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guthrie using charvel guitars now??
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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Chino, CA

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Speaking of Apple and big guitar companies, here's an interesting partnership between Apple and the biggest guitar company of them all - Fender:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/12/3636790/fender-squire-usb-apple-store-garageband

Makes a lot of sense to me. The iDevices are ubiquitous and it's better to have the kids use one of those to learn to play the guitar than wasting away hours on 'Angry Birds' or 'Real Racing'. And it's certainly a better idea than to slap on the Fender Stratocaster brand on 'Guitar Hero' (or was it 'Rock Band'?) game controllers.

Here's my bedroom iPad rig with the Peavey AmpKit+ app using the Apogee Jam interface. Works great and sounds good enough. I want to replace those miniature iHome speakers with a Bose Soundlink though... Smile


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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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Location: Chino, CA

PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's a very recent Guthrie interview in Greece at the tail-end of the Aristocrats Europe tour that dispels the rumors. Yes, the guitar is a prototype and nothing is set in stone but he does talk about what the guitar is like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTEOF84w-f8

What I find interesting is that during all my years at Tone Merchants and Suhr, I don't ever remember seeing or taking an order for a guitar with this particular wood combination. I can kind of guess what it'd sound like acoustically but that's about it. Normally, Koa body is mated with Pau Ferro neck/fingerboard, every now and then with Mahogany, and rarely with a Koa neck. I guess it works. Smile
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JohnnyFavorite



Joined: 01 Jul 2012
Posts: 68

PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for sharing, Ed.

If you watch closely, there's a glimpse of the neck joint. Looks like a sculpted version of the tradition Fender joint, only with recessed screws like a Suhr Modern. The lower cutaway is also shaped very much like a Suhr on the back of the guitar.

Interesting stuff.

Given how successful the Suhr signature guitars have been, I'm curious as to whether Charvel/Fender would be able to source enough Koa, should a Charvel signature model be become a reality.
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doctordragon



Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 4:46 pm    Post subject: News from Guthrie himself about the Charvel guitar... Reply with quote

Quote:
Hello! Guthrie here, with a somewhat boring (but apparently necessary!) update… and a pretty picture Wink

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.

Just to clear things up:

1) I'm no longer affiliated with Suhr guitars, and Suhr's product range will no longer include a GG signature model. This is really Not A Big Deal: the Suhr guys and yours truly simply reached a point where we couldn't agree on the best way to develop our working relationship. The finer details are of no concern to anyone other than me and the Suhr company, but there's certainly no animosity here: it was a mutual business-related decision, that's all.

Contrary to certain "purple monkey dishwasher" rumours which seem to be in circulation, this has nothing to do with any alleged reliability issues: the Suhr company continues to make consistently world-class instruments, just as it always has done.

2) Just for the record, no company has ever paid me so much as a penny to use their guitars/amps/strings/pedals/whatever. I see no point in working with any gear company unless I have the utmost confidence in the quality of its work… and genuinely feel that its product is helping me in my ongoing quest to make pleasing noises.

3) I don't currently have any guitar endorsement deal, and not every instrument I use in a public place should be presumed to be a signature model. (I'm aware that this contradicts certain assertions you may have read on Wikipedia but… where that particular source of information is concerned, it strikes me that you only get what you pay for!)

4) Having said all of the above... I have recently been working on some ideas with the good people at Charvel Guitars, and the results have been extremely encouraging!

Below, you'll see a picture of the #1 prototype Charvel I used for the Aristocrats' recent European tour. It sounds great, the neck pretty much plays itself and… to my way of thinking, it looks mighty fine, too Wink

(Koa body, roasted/baked/caramelised maple neck, special Mystery Pickups designed by one of the Fender Custom Shop's "mad scientists", Gotoh 2-post trem with vintage-style saddles and Tremol-No as per usual... No "blower switch", purely because I no longer feel the need for one: presumably my volume pedal chops have improved a little over the last few years?)

