Rig Rundown - Steely Dan's Jon Herington

When you consider A) how picky Fagen & Becker are about their musicians and B) how long J.H. has been with them, you can imagigine just how good this guy is at what he does.

[@Learnguitarwithcharlie]

Arguably one of the coolest gigs in the world as a guitar player!

[@jadipeperzak4034]

Charlie's Guitar Lessons - Guildford not many people can pull it off like he does though

[@ottokriete1153]

I have to give my regards to the interviewer, as well. He is completely inobtrusive, and he lets Herington go through his stack without interjecting a bunch of nonsense.........I love listening to this guy play. He is so much "a part of the band" without the ego that seems to come with other virtuoso players.

[@voodoochili12]

imagine John Bohlinger doing this interview - "Ha ha! Great man, great! Welp? Uhhhhhh that amp is LOUD, man!"

[@chazguitar]

Seems, like a great guy, a humble dude. As a tourist, I caught there show at the Beacon, and ran into Jon WALKING home from the gig. Priceless.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Great Guy. Great Guitar player - too. Humble.

[@sonofren]

Forgot he lived in New York City. He probably only lived like a couple blocks away

[@cwyattlewis]

i love how hes just like this pedal does this, then rips some classic steely dan line

[@sharktroubles]

This is one of the most comprehensive Rig Rundowns I've ever had the pleasure to witness. I got to see Mr. Jon Herington perform with Steely Dan a few years back and I came away really impressed. The man knows his stuff - almost scientifically - and he proved it again here. Power on, Jon!

[@ajpegg2932]

Jon Herington is definitely a guitarist's guitarist. On tour with Steely Dan he manages to capture the flavour of the original guitar solos on the albums without slavishly copying them. His tone is immaculate and his solos wonderfully constructed on the fly. He is also a great accompanist. He cares about his sound, but is not over reliant on fancy effects from so-called 'boutique pedals'.

[@raybanana7811]

Couldn't agree more.(Very) well put.

[@MrGonzorhea]

couldn't agree more!

[@Kedeas]

I will only add that he is one of the nicest guys you would want to meet. He always appears when I've seen shows to stop and talk with the fans. Never appears rushed or bothered with the questions. Thx so much for this informative rundown.

[@kevinpaul1719]

John is a real class guy. He knows his stuff and I know how great he has been over many years. That was great to hear from him and about him.

[@ZackSeifMusic]

Just saw them last night and Jon is an absolute class act. Solid playing, great personality, and amazing chops.

[@stephenr.vaughan4983]

Herrington's the greatest. So modest. Amazing player. He's a regular with Dan, that's saying something.

[@bobcuster8930]

Jon did a great job explaining the cool guitar equipment he uses..What a cool guy, and great Steely Dan guitarist!

[@pallhe]

Great guitarist and it's great to see him play those bits from the Steely Dan songs. He's really done his homework.

[@vocalchords88]

Jon is a master musician. He learns classic solos for every band he plays with and executes them flawlessly with all of the feeling intact. Whatever they pay him it can't be nearly what he's worth. And as someone else said here he maintains his humility. A great role model for any young person who aspires to play music or any musician of any age for that matter.

[@Oldjohn52]

Saw the Shuffle Diplomacy tour stop at Tanglewood in Lenox Mass. I have been a fan since the beginning and this was the first time I saw them live and it was worth the forty year wait. Herington was fantastic.

[@Benji8461]

He's my favorite new guitarist. His solo stuff is great.

[@charliefoxtrotthe3rd335]

The Master. I love his style, tone and the way he plays. Smooth and flowing.

[@kayakchrispy]

So awesome that he plays the riff from the song that he uses the effect on... you can hear his attention to detail.. And it makes sense to show us how YOU use the pedals throughout the show

[@scootmcgoot570]

Man this cat is a guitarists guitarist! Ive had the honor of seeing him live with steely dan seven times! His tone and playing style is just wonderful

[@soonerscooter3249]

I can’t stop watching this again and again every time it pops up 🎸🧐

[@tomigunn777]

His touch, feel and tone are AMAZING!!!

[@petewoodroffemusic]

Jon is a class act all round. Love it when he had trouble remembering the opening phrase of Gouncho! Made me smile. Nice guy and killer player me thinks Pete Woodroffe Music

[@Nostaljack]

*Gaucho.

[@johnlovrien6333]

This cat is major influence on my style…thank you Jon

[@Aiden057]

Great run-down, Jon, thanks for letting us in and to PG, these segments are really well done, helpful and interesting.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Great guy. Fantastic guitar player. So down to earth & humble.

[@greatgooglymoogly]

Jon is an awesome musician, always great to hear him with Steely Dan. Cool to go through his setup!

[@mattgilbert7347]

This is probably the best rig rundown yet, just so well-informed and such a great player with a deep knowledge of his craft and his gear. You don't even have to be a SD fan to learn from this. I use an RC Booster for much the same reason. I run two boosters, one always on (booster-buffer) and then the RC as a utility pedal when switching guitars. His amp's design reminds me of my old Laney VC 50.

[@Vinnybrain]

I think it's so neat how he keeps a pic tucked up into his right hand wherever his hands were moving and he's talking along it's like it's fused to his right hand it's so much apart of him... it cant get lost!.... such a pro! Truly a guitarists guitar player!. Ive seen him play live three times...i wanna be in his band- Bad!Great interviewer too! He let Jon talk!! :)

[@zackmackmusic6655]

Saw John last night with the Dan…str8 beast …killin as always!!!!!

[@fenixfp40]

One of my favourite guitarists, amazing player imo.

