)

rockstarazuri said:


> Would love to have one



A rubber pig?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 28, 2012)

Boojakki said:


> A rubber pig?



Apparently that was what sold him to Charvel. Free squeaky piggies.


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## Wings of Obsidian (Oct 28, 2012)

Yes free pigs!!!

Hey, did any of you guys notice that Chris Amott (formerly of Arch Enemy) jumped from Caparison to Charvel too? Along with Mike Martin (of All That Remains) who jumped from PRS? 

So...Charvel is racking up quite an impressive lineup of artists now....


----------



## Wings of Obsidian (Oct 28, 2012)

DeathCubeK said:


> I can't wait to see where this goes. I don't think a guy like Guthrie would play just any guitar. Charvel must be doing something really special with their custom shop axes.



This. ^^^ something just pushed Charvel into the limelight all of a sudden.


----------



## BucketheadRules (Oct 28, 2012)

Wings of Obsidian said:


> Yes free pigs!!!
> 
> Hey, did any of you guys notice that Chris Amott (formerly of Arch Enemy) jumped from Caparison to Charvel too? Along with Mike Martin (of All That Remains) who jumped from PRS?
> 
> So...Charvel is racking up quite an impressive lineup of artists now....



I thought Mike Martin was at Washburn? Dude jumps around a bit...

Apparently Oli Herbert has gone to Jackson, which sucks - not because Jackson are bad, but just because I REALLY liked that Xiphos he had.

I was hoping that'd become a signature model some day... oh well...


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Oct 28, 2012)

Wings of Obsidian said:


> This. ^^^ *something* just pushed Charvel into the limelight all of a sudden.



That something would be FMIC's [Fender's] near endless supply of funds and marketing strength. Even established boutique shops like Suhr and PRS can't touch that. 

They're looking to reinvigorate the Jackson and Charvel brands and the only way to do that in a relatively short time period is to beef up the artist roster considerably, especially with newer/younger talent.


----------



## Curt (Oct 28, 2012)

I'm glad to see any effort in pushing the Jackson and Charvel names. Hopefully that pushes FMIC to start bringing some more impressive models to us under the jackson branding. Preferably some solid MIM options.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Oct 28, 2012)

Curt said:


> I'm glad to see any effort in pushing the Jackson and Charvel names. Hopefully that pushes FMIC to start bringing some more impressive models to us under the jackson branding. Preferably some solid MIM options.



They're already bringing out some modestly priced, decently spec'd MIM stuff in the form of some of the new Pro Series.


----------



## Curt (Oct 28, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> They're already bringing out some modestly priced, decently spec'd MIM stuff in the form of some of the new Pro Series.


Which of the pro series are MIM? I'm hoping it's at least the Dinky and Soloist models.

The chlorine burst DK2M is already on my GAS list.

And I would love for them to add some 7 strings to the MIM made stuff that aren't EMG loaded(or at least with the passive sized ones EMG is working on). But we likely won't see that all too soon. Especially since most metal players I meet outside of forums are all about EMG's, and FMIC takes note of the same.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Oct 28, 2012)

Curt said:


> Which of the pro series are MIM? I'm hoping it's at least the Dinky and Soloist models.
> 
> The chlorine burst DK2M is already on my GAS list.



According to Mike the Dinkys are, but I never asked about the Soloist models.


----------



## Curt (Oct 28, 2012)

That's good to know. Those Dinky's all look nice.
Am I right to assume they stick most of the mid level stuff to Indonesia solely to keep production cost down? Not to say that everything Indo is insta-crap but most MII stuff I have played can't beat the FMIC MIM stuff I have played.


----------



## rockstarazuri (Oct 29, 2012)

Boojakki said:


> A rubber pig?



I prefer BB's rubber chicken. Better tone.


----------



## Alexis (Oct 29, 2012)

wow haven't supposed this but the charvel looks great anyway!


----------



## FrancescoFiligoi (Oct 30, 2012)

Dunno if this has been posted already, but it's a complete Aristocrats live in Frankfurt, you can see awesome footage of the new guitar. 

The Aristocrats - ARTE Live Web


----------



## elq (Oct 31, 2012)

I just found an interesting comment by Ed Yoon, who brought Guthrie to Suhr (I think) and now manages The Aristocrats - 



> One more thing that I will add is that Guthrie has not "signed" on with Charvel as some rumors seem to indicate on the Internet - like what's written as "fact" on Guthrie's Wikipedia page. We'll all just have to wait and see what transpires.



