Guthrie Govan on switching to a retro-style Floyd Rose on his latest Charvel prototype

What? No locking nut? Guthrie explains why...

In part two of a three-part video interview with Guitarist magazine, guitar virtuoso Guthrie Govan talks us through the 'new' retro-style locking Floyd Rose vibrato on his latest Charvel prototype electric.

Guthrie's amplifier throughout is a brand new Victory V100 Duke, which he is currently using on tour with Steven Wilson. Stay tuned for Guthrie's full demo of the Victory V100.

Issue 374 of Guitarist magazine features a huge Guthrie Govan cover feature, in which the guitar star discusses his future plans with Charvel, technique and new musical horizons. Check it out in print and digital forms from 18 October 2013.

[BrettFairchild]

Guthrie inspires me to improve my english speaking abilities every time I hear him speak.

[kamealex]

What Guthrie calls nonsense is actually a perfect tapped arpeggio.

[intrsoul]

"I've always had a kind of allergy to the full-on double-locking trem experience" -  I heart Guthrie:)

[lemntauk]

What's the most hypnotising? Hearing Guthrie playing guitar or hearing him speaking about guitar?

[tobiastk]

1:40 omg, guthrie is so funny!
He makes thouse sounds, playing that little happy melody, proving a good point. All while making a straight serious face.

[carsandguitars]

I love the old way the bar connects to the bridge.

[podoz]

"i play irresponsibly"...  hahhaa

[janneboman]

1:27 "before they improved it" that's exactly what I feel about pretty much everything

[Heathcliff_]

What a bright and articulate guy. Pretty good at guitar too! 😉

[azcodemonkey]

I've always wanted a vintage Floyd, ever since I saw Vinnie Moore playing one. I, too, hate the fine tuners and locking nut.

[mdhj]

I have found that a combination of locking tuners and a locking bridge make for a very stable system. It is not as solidly anchored as the typical double-locking system but it's close enough for most players. The fact that it eliminates the inconveniences of the traditional double-locking system while having 'close enough' tuning stability makes a locking bridge and tuners, without the locking nut, the best solution for me.

All the above assumes that the nut is setup properly. If the nut is sticking and grabbing strings then tuning will never be stable. Just bending the strings will throw a guitar out of tune if the nut is not right.

[sixstrinngmunky]

Give Guthrie a trem and he turns into Jeff Beck. 

[intrsoul]

The old Kramer Striker guitars from the '80's had these Floyd's on.  Sometimes you can snag one off Craig's for dirt cheap.

[aleatoriac]

He just described everything I have grown to dislike about trems/whammy bars. And it appears to be gone on his guitar! I will never trust one again though. For me it's fixed bridge all the way. Also I don't think it's possible for him to have a bad sound with anything! Wonderful stuff!

[adamwatts]

Nothing this guy cannot play. Genius!!:-)

[destroyerdestroy]

i put a graphtech nut, string trees and saddles on my cheap squier bullet strat and it stays in tune great!

[MusicMan]

You too could own one of these fantastic Charvel's for a cool 4 grand.

[Ozznize]

he is on another level. metal is probably the only style i haven't heard him play and it would be interesting, i doubt that it's one of his strong points

[skinf]

Damn! those bendings are extreme and accurate, I wonder what string gauge he's using

[bluwng]

I did pay attention and its still there. He didn't have to say Wilkinson in particular, he eluded to the design characteristcs that are flawed in traditional trems. The wilkinson design, although slightly different in form is identical in mechanical function as any other two point trem, e.g. 2 pivot point knife edge systems balanced by rear springs. Those systems have a hard negative break angle from saddles to trem block and the Floyd Rose does not. Same advice, be observant.