I didn't know Guthrie Govan had PRSi

[Huggy Love]

I must admit that I don't really care much about "signature" or "endorsing" artists when it comes to instruments although being a fusion guitar fan several of my favorite players are PRS guys (Santana, McLaughlin, Di Meola). Govan is a "super-strat" guy but hearing him on another type of guitar is kind of cool, he sounds a little more raw and less clinical to my ears. Maybe it's the bad recording or great performance, or maybe I'm just prejudice.

 

[Andyp]

My first exposure to Mr. Govan! He's pretty good.

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

Oh, yeah...he uses PRS quite a bit. I stumbled across him about a year ago just looking up technique videos and noticed he was playing a PRS. He also plays a lot of Suhr guitars.

Indeed, he is a masterful player.

 

[Huggy Love]

. He also plays a lot of Suhr guitars.

Not any more, he dumped them for Charvel.

 

[alantig]

His Charvel model is supposed to be spectacular. I haven't played one because I'm afraid I'll cave. I know a guy who bought one and he said it's about the best guitar he's ever played.

Even more damning, I asked my local pusher (who I've dealt with for years) if he'd played one when they had them in the store. His eyes glazed over and he said, "Oh my god..." He's never done that about any piece of equipment I've asked him about.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Indeed, he is a masterful player.

Indeed.

I'm (slowly) learning the latter part of Steven Wilson's "Ancestral", and when I get to his solo, I'll just skip past it (for now).

 

[Huggy Love]

His Charvel model is supposed to be spectacular. I haven't played one because I'm afraid I'll cave. I know a guy who bought one and he said it's about the best guitar he's ever played.

Even more damning, I asked my local pusher (who I've dealt with for years) if he'd played one when they had them in the store. His eyes glazed over and he said, "Oh my god..." He's never done that about any piece of equipment I've asked him about.

I'm sure it will be tight as a drum, like the Suhr stuff, but to me it's still just a bolt on guitar. A cheap Ibanez set up correctly can do just about the same job.

 

[alantig]

I'm sure it will be tight as a drum, like the Suhr stuff, but to me it's still just a bolt on guitar. A cheap Ibanez set up correctly can do just about the same job.

I've never played one, so take this for what it's worth, but my understanding is it's much like the DGT - a guitar that is well-designed and ultimately more than the sum of its parts. As I recall, they did a lot of design, trial, refine work, much like DG did with the DGT.

 

[Huggy Love]

I've never played one, so take this for what it's worth, but my understanding is it's much like the DGT - a guitar that is well-designed and ultimately more than the sum of its parts. As I recall, they did a lot of design, trial, refine work, much like DG did with the DGT.

Nothing remotely like it, totally different animal.
A DGT still feels and plays like a PRS to me, and I've tried a few.
Superstrats are what they are, bolt on guitars built with tight tolerances for high performance. Whenever people have showed me and had me try ones that supposedly had that "mojo", I just found them to be bolt on guitars set up really well with fast necks and super low action. When I was gigging back in the EVH part-o-caster days I built a bunch of them (bolt-on guitars with Floyds) so they're always kinda "meh" to me. Good for shredding and not much else.

 

[alantig]

Sorry - didn't mean to imply that the Govan and the DGT were similar guitars, only that they went through a similar development process.

 

[vchizzle]

Those Tone Merchants vids with the PRS were my first exposure to him. I was disappointed a year later when he moved on to Suhr. I remember waiting for the Erotic Cakes album to restock in the store for FOREVER. I gave up and started listening to the Aristocrats instead, who I actually like more than the solo stuff now. He's a great talent and an even nicer guy.

 

[alantig]

They've had Erotic Cakes at the Aristocrats shows the last couple tours. When I first heard that the Aristocrats were coming, it was at a Bryan Beller bass clinic - they hadn't gotten together yet for the first album. Bryan said at the time Guthrie was selling the album himself because it was out of print.

 

[vchizzle]

They've had Erotic Cakes at the Aristocrats shows the last couple tours. When I first heard that the Aristocrats were coming, it was at a Bryan Beller bass clinic - they hadn't gotten together yet for the first album. Bryan said at the time Guthrie was selling the album himself because it was out of print.

At some point it was put up on iTunes and I bought it there. I ended up buy the Live Aristocrats CD/DVD at the show instead. Regretfully, I didn't buy a shirt(because I don't have enough band shirts as it is).

 

[alantig]

I feel bad at the shows because I usually have everything by then.

 

[Alan Manning]

Those Tone Merchants vids with the PRS were my first exposure to him. I was disappointed a year later when he moved on to Suhr. I remember waiting for the Erotic Cakes album to restock in the store for FOREVER. I gave up and started listening to the Aristocrats instead, who I actually like more than the solo stuff now. He's a great talent and an even nicer guy.

I believe he bought his PRS with his own money before other company's jumped in to endorse him.
He speaks fondly about his PRS and I'm sure he'd like to endorse Pauls guitars in the future given the chance.!!!

 

[vchizzle]

I believe he bought his PRS with his own money before other company's jumped in to endorse him.
He speaks fondly about his PRS and I'm sure he'd like to endorse Pauls guitars in the future given the chance.!!!

Yeah, he does speak fondly of them even in recent interview with the Captain. Although, the guitar is in storage being a case queen these days.
The only way he'd likely go back to PRS is if they build him something from the ground up. That's what appealed to him moving from Suhr to Charvel. Charvel basically agreed to do whatever he wanted, moving outside the mold of their standard feature set. On the other hand, if he's completely happy with his current deal, maybe he just sticks with what he has. Brand jumping doesn't usually look great for an artist.

 

[Huggy Love]

Me, if I was that stellar of an artist (which I am definitely not), especially this type (a fusion guitar virtuoso that only guitar nuts like us love, and has the "pull" to influence a lot of guitar purchasing) I'd be a gear slut, multiple manufacturers whore, a literal guitar prostitute.......... ...........and force them all to agree to "non-exclusive" deals.

 

[GavQuinn]

Yeah, he does speak fondly of them even in recent interview with the Captain. Although, the guitar is in storage being a case queen these days.
The only way he'd likely go back to PRS is if they build him something from the ground up. That's what appealed to him moving from Suhr to Charvel. Charvel basically agreed to do whatever he wanted, moving outside the mold of their standard feature set. On the other hand, if he's completely happy with his current deal, maybe he just sticks with what he has. Brand jumping doesn't usually look great for an artist.

I'd heard from someone that spoke to Guthrie was the reason that he moved to Charvel was the fact that FMIC have worldwide distribution and better support when he's touring overseas. If he has gear stolen in Argentina or what have you, Fender can arrange replacement gear far quicker than a tiny company like Suhr. I was told that this was the reason he went towards Fender. There were no issues he had with Suhr.

 

[mookyshoots]

There were no issues he had with Suhr.

In one of his Tone Talk interviews, John Suhr states that Guthrie left due to them having someone handling artist relations that should never have had the position and has since been removed from the company. Unfortunately, Guthrie was already with FMIC when John became aware of the reason why he'd left.

 

[Tone-y]

Ah, The PRS back when he played Cornford amps. He was heavily involved with Cornford in the early days as their demo player. I never did find out what happened to the company to make it fold. But at least I have two of their amps. (I want more!)