Guthrie Govan Discussion :: View topic - The Aristocrats - Live DVD/2CD Status Update


----------



## kaaka (Nov 2, 2012)

He has played Suhr for quite a while and probably want to try something different... I mean he has had Suhr build almost every kind of guitar for him except a LP. We have seen him use a lot of different moderns and also strats and teles, so after thinking about it, I am not too surprised (even tough I actually am) :S


----------



## Fluxx (Nov 2, 2012)

kaaka said:


> He has played Suhr for quite a while and probably want to try something different... I mean he has had Suhr build almost every kind of guitar for him except a LP. We have seen him use a lot of different moderns and also strats and teles, so after thinking about it, I am not too surprised (even tough I actually am) :S



In addition to that, he is probably also a lot like most of us on this site... never happy with what he has, and has GAS for something different. He has made it clear in his previous interviews/videos that he's trying to capture vintage SG like sounds. I can also see why you wouldn't just get a vintage SG.... $$$,$$$ or more.

I saw on the Aristocrats' facebook this morning that they had to cancel a show because Guthries "One of a king, *PROTOTYPE* Charvel guitar" couldn't be brought on the plane as carry on luggage in a soft case. The use of the word prototype, and the Ed Yoon comment makes me think there's news to come providing Guthrie is happy with it.


----------



## Suhr (Nov 6, 2012)

FrancescoFiligoi said:


> Also confirmed by John Suhr on TGP.
> 
> I'm gonna see him in four days, this will be interesting...USA Charvels own everything imho.




I have not confirmed anything except that he is obviously using a Charvel for some gigs. 

Just for the sake of clarity
Guthrie says he does not currently have any guitar endorsement deal with anyone.
He still has his Suhr and is still using a Badger
He is free to check out whatever gear he feels works for him just as any artists who play our guitars are.
We have only decided not to have artist signatures on our standard instruments.

We don't hold any of our artists captive


----------



## 7slinger (Nov 6, 2012)

Suhr said:


> I have not confirmed anything except that he is obviously using a Charvel for some gigs.
> 
> Just for the sake of clarity
> Guthrie says he does not currently have any guitar endorsement deal with anyone.
> ...



/thread

can't wait to own one of your fantastic instruments


----------



## Steve_U1S (Nov 6, 2012)

As a recent owner of a GG spec Antique Modern, I'll add in that the instrument itself speaks for itself, and stands on its own merits - most certainly Guthrie put it firmly onto my radar, and is a formidable tool in his hands (and let's be honest, whatever 'weapon' he wields, it's going to be noteworthy; he's 'that' kind of player wherein the instrument becomes an extension of the man, to the point where I think he can probably bend any instrument to his will =]).
Having said that, the things that kept me interested and wanting one of these were; awesome 'quirky' looks (I have a fascination with 'relic' aesthetics, especially when done convincingly, such that the GG-AM is), quality of build (no doubts and no questions there), and the remarkable versatility built around the platform of my favourite and familiar wood, basswood (with bonus maple top).
I've gone to great lengths on my other instruments to create a pickup combination and wiring scheme which could, within that one instrument, convincingly take me from country through to metal.
The AM done to GG specs is very much that as well.

I'm happy that I have one with the Govan signature laser etched on the back of the headstock; it stands in tribute to what brought it more firmly to my attention - and at some point, I'd like to get the man to put Sharpie to wood and put his hand-done sig on there as well.

And very importantly, regardless of what might go on with GG, I'm already pondering what I might like my next Suhr to be spec'd out like one day =]

@ John Suhr - thanks for chiming in and lending clarity. You're without a doubt a class act.


----------



## Suhr (Nov 6, 2012)

Thanks!


----------



## ROAR (Nov 6, 2012)

Still going with Suhr, you'll be hearing from me
after I sell a few more organs


----------



## wilch (Nov 6, 2012)

Outside of the whole, "whoa where's his Suhr?" thing, that Charvel Guthrie's playing atm looks quite tasty!


----------



## Jzbass25 (Nov 6, 2012)

I feel sorta sick from this... I love suhrs lol


----------



## Tom 1.0 (Nov 6, 2012)

Its ok John, I play Suhr now so the brand is safe......


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2012)

I want a Rasmus M-200, does that count?


----------



## Fluxx (Nov 7, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I want a Rasmus M-200, does that count?



I've owned 2 of those.

