Charvel Guthrie Govan vs DK-24

unix-guy

Master of RTFM
Anyone here have both a Charvel Guthrie Govan and Charvel DK-24?

I really, really love the neck on my DK-24 and have been lusting after a GG since I first saw them. Wondering how the necks compare: overall shape, thickness, fret size.

I know the finish seems to be the same and the radius is the same.
 
If they're really the same or very similar, the DK is way less money. But I'm betting you knew that...
Yes, I did... But they are different guitars. My DK is HSS and the GG is HSH. It's also got some interesting pickup configurations and has a flame maple top (at least the one I prefer) and non-fine tuner Floyd Rose bridge.

Also... You're probably looking at the MIM (what I have) not the USA Select DK-24 which I'm also looking at... Considerably more than the GG!
 
Anyone here have both a Charvel Guthrie Govan and Charvel DK-24?

I really, really love the neck on my DK-24 and have been lusting after a GG since I first saw them. Wondering how the necks compare: overall shape, thickness, fret size.

I know the finish seems to be the same and the radius is the same.
Yes sir I sure do and they are both fairly new to me. I picked up both of them in the last 3 months. I have the DK 24 with the roasted neck that I named Molly Ringwald because it's the color of her dress in Pretty in Pink, haha!

The roasted neck on the DK24 is very good, I was very happy with it as well. I had a guitar player friend play it and he wants one now. I FINALLY found me a Govan about a month later, Birdseye maple top and just incredible. I had been looking for a while. If you can find one for a decent price just buy it. The neck is perfect, significantly better then the DK and that's saying something. It's similar in shape and size, but it's all about the edges of the neck, it looks and feels unreal, you have to play it to know what I mean. If you have further questions, just ask my friend.

Hope it helps.
 
Yes sir I sure do and they are both fairly new to me. I picked up both of them in the last 3 months. I have the DK 24 with the roasted neck that I named Molly Ringwald because it's the color of her dress in Pretty in Pink, haha!

The roasted neck on the DK24 is very good, I was very happy with it as well. I had a guitar player friend play it and he wants one now. I FINALLY found me a Govan about a month later, Birdseye maple top and just incredible. I had been looking for a while. If you can find one for a decent price just buy it. The neck is perfect, significantly better then the DK and that's saying something. It's similar in shape and size, but it's all about the edges of the neck, it looks and feels unreal, you have to play it to know what I mean. If you have further questions, just ask my friend.

Hope it helps.
Awesome - thanks. That's the kind of answer I was hoping for!

I refer to my pink DK-24 as George Hamilton... The roasted neck is the same color as his famous tan and the pink would be his Izod shirt (collar up, of course!) :)
 
Damn... Just realized that neither of the ones I had my eyes on have the mini toggle switch for the extra pickup configurations :(
 
Damn... Just realized that neither of the ones I had my eyes on have the mini toggle switch for the extra pickup configurations :(
I wanted the Birdseye top which meant an older one (they only do flame now I believe) and so that meant no switch. Check me on this but I think the switch only affects positions 1 and 5 the neck and bridge only positions. All the middle positions are the same and I want neck and bridge full on. The position 2 is the magic for strata tones IMHO.
I hope you enjoy!
 
I wonder if the Govan sig model comes from their custom shop? If it does I'd wager the back of the DK neck is not quite in the same league as far as feel goes. I have a both a custom shop Charvel and a DK24 (pink ironically) and nothing, I mean no neck I've ever owned has the same hand refined silky smoothness as the charvel custom shop (including my Suhr Modern Pro). I LOVE my new DK tho, killer guitar!
 
I wonder if the Govan sig model comes from their custom shop? If it does I'd wager the back of the DK neck is not quite in the same league as far as feel goes. I have a both a custom shop Charvel and a DK24 (pink ironically) and nothing, I mean no neck I've ever owned has the same hand refined silky smoothness as the charvel custom shop (including my Suhr Modern Pro). I LOVE my new DK tho, killer guitar!
Yes agreed, as mentioned, the GG is another level!
 
I wanted the Birdseye top which meant an older one (they only do flame now I believe) and so that meant no switch. Check me on this but I think the switch only affects positions 1 and 5 the neck and bridge only positions. All the middle positions are the same and I want neck and bridge full on. The position 2 is the magic for strata tones IMHO.
I hope you enjoy!
Yes... I just checked and only 1 and 5 are different. They are "single coil simulation" which I would hope is better than a coil tap... I do like a single coil neck pickup, so that could be a nice win.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for one with the switch, but that may not be a deal breaker :)
 
I've had the Charvel Govan. The neck and fretwork are absolutely stunning. Really a great playing and sounding guitar. I liked the pickups. They had a nice middy in your face tone. You look at it the wrong way and the body scratches and dents like no other. It is very, very soft. Upper fret access is really nice.

I will say though after having several roasted neck guitars, I think if anything they don't move any less. They still move like any other neck with season changes. It's more of a sound thing if you ask me and even that wasn't any better then my regular maple necks. I had a couple of Fender Custom shops with roasted necks and they moved as well. I don't buy into the hype anymore.
 
I've had the Charvel Govan. The neck and fretwork are absolutely stunning. Really a great playing and sounding guitar. I liked the pickups. They had a nice middy in your face tone. You look at it the wrong way and the body scratches and dents like no other. It is very, very soft. Upper fret access is really nice.

I will say though after having several roasted neck guitars, I think if anything they don't move any less. They still move like any other neck with season changes. It's more of a sound thing if you ask me and even that wasn't any better then my regular maple necks. I had a couple of Fender Custom shops with roasted necks and they moved as well. I don't buy into the hype anymore.
Which version did you have? The flame maple, birdseye maple or the roasted ash?

The maple top should be pretty hard but not sure on the basswood body. No experience with Ash but I thinks it's also pretty hard...
 
Which version did you have? The flame maple, birdseye maple or the roasted ash?

The maple top should be pretty hard but not sure on the basswood body. No experience with Ash but I thinks it's also pretty hard...

Actually at one point I had both of them. The maple top was not as soft for obvious reason but again, it is a very thin coat of nitro on it. It scratched just as easily as the basswood. The roasted ash was a really nice guitar as well. Again though, a very thin coating. It was rather easy to scratch as well.

However, if that does not bother you then all good for some natural relicing! It did not bother me at all but I ended up selling both of them for something else that GAS brought on! They were both very comfortable guitars to play.
 
Actually at one point I had both of them. The maple top was not as soft for obvious reason but again, it is a very thin coat of nitro on it. It scratched just as easily as the basswood. The roasted ash was a really nice guitar as well. Again though, a very thin coating. It was rather easy to scratch as well.

However, if that does not bother you then all good for some natural relicing! It did not bother me at all but I ended up selling both of them for something else that GAS brought on! They were both very comfortable guitars to play.
Ok, cool.

I've got a couple Ibanez S-series guitars that I stripped and refinished with hand-rubbed varnish, so I'm familiar with that challenge :)
 
I have both the shell pink MIM DK24 and the flame GG gen 1 (no switch). The DK24 is indeed an unbelievable guitar for the price, but it’s nowhere near the Guthrie. It is quite honestly the best guitar to play that I’ve ever tried. Really, it makes me play better (or, I play better on that guitar than any other). I got the DK24 after the GG because I was hoping it would be close enough in feel and not too poor quality to be an HSS version, which it kinda is.

As for comments about how easily the GG scratches, yes! It is really soft. I took it to rehearsal one time and it came back with the worst belt buckle rash and a couple of parallel dings where the bass player knocked one of those feather light sheet music stands into it :rolleyes:
 
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