Guthrie Govan FM9 Rig Rundown & Article

The set up on most of their high end, $4k+ guitars including Suhr’s, Tom Anderson’s, Fender Custom Shop, PRS, Friedman etc. were appalling, and I mean embarrassingly so. Actions were so inconsistent across them all it was hard to tell which came from the factory in that way (and if so, should fire the QC staff) and which ones had been “set up” by the store (who should be shown how to set up a guitar).
I have five PRS core, all purchased used but a couple were purchased from people who'd bought them through the same online dealer that offers a 50-point check and setup. Those particular ones were consistently set up poorly, well, horribly, with intonation problems and bad action. After I set them up I love how they feel and play.

One of the PRS had to go back to the PRS factory later and I decided to see exactly how good their "from the factory" setups were, and had them include a setup in addition to the other work, and, I gotta say, they do a great job of setting up the guitars. I haven't had a reason to adjust it at all, and other people who I've let play it loved the action too.

So, my suspicion is that high-end guitars on the wall get screwed with by people who come in to play them, or someone breaks a string, and the tech at the store restrings it without paying attention to the factory string weights, and the end result is a guitar that doesn't reflect the factory's settings. Low-end and medium-range guitars often are set up with higher actions because the normal range of people looking at them strum too hard causing the strings to buzz and they won't buy the guitars, but the high-end makers are targeting people who know how to play and expect it to be done right, so they put in the time to make sure the instrument plays right before its shipped.
 
Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone was as open-minded when it comes to gear - including, and sometimes especially, Fractalites. Very refreshing to hear a consummate professional be cool with using whatever works for a given situation. Also neat hearing his thoughts on the compromises that are inherent with either analog or digital. Very cool guy.
Govan's relaxed and sanguine attitude is probably the result of having played for so many years in so many different situations with so many different people. He knows there are different ways to approach his music and what he needs to do at that moment, and he wants to have a wide variety of sounds, so he experiments and finds what'll do it. Given the constraints of traveling by plane, hauling big rigs, and dealing with rented backlines, using an FM9 is a wonderful solution.

I think he's stunningly good, and the range of sounds, and his amazing little nuances as he plays, puts him easily into the virtuoso category. And, his compositions are right up there with Zappa. If Zappa were alive, I'm sure we'd see a lot of collaboration with Govan, and they'd have a super-group to beat them all.
 
Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone was as open-minded when it comes to gear - including, and sometimes especially, Fractalites.
Oh, regarding being "open-minded" and a Fractalite…

I think maturity, being somewhat self-aware, and experience play into being open-minded about gear.

I love my Fractals, but they're not the perfect solution in every playing situation, so I still use one of my combos, when it seems like it'd be the better choice, determined by the room and what I'm doing and whether it's a jam and others will be using it.

If I'm on the gear for hours and pretty much using it exclusively I'll take the Fractal and FRFRs. If I'll be up and down playing 15 minutes at a time and then have other friends using the gear I'll take the tube amp because everyone should know how to turn a knob. Though, more and more I'm of a mind to take the FM3 or FM9 and the FRFRs and make other people use them simply because it makes me happy to use them. I'm that way, which probably comes from sitting on my porch with a shotgun waiting for someone to step on the lawn. :)
 
I like that attitude Greg, live and let live, and realizing I don't have all the answers. Few things in life have all-in-one solutions. Knowing how to use what I have, understanding that I do not know everything, and a teachable attitude with curiosity and willingness to understand is much more pleasurable to others around me and more peaceful to my soul and mind as well.
 
Yeah, that is "all", lol. I have his Creative Guitar Series in actual old school book format. Incredible amount of things I wished I'd learned years ago. Those Charvels are nice, I'm jealous. I went with a Suhr HSH which was actually less expensive. So I can't blame anything on my gear that's for sure! Good luck and have a great time playing man!!
those books are extremely underrated
 
And of course the Aristo news today is...


Did this get posted here yet? Aristocrats must see on Saturday night…..(I will be attending live but you can get it here
https://www.zuma.live/event/53
As it turned out, I stayed home for the livestream as I was under the weather a bit, but it was truly excellent, the great mix really allowed the incredible FM9 tones and FX that Guthrie and whoever else may have helped create to shine through. …easily the best I’ve heard anyone coax from this floorboard king...dunno if he had the new FW on there ,but I’m gonna guess yes.
If you are reading this today (Sunday in the US) you can still rent the livestream today only…
highly recommended.
 
