Guthrie Govan Pedalboard
Full effects breakdown — core pedals, signal chain order, and budget alternatives
Guthrie Govan's signal chain centres on 2 essential effects: Delay, Wah. The resulting sound: Suhr Classic S or Modern Plus into a Two-Rock or Cornford clean amp, blending clean and driven channels. The delay adds spatial depth and a sense of space around the notes without clouding the underlying tone — at the right mix level it is almost inaudible individually but immediately missed if removed. The delay is set to tempo and at a low mix level — repeats reinforce the rhythm rather than impose a second guitar part. Set delay time first, then mix until the effect disappears into the natural decay.
Essential Pedals
These effects are non-negotiable for Guthrie Govan's tone. Skip any one and the signature sound is lost.
Optional / Contextual Effects
Guthrie Govan uses these situationally — great to have but not required for the core sound.
Pedalboard at Every Budget
The effects chain scales with budget — budget tiers keep the essential categories intact with less expensive alternatives.
- WahWilson Effects MkII Wah
- ChorusBoss CH-1 Super Chorus
- DelayStrymon Timeline
Signal Chain Order
Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
- Guitar
- Wah (before dirt for classic wah-wah sound)
- Delay (after modulation, before reverb)
- Amp
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FAQ
Guthrie Govan Pedalboard — Common Questions
Guthrie Govan uses a selection of overdrive, delay, and reverb pedals. The exact pedalboard varies between tours and recording sessions.
The standard signal chain for Guthrie Govan's pedalboard follows the professional convention: guitar → tuner → wah (if used) → compression → overdrive/distortion → amp → modulation (chorus/flanger) → delay → reverb. Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
Guthrie Govan typically uses a transparent overdrive or boost to push the amp's front end rather than relying on a dedicated distortion pedal.
Building a Guthrie Govan-style pedalboard depends on budget. At £200 you can cover the essentials (~£189 for the full rig). At £500 the pedalboard includes . At £1,000 (full rig: ~£1,098) all the key pedals are covered.
Guthrie Govan's delay is handled by a dedicated delay pedal placed at the end of the signal chain (or in the amp's effects loop). Common choices include the Boss DD series, TC Electronic Flashback, or MXR Carbon Copy.