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Your First Experience of Guthrie
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alexkhan



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

PostPosted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:29 pm    Post subject: Your First Experience of Guthrie Reply with quote

May as well be the first topic! Wink

My first experience was when Cornford Amps people asked if they can visit the shop in January '03 around NAMM when I was throwin a NAMM party for the local customers. I said, "Sure, why not?"

Steve Snider had told me that there is this monster guitar player named Guthrie Govan who does clinics for them and that he's one of the best players in the world. I didn't think much of it because how many times have we heard that before?

Well, Guthrie showed up with the Cornford staff and we said hello. He didn't strike me as a monster player. Real quiet, reserved, humble, soft-spoken, very courteous... I was thinking, "This guy???" But man, when he picked up the guitar it was as though Clark Kent became Superman! Laughing Seriously!

He was just noodling around, checking out different guitars and amps in the shop. He was doing it all, picking like DiMeola and Yngwie, doing Holdsworthian legato runs, doing Joe Diorio jazz runs and Joe Pass chord melodies, then all of a sudden doing an Albert Lee country stuff, and just on and on and on and on... Shocked

Then he picked up a Vigier Fretless guitar which he had never played before. And some wiseguy asked him if he could play "Flight of the Bumblebee" on that guitar. Guthrie just said, "Well, I guess I could try..." And then he started playing it at breakneck speed all over the neck on that fretless! Shocked It was like, "Oh my god! Where is this freak from?"

People were all going, "This guy is just SICK!" So that was my first impression of him. He was just tagging along hanging out at the party. Really personable and easy-going.

I wasn't ready to commit to Cornford Amps at that time, so I politely advised Paul Cornford that I may need more time and that was that. I had kind of forgotten about Guthrie as '03 wore on, then Paul got in touch with me again late that year about visiting the shop again in Jan '04 and doing a clinic here featuring Guthrie.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't all that enthusiastic because I had already planned the Vigier/Ron Thal clinic and I still wasn't ready to take on the Cornford line. But I started thinking about Guthrie and thought it'd be cool to see what he can do in a musical setting (even if it was just playing along to backing tracks), so I relented and scheduled the clinic for Jan 24, '04.

Well, as most of you guys know - THE REST IS HISTORY!!! Laughing Wink
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Duncan M



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
Posts: 27
Location: Highcation; it's all the same really...

PostPosted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I had heard Guthrie's playing through Guitar Techniques magazine in the UK, and I was WELL impressed! He could seriously play.

In 2000, I went to Birmingham to the Music Live show in the National Exhibiton Centre. Guthrie was jamming with one of the other magazine contributers, Jamie Humphries, on the Future Music Publishing booth.

Wow.

I mean......Wow......I've seen Satch, Vai, Gilbert ect live, but Guthrie was just a different level......a level above. I was equal parts impressed, inspired, sickened, humbled and depressed!!!! Nobody had ever had that effect on me before, nor have they since. He did crazy, unbelievable things on the guitar - I mean off-the-cuff improvisation the likes of which you've never seen. Guthrie doesn't just play solos. He incorporates recognisable melodies - like tv theme tunes with the phrasing chopped around, old chart hits, his own wacky ideas - hell, the guy even throws in mobile phone ringtones!!!!! But the thing is - everything is so musical......even what would normally be considered slightly gratuitous......is just so damn musical the way Guthrie does it.

I think Guthrie might be the guitar world's best kept secret. Due to his frankly unfair grasp of all techniques, styles, feels, tones, andimprovisation, Guthrie has few peers. The only player I can think of with that much ability is perhaps Bumblefoot, another true genius in every sense of the word who is sorely under-exposed.

That day when I saw Guthrie play for the first time, it was interesting picking up other people's reactions. When the guys started jamming, there were perhaps 7 or 8 people around watching. 5 minutes later, I was in a sea of bodies, all standing there open-mouthed, puddles of drool collected at their feet!! Some people were actually laughing - like Guthrie would play something and there would be this ripple of disbelieving laughter as if to say "NO!! You did NOT just do that, surely??"

I've seen Guthrie a few times since then, and he never fails to downright shock with his ability. It's just not fair. It's not normal. Back in the middle ages, Guthrie would've been burned as a witch - I'm telling you. Shocked
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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Duncan M wrote:
Well, I had heard Guthrie's playing through Guitar Techniques magazine in the UK, and I was WELL impressed! He could seriously play.

In 2000, I went to Birmingham to the Music Live show in the National Exhibiton Centre. Guthrie was jamming with one of the other magazine contributers, Jamie Humphries, on the Future Music Publishing booth.

Wow.

I mean......Wow......I've seen Satch, Vai, Gilbert ect live, but Guthrie was just a different level......a level above. I was equal parts impressed, inspired, sickened, humbled and depressed!!!! Nobody had ever had that effect on me before, nor have they since. He did crazy, unbelievable things on the guitar - I mean off-the-cuff improvisation the likes of which you've never seen. Guthrie doesn't just play solos. He incorporates recognisable melodies - like tv theme tunes with the phrasing chopped around, old chart hits, his own wacky ideas - hell, the guy even throws in mobile phone ringtones!!!!! But the thing is - everything is so musical......even what would normally be considered slightly gratuitous......is just so damn musical the way Guthrie does it.

