Decoding the Eric Johnson Tone. Woodshed Ep. 105

[@doctorgeneral4239]

I have a B.K. Butler drive. I asked them to built it exactly like Eric Johnson's and told them that I would pay more. They said, "No that's okay, we will build it exactly like his even with the same tube inside for no extra charge"...... I have had it for about 12 years. It is one of my most favorite pedals ever. :)

[@nitrobw1]

You're right that nobody but EJ sounds exactly like EJ, but this is the closest I've ever heard anybody get

[@andywoodmusic]

🙏🏻

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

Nobody sounds like EJ except Joe Bonamassa.

[@JohnWahlers]

@@BrunodeSouzaLino That's a matter of opinion, he definitely plays pentatonic harmony in a similar manner but in my opinion they dont sound the same. No disrespect to either guy-both great players

[@rockingguitarlessons]

man you nailed it Andy..amazing job.

[@andywoodmusic]

@@rockingguitarlessons 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@franknguitars7671]

Great great playing - you got that magic Cliffs of Dover tone far nicer and closer to the original studio recording than anything I have heard from the man himself in years

[@Aaron.k19]

Well bloody done Andy, great content. You did a fantastic job replicating that violin tone and had the playing to back it up.

[@mpaige101]

Venus Isle is one of my favorite albums from Eric. Great tones and great songs.

[@TheSpydersBand]

After Ah Via Musicom, I was a little disappointed in Venus Isle since it was more laid back. But the more I listened to it, the more I realized how terrific the songwriting was and it's now my favorite EJ album.

[@ATX0705]

I love every single dang album that Eric has done. One that is underrated that I have been listening to alot lately is "Bloom". Gotta check that one out as well!

[@ATX0705]

Absolutely love Venus Isle as well!

[@steveme8284]

Yes me too. In my opinion it was Eric's masterpiece. I dont think he would match that as it was very hard to make that and he had a lot of frustration going so far as to throw away the first mix all together and started over. Worth it to fans like me but he must have felt like he was going nuts sometimes getting the sound he needed for the songs on Venus. IMO lonely in the night is the best solo Ive ever heard. It just takes you on a musical journey from start to finish.

[@adanrodriguez3865]

Mine too. That’s the one I play the most.

[@wakjob961]

The smirk on your face and sparkle in your eyes when you hit the final tone...

[@curtisprice9806]

Marshall Superleads were great foundational amps for lots of guitar legends. What separated the different sound of each was the guitar used and effect pedals. Ace Frehley used a LPB-1. Yngwie Malmsteen a DOD 250. Eddie Vanhalen a variac. Randy Rhoads cascaded both half's of the first preamp tube and also used a MXR Distortion Plus. Jimmy Hendrix a Fuzz Face. Etc., etc., etc.!!! Eric Johnson's tone is awesome and he creates great music!! Really cool video

[@stevestan6525]

You sound fantastic with that set up! Hopefully everyone understands that being identical to someone else is neither possible, nor the point. This is more than plenty close enough. Glad you got that amp; what a perfect home for a historic peace of gear. Cheers

[@123cnak]

Great job! Now I'm super excited to see EJ in concert tomorrow night and hear his tone live.

[@RequiemDead]

This was amazing!!! Thank you so much, Andy! You absolutely nailed the recreation of his tone, absolutely magical!

[@Taylor-kd6lr]

You truly are incredible Andy. I would say you have 95% of the elusive Johnson tone in this video. That Marshal head sounds amazing. Such a fantastic video!

[@danielconrad764]

I would say 99.99%

[@gregditmore2410]

Venus Isle is my absolute favorite album from EJ. Outstanding playing and info as usual!

[@Dave-nm3xc]

There's no better person to break down the EJ techniques and tone.

[@jamesprice6381]

Ive got a Dumble #124 i built, n put a serious trick or 2 in it, W/OD channel NO boost set LOW and shoving the EJ fuzz into a TS-10, its ab INSANE, That has a Intellifex and outboard Dumbleator, ive nailed AVM stuff w/it...

