Guthrie Govan's equipment [Amplifiers, guitars, effects]

Londoner Guthrie Govan was born on December 1971th 12 into a musical family.
His talent was clear from an early age, and it is said that he first appeared on stage at the age of five, playing songs by Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley.

His father was well versed in classical music, and the whole family was familiar with music, so he naturally became interested in the guitar.

In 1993, he won the Guitarist of the Year awards sponsored by the British guitar magazine Guitarist, performing his own song, "Wonderful Slippery Thing."
This song has since become one of Guthrie's signature songs, beloved for many years.

At the time, he received a contract offer from Shrapnel Records in the United States, but he declined, wanting to avoid becoming a "guitarist who only sells his technique."
After that, without relying on a label, he steadily built his career through work as a guitar teacher, sheet music composer, and magazine serials.

In 2001, he participated as a guitarist in the album "Aura" by the progressive rock band Asia.
This opportunity will allow you to step into professional life in earnest.

In 2006, he formed his own band, GPS, and released the album Window to the Soul.
In the same year, he released his first solo album, "Erotic Cakes," which bore his name, making a strong impression on guitar fans around the world.

In 2011, he formed the virtuoso trio The Aristocrats with bassist Brian Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann.
Mixing a variety of elements including jazz, metal, fusion and country, they captivate audiences around the world with their performances that are full of humor and technique.

Their live shows have been held all over the world, and their performance in Japan was a huge success.
Although the band places great importance on ensemble playing, Guthrie always has a presence that leads the entire band, and his sound and playing style continue to evolve.

In addition to his solo work and the Aristocrats, Guthrie has also actively supported many famous artists.
In 2014, he joined the band of progressive rock legend Steven Wilson as a guitarist, participating in the tour and album production.

Furthermore, since 2016 he has accompanied film music maestro Hans Zimmer on his world tour, performing with the orchestra using his Strandberg 8-string guitar.
Even amidst the heavy soundtrack, his delicate yet powerful tone captured the audience's ears.

His guitar playing is not just limited to fast playing that can be described as "virtuoso."
With its jazz-derived sense of scale, bluesy feel, flowing legato, and diverse expressiveness, it embodies "comprehensive power centered on musicality" at a high level.

He also has a unique approach to using the guitar as a means of communicating the language of music, and as he himself has said, "I play by context, not by genre," his playing is always like a conversation, which is what makes him so appealing.

Guthrie's current main guitar.
This is a US-made signature model officially announced at the 2014 NAMM Show, and is a superstrat-type guitar with a 2 humbucker + single (HSH) layout.

The body is made of lightweight caramelized basswood, with a beautiful birdseye or flame maple laminate on the top.

The neck is also made of incendiary treated maple, and the 24-fret fingerboard is equipped with stainless steel frets.
Equipped with locking pegs and a special floating tremolo, this guitar is designed to provide the ultimate in tuning stability and playability.

The pickups are a custom HSH set designed by Michael Frank Brohn of the Fender Custom Shop, and the 5-stage switch + mini switch give it the flexibility to cover even single-coil sounds.

Guthrie himself"The ultimate work tool that can do anything."He describes it as being able to produce a wide range of tones from clean tones to high gain with just this one guitar.

In 2017, a new model was added with a body material changed to lightweight roasted ash, and the initial model was updated to include a single coil to humbucker switch as a retrofit.

Guthrie mainly uses this Charvel signature guitar for his solo and Aristocrat performances.
His opinions are also reflected in the pickup output balance adjustments and circuit design, and he says, "There is a lot of freedom in creating the sound, and I can turn my ideas into sound as they are."

We also focused on durability to reduce any problems that may occur while on tour, and the increased strength provided by stainless steel frets and a hardened neck make it truly professional-grade.

The beautiful looks of the guitar, available with a choice of bird's eye maple or flame maple body top, also make this a popular model among fans.

Before Charvel, Guthrie was known for his signature model made by the Suhr Custom Shop.
In the late 2000s, Suhr released several Guthrie models, including the "Antique Modern" and "Set-Neck," all of which were modern-style guitars with 24 frets. They combined high playability with a wide range of sound creation features, such as an HSH pickup arrangement and a Floyd Rose-type tremolo.

For example, the Suhr Modern signature model features a lustrous flame maple top, mahogany body and tempered maple neck, with a smooth neck shape and jumbo-sized stainless steel frets.

The design was packed with Guthrie's ideas, including a "blower switch" that directly connects the circuit when the volume knob is pulled up to instantly achieve full output, and the "Tremol-No" arming adjuster.

During his time with Suhr, Guthrie used a total of more than six Suhr guitars, including this signature guitar, a Suhr Standard, and a Classic T (Telecaster type), depending on the situation.

Because it can easily handle everything from lustrous clean tones to thick leads, it is said that "if you have a Suhr, you don't need anything else."

