Charvel announced the launch of the highly-anticipated Guthrie Govan Signature MJ San Dimas SD24 CM, the next iteration in a long-standing lineage of models with the modern virtuoso. Charvel and Govan spent two years meticulously developing his original USA signature lineup, and that same attention to detail surfaced once again with this new made in Japan collaboration.
“I have been playing guitar since I was three years old, so having my own signature mode feels like an honor which comes with a certain responsibility,” Given said. “If you are going to have your name on the back of an instrument’s headstock, that’s you personally vouching for the quality and usability of that instrument, which is not something to be taken lightly. With my signature Charvel guitar, I feel completely confident to play it anywhere in the world and at any type of gig.”
Known for his dizzying technical proficiency, unconventional style and extraordinary, improvisational skills across multiple genres, Govan has built an impressive body of work with the Aristocrats, Asia, GPS, the Young Punx and the Fellowship. The Guitarist magazine Guitarist of the Year 1993 winner and global online sensation was also hand-picked by Grammy-winning film composer Hans Zimmer as the lead guitarist for his 2016 live touring orchestra, and has collaborated with the famed composer on ensuring film scores.
He is widely heralded for his mastery of complex fusion, a pursuit that he’s been developing ever since first picking up the guitar as a child. When it came to developing his signature instrument, it was critically important to build a tool that would allow for the continuation of his versatile and expansive creative expression.
“You end up on this quest to find an instrument that feels and natural as possible,” Govan said. “When you’re playing, I think it’s a good goal not to have been too aware of the instrument and for it to feel more of an extension of yourself – then you can concentrate purely on what type of noises you are trying to make and share with the world. This guitar is a result of that process for me personally.”
Musicians worldwide have long relied on Charvel for exceptional guitar design and this collaboration with the renowned musician is no exception. Cloaked in a classic Three-Tone Sunburst finish, the instrument is loaded with top-end specs handpicked by Govan. The 25.5”-scale signature model features a basswood body with an ash top and specially contoured heel (sans neck plate) for easy access to the upper reaches of the fingerboard. The graphite-reinforced bolt-on maple neck has a “caramelized” heat and drying treatment that makes it sound and feel much older, along with a satin finish on the back of the neck for smooth playability. Most unusual for a San Dimas model, the 12”-16” compound radius caramelized maple fingerboard features 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets, as well as crème dot inlays, Luminlay side dots and a conveniently located heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel.
As an homage to the late ’80s when Charvel guitars were manufactured exclusively in Japan, Govan’s all-new signature model is also loaded with an assortment of top-end features that deliver the superior sound, craftsmanship and feel prized by today’s high-performance players. Other premium features include three specially wound Charvel custom pickups arranged in a versatile HSH configuration with five-way switching for the expansive tonal openness and dynamic sensitivity that Govan demands, along with a two-way mini toggle switch to engage single-coil simulation in bridge and neck humbucker positions. This instrument also comes loaded with two Luminlay numbered dome control knobs for volume and tone, recessed Charvel locking tremolo bridge with pop-in tremolo arm and brass block, Gotoh die-cast locking tuners and Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut.