Guthrie Govan Discussion

[alexkhan]

We Guthrie fans (old and new) tend to get a little carried away by Guthrie's insane versatility. Yes, he can mimic other players in an uncanny manner and he does so many things so well. But, we need to be realistic: Guthrie's not going to do what Holdsworth does as well as Allan does. Or what Yngwie does. Or what Brent Mason or Scotty Anderson does. Or what Pat Metheny or George Benson does. And on and on... Guthrie has absorbed many, many great players and the influences of such players have certainly left their imprint in Guthrie's style and music, but it's not fair to say Guthrie does what all these players do (or have done) better than they do.

I think Guthrie gets a little embarrassed and feels like he's being put on the spot when people ask him to do some Brent Mason licks or play jazz like Metheny or fusion like Scott Henderson or Holdsworth, etc. Guthrie simply does what he does in his own inimitable way. The way I see it, Guthrie is synthesizing all of the genres, styles, and techniques into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Sure, he can be one of those jack-of-all-trades studio kind of cat, but I'm quite certain Guthrie would rather be himself playing a very identifiable style wholly his own.

I know I prefer Guthrie going in this direction of just being himself. Yeah, even I get tempted sometime and want to ask him to play something that someone else would play. I'm sure people ask him all the time to mimic a bunch of other players - licks that everyone knows. Yeah, it's fun to see him play "Flight of the Bumblebee" and things like that, but is it really him? The one thing I've noticed over the years is that his style is becoming more and more individualistic. It's more coherent than just a bunch of styles and techniques mish-mashed together. There's more spontaneity in the way he segues from one technique or style to another. It's been a very interesting thing to observe and I'm sure it'll continue to be so. It's still a work in progress, but that's what makes Guthrie such a fascinating player and artist to follow.
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Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.

[frankus]

Yup, I think the time in GT has meant that Guthrie has had to perform covers or pastiches of other guitarists, both he and Jamie Humphries became victims of it's success.

I think in a lot of ways people asking Guhrie to play like _____, is really part of that tab culture thing I really don't like. He understands the principals of the music being played and how notes are elicited from the guitar, of course he can play like ______ . These people will happily believe that Guthrie then slavishly copied each and every lick _____ ever played and that's how he can play like him and that's why he's a good guitarist.

In terms of wrongness I thing it's summed up in Return of Shoogagoogagunga by Z:

Dude, who's this Jeff Beck guy you keep going on about?

Dude, Eddie Van Halen taught Jeff Beck everything he knows.
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[sumis]

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[JP7stringer]

I've never been one to compare guitar players, nor say he is better than him, and so on. To me playing guitar and playing it well is all about expression...so I love and listen to say Gilmour, who expresses himself in his way, and on the other hand I could listen to and love Petrucci who expresses himself in his way. Two very distinct and different styles, yet both are expressions of oneself. People often get discouraged because they can't 'shred', but I tell them it's not the quantity, but the quality that speaks, just as long as you are honest and sincere in what you play...and this is what I hear when I listen to Guthrie. I know Guthrie can shred, slide, finger pick, tap and what not, and I also know that Guthrie is well known, for his ability to play like others...however, when I listen to Guthrie, I hear Guthrie, and only Guthrie. Someone posted an interesting comment on a YOUTUBE video of Guthrie's playing, I can't remember exactly what was said, but the comment did make mention of "the next big thing". Guthrie's playing is moves me, and he is quickly becoming my all time fav! I want more dammit!

[Ant711UK]

The more I listen to his stuff the more of 'his' playing I hear.

I know I'm in the minority here but the first solo in waves doesn't really do it for me at all, whereas other stuff in particular the whole of Fives is just spot on for my taste, every single note.

I absolutely love what he has done with EC because it really made my ears prick up, but I prefer the actual sound of his guitar tone and playing on the new youtube clips, that is real pure Guthrie to me, just genius.

I've pointed a few players I know at those clips and they were all hugely impressed, just hope they go and buy the EC CD now like I told them to

Tony

[thelordofcheesecake]

[alexkhan]

Yeah, I agree that some of the guitar sounds on 'EC' are on the hi-fi side. I still think they're organic but a little more "processed" sounding than his live tones due to the overdubs and other studio treatments. The funny thing is that the last time I saw Guthrie live at TM his guitar sounded more like the studio recording and he was using less effects than ever before.
_________________
Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.

[alexkhan]

[JP7stringer]

Well the only thing I do know is, most people that I have shown or referred them to Guthrie's material, came back with positive feedback. I know there are often some guitar players that some people really like, while others feel may be too heavy, or too shreddy,(for example people who are fans of blues guitarist may not be so welcoming to shredders like Lane) but Guthrie seems to fit right smack in the middle. I have friends who are die hard metal fans, and friends who are more blues/southern fried influenced and both sides flipped when they heard Guthrie...in fact I think it's like he's creating his own genre if you will...hey can we come up with a name for this new style of guitar..
No but seriously, what's not too like about Guthrie...wait if I had to pick, say under a hot lamp, with toothpicks under my finger nails I would say NOT ENOUGH GUTHRIE!!!!!I WANT MORE GUTHRIE. For example Wonderful Slippery Thang, man why does Guthrie have to tease me like that in this song? WHY?

[Paolo_Angelo]