At the time, he had an endorsement contract with Suhr, which included amplifiers, and the combination of Suhr guitars and Suhr amplifiers (see below) was standard even at live performances.

Suhr guitars have now disappeared from the stage due to the shift to Charvel, but the lustrous tones that can be heard in some songs, such as those on "Erotic Cakes," are unique to Suhr guitars.
It can be said that this is an indispensable instrument in Guthrie's history.

Govan is also known for playing the rare fretless guitar.
The French-made Vigier Excalibur Surfreter is a six-string electric guitar with a metal fingerboard, and because it has no frets, it produces a unique, smooth change in pitch.

Guthrie had known of this model for some time, and used it on stage and in recordings as it matched the sound he wanted to pursue in his demo song "Slidey Boy."

Although I do not have an official endorsement contract with Vigier, I own my own Surfreter Special (alder body + maple fingerboard) and use it when necessary.

For example, he stunned the audience with a smooth glissando during a live performance of "Fives," a track from his solo album.

At first glance, the equipment seems exotic, but Guthrie uses it with ease, using it as "a tool to increase my options for expression," and his versatility is astounding.

The Victory V100 was developed in collaboration with Guthrie Govan and Martin Kidd (founder of Victory).100W hand-wired tube amplifier.
After the completion of the V30 "The Countess", it was developed for larger venues and recording applications.Equipped with 2 channels + master boostIt features a classic British midrange thanks to the EL34 power tubes.

Guthrie uses these amps for arena-sized performances and recordings, using the V30 for portable touring and the V100 for full-scale sound.
From the MkII onwards, the lead channel has been made thicker, and the artist himself says it "feels like a vintage Marshall."

Guthrie's main amplifier is a V30 head made by Victory Amplification, a new British brand.
Around 2013, Victory collaborated with Martin Kidd (formerly the founder of Cornford), who was then Victory's chief designer, to develop this signature model, which combines "compactness that makes it suitable for carry-on on an airline plane with uncompromising tube sound."

It features a two-channel, all-tube circuit with a maximum output of 2W housed in a metal lunchbox chassis, and is flexible enough that the output can be reduced to 30W with a switch on the front panel, or further to 15W/9W with a switch on the rear.
Guthrie takes the V30 on tours around the world as his "carry-on amp," and uses it for a wide range of sounds, from clean to heavy.

In 2018, the MkII version was released, which added a crunch mode and a low-end tightening function (Nomod switch), and I currently mainly use the V30 MkII.
Gasly praises the V30, saying that it produces "a huge sound that you wouldn't expect from something this size," and he uses it from his home to the arena.

He also favors a 30x4 cabinet equipped with a Celestion Vintage 12 speaker, and combines it with sturdy cabinets from Mesa/Boogie and Orange to create a thick, full-bodied sound.

However, in recent years, we have also been using different equipment depending on the environment.
For performances with an orchestra, where high volume is difficult, we used a Kemper Profiler (digital amp simulator) and made efforts to suppress stage noise by using mainly in-ear monitors.

From 2022 onwards, he has finally removed real amps from the stage and completely switched to a style of simulating amp sounds using Fractal multi-effects, as described below.

However, the Victory V30 can still be seen being used in recordings and clinics, and for Guthrie, the vacuum tube amp is something of a "reference for achieving the ideal response."

TC ELECTRONIC / POLYTUNE 3 MINIは、バッファーを搭載し、より使い勝手を向上させたペダル型ポリフォニックチューナーPOLYTUNE 3のミニサイズモデル。トゥルー/バッファード・バイパスの切り替えスイッチを本体横に配置し、用途に合わせ切替可能。高精度なチューニング、高光度LEDによる高い視認性をコンパクトボディで実現しています。

Koko Boost is a clean booster that Guthrie used exclusively for solo boosting.
By switching on the mid boost switch, it was used to enhance the sound during solo parts.

• Equipped with a toggle switch that allows you to select Boost and Mid Boost separately
• During live performances, I always used it ON in venues where the mids tend to get buried.
• The low-frequency range was also refined, and the fact that the tonal balance was not disrupted was highly praised.

This Japanese mini-sized auto-wah "WRm5" isRated as a masterpiece of filter effectsIt is known for having been incorporated into Guthrie's old board.
In particularArpeggios and clean backingIt was used to add a dynamic envelope effect in

He avoids extreme settings and says that a filter setting with a natural openness allows him to "dynamically express the strength and weakness of his picking."
The ultra-compact body works well with other pedals and also contributes to saving space when touring.

An analog chorus that Guthrie used in some of his live sets.
It features natural sway and transparent modulation, and is used to add color to arpeggios and clean backing.

• In some cases, the setting is not too deep and it is always on.
• Adding a clean three-dimensional feel, but without being too assertive, was preferred.
• Use in an effects loop or before a preamp

■ Rich chorus effect
ANADIME CHORUS/ADC-4 is an analog chorus that uses a BBD delay element. It can be used for chorus sounds in a variety of situations, from slow and dreamy arpeggios, to flowing and crisp chord cutting, to impressive riffs and solos.
Although it is a mono output, it produces a rich spatial effect by pursuing not only horizontal spread but also a deep sense of depth, resulting in a chorus effect with the warmth and richness that is unique to analog.

■DEEP switch allows for a wider range of sound creation
There are now three chorus modes (delay ranges): DEEP/MID/LIGHT. This allows for a wide range of effects, from a deep chorus with great depth and pitch change like before, to a refreshing, light and unobtrusive chorus.

■ Equipped with mix function
The newly installed MIX control changes the mixture ratio between the original sound and the pitch-changing sound. By using it in conjunction with the DEPTH control, a wide range of exquisite settings are possible, from a rich undulation to a light fluctuation.

■SCT Circuit
In a normal True-Bypass circuit, the audio signal passes through two switch circuits when bypassed, but the ANADIME CHORUS uses a Single Contact True Bypass circuit, which means that the signal only passes through one switch circuit when bypassed. This results in improved product reliability and higher sound quality than ever before.

■DCG Circuit
The DCG Circuit (Double Contact Grounding Circuit) is used, which connects the shield side of the mono plug that is connected to the output jack to the ground side of the effector with two contacts. By increasing the contact area, poor contact is less likely to occur, which is also advantageous in terms of sound quality.

■Multiple LED functions
The LED on the ANADIME CHORUS functions as a modulation pitch indicator (when the effect is ON, it flashes in sync with the LFO speed, allowing you to visually confirm the pitch). In addition to displaying the ON/OFF status of the effect, it also has the function of monitoring the battery voltage. When the battery voltage falls below approximately 7V, the LED starts to turn off. The effect sound will still be output in this state, but we recommend replacing the battery to ensure that the unit performs to its full potential.

Marshall Plexi-style distortionThe Xotic SL Drive is a mini-sized reproduction of the original, and Guthrie describes it as "amazingly complete for a compact distortion pedal."
During the Aristocrats' tour, it was used as a sub amp to add drive without boosting the main amp.

He also highly appreciated the ability to switch between Bright/Fat modes using the internal DIP switch, and it appears he was able to fine-tune the mid output depending on the song.
The straightforward control and the way it produces overtones are why it is said to be "just like an amplifier."

Simple 1 foot switch configurationThe standard looper modelGuthrie uses it frequently in his clinics, master classes and solo demo performances.
He likes the "speed with which you can instantly create loops and move on to improvisation," and also uses it to build phrases and sketch out ideas for layered performances.

The artist himself has commented that the recorded loop sound has little degradation and that the sound quality is faithful to the original, making it suitable for professional use.
Although the design is simple, his phrase-constructing skills allow for very dynamic use.

Hall of Fame Mini uses TC's TonePrint technologyInfinite reverb algorithms in one boxThis design was also highly praised by Gasly.
During the tour, they will switch between Plate, Hall, Room, etc. depending on the environment, commenting that they will be able to "minimize the footprint while achieving high-quality reverberation."

Like HOF MiniA one-knob design that provides a natural reverb feel that captures the dynamics of your phrasesenhances his playing.
It is used subtly mainly in clean songs to create a sense of space.

The popular delay with intuitive operation and high sound quality has been powered up. A new delay algorithm, Crystal, has been added, incorporating a Shimmer effect using the Sub 'N' Up circuit. Furthermore, the Tape and Analog algorithms have been newly developed to achieve a more vintage-like effect. In addition, the MASH technology of pressure-sensitive expression control has been introduced, allowing free sound creation and spatial expression that is not limited by previous delay effects.

This high-performance delay has been used when there are equipment restrictions at tour locations or when other equipment problems occur.
The TONEPRINT function also makes it possible to load and reproduce Guthrie's own settings.

• Lightweight, compact and multi-mode compatible
• Often used as a clean to slightly distorted stereo delay.
• Tap tempo can also be used as an effect in certain songs.

This wah pedal isSignature model of Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry CantrellIt is known as "theDark wah characteristics and natural buffer circuitryI am attracted to it and use it.

The sound has a gentler onset than the standard Cry Baby,The filter effect is natural and smooth.The reason for its adoption is likely due to its compatibility with legato, slide, and hybrid picking.
He used this wah in some live performances to add sexiness to bluesy, singing solo parts.

DVP3 is compatible with both active and passiveMid-size volume pedal.
Guthrie uses it to "control the nuances of picking with his feet," especiallyViolin playing,Clean volume balance adjustmentIt is effective for.

DVP3 has a torque-adjustable structure, and responds smoothly to foot movements,Ease of use for phrases that require delicate expressionis also excellent.
By placing it before the pedal, it is set up so that you can naturally control changes in the amount of distortion.