Song Rig
Wonderful Slippery Thing
Guthrie Govan · Erotic Cakes · 2006
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Guthrie's signature fusion-clean tone — bright and slightly compressed with just enough edge to articulate fast runs without sounding sterile. The Charvel cuts through the arrangement while retaining warmth in the low mids. One of the defining clean electric guitar tones of modern fusion.
Signal Chain
- 1Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature (HSH, Seymour Duncan)
- 2Fender Deluxe Reverb (clean channel)
- 3TC Electronic G-System (light chorus and delay)
- 4Xotic BB Preamp (slight overdrive boost)
Amp Settings
Near-clean with presence just bright enough to articulate 16th-note phrases at fusion tempos. The BB Preamp adds harmonic detail without audible distortion — it thickens the tone rather than saturating it.
Technique
How to Play It
Hybrid picking — pick and fingers simultaneously. Guthrie uses the pick for downstrokes and his middle and ring fingers for simultaneous higher strings, enabling chord-melody density impossible with strict plectrum technique.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
HSH Stratocaster → Fender Deluxe Reverb or Vox AC15 clean channel → TC Electronic Flashback delay → Xotic BB Preamp or any low-gain overdrive.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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