One was awesome, and then I made the mistake of sending it to Patrick Simms for a refinish. He still has it, as expected. That mans a thief.

The second one I picked up after the first was stolen didn't play nearly as well, but both were comparable to most prestige Ibanez guitars. Go for it dude!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 7, 2012)

I'm really considering one... I've also been looking at some old MiJ Ibanezes, particularly the RG550 and S540.


----------



## rockstarazuri (Nov 7, 2012)

I have the Rasmus GG. It definitely rocks  on par, if not better, than my Prestige guitars


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 7, 2012)

If only 2nd hand Rasmuses (Or Rasmi... whatever ) were a bit more common.


----------



## Fluxx (Nov 7, 2012)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> If only 2nd hand Rasmuses (Or Rasmi... whatever ) were a bit more common.



The 2nd one I bought was used with a tremolno installed and I got it for $625 shipped I think which was a great price considering their already great price for what you get.

I paid full price for the first one, but it was 10x the guitar. Damn that patrick simms.

Regardless, I think you should go for it if you find a used one. The fit and finish is excellent, and comparable to anything else in the price range or better.


----------



## isispelican (Nov 13, 2012)




----------



## Tom 1.0 (Nov 13, 2012)

Well.... That was awkward.


----------



## rockstarazuri (Nov 13, 2012)

He doesn't seem to want to talk much about his guitar lol. Which is perfectly understandable


----------



## Fluxx (Nov 13, 2012)

I think he makes it pretty clear whats going on with that guitar.
I'm dissapointed he didn't have more to say about the pickups, but the guitar sounds excellent!


----------



## rockstarazuri (Nov 13, 2012)

Also, he still sounds like himself even with completely different gear than before (Charvel thru a Marshall). Tone is really in the fingers!


----------



## Overtone (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm so glad The Aristocrats made it to Greece, even though I wasn't there and have never seen them.


----------



## DeathCubeK (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm actually really surprised Guthrie didn't jump to Vigier or MusicMan. Can you imagine a beautiful MusicMan Silhouette with no pickguard, with a koa body and a baked/roasted maple neck?


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## shredfiend (Nov 13, 2012)

very true, but the obvious thing here is going with Charvel would put him in the Fender Corp family with who know"s what other things down the line. and obviously more $$$.
MM would be cool too. I'm a fan.


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## technomancer (Nov 13, 2012)

rockstarazuri said:


> Also, he still sounds like himself even with completely different gear than before (Charvel thru a Marshall). Tone is really in the fingers!



While I won't dispute that a lot of tone is in the fingers, the Charvel is similar to his Suhrs and most of the amps he's used are Marshall'ish


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## rockstarazuri (Nov 14, 2012)

Fair enough. But he sounds the same too using an Axe Fx (not a Marshall patch I think)


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## JoeyBTL (Nov 14, 2012)

technomancer said:


> While I won't dispute that a lot of tone is in the fingers, the Charvel is similar to his Suhrs and most of the amps he's used are Marshall'ish



This is the exact same thing I wanted to post yesterday but didn't feel like it haha 

I read somewhere the Suhr amps were based off of/similar to some Marshalls anyway.


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## DavidLopezJr (Nov 14, 2012)

Every time I listen to him talk, the more I want to become a professional musician.


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## Khoi (Nov 14, 2012)

JoeyBTL said:


> This is the exact same thing I wanted to post yesterday but didn't feel like it haha
> 
> I read somewhere the Suhr amps were based off of/similar to some Marshalls anyway.



they're essentially clones of Marshalls, and sound absolutely fantastic. I've always wanted to get a Suhr Badger myself ever since I started listening to Guthrie. I dig his tones through that much more than his Cornfords he used to use


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## heregoesnothing (Nov 14, 2012)

isispelican said:


>




08:26 - 09:25 = so much win. I love everything he says


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## Steve_U1S (Nov 14, 2012)

I very much enjoy watching and listening to him play; I think I might be equally entranced by listening to him talking about the philosophies of music - he's very eloquent, doesn't speak 'over' anyone's head, but manages to make his points in a very concise way, PLUS he has that sense of humour which makes things all the more interesting.


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## JoeyBTL (Nov 14, 2012)

Khoi said:


> they're essentially clones of Marshalls, and sound absolutely fantastic. I've always wanted to get a Suhr Badger myself ever since I started listening to Guthrie. I dig his tones through that much more than his Cornfords he used to use





I've really been enjoying the Badger 30 model in the Axe Fx II.


