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Wonderful Slippery Thing — Guthrie Govan1 / 2
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Wonderful Slippery Thing Guitar Tone Settings — Guthrie Govan

Guthrie Govan · 2000s · jazz

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Suhr Custom (Guthrie Govan signature prototype, HSH, maple neck, alder body)
Pickups
Suhr SSH+ (bridge humbucker), Suhr ML (middle single coil), Suhr SSV (neck humbucker)
Amp
Cornford MK50H II head with Cornford 2x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (Suhr SSV humbucker), sometimes blended with middle single coil for added clarity

Studio recording, 2006, Erotic Cakes album. Guthrie Govan used his Suhr prototype (pre-signature) for the album, with Cornford amps. Settings and effects are estimated for the clean riff section; not the overdriven solo. Pickup and amp details are based on interviews and era-correct gear. No evidence of live rig or later Victory/Fractal amps for this recording.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
6
Gain
2.5
Reverb
3
Treble
6.5
Presence
6

Effects Chain

  • Compressor pedal (model unknown) · compression
  • Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay

Guitar → Compressor → Delay → Cornford MK50H II (with spring reverb)

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Tone Character

  • clean and glassy
  • warm and round
  • articulate note separation
  • dynamic and touch-sensitive
  • slightly compressed
  • percussive attack
  • smooth sustain
  • minimal breakup
  • subtle ambience from reverb
  • funk/fusion clarity

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No source provides explicit clean amp settings for the riff; settings are estimated based on typical Cornford clean tone and genre.
  • ⚠️Exact pickup selector position is not stated in sources, but neck or neck+middle is inferred from the clean, round tone and Guthrie's technique.
  • ⚠️No explicit pedal or effect model is listed for the clean section; delay and reverb are included based on audio evidence and genre conventions.
  • ⚠️Presence setting is estimated based on typical Cornford amp voicing for clean tones.
  • ⚠️If later live versions or Aristocrats-era performances are referenced, those use different amps (Victory, Fractal) and should not be conflated with the original studio recording.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Guthrie Govan's 'Wonderful Slippery Thing' riff tone is a dynamic, edge-of-breakup fusion sound with forward mids, tight but warm bass, and clear but not harsh treble. He typically uses Suhr or Cornford amps with moderate gain, strong mids, and subtle reverb for clarity and articulation.

Sources