Unfortunately, the only current video footage out there seems to be a Greek interview (where I'm playing through a hired 100W Marshall at bedroom volume levels) and a TV broadcast from the Frankfurt Jazz Festival (where the sound guys somehow contrived to add a bizarre and very distracting short delay to the guitar signal) but… soon enough, I'm sure you'll be able to hear this thing properly: its tone has a unique kind of snarl, which I'm liking a lot Wink

If this guitar evolves into a full-on signature model/endorsement, I'll certainly let you know (and I'm guessing that Charvel might have something to say about it, too!) but at this stage it's just a "Mk1" prototype. Let's just see what happens from here...

In other news… the launch of the live Aristocrats DVD/CD package is just around the corner! Stay tuned - I promise that my next post will be more exciting and less verbose than this one Wink

Cheers,

GG


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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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Location: Chino, CA

PostPosted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So there you go. I look forward to trying out this guitar myself (and possibly other prototypes) in January when I hook up with Guthrie and the band guys for another short CA tour. I really have no idea what a particular piece of gear sounds like unless I try it on my own. I can never rely on YouTube clips (or even pro audio recordings) to get a proper idea. One simply has to try it out for himself.

That being said, I'm happy for Guthrie. He has a very good grip on his career and how things should move forward and I'm sure he thought everything out very thoroughly. As he said, let's see what develops. Things are still in the development stage and I'm sure Guthrie wants to cover all the bases and every possible angle on something like this and that may take a while.

Having been on the road with Guthrie and/or the band for some years now, I can assure you that how a pro like Guthrie views a guitar is quite different from how most of us view it. It's a tool that needs to endure the rigors of grueling tours and perform night after night without any issues. As I said before, instruments really take some serious beating on the road. You read about it a lot on guitar magazines and artist interviews, but it's one thing to read about it and another thing altogether to actually experience the tours and observe what a guitar goes through.

And, at this point in Guthrie's career, he really can take only one guitar on the road in a gig-bag. Imagine traveling all around the world for serious gigs and you have only one guitar and no backup. Imagine going to steamy and tropical Costa Rica for a few gigs and then flying straight to frigid and dry Sweden for a few more. It isn't about how a guitar sounds and performs in one's bedroom or a few local bar gigs. Guthrie just can't be sure about a guitar unless it's been on the road with him for a good while in various unpredictable environments.

I'd imagine Guthrie will be able to take more than one guitar with him on the Steven Wilson tours. He'll get to enjoy a bit of luxury on such tours with a guitar tech and all. I'm sure there'll be a lot more testing of prototypes to figure out what works and what doesn't. Guthrie just can't know unless the guitars are thoroughly tested on the road with different bands and musicians in all kinds of venues. It takes time. I've come to see that's just the nature of these things.
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JohnnyFavorite



Joined: 01 Jul 2012
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

alexkhan wrote:
I look forward to trying out this guitar myself (and possibly other prototypes) in January when I hook up with Guthrie and the band guys for another short CA tour. I really have no idea what a particular piece of gear sounds like unless I try it on my own. I can never rely on YouTube clips (or even pro audio recordings) to get a proper idea. One simply has to try it out for himself.


I'll be interested to hear what you make of it, Ed.
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emmerhoofd



Joined: 14 Dec 2009
Posts: 22
Location: The Netherlands

PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't imagine doing a show without a backup guitar, even if it's for 15 people. What if a string breaks? Is he really going to pause the show and just restring the guitar?

Kind of ironic though that he says "Unfortunately, the only current video footage out..." etc, when he says in that same interview that he doesn't like people filming his shows and putting it on youtube. (Which I can entirely understand from his point of view.)
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JohnnyFavorite



Joined: 01 Jul 2012
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

emmerhoofd wrote:
I can't imagine doing a show without a backup guitar, even if it's for 15 people. What if a string breaks? Is he really going to pause the show and just restring the guitar?


