Guthrie Govan

The musician's musician who can play anything, in any style, flawlessly

Guthrie Govan was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and began playing guitar at about three years old, encouraged by a father who loved rock and roll. He learned mostly by ear, absorbing his parents' records of Hendrix, Clapton and the Beatles, and later the more adventurous music of Frank Zappa and Allan Holdsworth. His younger brother Seth also became a musician, playing bass, and the two worked together in various settings.

Govan came to wider attention in 1993 when he won Guitarist magazine's Guitarist of the Year competition with his instrumental Wonderful Slippery Thing. For years afterward he was better known as an educator than a recording artist, teaching at the Guitar Institute in London and later at BIMM in Brighton, writing influential columns and lessons for Guitar Techniques magazine, and publishing the Creative Guitar instructional books, which became cult favorites among serious students.

In the early 2000s he joined Asia alongside keyboardist Geoff Downes and singer John Payne, playing on the albums Aura and Silent Nation. With Payne and drummer Jay Schellen he then formed GPS, releasing Window to the Soul in 2006. That same year he finally issued his solo album Erotic Cakes, a dazzling collection of instrumentals that cemented his reputation. He also played with the dance act The Young Punx, showing his comfort far outside rock.

In 2011 he formed The Aristocrats with bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann after a well-received jam at the NAMM show, and the trio has since released a string of studio and live albums. He joined Steven Wilson's band for The Raven That Refused to Sing and Hand. Cannot. Erase., contributing celebrated solos, and toured in Hans Zimmer's live orchestra-and-band concerts. Charvel later produced a Guthrie Govan signature model.

The 10 greatest Guthrie Govan solos

1. 1
   Drive Home

   Steven Wilson ft. Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2013
2. 2
   Wonderful Slippery Thing

   Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2006
3. 3
   Waves

   Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2006
4. 4
   Fives

   Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2006
5. 5
   Regret #9

   Steven Wilson · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2015
6. 6
   Bad Asteroid

   The Aristocrats · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2011
7. 7
   Sevens

   Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2006
8. 8
   Ner Ner

   Guthrie Govan · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2006
9. 9
   Culture Clash

   The Aristocrats · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2013
10. 10
    Have a Blast

    Periphery · solo by Guthrie Govan · 2012

The sound

Govan is renowned for complete stylistic fluency: he can move from Hendrix-style blues to jazz-fusion lines, country chicken-picking, funk and shred within a single solo, always with melodic intent and a sense of humor. His technique includes fluid legato, precise alternate picking, hybrid picking, tapping and expressive whammy-bar work, and he uses the volume knob and pickup selector as expressive tools. Because he learned mostly by ear, his phrasing sounds conversational rather than scale-driven, and his tone is typically warm and articulate, with a strong focus on dynamics and touch.

• Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature (guitar) His main instrument in The Aristocrats era.
• Suhr guitars (guitar) Used extensively earlier in his career, including a signature model.
• Victory amplifiers (amp) British-made amps he has used in recent years for live and studio work.
• Cornford amplifiers (amp) A British boutique brand he relied on in the 2000s.
• Wah-wah pedal (effect) Used expressively, often half-cocked, for vocal-like tonal shading.

Covers

• Radioactive Toy, originally by Porcupine Tree Performed with Steven Wilson's band, adding his own fluid lead voice to a Porcupine Tree favorite.
• Heat of the Moment, originally by Asia Played live during his years with Asia, giving the 1980s hit a more modern lead approach.
• Why So Serious? (The Dark Knight), originally by Hans Zimmer His aggressive, textural playing added edge to Zimmer's live orchestral staging.
• Pirates of the Caribbean suite, originally by Hans Zimmer He brought rock-guitar energy to the swashbuckling film themes.
• Time (Inception), originally by Hans Zimmer A restrained, atmospheric contribution that showed his sensitivity as an ensemble player.

Timeline

• 1971 Born in Chelmsford, Essex
• 1974 Starts playing guitar at about age three
• 1993 Wins Guitarist magazine's Guitarist of the Year
• 2001 Joins Asia and appears on Aura
• 2004 Asia releases Silent Nation
• 2006 Releases Erotic Cakes and GPS's Window to the Soul
• 2011 Forms The Aristocrats after a NAMM jam
• 2013 Plays on Steven Wilson's The Raven That Refused to Sing
• 2015 Plays on Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase.
• 2016 Tours with Hans Zimmer's live show

Facts

1. He started playing guitar when he was about three years old.
2. He learned largely by ear rather than through formal lessons.
3. He won Guitarist magazine's Guitarist of the Year contest in 1993.
4. He taught at the Guitar Institute in London and at BIMM in Brighton.
5. He wrote regular lessons for Guitar Techniques magazine.
6. His Creative Guitar books are standard reading for advanced players.
7. His brother Seth Govan is also a musician and plays bass.
8. He played in Asia with founding keyboardist Geoff Downes.
9. The Aristocrats came together after a jam at the NAMM trade show.
10. Charvel produces a Guthrie Govan signature guitar.