[@joem.381]

Hey Andy, awesome video. EJ changed my life after I discovered him way too late. I had already been playing 15ish years, and I often wonder how much more proficient I would be today if I had discovered him sooner. Anyway, Venus Isle is also my favorite lead tone of his - by far. The lead runs in “When the Sun Meets the Sky” is some of the most beautiful guitar work ever recorded, in my opinion. I could be wrong, but I think I read somewhere that he used a Dumble Manzamp preamp with a Dumble Odyssey 200w power amp for much of the leads on that album. That exact EJ-owned set up could be yours - it’s listed on Reverb right now for a measly $400k.

[@DavidFeilyMusic]

Closest I’ve been able to get is RC booster with treble off > BB Preamp > EP Boost with knob all the way down > DD2. Had better results on EJ lead with Les Paul bridge PU than Strat. Even sounded decent through DRRI.

[@eddiejr540]

Excellent job Andy…I think I nailed EJ’s tone and am pleased with myself, then I come back the next day and say…jeez, that isn’t even close, what was I thinking…anyone else have this problem??

[@totc6196]

Haha yep

[@alexmbrenner]

Such a great job covering EJ! I think EJ and Andy Timmons have the best tone out there. Actually very close too. Great job Andy!

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

close? what are you talking about? andy timmons plays live with crappy modern ceramic mini humbuckers plugged into a sterile anemic mesa lonestar all modern crap the world has already forgotten for a good reason. eric johnson played a 1954 strat plugged into 2 vintage twins 2 super leads and probably one of the best dumbells ever made. dumbell worked 3 years on his amp. any kid can get andy's sound no one can ever get eric's sound.

[@jasonring5231]

You are correct....B.K. Butler Tube Driver with bias control back then. Eric is actually the reason Bret added the bias option pedal. Eric wanted to be able to run the tube hotter or colder to suit what he wanted at the time....per Brett Butler. I don't try to completely copy E.J.'s tone, especially because he has change some things a lot of the last couple of decades, but I picked up the Memory Man, Tube Screamer and Tube Driver with bias control. I've got a bunch of other pedals, but my favorite is the Tube Driver because it REALLY has the smooth violinish distorted feel that E.J. is known for. Thank you, this was a fun and informative video!

[@AmIBeef]

I think your playing is what really made it all come together!

[@jasonwilliams9129]

This is pretty much spot on IMO, as close as you can really get. Amazing.

[@returncode0000]

Dude, what an amazing video, made my day.

[@andywoodmusic]

Thank you! 🍻

[@scottinWV]

That amp sounds amazing!

[@DavidFeilyMusic]

I think the addition of the Dover drive here adds slightly too much darkness to the tone. I think I would try cutting less highs from the Dover and maybe try using the tone knob instead 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@overdriveguitarchannel3403]

I am writing this after coming home from an EJ show. Incredible

[@ejtonefan]

Regarding the Super Lead tone settings, while plugged into channel I "Volume I", Eric set the "Volume II" knob at about 7. There is a tonal sweet spot. Try it. It makes a difference.

[@LucaMilierimusic]

Absolutely amazing. Hopefully I'll see you in your upcoming Italian clinic tour. Cheers!

[@adanrodriguez3865]

One of my all time favorite guitarist

[@DokoGaTV]

EPIC, buttery smoothness! Fantastic job getting the EJ 1000 pound violin sound! 🔥

[@scotthoward6265]

Love your stuff, Andy…you make it fun, brother!

[@CRP2426]

You deserve that Amp! Love the Tones in the Venus Isle & Alien Love Child albums. Great Tones

[@andyafi1]

Totally agree with you that aside from ACL 88, that Venus Isle was the best EJ tone and era! I could never understand why Venus Isle was deemed not as good as Ah Via Musicom by many critics..Solos like 'lonely in the night', 'All about you' and obviously 'Manhattan' are just otherworldly masterpieces....EJ will never be beaten, but I must say you have to be the closest replica I've ever heard!!!... If I closed my eyes and didn't know better I'd totally believe its Eric i'm hearing. Amazing guitar playing brother, absurdly clean technique (you've undeniably done your EJ homework BIG TIME) and a very likeable friendly manner to boot - not least the Southern accent... There's more than a few things you have in common with the master :) Great video

