Eric Johnson Up Close - part 3 - Guitars, Amps and Effects

Guitarist Eric Johnson at Saucer Studios in Austin, Texas. In part 3, Eric show us some of the guitars, amps and effects he used for the recording of his new album "Up Close".

[@jinooot]

a person's music reflects his own personality. By this, i could tell how amazing Eric Johnson is. inside and out. all thumbs up for you man.

[@tjenkins83]

Saw him in KC last year. He's certainly a real crowd kind of person. He'd talk to people in the crowd between songs. You can tell he loves what he does and has never let it go to his head.

[@andyandlou]

eric johnson is the nicest and most awesome musician the world has ever known

[@michaeldrish6704]

The best clean tone ever. Nobody is even close.

[@ViktorVR]

This guy is one of the gratest of all time.

[@p0rkjell0]

That clean tone... I could get lost playing through that... Wow.

[@NikkieRoxxx]

The Armor All tip: Eric's humor, always the best!! And he has such a beautiful smile!

[@sparky7718]

when you hear a few notes and know who it is.... that is a Master. Hendrix, Rhoads, Clapton, Van Halen..... and Eric Johnson... signature sound/tone.

[@Obe474]

OMG!!! I TRIED THE ARMORALL ON MY TILTED VOX DC AND I GET THE PERFECT TONE!!!

[@dieselyeti]

I could listen to this guy play all day and never get bored. Even his noodling is amazing.

[@bartolemeo]

Especially love the ending. He's always got a great sense of humor about those who are looking for one "magic bullet". EJ, you inspire man :)

[@PLSGuitar]

He's not just a guitar hero, he's a music hero.

[@McHale72]

He did an entire acoustic tour about 7 or 8 years ago. It was phenomenal. He also did a whole album with a different vocalist called Alien Love Child. Don't forget all of his solo albums where he actually sings.

[@aliensporebomb]

"It's all about tilted vox DC amplifiers". - he has a sense of humor! Love it.

[@jnh73]

One of the few players who manages to toe the line between equipment nerd and flat-out virtuoso.

[@TheTelechuck]

It seems like there's always a ray of light shining through EJ, in both his music & his person...Wish more musicians had his attitude!

[@toomanygittars]

Like Carl Verheyen said about Albert Lee: "He's a really nice person and you can hear it in his fingers". :)

[@strat335]

That's hilarious!! Lord, what a talent and treasure.

[@countrysamurai]

I am convinced that the words that would accurately describe, just how good he really is, have not yet been invented! Everything about his playing is beyond...

[@JustinGillenMusic]

What a dream studio that is.That's what heaven would look like for me.

[@JeffDaytonMusic]

I've listened to this series at least three times, just today. Always loved his playing and what a great guy to meet.

[@twostep919]

He is actually quite excellent with an acoustic guitar and plays some very nice classical and spanish style songs. He does sing too and while it is not always my cup of tea he has good range and control.

[@mkivy]

Thank you sir...what beauty you create.

[@dt1mdlara]

I'm now a fan! Thank you so much for sharing! God bless you.

[@musicadan76]

Eric sound, always takes me far away!!! I love that sound!!!

[@mrgreensound]

such a great player and writer..

[@jaysaquariums6399]

Well the vox amp and the can worked perfectly for me, tone is exactly like eric's

[@ddelboccio]

That's it baby!! Awesome!

[@beannie60]

A Guitat player's Guitarist. I had a 2008 EJ strat, loved it, miss it , He is one of the BEST !!!

[@renatothekitten09]

Muito bom e inclusive as ferramentas de trabalho dele é tudo top!muito bom!!!!

[@sweeabn6736]

dude is freakin amazing

[@davidafranguitarra]

sensacional mestre na arte de musica ...

[@PGROSYE02]

5:23=THE TONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@sempezeshki3718]

I was grateful for this. I was so in love with you & I was in my really big kitchen preparing my many ingredients for my marinara. I was listening to your To Whom It May Concern continuously looped for hours of play when he came in stupidly telling me about your Jamaican batteries. Stupid because as batteries drain their sound changes. Makes great sense to me that it could be quite frustrating to any Master Guitarist. This from the guy that had a completely CG album created on computer. People really are crazy Dylan.

[@soaring138]

The end is epic !!!

[@naurcastro1981]

Master of tones

[@Lima-mi4zr]

Tá louco esse timbre do Eric é muito gostoso de ouvir

[@tarquinshred]

no matter what guitar Eric plays, he always sounds like himself. I hope to be like that some day... Although us mere mortals will never even get close.

[@NikkieRoxxx]

Someone said somewhere that he could play a tennis racket, and make it sound like him... its all in his hands!

[@TruthWhisperer1]

He's an awesome acoustic guitarist! Piano, too.

[@Pstaines439]

god thats funny at the end. Eric, you made into my top 5 with THAT.

[@PhillyA25]

this is such a cool video

[@MisterTee]

his skills are reasonably good

[@Lost-xl6im]

He does that freaky string hopping to the next octave a lot in his scale runs

[@Siralantoon]

Love the man. He cracks me up with the 'tilted amp' concept. You can guarantee someones trying it as we speak. My EJ strat comes with all the right notes; but I cant play them in the right order. ( Morecombe and Wise Previn sketch)

[@petesorensenguitar]

Holy fuck I lost my shit at the last part. God I love that man.

[@trevskiw2008]

@pabdiary That particular guitar was the first prototype he got made, he had a learning curve and removed the string trees on the final production model along with changing a few other features..

[@alspageddi]

LOL what a cool guy. love the reference to the batteries.

[@komentero]

SHOW..FRIEND SHOW..FANTASTIC....

