The Captain Meets - Guthrie Govan 

I know there's no such thing as the best guitarist in the world, but Guthrie Govan is the best guitarist in the world.

Guthrie is that boy in school, who says he didn't prepare for the test and gets the best marks. LOL

even when he blinks his eyes, I hear triplet legatos in minor 3rds

whether he's playing or just talking, Guthrie is a joy.

Guthrie looks like the kind of guy who makes swords.

when you rearrange the letters in Guthrie Govan, you get "Guitar Jesus." You might have to change some letters, too, but you can make it happen if you really believe.

screw guitar, I want Guthrie to teach me english.

"Music is a friend, why turn it to a slave" - r.e. turning Pro. This guy speaks as wonderfully as he plays! Concise, articulate and wonderfully creative phrases...in short little bursts, hinting at just so much more... This guy is GLORIOUS !

Guthrie Govan is literally a human guitar. His playing is so insanely musical and rad

Guthrie rocks, but I want to give a big thank you to Lee, the way he interviews is just so real and refreshing to see. The questions are from heart and totally not forced. I have the attention span of a 5 year old so I can't watch videos longer than 5 minutes, but here I am 1 hour and 5 minutes into this one. These interviews captivates(no pun) me. Thank you!

"I've never really had a plan, I'm the world's worst businessman" And there you go, Top Guitarist in the world. Hats off to a real ARTIST and not a career chaser.

The aliens are getting better at teaching us music. We didn't understand Allan Holdsworth when they sent him, but this second prototype is much more relatable.

Guitar is the Universe we just started to explore with light years ahead

you can literally learn so much about phrasing just by watch GG

49:28 made me chuckle - plays this seemingly unconscious, note-perfect flurry of notes while listening to the Captain's question

I got to hang out with Guthrie last week at the Petrucci camp. What a fantastic guy! He is music personified. He's an amazing teacher as well, and the way he communicates his ideas and concepts is just one of a kind. He had this impromptu 2am jam with a french horn player in the hotel lobby that just made my year. Such a beautiful moment. You could really tell that playing music makes him happy, and he in turn makes everyone around him happy. Such an inspiration.

takes a brave man to play some chords next to GG.

Its always strange watching Guthrie on the internet. He was my teacher for 3 years and he literally changed the course of my life. I was going to go to one Uni and after seeing him at the basement followed him to another city, and changed my course just so I could be taught by him. Its weird to think without the desire to be taught by this guy I would not have the family I do, the friends I have, or be in the bands I'm in. He is a true legend, a lovely guy, and truly the greatest guitarist I have ever seen!

Guthrie always sounds like he’s speaking directly to whoever’s listening, regardless of his current audience. It feels like he’s speaking directly to me in a language I can understand.

You had me at, “…almost religious ceremony where they put the circle of petroleum byproducts on the turntable..” Most amazing player and conversationalist. Now his guitar phrasing makes more sense with thoughts like that. It just comes out of his fingers. True artist.

"Music is a friend, why turn it into a slave?" DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!

For a second career, can Guthrie please narrate audiobooks ....

Here are the time codes for Guthrie jamming: 0:07 6:40 (thanks Hawker920) 16:16 25:36 40:18 1:01:07 1:19:54

guthrie is SOOO well spoken in elucidating his thoughts....its hard to believe his is not some kind of academic philosopher

he is even shredding with his eyebrows. what a god

Cap: do you remember a first band? Guthrie: I remember a first gig, when I was 5... Cap: aw you're kidding me. Guthrie: don't be too impressed, you weren't there... LOLOLOLOL Love Guthrie.

This has got to be my 10-15th time watching this interview ever since it came out. It’s always hypnotizing!

"If you imagine that there are 80 people on stage and some of them are playing delicate orchestral instruments, it is NOT the time to unleash the Stack of Doom." I love this guy lol

I almost squealed seeing the title What a chill dude, there's something that just emits a sense of calm.

Awesome interview with awesome people ;-)

I feel like recently I have rediscovered guitar and I can’t get enough of any videos with Guthrie. I’ve always known he’s been amazing but never really checked out his stuff (How stupid right?!?) He’s become one of my guitar idols. Hi philosophy and approach is just incredible. Thank you for the inspiration and also amazing interview Lee 🙌

Best guitar player on the planet.

I love every time Guthrie gets a compliment for his guitar playing he always shakes his arms and is like "who me?"

From what I’ve seen,Guthrie is such a humble man,he’s extremely blessed with natural talent yet stays grounded.this is rare.

I thought Guthrie was great until I heard him play on "The Raven That Refused To Sing." Then I KNEW he was great. My favorite playing by him isn't when he's ripping massively fast leads, but rather the slower stuff where his playing is just dripping with feel. Such a great player.

Its rare to hear a guitarist play that fast and still sound tasteful

The hardest-blinking guitarist in the biz.

Guthrie is the only guitar hero I can actually imagine spending an evening in the pub having a pint with him, such a lovely down to Earth guy (if anybody hasn't had the pleasure of hearing Jason Becker's Triumphant Hearts album, as well as being an astonishing feat of overcoming obstacles on Jason's part and should be a part of everybody's music collection, Guthrie contributes a solo on Rivers of Longing which is mindblowing)

24:54.. “ someone like you playing...” Guthries reaction is priceless...🤣

1:16:28 - "Why would people want a Rolex?".. as Lee nervously cradles his Rolex. Haha

Not gonna lie, seeing this video pop up between my subscriptions made me moist.

I didn't know he studied English Lit at Oxford! Explains everything else

This dude is the master of technique. That slide guitar style (without the slide) at 1:20:00 blew me away. Wow!

Holy shit yes

he wrote waves at 19 . oh god what am I even doing with a guitar

Oh! Lord I can only gaze with awe. The way he phrased that solo in the beginning just out of thin air is just incredible! This man is the most technically sound and accomplished guitarist of all time (IMO). The amount of knowledge he has and the way he interprets with such articulation is such a bliss. He is so very talented and a master of the instrument that he holds and yet he is insanely humble. The way he explains with such class and distinction is truly praiseworthy. The amount of respect that I hold towards him as a musician is something which cannot be measured. He is a living legend!

Here I am in May 2019 and I still love listening to this interview.

hah, if the captain manages to bring John Frusciante into one of those episodes, there will not be any reason for the universe to exist anymore XD

He is genuinely the nicest guy you've ever met. Who just happens to speak the language of music, perfectly.

There are many gifted guitar players out there, some popular some relatively unknown but three who stand out in my mind, whose skills baffle me, leave me in awe. They are Alan Holdsworth rip, Shawn Lane rip and Guthrie Govan.

As soon as Guthrie started to play, i started to smile. That's how you know someone's really good at what is doin'!

Can we please get Guthrie on That Pedal Show? That would be awesome!

Imagine a world where everyone is as good as guthrie at their job

Trust Guthrie to say instead of ‘a vinyl record’, a “circle of petroleum byproducts”. 😂 Hope he never gets older. What a class act, both on stage and off. Truly one in a million.

1:50 "Arguably, uhm ...the ... you know..." the best player of our generation. Just say it Captain, we all knew it.

The term "guitar god" tends to get thrown around very loosely these days, however, I think Guthrie is genuinely a musical god, a guitar genius. He literally can adapt to any style of playing, at any speed. Not only does he adapt, but he excels and dominates any of those styles. I particularly love when he transitions from jazzy licks, to a tasty blues lick :). So glad musicians like him exist. Gives me so much inspiration to keep practicing.

Guthrie is that once in several generations guitarist that transcends everything. He's above, he's beyond..and all we mere mortals can do is sit back, enjoy, learn and embrace the awe. Humble in the face of his greatness, majestic in spite of his humility. Just glad to be alive to experience his genius

we need new episode with Guthrie!!! :)

He's mouthing his guitar licks. The music is IN him.......

Met the man before the G3 concert in Bonn, Germany. He's like a walking, talking Little Book Of Calm.

1:07:04 that string bend gave me an anxiety attack

I wouldn't say he's the best guitarist in the world. But he's in the top 1

It's not even so much that clearly he is one of the best guitar players on earth, but just the sheer intelligence of the man is overwhelming. It's like listening to a Cambridge/Oxford professor talk, you can tell he's much more than just a guitar player. Incredible.

PLEASE Lee, is there a way to have a biweekly or monthly segment with Guthrie? Perhaps a Victory or Charvel sponsored segment, to bring GG to the Anderton's TV family. Visit him at gigs if need be. He's a credit to the human race and deserves an outlet to share his philosophy on music and life in general. You could call it, "The World According To Guthrie." If anyone can do it, you can.

Guthrie will always be my favourite guitarist. Not just because he plays extremely well, but also because he's a genuinely kind soul. I had the pleasure of seeing him a few years back at a masterclass or whatever you called it and it was great experience, best 15 bucks I've ever spent

This to me has to be one of the best interviews I’ve listened to. Good on you Capt. for this. Thank you

Every guitarist who's had a much a better guitarist to borrow and play their guitar knows the "I didn't know it could sound like that" feeling that Lee is experiencing at around 42:09

I remember growing up in the early 90's and my dad buying the Guitar Techniques magazine where a young Guthrie Govan used to write tutorials on metal/fusion/jazz. I never would've thought that he'd grow up to become such an accomplished guitarist. I wish my dad was still alive to see you now, Mr. Govan.

I like how the Capt is trying to keep it together but is clearly distracted by what he’s hearing next to him. LOL!

This intro jam NEVER gets boring,NEVER,I come back quite often for this little ripper,GG is up there with the very very very very best FACT!

What a charming guy Guthrie is, can listen to him for hours. Btw greatest guitar player ever

Looks like Jesus, plays like God.

To be able to transfer what is in your head to the instrument effortlessly! What a gift!

What a great guy, there's such an old soul feel about him. Enjoyed every bit of this interview, awesome !!!

Guthrie govan meets the captain*

Somebody, please freeze this guy and put him inside a cryogenic machine. Humanity will need him in the future when good music is scarce.

This is the BEST in depth interview I gave EVER seen. TOTAL respect to you BOTH.

