Guthrie Govan Signature Charvel Builder's Diary

[Bionic]

We are not going to use that bridge. We have developed a bridge that encompasses more of what Guthrie prefers. BTW, Made In the USA.

[toejam]

We are not going to use that bridge. We have developed a bridge that encompasses more of what Guthrie prefers. BTW, Made In the USA.

Interesting. Can't wait for the details.

[Richard W]

Interesting. Can't wait for the details.

+1

[shreddermon]

+2

[Carbuff]

We are not going to use that bridge. We have developed a bridge that encompasses more of what Guthrie prefers. BTW, Made In the USA.

Interesting. I can see giving the guy what he wants but Im not so sure about using a special (oddball, if you will) trem on the guitars for the public. People like their floyds, especially charvel guys. You see how many will devalue a guitar because it has a trem other than a floyd on it. Im sure you would like to expand your customer base to suhr guys and the like and thats a great idea. Im just not sure how many guys from this forum would want to plunk down the big bucks on this beauty if its got a "weird" trem on it. I applaud the made in usa part and this is not a criticism, just something that immediately popped into my head, and might be something to think about. Great looking guitar, btw.

[shramiac]

Wouldn't be surprised if it was a fed through the back, ball end style wangbar, to get that "full tone and string resonance through the whole body" that many claim a Floyd can't get???

I thought the NFT Floyd was a great choice! Obviously it was installed with the newer posts and had a sleeved screw arm rather then the old treaded arm! Though I have read, the old threaded arm is awesome when set up properly but needs a case with room to leave the arm in as it's a b*itch to remove and reset all the time!

[VitaminG]

Interesting. I can see giving the guy what he wants but Im not so sure about using a special (oddball, if you will) trem on the guitars for the public. People like their floyds, especially charvel guys. You see how many will devalue a guitar because it has a trem other than a floyd on it. Im sure you would like to expand your customer base to suhr guys and the like and thats a great idea. Im just not sure how many guys from this forum would want to plunk down the big bucks on this beauty if its got a "weird" trem on it. I applaud the made in usa part and this is not a criticism, just something that immediately popped into my head, and might be something to think about. Great looking guitar, btw.

This is only anecdotal of course, but I see more people online bellyaching about Floyds. They're impossible to setup; string changes take, like, an hour!; they're tone suckers; and besides, the one time I owned a guitar with a cheap licensed Floyd, it was constantly going out of tune. They're just not that good

A while back I would have agreed with you about the oddball trem. I might like the look of a Jackson with a Wilkinson, for example, but would instantly dismiss it because of the trem. But that was days ago & I was young and stupid back then. But I'll bet a lot of people would be fine with it. It's not much different to a trad trem & plenty of people own guitars with those.

ultimately, it's what Guthrie wants. Would the public buy (or accept) a signature Charvel that is immediately & obviously different from the artist's guitar? I wanted to buy one exactly like Guthrie's but you can't, because his sig model has a double locking Floyd - his guitar doesn't even have a locknut. Can't see that flying.

btw, I'm not so sure that these are being marketed specifically to "Charvel guys". More likely to prog guys. Guthrie doesn't play what most people would traditionally associate old school Charvels with.

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

This is only anecdotal of course, but I see more people online bellyaching about Floyds. They're impossible to setup; string changes take, like, an hour!; they're tone suckers; and besides, the one time I owned a guitar with a cheap licensed Floyd, it was constantly going out of tune. They're just not that good

I'd recommend playing a guitar w/a REAL Floyd before condemning them as "not that good" !!

[Carbuff]

I'd recommend playing a guitar w/a REAL Floyd before condemning them as "not that good" !!

Exactly, I was comparing a real floyd, such as the old school one mentioned earlier, to an unknown new trem. I didnt think a guitar at this price point would come with a cheap knock off. And I was referencing the models that will be sold to the general public, not the ones that the artist will be receiving. I was also speaking from the viewpoint of a charvel guy (Hey, it looks like a charvel!) I understand that its target audience might not be the usual charvel crowd. But it got posted here so Im sure there were other guys thinking, sweet guitar, ugh,oddball trem. I cant wait to see it though. Made in the USA is cool with me. I like my kahlers too, even the 2500, so Im not one to be complaining, it was just a thought.

[VitaminG]

I'd recommend playing a guitar w/a REAL Floyd before condemning them as "not that good" !!

you missed my point. That's the response I see online all the time. I have no issues with Floyds. Most of my guitars have them - licensed Jackson ones, Schallers, Gotohs. They're all good by me - not difficult to setup, intonate, restring. There's nothing wrong with the tone of a floyded guitar and tuning is NOT an issue with a quality unit. But there seems to be a lot of anti-Floyd bias around right now from people who've had limited experience with cheap licensed units. Adding a Floyd is not a guaranteed draw to a guitar now.

I also wasn't suggesting that Charvel would put a cheap knockoff on this guitar. But why would they put a double-locking Floyd on a signature guitar when the artist doesn't have one? That would be like making the Warren D Crossed Swords sig only available as a hardtail.

If you want a Charvel with a Floyd, they make a buttload of them. If you want the guitar that Guthrie plays, this is it. Not 'almost' like it. Look at the fuss that has been made over the 'almost like' Randy replicas Jackson has put out. People want to own a guitar just like Randy played. If you want a modernised Rhoads, you can buy one. But why make a replica guitar and then add obvious features that weren't on the original?

I was actually thinking, sweet guitar. Interesting, some of the choices Govan is making with it. Would love to see what that would be like. What's that trem going to be like?

[Richard W]

The bridge is talked about at around 4:37.

[shramiac]

So it'll be a licensed NFT Floyd rather then an Original NFT Floyd! Maybe a pop in arm then, like his old Gotoh?

[shreddermon]

Hmmm. Wonder if it'll be a newer version of this bridge, that Fender used to put on some of their Strats...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Fender-DELUXE-Floyd-Rose-Strat-LOCKING-TREMOLO-BAR-Bridge-Stratocaster-/191078468483

:think:

[toejam]

Hmmm. Wonder if it'll be a newer version of this bridge, that Fender used to put on some of their Strats...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Fender-DELUXE-Floyd-Rose-Strat-LOCKING-TREMOLO-BAR-Bridge-Stratocaster-/191078468483

:think:

I was wondering the same thing. I always did like that bridge.

[shramiac]

Never seen that one before! Cool, no ball ends! Though intonating it would be a b*tch!! Pop in arm with a grub screw to tighten the feel which is nice. Petrucci bridge has the same style arm, as are a few others out there I guess?