[@TRWilley]

Two other components to his tone (timbre, actually,) - one of which many people may know but the other not as much: 1) Red Dunlop Jazz III picks - and yes, the color makes a difference. The red plastic is softer than the black version and yields a warmer attack, vs the black which is stiffer and often has a rougher texture and sounds brighter - so much so that even Dunlop recognized the difference and nicknamed the black version the "Stiffo." EJ has his own signature version now which is ever so slightly thinner than the standard red and more of a matte vs a gloss finish. Eric would also keep the edges smooth and even apply black wet/dry sandpaper to remove any rough edges. 2) GHS Nickel Rocker pure nickel semi-flatwound strings - the strings are smoother sounding with less rasp and string noise but still bright enough for rock guitar; they are also slightly tighter in tension, which adds some definition to chords, even when distorted.

[@b4she4144]

Thank you for sharing this! I owned one of those tube Zendrives and can kick myself for getting rid of it, you have definitely nailed the EJ tone!

[@andywoodmusic]

Thank you sir!

[@Annunaki_0517]

Great video. Don’t know why you haven’t come up in my feed before, but I should see more now that I’ve subscribed. Best of luck on growing this channel Andy. Looking forward to more Woodshed.

[@andywoodmusic]

Cheers my dude 🍻

[@patkilgore3603]

Excellent breakdown! I've been an EJ fan since1980. Thank you Sir!!

[@DestinMcWhorter]

Great woodshed episode, thanks Andy

[@phaedrus1117]

Coming back to this since I've been thinking about it recently. I wonder if Mr. Wampler would entertain the idea of putting those three circuits in a single pedal....

[@joemiller9856]

Great EJ Tone breakdown!

[@jimbeaux4988]

Yeah, that's really nice! The gear really helps, however, it sounds great because of your technique and touch.

[@got2rock4]

I love those reverb trails really carrying the tone from note to note.

[@johnm.4655]

Hi Andy/Everyone: In addition to the reverb and delay, I'm definitely hearing some kind of a course effect? What is causing that if he's not using a chorus pedal? You guys hear it or am I crazy? LOL!

[@andywoodmusic]

The modulation on the vintage echo unit.

[@johnm.4655]

Thanks Andy! Loved your guitar playing and compositions forever! Thanks for making such a wonderful contribution to the guitar community. 🤗👍🙂

[@brice.calvin]

I've been chasing the EJ tone dragon for several years now, and having that Echoplex pre-amp sound is the most important part of the whole chain imo. My Tube Driver and BC183 Sunface sound pretty horrendous unless I have some sorta EP style pedal in the mix. The EP-pre by ClinchFX is a great alterative to the real deal. I run an MXR Carbon Copy right after and it does the thing pretty well. It's the best EP style preamp pedal on the market that I've found and it truly makes everything sound better. I never turn it off.

[@andywoodmusic]

@@brice.calvin awesome info!

[@jcshirke]

You've done a good job showing how Eric builds his "clinic board" (as I think he calls it), but this isn't what he uses for his main tones at his shows or in the studio. That gear is all well-documented. Clinic board below:

[@MusicTherapyLaz]

Looking forward to seeing EJ again for the G3 show next year... mostly recently caught his show in a small venue in San Francisco... what a show! And his bassist Roscoe, amazing! EJ's one of my top players... consider him to be the greatest living player today, after losing Beck and Van Halen! I love many others, with Page & May at the top of the list of favorites... really appreciate your videos... just starting my binging after discovering your channel and music! Hope to see you live some day! 😎🎸🤘

[@aphexlane]

Fantastic symbiosis of alchemical factors. Mine is dimarzio low output pickups with a laney Ironheart goodness. Gotta be just right.

[@tremolux65]

Does that Marshall have a bright cap ? If so , what value ??