[@Foorix]

that tone

[@bizthin]

This is the goods folks! Stratoblogster approved!!!

[@TheMarkoniV]

Where are you Johnson ? Missing you fiercely.

[@uchinanchu]

Eric is the man, and I love the ending, LMAO!! Eric RULEZ!! :-)

[@BryanBetts]

a yellow fuzz face? hmmm... very interesting! it's all about tilted vox dc amplifiers....and armor all. you are the greatest, EJ!

[@rockhouse90]

"I use it mainly for power chords...." Hits a couple obscure suspended add 9s or whatever hahaha. Anything but power chords there EJ

[@ancientpalace]

@Wiltonibanez the armor all makes his tone shine! lol (it's used to shine dashboards on vehicles)

[@arnyarny77]

he pokes fun of himself!!!!!!!!! great guitarist with a sense of humor

[@arnyarny77]

he pokes fun of himself!!!!!!!!! great guitarist with a sense of humor god damn thats great

[@outoworkdreamer]

Tilted Vox DC amp with Armor All haha... that's some funny stuff:) And a dreamland of equipment for having fun with music. That barracuda flanger was originally built to replicate the sound on Heart's Barracuda...and I want one...and it's only $300...whew

[@mattbortz10]

Tilted vox DC amps..gonna have to remember that

[@showmyoface]

He starts playing and you know it's EJ within three seconds!

[@yuri-guitarist]

Geez, Eric please do one of those ambient solo guitar albums (like Alex De Grassi)

[@firdausHITMAN]

The ending was quality

[@chronicfatigue5416]

Tilted Vox DC amplifiers FTW!!

[@PFTome]

Sometimes I am more amazed by his pick hand.

[@blackzenode]

the last part's the best! lol!

[@xxwantedxx]

man those tilted vox amps got a love em!

[@pabdiary]

Hmm... I have a black Eric Johnson Strat (my favorite guitar of all time), but his is different. I hate when guitar companies do that. The one he's playing has different fret inlays and it's relic'ed. there's no way it would have aged that fast. Also his has a string tree and the neck seems to be flamed. Anyone else notice that?

[@SRV2786]

This black EJ sig strat is the first prototype fender sent him

[@ApexChrisHansen]

gotcha

[@francojuanredonda]

voce é uma referencia

[@s2khawk]

@SuperOxideDimutase its between the 2 twin heads at 2:55

[@yobhsiFehT]

@JRBane Ahh, touche on the "to his exacting specs" bit:)

[@sempezeshki3718]

I speak fluent Master Guitarist. Legend too.

[@Thirdgen83]

@jdumoit77 That's his first Signature Strat. The new ones don't have those...

[@platonicbomb]

the kicker is at 6:15 if you don't have time for the whole video

[@PhillyA25]

I'm trying to figure that out too.

[@OyvindBjorgo]

Hahahahahahaha, the bit at the end is great!

[@rbenm]

I was surprised how well my amp performed after placing a bottle of Armour All on top of it, it did whatever i wanted it to do.

[@Dzonrid]

Tilted Vox!!!

[@kevinjoe3578]

I use a 335 and an SG... *SHOWS A LES PAUL* HAHA!!! Great skills Eric Johnson! :D

[@Funkyryno]

Picks up a Strat...EJ, picks up a Les Paul...EJ. It's all in the fingers.

[@faller1990]

@4StringDomination I think you're right

[@DoubledareTV]

Hahaha, the ending is perfect

[@sempezeshki3718]

yea, yea.......YEA. Fuzz face & the infamous Barracuda Toad Worx Flanger.

[@veeshead]

He always plays such beautiful chords. And, where are the Dumble amps? Replaced by that little Vox? I thought so.

[@TRWilley]

"Batteries from Jamaica..." XD

[@primatebuddy]

@UKToneKing I'm not really convinced he was talking so much about the effect of tremolo on the actual tone so much as he was referring to how the trem itself sounds. It's easy to notice a difference between a Floyd versus a stock Strat tremolo, so I think what he was talking about it how the Super Vee sounds more like a stock Strat.

[@eddievhfan1984]

@educassiano It's all about note control, really. I've been learning to play Cliffs of Dover, and especially in some of the really wide note stretches, left-hand muting of notes is key to not making such a fuzzy sound messy, really.

[@lennyluzitano8920]

Love your unique style...= your personality....God bless the Gentleman Guitar player who brings me to his zone way up in the sky....Eric Johnson

[@daxpaulino]

gotta get that tilt on my vox mini amp...

[@bobbysbackingtracks]

EJ=The Tone Avatar.

[@itsstillfriday]

FIBES !!

[@niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick]

@66jtm45 it's a fuzz face made by pedal guru jeorge tripps (way huge) who works for dunlop at the moment. it's not a bog standard dunlop.

[@chrisfarrugia5397]

Ha hahahahahaah Armour all......... I LOVE IT !!!!

[@MuzicmanPresents]

Hendrix would be a fan. Jimi would have gone back to his studio and said 'okay now, let's get serious'.

[@harriheinsoo]

6:15 Damn! I knew it!

[@dus65]

sorry, i know this isnt the first time i'm asking this, but what is the song hes playing at the beginning, its so soothing

[@toomanygittars]

Just after I sold my old BOSS DD2 it became a "collectible". :-b..... and now even Ej is using one.

[@JantzSRV]

I knew it was something simple like Armor All and a practice amp.

[@alvisgrady3357]

What is degree angle for the Vox tilt , and how much fluid in the Armour all bottle ? Thanks ! Btw....if you ever need me to show you stuff , just hmu. 🎸

[@Yarooney]

the ending is hilarious :P hahahaha

[@orlandirafael]

Great joke at the end!