Guthrie Govan Signature MJ San Dimas
31
The Lineup
SEPTEMBER 2021 GUITARIST
The Lineup
ALSO OUT NOW...
The signature model
was made in Charvel’s
Japanese facility
BOSS EURUS GS1 £TBC
Companies have been on a quest of late to o e r more
ways of making the instrument sound like everything but
a guitar. Boss has joined the party with its rst six-string
electric guitar – and it’s packed with synth technology. The
announcement makes total sense, given parent company
Roland’s pedigree in creating guitar-synth products.
The GS-1 features an alder body, satin C-shape maple
neck and 24-fret Indian rosewood fretboard (304.8 to
406.4mm/12 to 16 inches compound radius). The pickups
are a pair of Eurus humbuckers. The GS-1 is also tted with a
polyphonic synth engine, giving you analogue synth sounds
with six assignable presets available from the guitar.
Thanks to the Synth Control knob, you can modify the
sounds in real-time. Bluetooth functionality connects you to
the Boss iOS or Android editor and also lets you hook up to
Boss’s new EV-1-WL MIDI expression pedal. Finally, you get
two outputs (one ‘traditional’, one for the synth sounds). The
Eurus should start shipping in autumn.
www.boss.info/uk
IK MULTIMEDIA AMPLITUBE XGEAR €299
IK Multimedia is the latest software company to expand its
hardware o ering in the form of its new AmpliTube X-Gear
pedals. The four-pedal line-up of ‘boutique’ digital e ects,
ports the power of AmpliTube’s algorithms into guitar-friendly
pedals: X-Drive (distortion), X-Vibe (modulation), X-Space
(reverb) and X-Time (delay). Each has 16 e ect models, a
range of real-time controllers and true/soft bypass options.
There’s plenty of connectivity, too, with analogue outputs,
MIDI and a socket for an external controller. The X-Drive
also has a cab-simulated output, while the mod/time-based
pedals include stereo ins/outs, plus exible handling of
trails when switching. All pedals feature a well-spec’d USB
audio interface and license for AmpliTube 5 SE. Prices start
at €299, but IK is o ering pre-order bundles on two or more
units, which are due to start shipping in this month.
www.ikmultimedia.com
PREMIUM
FEATURES
It might be more aff ordable,
but this guitar is by no
means budget. Gotoh
hardware, Charvel Custom
pickups and a Graph Tech
Tusq nut are all present
STRATOCASTER
HEADSTOCK
Charvel has snuck next
door and borrowed
the headstock from big
brother. It’s caramelised
to match the visuals of
the fi ngerboard, too
say mature – palette. Guthrie is no exception, and both
of his US models come to the party showing grain.
Here, that basswood body is topped with the
unmistakable pattern of ash, which has been sprayed
in a three-tone sunburst to give it a re ned look and
allow that grain to pop through.
You mentioned switching – what’s the deal?
There’s a pair of Charvel Custom humbuckers
bookending a Charvel single coil, and ve-way blade
switch to jump between positions. There’s also a full
bridge humbucker; bridge inner coil and middle; bridge
outer coil and neck outer coil; middle pickup and neck
outer coil; and neck humbucker. Plus the mini-toggle
that’s present on Guthrie’s other signature models.
With this engaged, selecting positions 1 and 5 gives us
a ‘single-coil simulation’. The only option not present is
engaging the middle-position single coil on its own.
Anything else?
It’s currently right-handed only. Expect to see these
lling racks around October, priced at £2,299. [SW]
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