[@DannyBeardsley]

Awesome video! Thanks for sharing this, dude 👍😉

[@SharpEdgeStandardOfficial]

Awesome vid! Andy, you ever hear EJ’s debut ACL ‘84 performance? When he starts rippin on the leads that tone is my fav EJ tone his b string sounds like a ‘69 BOSS 429 doing a burn out! So rippin! Others have said the speaker was blown that gig. Same type of burning rubber sound on studio version Cliffs of Dover literally the 9th note onto the song’s intro when he bends the b string at the 15th fret, listen very closely to the effect that’s happening. I think a lot of folks miss this crucial element of EJ tone. Check it out, revisit them tones and see if you can hear what I’m hearing

[@bigdavedave9865]

Ah Andy this was a cool insight. You forgot to mention the most important part of your signal chain…. Your hands! 🙏

[@reverb.deluxe]

That must have been a marvelous time. Thanks for sharing what you learned with us. I recommend trying the J Rockett Clockwork Delay if you have a chance. I really like the preamp, which is always on. I don't know how it compares to the newer DMM though.

[@babagadoush1]

Man I sure want to attend the clinic one of these days.

[@georgeestremera1464]

Awesome video, Andy. Thanks for making me add stuff to my gear shopping list LOL

[@andywoodmusic]

We need an intervention!!😂

[@georgeestremera1464]

@@andywoodmusic maybe a small one 😂

[@steveme8284]

OH crap. I must get the dover drive peddle now. First I bought the Ibanez Ts 808. Then I bought the Bk Butler overdrive. I then got the giggity. Lastly I bought the Octonaut hyperdrive peddle. All those to get close but it always seemed something was missing. Im going broke trying to sound like EJ. At least I do love the hyperdrive peddle for other things besides EJ stuff.

[@melbindas3819]

Sounds fantastic! Great playing, great guitar! What pickups in your Suhr SSS?

[@jamesprice6381]

Dr Billy ( Greensboro NC ( also owns one of THE best Dumbles on planet earth, Black Crowes recorded w/it) i sold him my Diaz pedals ( i blt for them after Cesar passed) met EJ in Hawaii on vacay ( both stayg at SAME hotel! Dr B bought one of EJs amp AND that RED strat hes holding on Guitar player magazine. My Buddy tech in Winston Salem HAD that Marshall in house to go thru it, i PLAYED it, sounded HIFI 2b honest, it wasnt what i expected, NO harshies at ALL, i have LAOT of pics of that amp guts + another one. EJ is my FAv too, TONES made me go NUTS for what he was doing, and in 85 ! Long Horn guitars in Ft Worth, a kid was playing a vtg strat thru an ORIG rack mount Chandler tube driver into a 50 watt Marsha combo, n was PLAYING some VERY difficult EJ lines n SMOKING it, man il never forget that day, NOR the RED tolex BLACK panel WHITE banana knob PARK amp in the window..:) , When i was w/DiazAMplification, we went to Michael Bretts house in Nashville, n i got ta hang out w/him n his fridge rack of amps, SUPER nice guy, he was digging in his yard when we pulled up lol

[@ejtonefan]

Andy, how about doing a video on ej's clean rhythm tone! In my opinion, his clean rhythm tone was unique among all rock guitarist.

[@kellypeterson2625]

Great job Andy!

[@ShaneGrimstead]

Memory man just went up 6000%! Lol

[@picksalot1]

You're not EJ, but you could be his brother. 😎Great tone, playing, and recreation. Thanks

[@jordancesarmagos5843]

Hello sir andy, in Boss GT-100? Can i make a sound like EJ tones? Thank you🙂

[@scottwaszak698]

Helps when the guy demonstrating this is one of the best player's in the world...

[@NikolajChristensen]

Brilliant. Do you have a video on automation modes? It's really needed. With practical examples.

[@MatteoFarindolini]

Really thank you!!!

[@MikeMara]

I wonder if there's any alternative to a deluxe memory man out there for the DMM preamp only? Like, without having to buy an expensive delay pedal, only to leave the blend at zero. I google'd a bit and someone suggested the EHX Analogizer might be similar, but obviously for nailing EJ tone, something similar simply wont do.

[@williamriggin2803]

Andy... was that you I just saw tonight with the Wallflowers in OCMD? I was so good I teared up a bit on the last three tunes!

