Eric Johnson at Saucer Studios, Austin, Texas - 2010 Up Close out takes - Part 2

Second part of b-roll from 2010 Up Close interview.

[@jonathansharpe6194]

There is just no mistaking that sound. From the first chord, it just reeks Eric Johnson. Love it.

[@cleremond]

Eric's chordal progressions are amazing! One of the true tone masters of our time.

[@blakestyger1]

Totally agree, this guy is an artist of tone and a master of the fingerboard. Gifted.

[@phillipgohorns]

How many guitarists can you recognize within a few notes? EJ is definitely one!!

[@nimitz1739]

Magnus Berzerkersen Yes and I don’t know any of his songs by name but I can tell when he’s playing

[@bassprofishe1549]

@@nimitz1739 Listen to Venus Isle. Killer album with lots of this clean stuff, and dirty stuff too. Cool ambient tracks as well so your not just listening to straight guitar. His new album and the Mike stern collab album are both worth a listen for sure.

[@ivanbravo347]

Santana

[@MJPGuitar]

@@bassprofishe1549 yes! Venus isle is the first Eric Johnson album I listened too. Crazy good and has very amazing clean atmospheric parts.

[@tonyflorez703]

Eric and gambale i recognize instantly

[@1961jscofield]

He makes it look effortless. The great ones always do.

[@imayjustlooklikearetardfor8306]

@@OneMan-wl1wj Hendrix beats them all

[@emilevyncke2990]

His sound is out of this world, it's so awesome

[@blackie75]

If you wanna feel super old, just think that Eric Johnson is now almost 70.

[@FloridaManMatty]

And still delivering some of the best live performances I’ve ever seen! Eric isn’t a musician…he’s one of those ultra rare individuals who act as a musical conduit from some other dimension. It just flows through his heart to his fingers and to our ears.

[@outoworkdreamer]

At age 49, I can't believe I'm just now discovering Eric Johnson. I've only been listening to him seriously for about 3 weeks and I've already bought 2 of his albums! Live at Austin, and Tones. I've decided to digest this stuff chronologically, haha, it's more fun that way.

[@danknasty661]

mike Braxus i have almost all of his work, cant wait for his acoustic album, wonder when it'll come out?

[@outoworkdreamer]

mike Braxus Well, I got Ah Via Musicom a few weeks ago ... and just as I thought, I love it. Especially 'Trademark'....wow

[@outoworkdreamer]

+Craig Willis lol...i used to listen to alot of Barney

[@outoworkdreamer]

+Craig Willis seriously though, i cant recall ever seeing any of his albums in music stores back in the 80's and 90's. I guess i would have seen him in Guitar Player, but it just didn't take because i didn't have access to his music here in alabama. But it's so cool because I'm still enjoying this belated discovery. Over the last 3 months or so I've literally listened to 'Live at Austin' more than anything else in my collection. That's got to be the best live performance (and there are alot of good ones) of anyone else i've ever listened to. The way he articulates the fast scale and arpeggio amalgamations and then ends up on that single high note, so well, is what amazes me. That last note is always so clear and authoritative and inspirational. Its as if he's standing on the highest peak. Have a great day man!

[@danknasty661]

mike Braxus he did a cover of Mr PC on his Europe Live album, its amazing. im a big jazz fan so it would be amazing for me lol

[@devinhallman]

He probably has the best clean tone i have ever heard

[@ottojunior468]

Have to say that I agree on that!

[@cast390]

Probably?

[@telefunkenyou47]

He probably has the best “just noodling around” I’ve ever heard. It’s like a religious experience.

[@Mikau-gb8uo]

everyone has, with TONS of reverb and delay..

[@SuperCrazylegs26]

I do think his clean tone is the best clean tone there is. It’s just so beautiful

[@niptodstan]

When you listen closely. It's all in his hands. Such a precise player. Even his dirty sound is clean.m

[@TruthSurge]

+niptodstan Which is why he plays the same guitar and equipment all the time, right? Tone is mostly in the equipment. Note choice, style is mostly the brain (hands).

[@frankie.d1127]

+TruthSurge I know you've been around a long time sir, just to clarify- style and technique are definitely in the hands right ? It almost sounded like you were implying that equipment defines the player. Eddie, Yngwie, Eric, Allan, Greg, Etc. can pick up a piece of shit guitar and sound like themselves.

[@TruthSurge]

Francois DuJour "just to clarify- style and technique are definitely in the hands right ? It almost sounded like you were implying that equipment defines the player." No, it's not primarily in the hands. It's partly in the hands because longer fingers, different hand shapes can affect the techniques and possibilities. But a player's note choices and how they play is almost totally in their MIND. Their minds told their hands what to do, their muscles REMEMBERED most of it and they got to where they could go on autopilot some and think some. It's ultimately in the mind. And you bring up an interesting topic ref equipment making or defining the player. YES! It partly does. When you play on a different set of equipment, the feel of the guitar, the sound of the amp... it actually is a FEEDBACK loop which does affect how you play. I'm not saying Eddie would sound like Brian May on Brian's equipment. But he would not play exactly the same and he sure as hell wouldn't sound the same. The sound he heard while playing and the feel of the guitar especially would affect his playing a little bit. So, these players are gravitating to the sounds they prefer and the guitars they prefer. Some "hand" exceptions might be Shawn Lane (who can really copy his style?), Holdsworth, Gilbert.... these guys have LONG fingers so their styles can adapt to that. People with shorter stubbier fingers have a harder time and have to work harder to do even the common stuff like long stretch arpeggios BUT you can work harder and accomplish a lot with shorter fingers. Look at Michael Romeo. So, yes, if Eric Johnson played a $100 guitar into a cheap practice amp in some music store, you could tell it was him by the note choices and his pentatonic patterns which are pretty unique to him (a few others latched on... Shawn Lane, Eric Gales, Joe Bossanamo etc). But TONE (how the guitar sounds) is really all about the equipment. Style/note choice is all about the player. But each one affects the other to a degree. IOW, nothing is in a vacuum. My opinions. :)

[@richeyrose121]

+TruthSurge dude, so much of your tone comes from your fingers!!! Effects are just the icing on the cake.

[@TruthSurge]

+Richey Rose I disagree. WHen you press a string and pluck it, there are only so many ways to pluck it. I guarantee you, if Eric Johnson picked up a strat in a blind test and merely plucked on note, you would NOT be able to tell it was him vs me plucking that same note. Tone means the AUDIO sound and that is almost entirely a function of the guitar and amp and effects. Very little is the person ref how the thing actually SOUNDS. His style is what makes him recognizable. The notes he chooses. Well, plus his tone is pretty recognizable and that is the combo of strat, Marshall and echoplex (plus Twins for the clean). I think people who keep repeating this "hands" bullshit are not guitar players or very poor ones.

[@tommymichnay5850]

He never ceases to amaze me.

[@roddyg3692]

I remember some years back watching a program where Christian guitarist Phil Keaggy was asked who were his favorite guitarists. Keaggy, who is a guitar genius himself, humbly responded that he loved Eric Johnson's style of playing and sounds. What's funny is that both Keaggy and apparently Johnson play the guitar in linear form (the way a violin is played) as opposed to the typical box form (the five note patterns applied in Rock, Jazz, and Blues). 🤔

[@hanovergreen4091]

National Treasure. A genuinely honest, oool guy. No face or ego. A genius in his genre. And making his great music with what most people would call a rat board. Well done Sir. Well Done!

[@realtruenorth]

Rat board? LOL, never heard that.

[@qwertz12986]

King of tone, always a pleasure to get back to Eric Johnson... Insane...

[@ChrisMurrinGuitar]

I can't think of anyone more instantly recognisable than Eric Johnson

[@danhall716]

His clean tone...specifically with the neck pickup...is the platinum standard!

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

Well ... he could loose the chorus ...

[@heybuddy6794]

@@whynottalklikeapirat I am reporting this comment

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

@@heybuddy6794 It's the only responsible thing.

[@davidspann22]

Still one of my favorite guitarists of all time, just a treasure of a player. I'm so lucky to have come of age in Austin, Tx catching just about all his shows. A band i played with in the early '80's had a rehearsal room in the same complex as he. I loved listening to him stretch his chops. He'd come down occasionally and jam with us. (Nice guy)Yeah, I'll always be a huge fan. His is a unique talent.That flanger is groovy, I wonder if he tried the Vox Time Machine delay pedal it's a sweet substitute for Echoplex EP3.

[@georgebarry8640]

I got Austin a little late, but did catch Eric and others as it was changing....Eric is a Master. There is no one close.

[@eduardoprieto5267]

Seems like we all got old since the late 70's when 1st saw Eric play in Dallas. God bless all.

[@Pablo-iu7pn]

Eric Johnson has the best clean tone for an electric guitar.

[@blackie75]

that's purely subjective

[@beenderedonedat]

Mox_au and true ;)

[@leeyihyung]

Mox_au As much as I love Eric's clean tone, I agree though. Maybe you(pablo) could filter it with "(For me,) Eric Johnson has the best clean tone for an electric guitar."

[@oneofthemodels]

pablo andres yes! I wonder what amp he's using in this video? beautiful clean tone!

[@blackie75]

Oneofthemodels Not sure for this song, but I'm pretty sure he uses both a Marshall stack and a couple of different Fender amps most gigs.

[@jakejohnson7714]

watched you in downtown SD Cali back in the day the best show ever outdoors in the street!

[@jimdamiano994]

For me, Eric has always been an inspiration. His choice of tone and riffs is superb.

[@BobbyGandtheGmen]

when he starts out on the strat, its' CLEAN and crisp and SO well defined! Love it. When he jumps to the Les Paul, it sounds dark, muddy and unclear. I know many players swear by the Les Paul, but I'll take a Startocaster any day of the week..

[@guitarman530]

I've been watching Eric Johnson since at least 1976. Fell in love with his guitar playing first few notes. He's been smoking the house ever since. Never even heard of Joe Bonamassa back then.

[@harveyshearer1618]

For me, 1980 in a strip center sw houston. My 30th birthday, but it was all about him-blew my mind.

[@fattirevsbud]

Eric has magic hands he makes it sound so beautiful

[@stormbringer78]

I've been to see Eric 8 or 9 times and he never disappoints! The tone master!

[@rc121crx]

Monster tone and kindest musician I've ever met.

[@speedoftone2682]

EJ never gets old! Amazing tone and playing style.

[@perrycotton3001]

Eric Johnson is one of the greatest guitarists of ALL times! So innovative and I love his tone. His compositions are musically Interesting and complex yet very enjoyable to listen to. Cliff ofDover my fav. Keep on rocking Eric!!

[@These_go_to_eleven_1959]

Never saw eric playing a LP before :)

[@stockjonebills]

His tone is always so sweet.

[@isitmondayet]

I SO appreciate stuff like this from artist like Eric. I don't play anyone, but if I did I'd be all over this like bee's on honey

[@mijit.859]

Love ❤️ the sound effects & tones ! 👍🏻

[@cgdoublezerorc]

I work near this studio. Standing outside, you can hear hear him ripping up every now and again. I'm sure it's loud AF in there!! 00

[@DJCPSG]

Ahhh that signature octave note at the end of every phrase..

[@Eliteguitarschool]

he's so good I've loved him ever since I first heard him play

[@hazor777]

His chordal knowledge and sensibilities are ridiculous ........

[@pauljohnson1065]

The flange/fuzzr sound , when solos is sublime!

[@jimmystringer9362]

thank you Eric for showing us all how to do it.. way back in '79.. we're still learning.. and you're still burning.. I'm glad some things never change.. like you.. we love you brother.. God bless..

[@TheRickdoggie]

I saw him for the first time when I was a senior in high school, 1987. Changed my life as a guitar player. Such a beast.

[@dougquaid4745]

The way Eric plays just feeds my soul

[@Jedizen07]

WHOA! Thanks for this!! A piece of heaven here on youtube.

[@lclaughton]

What a great guitar sound!!!.....This gentleman sets the standard for what the guitar community is looking for.

[@blazvignater]

saw eric on my birthday a few years back,my wife bought the tickets and suprised me that night....by far one of my favorite guitar players...and live he had his shit right...it soundedawesome! I love how no one else sounds or plays like him. i give him the most respect out of all players.as a player myself,I always try to find some of his sounds but I try and keep myself in my own search for sound...

[@FerchitoMexico]

The best. EJ is just amazing, out of this world.

[@greyteeth8158]

FANTASTIC

[@raymondvaughan6262]

How good is Eric brilliant guitarist beautiful tone great runs and chords so underated up with the best by far 👍

[@Jeepjones85]

Sounds so freaking amazing.

[@mariomessina6389]

This is a newer Gibson R9 in this video , he used to have a vintage one he sold that he used in the awesome jazz fusion band the Electromagnets . The vintage Gibson cherry sunburst was also seen in a live video of him playing with Carol King

[@LifesonPetrucci]

this is gold right here.

[@Howdy699]

An Absolute Master!

[@indupawanhazowary]

amazing fingers.... wonderful to keep watching

[@kitdman5749]

This dude is my guitar hero in the 90’s and still is...

[@roblawsonmusic]

legend! kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2S6hHaCbbmmoJY

[@ireneruthfox]

EJ is one of my all time favorite guitarist. Great Tone.

[@dieselyeti]

It's weird seeing EJ play a Lester. But, I could listen to him noodling around all day & never get bored. Amazing player.

[@musicisthebestF]

I could listen to Eric Johnson improviseing stuff for hours. Every Note or chord he touches sounds great in some way.

[@adaptableadventurerider]

Truly sublime to listen to :) super inspirational to a beginner like me.

[@classicartfoundation639]

He sounds the same on a Les Paul! Shows you it's all in the fingers

[@tangentz0007]

And his effect chain.

[@seranadesongs]

You can't beat a Fender twin reverb! The one I had, had 2 JBL's in it. Whenever I would jam with anyone, any jam, it would cut thru the din like a knife thru butter!

[@aguitarrman5867]

A genius at work!

[@dicktrickle5352]

EJ man there is just something about how smooth his playing is and that tone is sick

[@SuperBoubakar]

At the end , when he's playing the les paul , you can clearly say where JB came from ! Killer tone

[@lazydog1964]

Eric is number 1 in my favorite people i would just like to shack his hand and say thank you for all the years of great music for me, since the late 70s.. Thank you Eric

[@bobbyozb]

Yeah....He's amazing.

[@gben2457]

Eric is one of the best that ever tried to tackle this instrument. He keeps my ego in check.

[@nathaliemaurice7270]

I would love to have you as guitar teacher ! Luv Ya Eric ..

[@randallstarling2425]

Eric makes it look so easy!

[@Ropaccinno]

That sounds awesome.....

[@user-gz5yf1xy3s]

Texas has the most talented musicians

[@iblesbosuok]

God bless you, mr. J, god bless you

[@Wickedchickizumi]

Eric great Johnson💕💕

[@jeremiah_masih]

LEGENDARY lead tones

[@tasteapiana]

I've been listening to Eric since he opened for Rush back in the 1980s and I have to say this, get it off of my chest once and for all, every time he plays I am reminded of when Mr. Rogers (yes, THAT Mr. Rogers, the one from PBS' Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood) would play the piano. It's not a subliminal trick of the mind or reference to one particular instance, it's across the board. As a musician, he plays in the style of Mr. Rogers, period. Go back and listen, cross-reference the two and you WILL hear what I am talking about. His choice of phrasing, of inversions, of arpeggiations, of time, of the spaces between notes, all of it. Eric doesn't just have a ''sound'', he has a musical mannerism and that mannerism is closer to Mr. Rogers than any other musician I have ever heard and I've been listening, a lot, to everything available since the mid 1970s.

[@josephfemoyer7218]

I love to watch EJ’s playing,style.the notes flow like water

[@josephfemoyer7218]

EJ has an instantly recognizable style.the first time I heard “Cliffs of Dover” I was blown off my chair

[@jairushughes2884]

Me too!

[@TheLochs]

I have that same strap!! Can I play like EJ now?

[@elvis_chen]

Can't forget his tone!

[@carlosaureliocarvalhosouza1647]

Monstro demais! 😱😱😱😱

[@PurpuraMusicBand]

sr JHONSON es Usted el mejor no cabe duda ......

[@fredfloyd34]

Fibes...!jikes haven't seen them in a long time...Buckeroo you have some cool toys in your attic...Hope you keep cranking new material we love ya...

[@wungabunga]

'I'm pretty stoked about that flangeeeer' :)

[@wesdavis8797]

The echoplex really adds to the clean tone. Sounds great here but I know from experience what a world of difference it makes. Wish he still used it.

[@oneofthemodels]

Wes Davis yea, wish I could remember who borrowed mine dammit!

[@pedropablodiaz3312]

Gracias!!!!por el fato del DD3!!!

[@danielnichols5632]

I love how with his tone, even when it's smooth and creamy you can still hear the snap of the string underneath

[@racingguitars]

Awesome tone!

[@AndrewZeleno1]

that lp sounds great

[@themusiccovenant]

God of the gods of the guitar

[@KeithFCrawford]

I've seen several of Eric's rig rundowns and can't believe there's not a compressor in the loop somewhere. He gets incredible sustain and his volume is so even that I can't see that happening without some form of compression.

[@jeffreyschmokdt71]

Eric Johnson you jam man

[@deltaman38730]

Eric is such a down to earth person, and very humble,,,but a stomp down awesome guitarist,,and on austin city 1988 at the end he does jimi hendrix experience, and wow does he do a great job,,,check it out,,Go eric,,,,,,

[@lapwiz]

God, a 57 strat is just so nice to play. It does just about everything.

[@janstankiewicz5145]

Super 👍👍👍 !

[@Ledprostate]

magic

[@evalex71]

Damn what a tone

[@stratmancruthers]

Heavenly Strat Tone, he's right up there with Hendrix as far as innovation and style

[@akasgsvirgil9503]

His phrasings are simply incredible. BTW, has anyone else noticed that beautiful flamed, roasted maple neck on his guitar??

[@davidbaise5137]

Wow . Nice voicings. And he’s a tall guy. Wotta wiseass, showing us how good he can play!

[@rickshipman9279]

Thanks ,Rick Shipman

[@sempezeshki3718]

Noodling ? Is always a really good thing because it leads us down roads we may not have taken before.

[@alanscott7798]

He's great no doubt and VERY hard to copy! And I've tried. To clear up an earlier comment Bonamassa copied him not the other way round - Eric used to teach him.

[@kailuakidd1512]

That Gibson is righteous. Great Artist

[@pageluvva]

Genius + Tone = Eric Johnson