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## ROAR (Nov 14, 2012)

^Almost sold my AxeFxII to pick up a Suhr Badger.
Got lucky with that firmware update! ha


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## DavidLopezJr (Nov 20, 2012)

From Guthrie's official facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....337173596368965.80134.333160653436926&type=1


Guthrie Govan said:


> Hello! Guthrie here, with a somewhat boring (but apparently necessary!) update and a pretty picture ;-)
> 
> Well... the guitar I've been using lately has apparently caused something of a stir in certain sectors of the online community, so I figured it might be helpful if I explained what's actually going on.
> 
> ...


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## Dickicker (Nov 20, 2012)

Just goes to show how the internet can blow things out of proportion lol


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## Overtone (Nov 20, 2012)

First time I notice that's actually a 24 fret strat style! Interesting.


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## rockstarazuri (Nov 20, 2012)

It's looking more and more like a Rasmus XD


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## Andromalia (Nov 20, 2012)

Why a middle pickup


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## ILuvPillows (Nov 20, 2012)

^Because it's Guthrie Govan. The guy uses more tone variations in one gig than most people on here do in a lifetime.

EDIT: Nice to see that everything was cleared up, I guess things did go a bit far with all the speculation. Interesting comment about the lack of financial backing as well.


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## Rojne (Nov 20, 2012)

that sure looks _mighty fine_!!


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## DavidLopezJr (Nov 20, 2012)

Andromalia said:


> Why a middle pickup


Neck humbucker split with the middle pickup gives the classic funk quack tone that strats are known for. This is the number one reason to have a middle pickup for me


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## Andromalia (Nov 20, 2012)

ILuvPillows said:


> ^Because it's Guthrie Govan. The guy uses more tone variations in one gig than most people on here do in a lifetime.



Wait wait wait wait. You mean I'm not allowed to bitch on a guitar I'll never buy ? SSO has changed a lot !


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## ILuvPillows (Nov 20, 2012)

Andromalia said:


> Wait wait wait wait. You mean I'm not allowed to bitch on a guitar I'll never buy ? SSO has changed a lot !



. Touche, good sir. Touche...


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## Bloody_Inferno (Nov 20, 2012)

Dickicker said:


> Just goes to show how the internet can blow things out of proportion lol


 
Well! We'll show him, especially for that "purple monkey dishwasher" remark!


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## Tom 1.0 (Nov 21, 2012)

I will have to get my bum up to Chelmsford and catch him at some point soon, been meaning to go for years.


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## technomancer (Nov 21, 2012)

Andromalia said:


> Wait wait wait wait. You mean I'm not allowed to bitch on a guitar I'll never buy ? SSO has changed a lot !



It's a freaking custom shop guitar, you can order one with whatever you want


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## mniel8195 (Jan 6, 2014)

As much as i like this guitar it does not seem to me to be as refined or as complete of a concept as something suhr or tom anderson would put out. I am curious to see how the finish on the basswood turns out as well. I have a feeling these guitars with start going on pre sale in the next 2 weeks. I think i may hold out for some Modern vs Angel comparisons


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## PyramidSmasher (Jan 7, 2014)

Ive seen him live twice, and he was rocking alot more twangy and single coil tones with the charvel than with what he had before (suhr and vigier)


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 7, 2014)

mniel8195 said:


> As much as i like this guitar it does not seem to me to be as refined or as complete of a concept as something suhr or tom anderson would put out.



Sounds like a prototype to me, which he was using.


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## OmegaSlayer (Jan 7, 2014)

Love this guy, from his attitude to his playing style, but mostly the attitude and...I must say that I think he's nowadays overall best guitarist for technique, taste and theory knowledge combined.
This just to make clear how I love this man's "nice witty humbleness".

About the guitar, he just changed the logo (j/k)


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## mniel8195 (Jan 7, 2014)

I received this email today from the music zoo. I wanted to spec out a similar suhr modern and i was just curious what the pricing was going to be like compared to a suhr modern. 

Hello from the Music Zoo! We are now taking deposits on the Charvel USA made Guthrie Govan model. There are two models being produced &#8211;

2869302000 Guthrie Govan Signature San Dimas®, 24 Fret, Maple Fingerboard, Birds Eye $3,652.00
2869303000 Guthrie Govan Signature San Dimas®, 24 Fret, Maple Fingerboard, Flame $3,569.00

We don&#8217;t have any info yet as to when they will start shipping, but we are taking deposits for the first few. Let me know ASAP if you&#8217;d like to order one. $500 reserves one for you. US Payments can be made by credit card over the phone, wire transfer, money order, or verified paypal. Please select a payment method and send me your full contact info and phone number if you&#8217;d like to order this one.