[@nanicattack]

Hey Andy! Thanks for another great video. What bridge pickup is in that strat?

[@stephenfrancis303]

I thought he uses a fuzz. Man another tone hole to fall down into i got a marshall superlead from the last eddie van halen tone chase i went down

[@dixonrooster5954]

Great tones Andy. Did Eric say he runs it that clean?

[@andywoodmusic]

@@dixonrooster5954 in person he was using a 2 rock, it was much cleaner than I expected, I don’t know where Eric ran this amp when he had it

[@1611Barbarian]

Would you ever give tips or advice /feedback to your subscribers playing if we were to either send you or post videos?

[@wfbrophy]

What I have never been able to find is someone able to get Eric's tone using Eric's actual setup. Even James Santiago runs his Tube Driver into the Echoplex, whereas EJ supposedly runs the Echoplex into the Tube driver. Eric says his lead tone goes Guitar -> EP3 -> Tube Driver -> Plexi channels 1 and 2, but I've never heard anyone but him make that signal chain not sound terrible.

[@bro7269]

The magic is in the note choice and playing technique….

[@Rammett]

that was great!...quick question did you struggle with odd groupings?...I cant seem to get the rhythm even with a metronome lol the metro is making it harder

[@luisalextorres]

Just the Dover drive on sounds better than stacked with the other pedal

[@Vienzbow]

I think you pretty much got it man, no because the individual pedals are so expensive is there any way you can show how to get the same tone like out of a line 6 helix or a pod go?

[@PaulMulhearn]

Decoding Erics' tone is awesome...but someone should decode Andy Woods talent! ..one of the greatest for sure!...... Also I bought that carpet and it didn't help!

[@andywoodmusic]

😂🍻

[@frankleonardis-sj1mu]

Killer as always. Can you show another option using pedals such as your gearbox and anything else hitting the gearbox to get you there. Into a fender type amp.

[@timeagan893]

Hi ANDY!!! Question: Do you have the "brite" cap removed on your channel one or is it still in there?...Is it possible that it was removed BEFORE you acquired that head (because like my older plexi, your EQ would make sense only really if this was the case....Other wise it would be TOO bright no mater what you did,,,and would HAVE TO jumper with the "bassy" channel 2 to be able to get anything usable. Does this make sense to you?

[@andywoodmusic]

I haven’t opened it up, but it is in the same condition that it was when EJ owned it

[@kasperfauerby7389]

Wow, incredible playing and tone sounds great! If we're splitting hairs, I think it's perhaps a little bit TOO dark, and perhaps with a little bit too much reverb. I think there's a little bit more "bite" to EJs tone and the reverb on this one pulls it back in the mix a little bit too much - for my taste! But, again, absolutely insane playing and very easy to hear the EJ vibe...

[@andywoodmusic]

I address this in the video. He’s playing thru cabs and a real 57 mic. I’m using a UA load box.

[@pageyjjj]

TPS sent me here. Subscribed.

[@dominikpohli2381]

which speaker do you use for the eric johnson tone

[@ronfrey5327]

Id like to hear that amp with no post delay or verb just dry . is that possible to hear just dry ? no efx no boost nothing in front or post just dry...

[@feden84]

Hi! Are those noiseless pickups?

[@luisalextorres]

Eric uses a y-cable for inputs i and ii. try that next time and see what you get!

[@andywoodmusic]

I have it’s great! I’ve seen him do both. Top left only and y cable.

[@Sphyraminx]

I read that EJ actually recorded the bulk of this song on an ES-335. Only the intro and ten seconds of the solo use a strat.

[@GeoffSweet]

Andy, how about his ethereal, lush, modulated, clean rythym sound?

[@andywoodmusic]

I’m on the hunt for a vintage twin. I could probably get close with my deluxe reverb (1963)

[@GeoffSweet]

@@andywoodmusic I have '68 DR...but not the extra pedals for the grease...most of my pedals come from my Helix...which doesn't work well going into the front of the amp...great stuff though good sir. My buddy George Estremera does video with you by the way!