I guess he'd have to, if all he can carry on a plane is 1 guitar and his pedal board.
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Scias



Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 92
Location: Scotland

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

emmerhoofd wrote:
I can't imagine doing a show without a backup guitar, even if it's for 15 people. What if a string breaks? Is he really going to pause the show and just restring the guitar?

Kind of ironic though that he says "Unfortunately, the only current video footage out..." etc, when he says in that same interview that he doesn't like people filming his shows and putting it on youtube. (Which I can entirely understand from his point of view.)


I would imagine guthrie is at the level where he can finish off the song at an acceptable standard using the remaining 5 strings, his improvisation technique and flexibility on the guitar is unfathomable.

Yeah I know what he means, as I said somewhere, that full live show that was available online had some weird recording problem, which doubled-up the guitar giving a weird delayed ambient sound, I'm certain it didn't sound like that live and it was purely a recording problem.
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doctordragon



Joined: 09 Jun 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:26 pm    Post subject: New Charvel model? Reply with quote

It looks like Charvel built Guthrie a new maple topped guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWouIqtTxMY
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doctordragon



Joined: 09 Jun 2006
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:55 pm    Post subject: New Charvel Prototype!!! Reply with quote

New Charvel prototype!!! I liked the first one better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoSutd34xPk
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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 5:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm... Well, I can't view any of these vids behind the Great Firewall here in China. I did get to see that second prototype while Guthrie was in CA and I think it's the most amazing superstrat I've ever held in my hands. It's not quite as photogenic as the Koa prototype but I think it looked great in person.

I heard the two being compared side by side and it was night and day. The Koa projected more mids and growl and was punchier while the Basswood/Maple body combination was very even and balanced and sweeter sounding in the highs with a bigger low end - definitely more Stratty for lack of a better description. Personally, I like the Basswood/Maple body better purely from a sonic perspective because it seems a little more versatile but the Koa guitar is amazing in its own right. They're just different as any two guitars with different woods will be.

The pickups sound great as well. Michael Frank-Braun at Fender, the guy who also developed the single-coils in Eric Johnson's Signature Strats, really is a brilliant mad scientist kind of a guy and totally gets it. But, for me, it was the feel and the playability that stood out above all else. I know I certainly want these guitars whenever they do become available. I'm also jonesing for a Strandberg after checking out their guitars at NAMM. Again, it was Guthrie who turned me onto 'em. My long dormant GAS is now back big-time! Wink
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JohnnyFavorite



Joined: 01 Jul 2012
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ed, do you know anything about the Victory amp he's playing?

Is this part of the new line of amps from Martin Kidd, formerly of Cornford?
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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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Location: Chino, CA

PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JohnnyFavorite wrote:
Ed, do you know anything about the Victory amp he's playing?

Is this part of the new line of amps from Martin Kidd, formerly of Cornford?


Sorry, I know nothing about this. This is just as much of a news to me as anyone else. All I knew is that Guthrie was going to check out some other stuff as a "free agent" and see what else is out there and figure out what will work best for the SW tour.

Personally, I really don't care what gear he plays. Amp-wise, I know for a fact that what works for him doesn't work for me and I've told Guthrie this numerous times. I was a Cornford dealer at Tone Merchants and did really well with their amps but I could never make any of 'em work for me personally.

Those were man's amps, if you get my drift - very tight and unforgiving. A wuss like me just couldn't make it work because it would amplify what a bad player I am. Laughing I need some squish, sag, compression and a fairly big low-end to push me along.

Guthrie just doesn't like amps that flatter, as he likes to say. Well, he certainly doesn't need any flattering. He likes amps that are brutally honest: what you put into it is exactly what you get out of it.

If this Victory amp - which I can't see because I can't access YT from China - is from MK, I suppose that makes sense. I always thought myself that Guthrie's best tones were through the Cornford MK50 although the Badger had certain other pleasing qualities.
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JohnnyFavorite



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PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been doing a bit of research... Not sure if Victory is the brand name or the model name. It seems to be a prototype made by Martin Kidd, though.
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