Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
More
  • NAMM 2026: as it happened
  • Best NAMM tech gear
  • Joni's Woodstock
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Guitars

NAMM 2014: Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature launched

News
By Rob Power published 23 January 2014

Long-awaited Govan guitar makes its debut

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

NAMM 2014: Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature launched

NAMM 2014: Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature launched

NAMM 2014: The Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature has made its debut at NAMM.

The long-awaited signature model, which has been in development for some time, put in an appearance at the Charvel stand in Anaheim, and we were there to see it.

Having been through various permutations and vigorous road testing by the man himself, the final model appears to be identical to the prototype Govan demonstrated on the Charvel site back in September.

Click through the gallery for more pics and specs...

For more information visit the official Charvel website.

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
Charvel Guthrie Govan signature full shot

Charvel Guthrie Govan signature full shot

As revealed by Guthrie himself, his Charvel signature has a basswood body with a birdseye maple or flame top, both of which look particularly tasty under the stand lights.

It also features a graphite-reinforced 'cooked' maple neck, with locking tuners and a bone nut.

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature - pickups

Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature - pickups

Featuring a H-S-H configuration, the Govan Charvel has a set of brown Fender Custom Shop pickups designed by Michael Frank Brown.

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature - on the stand

Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature - on the stand

The neck sports custom fret markers that were designed by Govan to cope with any type of stage lighting set-up.

The maple neck also has 24 frets and jumbo frets, as preferred by the man himself.

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature - hardware

Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature - hardware

The hardware on the Govan Charvel is particularly interesting: first up, it sports an old school Floyd Rose that lacks fine tuners and doesn't lock at the nut.

The bridge is essentially floating, and with the aid of a Tremel-No (find out more about the company that builds these little devices) is essentially able to turn his trem on or off, an undoubtedly handy addition.

Page 5 of 5
Page 5 of 5
Rob Power
Latest in Guitars
Paul Gilbert and Joe Satriani jam at the 2012 Marshall 50 Years of Loud Live anniversary concert
Paul Gilbert on why it can be so hard to resist the urge to shred
 
 
Line 6 Helix Stadium
Could the Line 6 Helix Stadium Floor be a serious rival to the Quad Cortex?
 
 
Josh Middleton takes a solo on his signature ESP / LTD electric guitar during a Sylosis live show in San Francisco, 2025.
“You can have a great amp but if the speaker sucks it won’t sound good”: Sylosis' Josh Middleton on the most important link in your signal chain
 
 
Gary Clark Jr plays his signature Cobra Burst ES-355 live onstage.
Gary Clark Jr channels the King of the Blues for limited edition Gibson Custom Shop collab
 
 
A Fender Vintera II 50s Nocaster electric guitar on a yellow background
Get golden-era guitar tone with $600 off thanks to the awesome Presidents' Day sale on Vintera II guitars over at the official Fender store
 
 
Cory Wong with his Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II
How Cory Wong reimagined Ernie Ball Music Man’s iconic bass for a signature electric with “that George Benson sound”
 
 
Latest in News
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO STANDALONE PUBLICATION USE (NO SPECIAL INTEREST OR SINGLE ARTIST PUBLICATION USE; NO BOOK USE)) Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour at Hard Rock Stadium on October 18, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by John Shearer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Chris Lake said yes to a Taylor Swift remix before he'd even heard the stems - but then had to make it
 
 
Arturia's Efx Ambient from FX Collection 6, being used in a studio
Arturia's FX Collection 6 adds an ambient plugin specialising in "novel, emotive textures" and a souped-up H910
 
 
frozen
“Those fridges are probably the fourth best musical group to come out of Sheffield”: Supermarket goes viral for the chilled ambient drones of its freezer section
 
 
UJAM
“I’ll be having fun with this for a long time to come”: UJAM's Voxcraft delivers creative vocal manipulation without the menu-diving
 
 
Queen
“The single biggest leap we ever made”: Queen II to be given big reissue treatment
 
 
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 19: Billy Idol, Steve Stevens and The Warning Rock Band with Alejandra Villarreal, Daniela Villarreal and Paulina Villarreal perform during the GRAMMY celebration of Latin Music on October 19, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images)
“Digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker”: Billy Idol doc to be released next week
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...