As it turned out, I stayed home for the livestream as I was under the weather a bit, but it was truly excellent, the great mix really allowed the incredible FM9 tones and FX that Guthrie and whoever else may have helped create to shine through. …easily the best I’ve heard anyone coax from this floorboard king...dunno if he had the new FW on there ,but I’m gonna guess yes.
If you are reading this today (Sunday in the US) you can still rent the livestream today only…
highly recommended.
I watched that remotely, great performance and should be widely shown at how well the Fractal products work in a live gig. Not only that, but in a 3 piece instrumental setting, with a well known tone king on guitar. The tones were every bit as good as anything I've heard from Guthrie in any other live video. Perhaps a game changer for modeling??

Guthrie mentioned on his Rig Rundown that Marco and Bryan loved the clarity of the FM9, and that really shone in this performance. Very 3D in that the quiet parts were dead silent, the only noise was hum you heard from time to time when Guthrie had the single coils on (sounded like a noisy stage). The long reverb he used on one song was heavenly. And is Guthrie touring with a newer FM9 Turbo?

On the performance itself, the only disappointment was the pigs and chickens were woefully underrepresented. :( Boo!!
 
I watched that remotely, great performance and should be widely shown at how well the Fractal products work in a live gig. Not only that, but in a 3 piece instrumental setting, with a well known tone king on guitar. The tones were every bit as good as anything I've heard from Guthrie in any other live video. Perhaps a game changer for modeling??

Guthrie mentioned on his Rig Rundown that Marco and Bryan loved the clarity of the FM9, and that really shone in this performance. Very 3D in that the quiet parts were dead silent, the only noise was hum you heard from time to time when Guthrie had the single coils on (sounded like a noisy stage). The long reverb he used on one song was heavenly. And is Guthrie touring with a newer FM9 Turbo?

On the performance itself, the only disappointment was the pigs and chickens were woefully underrepresented. :( Boo!!
Yes, but the dinosaurs got great exposure. …..
Reggie’s , where this took place , is one of the last remaining smallish rock venues left in Chicago, and while it is not the most comfortable of venues, they are definitely carrying the torch for progressive music in various endangered genres……..
and I agree 100% that this video could provide very effective propaganda for FAS to exploit, er , utilize … ;)
 
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Wouldn't it be great if Fractal came out with a stage amp with a simplified onboard UI (put all the bells and whistles in the computer editor) that got those tones in a format a non-modeler guitarist could appreciate and understand. Basically Fractal's take on a Catalyst, but Fractal quality. Perhaps that would be the modeler that could conquer all players.
 
Oh, regarding being "open-minded" and a Fractalite…

I think maturity, being somewhat self-aware, and experience play into being open-minded about gear.

I love my Fractals, but they're not the perfect solution in every playing situation, so I still use one of my combos, when it seems like it'd be the better choice, determined by the room and what I'm doing and whether it's a jam and others will be using it.

If I'm on the gear for hours and pretty much using it exclusively I'll take the Fractal and FRFRs. If I'll be up and down playing 15 minutes at a time and then have other friends using the gear I'll take the tube amp because everyone should know how to turn a knob. Though, more and more I'm of a mind to take the FM3 or FM9 and the FRFRs and make other people use them simply because it makes me happy to use them. I'm that way, which probably comes from sitting on my porch with a shotgun waiting for someone to step on the lawn. :)
You could bring your FM9/3 and switch the display to the perform pages and point to the A-E knobs.
 
Watched it from home as well - great show, and what an ad for the FM9. Phenomenal playing and sounds from GG.

Marco Minnemann as well though, what a beast. One of my all-time favourite drummers.
 
Hope some of the clips from the Zuma concert get up on youtube, just so I can direct my modeler despising friends to the links. Maybe they will take Guthrie's and Neil Schon's and Metallica's and whoever else's word over mine.
 
Was it revealed which amps he's using with his FM3? :)
He is actually using a Fm9 with Xitone FRFR and two EV-1 expressions. It looks like he swapped out the EV-2 for a second EV-1. I personally like both styles. They feel different, but I do think the EV-1 is my favorite.
 
Just took a quick look at the Xitone powered wedge on their web site, they are not too secretive on the hardware used (Eminence coax speaker with Eminence driver, Dayton Audio active crossover amp with DSP). But they say it has custom crossover programming. Interesting...
 
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