I think Guthrie might be the guitar world's best kept secret. Due to his frankly unfair grasp of all techniques, styles, feels, tones, andimprovisation, Guthrie has few peers. The only player I can think of with that much ability is perhaps Bumblefoot, another true genius in every sense of the word who is sorely under-exposed.

That day when I saw Guthrie play for the first time, it was interesting picking up other people's reactions. When the guys started jamming, there were perhaps 7 or 8 people around watching. 5 minutes later, I was in a sea of bodies, all standing there open-mouthed, puddles of drool collected at their feet!! Some people were actually laughing - like Guthrie would play something and there would be this ripple of disbelieving laughter as if to say "NO!! You did NOT just do that, surely??"

I've seen Guthrie a few times since then, and he never fails to downright shock with his ability. It's just not fair. It's not normal. Back in the middle ages, Guthrie would've been burned as a witch - I'm telling you. Shocked


Hey Duncan, welcome to the GG Forum. Good to have you over who's had first-hand experience watching him up-close. Yup, he never ceases to amaze, and he's just getting started! Shocked
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Rush



Joined: 11 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2004 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey guys.. I first heard of Guthrie through a friend of mine named Paul Warren of the Raleigh Music Academy. He suggested we all go get the Cornford Amps DVD of Guthrie. Well I sent in my hard earned $6 and got the DVD. I was pretty blown away at some of the things he was doing.. at first you think WOW this guy can play, but then he pulls some insane sweep arpeggio that reaches the span of the fretboard and your jaw hits the floor. On top of that it is purely musical and fits perfectly within the context of the song.. and then you learn it was improvised! Amazing player no doubt.. my question is when is Ron Thal and Guthrie gonna get together and form their own 'G3'?

Very Happy
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trelloskilos



Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 35

PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2004 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all!

Guthrie's been a favourite contributor of mine in "Guitar Techniques" magazine for a while now, and has always amazed me with just how versatile he is. Proud to say that he's a fellow Essex bloke (a Chelmsford boy, if I remember rightly....)

My first experience of him playing live was at one of the near legendary nights at the Cornford Club in Kent. He was with his band, the Erotic Cakes, and supporting, amongst others, Jamie Humphries (another Cornford spokesman), Dave Kilminster, Stevie Salas and Richie Kotzen.

What was cool about the venture was the intimacy of it all. You could have a beer and chat with the players before and after the gigs. Also, there were no egos whatsoever from any of the players. Everyone was laid back, and the atmosphere was great!

The Erotic Cakes were up first, with a few numbers - "Fives", "Sevens", and "Wonderful Slippery Thing" - No word of a lie, no matter what was coming after, Guthrie, Seth, and co. had completely wowed veryone in the room (Guthrie later admitted to me as he was signing a CD that the night before, during practice, they had sounded like a train wreck)

Currently, we are trying to put pressure on Guitar Techniques magazine to Tab out "Wonderful Slippery Thing", and it looks like they are about to cave in. Anyone is welcome to visit the forums over there and help us get this great piece of music out to the masses. Pay a visit to forum.intermusic.com and let them know how popular Guthrie is!!

....and to Rush, I say "Ron Thal & Guth better get their G3 on soon, and see if they can rope in Matthias Eklundh in on the deal. Vai and Satch will probably retire after that! Cool
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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2004 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

trelloskilos wrote:


"Ron Thal & Guth better get their G3 on soon, and see if they can rope in Matthias Eklundh in on the deal. Vai and Satch will probably retire after that! Cool



Loved Satch and Vai back in the 80's and through the mid-90's or so but their formula started getting really stale around then. For me, the last Satch album I enjoyed for the most part was Crystal Planet and Fire Garden for Vai. Since then, it had been downhill for them as far as I'm concerned and I didn't even bother with Satch's latest album. I've seen him live about half-a-dozen times but I don't think I'll be seeing him again. Ditto for Vai. They're still great players and I have all the respect in the world for them, but it was time to move on.

So I kept drifting around - getting into Brett Garsed, Shawn Lane, Buckethead, Mike Romeo and checking out others who were creating some buzz, but none were really satisfying me from top to bottom, inside out. I love these players and they're all incredible, but it's like they would only appeal to different small sections of my overall musical thirst. The ones who kept me going with enthusiasm were Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, and Scott Henderson. I also kept going back to some jazz/fusion guys like Scofield and Stern, but I always longed for the rock energy and tasteful shred.

I know some people have a real disdain for anything related to the term "shred" and it's easy to understand why. I hate most of what's categorized as "shred" as well. But for lack of a better term, that's what's needed to describe the highly technical type of playing for certain kinds of music that I enjoy and crave. And then, along came Guthrie... It's as though a prayer was answered. In fact, I never even thought a player like Guthrie was possible. Didn't even think that such a player could possibly exist. And here he is, just toiling away unassumingly in his hometown of Chelmsford, UK... But hey, Guthrie, the world is calling out to you now!
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lew



Joined: 11 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2004 11:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi guys,i went to the acm in guilford where Guthrie taught me(and the rest of the class)for a year.