[@Rammett]

im new here but have you tried his 335 tone with Manhattan yet?...I use my Gretsch for this one

[@JudithYork-c7e]

Hey andy jeff here again wonderful video love your playing eric is a tough one to nail properly but you did great and on the topic of tone have you played a tube works tube driver or a dallas arbiter fuzz face if so tell me what you think of them anyway great job andy!!!

[@myuncle2]

Too different from EJ tone, but nobody on youtube managed to nail that Hot Licks instructional tone. And it's not because of the player, it's also we still don't know all the ingredients.

[@jamesprice6381]

EJ. Gets AWSM . HI END. N that i blv came from the. Dumbles his techs were in. Cathode feedbk i blv

[@MercutioUK2006]

Never heard anyone sound that close to Eric, other than Eric. Fantastic :) Does he change anything around when he brings out a Les Paul, SG or other humbucker guitar?

[@andywoodmusic]

I can’t factually answer that, but when I saw him play an SG at a Knoxville performance he didn’t change anything.

[@MercutioUK2006]

@@andywoodmusic thanks Andy :)

[@ksharpe10]

We painstakingly waited 5 years for that Venus Isle album back in the 90's. Took 5 years to put that Album out, he sure was not prolific like the Beatles were. Chasing perfection does that stuff.

[@labontetrevor]

He’s a mental case. Very VERY OCD. Sad. We see him at the grocery store and he is wearing a giant mask still, and his eyes are cold and dead.

[@kendevries3212]

I am with you! I remember waiting for that album for years!

[@ksharpe10]

@@kendevries3212 Yup, and I got an old early 1994 Guitar magazine where he talks about it, and in the end he started almost all over to do Venus. The newest album he put out I can tell a couple were Venus to him throwaways, which are really Great songs. What people need to realize ERIC is 1st a Great composer, it is his greatest asset. Everyone always talks about TONE all the time. Honestly, being HONEST, you can get his Tones out of Modelling hardware today, it is THAT GOOD, now. Try and get the Composing part. He has that unique, open triad chord technique, I believe he is the one who started that, very pianist.

[@steveymoon]

I love this but what on earth is sassafras?

[@andywoodmusic]

Honestly I’m not exactly sure…

[@guitarplayer5932]

damn youre good at guitar lol , love your truefire lessons im a fan!

[@BeauJeffers]

Hey Andy!!! Did EJ use a reissue “Virginia” at the Woodshed? Seems he really stands behind that guitar. I recently bought one.

[@andywoodmusic]

He did!!

[@zenlandzipline]

A Zendrive 2 costs about $600-$700 now. A Dover Drive is selling for pretty high price now, too. A Tubedriver can be had brand new from BK Butler for like $300 with the bias knob option. If you’re going for EJ old lead sound, why not just get a Tubedriver? I have a Zen2 for about 12 years now. I have a Tubedriver and Marshall’s and blah blah blah. EJ is using the Zen2 because he is using a Two Rock. The Zen adds some dirt to the Two Rock. I believe Eric uses a Two Rock at events like this Guitarpalooza thing that Woods put on. Because he can get a clean sound out of the Two, and then add dirt to it. The Marshall doesn’t really get him a clean tone that he likes. So, it’s just not as versatile as the Two. If you have an old Marshall and you want to get an EJ lead tone, spend $300 and get a Tubedriver. It has a clearer sound than the Zen. If you have a clean style amp, like Two or Fender, get a Zen and a Dover.

[@stuartredd8876]

I assume EJ was using a real DMM on his board?

[@swjacob5506]

After hearing Timmons, Wood, and James it may be a good idea to add Andy to my name 😅

[@eweesplace]

Hey Andy. Do you know which Overdrive is supposed to take the spot of the bk butler? I have one of those and I'd also be curious about that mixed into the path. Thanks!

[@andywoodmusic]

It’s not butler or another, that’s what I discovered and shared In the video, it’s gotta be the combination or it’s not exactly right

[@eweesplace]

@andywoodmusic ah, gotcha. Understood. Thanks man. The Butler is pretty slick too if you decide to fiddle with one.

[@niv6924]

Did you just get that tone using bridge position single coil? 😧

[@andywoodmusic]

Yup. The way EJ does it