Thanks!

John Oliva


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## Khoi (Jan 7, 2014)

Oh man, that's huge! But a bit more expensive than I was expecting from Charvel


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 7, 2014)

A lot of their USA stuff is made in their custom shop. It ain't cheap.

Just look at the new Jake E Lee sig.


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## mniel8195 (Jan 7, 2014)

i personally prefer the body shape of the modern or the new angel. I will wait to see what the final product is. Im just not a super huge fan of the fender body shape vs some of the other designers suhr, anderson, lull, etc. I like that they are offering the birdseye because i hate flamed fingerboards!


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## JoeyBTL (Jan 7, 2014)

Aren't they made by the Jackson custom shop?


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## Pablo (Jan 8, 2014)

mniel8195 said:


> I like that they are offering the birdseye because i hate flamed fingerboards!


I'm pretty sure it refers to a choice between birdseye or flamed maple _tops_, not fretboards.

Cheers

Eske


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## thisismrfrenzy (Jan 9, 2014)

Any official pics and specs ?


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## Black Mamba (Jan 9, 2014)

thisismrfrenzy said:


> Any official pics and specs ?





Guthrie Govan Specs said:


> As a preeminent modern virtuoso, U.K. guitar master Guthrie Govan dazzles all who hear him. After two years in meticulous development working closely with the man himself, Charvel is profoundly pleased to introduce the ultimate ultra-pro guitarthe Guthrie Govan Signature model. With so many special features and highperformance appointments, its truly the ideal expression of Govans artistry rendered in distinctive Charvel form.
> The San Dimas body has a beautiful birdseye maple or flame maple top, with a thin clear matte finish and a specially contoured heel (sans neck plate) for easy access to the upper reaches of the fingerboard. The bolt-on neck is quartersawn flame maple with a caramelized heat and drying treatment that makes it sound and feel much older, with graphite reinforcement and a convenient truss rod adjustment wheel at the body end. Most unusually for a San Dimas model, the compound-radius (12-16) flame-maple fingerboard spans two octaves, with the same caramelized treatment as the neck, 24 extra jumbo stainless steel frets and special maple dot inlays with ebony borders.
> Other premium features include three specially wound Charvel custom MFB pickups arranged in a versatile HSH configuration with five-way switching for the expansive tonal openness and dynamic sensitivity that Govan demands, two notched control knobs (master volume, master tone) with brass position markers set into the body, recessed original-style NOS Floyd Rose® tremolo bridge with Tremol-No unit and oversized brass block, bone nut, chrome hardware and 25.5 scale length.
> 
> ...



Charvel USA Guthrie Govan San Dimas Signature Electric Guitar - Birds Eye Maple Top

Charvel USA Guthrie Govan San Dimas Signature Electric Guitar - Flame Maple Top


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## thisismrfrenzy (Jan 10, 2014)

Thanks dude !


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## Black Mamba (Jan 10, 2014)

thisismrfrenzy said:


> Thanks dude !



No problem!


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## Theodata321 (Jan 14, 2014)

Just saw on the Make N' Music website as well as the Music Zoo that the prices have been announced for the Guthrie Govan Signature Birdseye and Flame Maple Charvels are out. Looks like the list is $4400 and $4300 with MSRP $3652 and $3569, and they are available for preorder, with arrival sometime in spring. Hoping to save up enough to snag the birdseye! 
Charvel USA Guthrie Govan Signature Flame | mattsmusic.com
Pre-Order New 2014 Charvels: Guthrie Govan, Jake E Lee
and if anyone needs the link for the video where he demos the prototypes:


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## fenderbender4 (Jan 14, 2014)

How is this different than his Suhr guitar? I just find it kind of odd to get basically the same guitar created. Although I know EVH's guitars haven't differed greatly from one company to the next.


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## technomancer (Jan 14, 2014)

fenderbender4 said:


> How is this different than his Suhr guitar? I just find it kind of odd to get basically the same guitar created. Although I know EVH's guitars haven't differed greatly from one company to the next.



Given it's $1k more than any of the other custom shop Charvel artist models, I'd say the main difference is he's getting a nice chunk of cash per guitar 

That said, the Charvel custom shop makes some fantastic guitars so these should be pretty awesome.


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