He would often bum a rollie off of me and discuss Frank Zappa,a real down to earth guy and very humble.


Last edited by lew on Sun Sep 12, 2004 9:52 am; edited 1 time in total
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shredrulez
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 9:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

my first experience was the clinic video clips on the tm website. that was enough to blow my mind. not that he was any faster or that he could do this better or not better than someone else, but that he could do all these different things so well and do it with feel and taste. then i ordered the clinic dvd from ed and that took it up to whole new level. Shocked it's like there are ten virtuosos in this one guy! got the fellowship cd and although i'm not really a jazz guy, i can really appreciate it and it's cool. guthrie plays some scary and cool lines.
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Bowks



Joined: 12 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 10:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The first time I saw Guthrie play live was the first gig Richie Kotzen gig at the Cornford Club. He was playing with Seth and Pete Riley and I was totally blown away by him! He played an absolute blinder of a set and really got the audience going.

Richie Kotzen was excellent too, another great player with a fantastic voice and the ability to play for the song.

The absolute pinnacle moment of that gig was when Guthrie joined Richie onstage for a couple of song and they played Superstition by Stevie Wonder! Guthrie played the clavinet parts and Richie really dug it! I'm sure he too was blown away by Guthrie, along with the rest of us.

Now, this gig was taped for release by Richie K, but I'm still waiting for the footage to surface and I'm praying that Superstition was taped.

Ed, you may want to give Paul C a shout and see if he has access to the footage, it will blow your mind!
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shredrulez
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 10:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bowks wrote:
The first time I saw Guthrie play live was the first gig Richie Kotzen gig at the Cornford Club. He was playing with Seth and Pete Riley and I was totally blown away by him! He played an absolute blinder of a set and really got the audience going.

Richie Kotzen was excellent too, another great player with a fantastic voice and the ability to play for the song.

The absolute pinnacle moment of that gig was when Guthrie joined Richie onstage for a couple of song and they played Superstition by Stevie Wonder! Guthrie played the clavinet parts and Richie really dug it! I'm sure he too was blown away by Guthrie, along with the rest of us.

Now, this gig was taped for release by Richie K, but I'm still waiting for the footage to surface and I'm praying that Superstition was taped.

Ed, you may want to give Paul C a shout and see if he has access to the footage, it will blow your mind!


wow, that must have been so cool... Shocked i can only imagine being totally blown away seeing guthrie live when we get so blown away just watching videos. i heard somewhere that richie k was raving about guthrie and richie is one incredible player as well who recorded some albums with greg howe.

sheesh, there must be so many secret videos out there of guthrie playing. come on, people, spit 'em out! Evil or Very Mad Laughing
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Edovinus



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
Posts: 92

PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm more or less a Guthrie newby. Ron Thal mentioned Guthrie on a messageboard after last winter NAMM, saying Guthrie was his new favorite guitar player. Then Ed Yoon posted those clips on the tone Merchants website... I think my jaw is still lying around on the floor here somewhere: I look like Darkman now thanks to those clips. I got the dvd from Ed (and The Fellowhip on cd) and also bought the first Creative Guitar book.

Anxiously looking forward to hearing MORE from Guthrie: the most inspiring musician I've heard in a long.

Edo
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Duncan M



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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Location: Highcation; it's all the same really...

PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a video of Guthrie jamming over backing tracks at the 2002 Music Live in Birmingham. It's all kinds of mind-blowing but I'm afraid I can't put it online as I don't have the tools, or Guthrie's permission.

Even if I had Guthrie's permission, I wouldn't know where to start!!

People have watched that video and almost wept. It's so damn good it should be rated XXX!!
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thing



Joined: 12 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been listening to G for a while on the GT CD's. What I like most about him, apart from his hair, is his approach to the guitar and keeping it all in context. Yes he can shred, but more than that is his musical ability rather than his technical ability. I have a feeling that when he gets older (I mean like Jeff Beck old) he will be staggeringly good. That's if he doesn't give in to filthy lucre and become a plumber or something.
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Gojirosan



Joined: 12 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 12, 2004 11:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hullo all.

My experiences of Mr Govan are limited - the tracks on the Cornford EP he shared with Jamie Humphries and the TM DVD. But that is enough to hook you in!

I am not a fan of "guitary music" by and large (despite being a guitarist, I know, I'm a freak!), I find guitar virtuosity in rock (less so in jazz) rather repellant and unmusical a lot of the time.

However, when I hear a Thal or Henderson or Lane or Govan, it fills me with joy. Here is the virtuosity that is musical, here is the virtuosity that is listenable, here is the virtuosity that doesn't draw attention to itself over the music as a whole.

So, that's why I signed up here!

Laughing
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shredrulez
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gojirosan wrote:


Here is the virtuosity that is musical, here is the virtuosity that is listenable, here is the virtuosity that doesn't draw attention to itself over the music as a whole.



my sentiments exactly! i used to be into virtuosity for virtuosity sake, but not any more. as ed said on some other post, guthrie makes me listen to the music and enjoy it for what it is, not thinking about what his fingers are doing.
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