The opening Jam of this will forever be my favourite piece of guitar playing on RU-vid

It's interesting how his speaking patterns and vocabulary is so... "similar" to how he plays guitar. Very eloquent, intelligent, and very much screams GUTHRIE with every sound.

Guthrie plays guitar with his mind, literally.

Guthrie is amazing. I'm so glad that I finally found out about this guy. I've been following him for a month or so, and am incredibly intrigued and impressed by his style. What a tour de force.

Such an amazing player and humble guy. Definitely digging into his catalog after watching this!

I'm on a bit of a Guthrie binge at the moment, and thought I'd revisit this interview. I've watched a lot of Lee's "Captain Meets" videos, but I'm not sure I've ever seen him be so insightful or intelligent in terms of the questions and gentle prompts. He's always been a good interviewer, but this is next-level for him. I wonder if meeting Guthrie brought it out of him, and maybe sitting so close to such a wonderful human as GG would have the same effect on any of us.

Guthries language is so refined. He's got all the cliche licks and phrases from every genre imaginable thoroughly nailed down and integrates them flawlessly and tastefully with his own vocabulary.

his personality shines through his playing and i love that shit!!!

Great interview. His talent is off the scale. Incredible to see that level of playing at close quarters.

I was so happy to discover Guthrie Govan - he has to be one of the most articulate musicians I have ever seen. Not only does he play like a true virtuoso, he can explain what it is he IS doing and is so darn articulate throughout the entire process. Oh, were there more people out there like him ..... thanks so much for posting this video!

The amount of "yeah" in this whole video is about over 9000

"Dont be too impressed, you werent there." lol!!!

What a fantastic interview!

Awesome and unique interview!! Congratulations both to Lee and Guthrie!!

Completely justified and understandable, but I couldn't help noticing Captain's face as Guthrie was playing his Les Paul. I swear I could hear Captain thinking "Wow. I had no idea that guitar could do that!" With all due respect to The Captain of course! :) Brilliant work from Cap on the interview as well - respectful and suitably in awe of Guthrie's prowess without being gushy. Govan is indeed the real deal...

I've only watched 39 seconds and I already know I'm going to be watching this video everyday for next 2 years

Guthrie is a totally complete man when he's got the guitar in his hand. That way he communicates his heart so flawlessly, like an excited child...like a teacher, like a maestro...and an absolute master of the game. It;s ALWAYS a pleasure watching him speak as much as play. Everything he says holds much value and the way his eyes lighten up during some phrases makes you realise that it all comes from the heart. Guthrie is universal and one of a kind. Cheers n God bless!!!!!

❤️ these chats captain. On my holidays and just enjoying videos like this is what I do when I have the time.

My early career followed such a similar trajectory it actually freaks me out a bit. The only differences are my first performance I was 6, not 5, and I got offered a place at Oxford to do English Literature, but took a "year out" to go to the Guitar Institute (all the while knowing I didn't want a year out, I wanted a lifetime out.) I totally agree about technique and theory as well: You can't know too much, or too little. If you have knowledge and skill, but can't express yourself emotionally, that's not *because* you have knowledge and skill. They're totally separate things. Great interview. :)

I dig that you two gents are trying to be as polite as possible to all your young viewers.. but seriously, it's absolutely correct that modern marketing and hyperactive culture is losing something very important. The attention span thing seems to be more and more kids are having to constantly distract themselves from daily living, from their relationships with others, from questioning their own reality.. basically. The 'religious experience' Guthrie talks of when listening to great music as a child is part of this self investigation, wondering what everything's all really about - I had exactly the same experience and still do when I listen to great music or observe any great art forms. Music is more and more being cut up into easy to market bitesize chunks, even bands are mostly trying to write in order to be commercial.. great bands used to just purely try to express themselves and fight with studios to get it out there - Queen spent ages fighting to stop Bohemian Rhapsody being cut down into some radio trash and so on. It IS detrimental to people's total and potential experience but also quiet, contemplative revelation while experiencing music. The more the brain gets force fed little commercial nibbles the more conditioned it becomes to crave that and so becomes more and more shallow-minded. Yes, the commercial drive behind the music industry has always been there, but it's bloated out of all proportion over the decades and now the industry controls the music.. the music used to direct the industry. A lot of people don't even like to discuss this sort of thing - in any field of modern life - because they've never experienced this sort of 'religious experience' or whatever you want to call it, with music or film or anything - all they know is basic frivolity, pleasure seeking, repetition, catch-phrase culture and cheap distraction in pleasure etc. Anything more, because they have no experience or understanding of anything more, they automatically shove into a corner called 'pretentious' or something. Pretentious music is music written with a pretense of being great when it isn't. If it IS great, emotive, complex art that delivers and has the skill to back it up then it's not pretentious, it just is something that requires more quietude, maturity, attention and passion to listen to and appreciate. When you're a child you haven't been conditioned so much into any narrow-mindedness and you're naturally much more open to give your full attention to things.. unless you're being fed diets of sugar and so on.

Coming back and commenting every time I watch this video

Great interview. Guthrie is fascinating and the interview brings out so much interesting discussion and insight

Guthrie playing that Les Paul was awesome, sounds so natural.