CHARVEL GUTHRIE GOVAN SIGNATURE

93
JULY 2022 GUITARIST
CHARVEL GUTHRIE GOVAN SIGNATURE MJ SAN DIMAS SD24 CM
The solo pickup
single-coil simulations
are seamless and
really balanced
with the mixes
THE RIVALS
Fender’s American Ultra Luxe
Stratocaster Floyd Rose (£2,399) uses
an HSS configuration and comes with
a double-locking vibrato along with
compound radius fingerboard and
22 jumbo stainless-steel frets. The
Mexican-made Player Stratocaster HSH
(£739) will get you into the Guthrie
vibe with its two-post vibrato, standard
241mm (9.5-inch) radius fingerboard
and Player series pickups.
PRS’s Fiore (£2,599) was designed
with another hardworking guitarist,
Mark Lettieri. This ash-bodied bolt-on
also uses a two-post vibrato and some
tricky series/parallel switching for the
bridge humbucker.
Ibanez’s RG range is packed with
HSH models, but the AZ range has
a more ‘hot-rod’ style. The AZ2402
(approx. £1,749) has some tricky
Dyna-MIX9 switching system with Alter
Switch from its dual Seymour Duncan
Hyperion direct-mount humbuckers,
and features a roasted neck with 24
stainless-steel frets. Another superb
Japanese workhorse.
The Korean-made pickups
here have the same spec
as the USA versions and
were originally designed
by ex-Fender guru
Michael Frank-Braun
This unusual placement for
the output jack means you
can secure your lead easily
through your strap. One of
many performance-related
tweaks in the design
GIT486.rev_charvel.indd 93GIT486.rev_charvel.indd 93 12/05/2022 13:5212/05/2022 13:52