[@Blueshirt38]

I hope you guys do some more bass rundowns. Because your reviewers are great at what they do, and they always ask the right questions, and let the person talk when they need to.

[@flstffatboy3910]

Such a nice 👍 and cool genius of a musician ...Jon has been associated with Steely Dan for many many years

[@midlander4]

Saw Herington a few years ago and just wasn't feeling it. Then saw him again with Steely Dan at London O2 last year (2017) and totally changed my mind. Great tone and totally musical - the best SD gig I've seen by far.

[@paulthorpe766]

Yeah was there too, he was amazing on lead and so clean.. as was the drummer - what a band !

[@Alanoffer]

One of the best rig rundowns I've seen

[@stillben]

saw this guy in birmingham on saturday 23 january 2019...fantastic pro.

[@donhall6520]

Jon Herrington is a true guitar hero and a beautiful humble man.

[@TomStrahle]

I was just a kid when my sister brought a friend home from IU and her boyfriend was Jon Herington. We jammed for a quite a while. He was very nice.

[@snakeybabe1]

Never have seen a video of Jon before and he is quite the player. He explains things so well so you just get it, just a straight up dude with a lot of good information for all of us . I'm now a fan

[@tangentz0007]

Met him several times. Hes super modest and a virtuoso.

[@JasonFerguson1283]

Such a tasty player and generous with his time and tips!! I can't wait to hear what he writes and records when he's not touring!

[@335fusion]

I don't get it with the critics - just what are you projecting ? This guy is awesome and his LP tone is as good as it gets.

[@edlotube]

Amazing personality and is very unique about his sounds ! I really liked his explaining of how it works. True Pro and humble !

[@JeffPeekGuitar]

Jon is a god for the working guitarist. Plays the right part every time and has great taste. Great tips and I love how he just used the gear he needs for whatever sound he's getting.

[@Blackdog4818]

Wow, a great interview with a guy telling us some real dirt on what a guitar goes through and how he fixes it and playing us some actual licks. Nice.

[@philbarrows424]

Saw SD last night at Beacon NYC, Jon was AWESOME !!!!He appeared to in the least, carry 50% of all the solo work!!'

[@imacman1]

Saw them before Jon joined them. They called him the Canadian Kid. Would love to see him live with Steely Dan. Have the DVD with him playing was very impressed and seems to be a very sincere guy.

[@ivanreiss]

Best rig rundown video

[@bluesman97]

Jon seems to be a true Gentleman.. and very intelligent as well. He would be a great mentor of life's many mysteries.

[@bobtucker8705]

Jon is a tonemonster! I have seen him numerous times with Steely Dan twice in the front row in front of him. He is the real deal for sure but hey if he wasn't Don and Walt would have chucked him long ago and you know that's right lol

[@JCHaywire]

It's about the Dumble, too. He's got that big flugelhorn tone. Love it.

[@benlucy941]

What a great guitarist and person.

[@chezloreseekers5975]

Loved this guy since he was with the Chase Manhattan Band WAY WAY back! Great guitarist!

[@Eflatmajor7sharp11]

Jon is from my hometown. I took lessons from him prior to to heading off to Berklee. He was - even back then - an incredibly heady and talented musician. I still have the solo he wrote out to play over Charlie Parker's "Blues for Alice".

[@ComradeStiv]

Gotta love that world-weary-seen-it-all-what-ever tone of seasoned New Yawk cats .... same like the dynamic duo ... perfect fit

[@Y00p]

This is how I want rig rundowns to be... with the actual artist, and the actual artist playing!! PG should try harder to make this happen in all RR's. ;)

[@jcayer2]

He is a very generous man !!! Thanks for posting this !!!

[@heliobluesrock]

13:38 wow, that is one of my favs.... I must hear this album again...

I never listened a Steely Dan song but after seeing how humble Herington is, I would definitely give them a chance if they played in a club here..

[@erhall0202]

I dig any rig rundown where the rig is actually played. John Herrington is top notch!

[@PedroBellora]

Great video! Jon is an amazing guitar player and, of course, anything related to Steely Dan is fantastic. Thanks for posting. Regards, Pedro

[@sixfoursoul2538]

just say Steely dan at the palm las Vegas- last night this guys tone was incredible!

[@jogreeen]

Nice to see a dude keen to show off his stuff.

[@marcelodonati]

The Gaucho part is awesome and amazing! Jon is great!

[@marcelodonati]

13:34

[@raizumichin]

That's it, I've rewatched this like a dozen times already. Time to build myself a tele like that.

[@ARMTOAST]

I know the feeling...

[@sankstone]

Love the gear talk....great concept ....can always learn something or spark a parallel thought....I love the idea of taping your controls......as simple as that is , It never dawned on me......mine get bumped when moving etc....great idea......

[@lassalle4]

So much respect for Jon Herington !

[@SixStringHarmonies]

Great job PG! I could watch Rig Rundowns all day and all night. It's safe to say that they are my favorite thing to watch, period. I only wish there were more of them and they came out 2 or 3 a day. It's nice to see the real famous rigs, but I would love to see just about any pro touring guitarists live setup. It would also be entertaining if you guys did a "studio rig rundown" version.....Though I'm sure that's a bit tougher to arrange, that's where the really pricy rigs are unveiled.

[@TedByars]

Seems like a pretty cool guy. Good rig review.

[@lukeguitar1]

The reason why his pedals and other gear look beat up, taped/locked into position, etc. is obvious - he is an astounding player, and he has been touring and recording with arguably the BEST musicians on the planet, for decades. Very Cool. Thanks to JH for sharing this expertise, and for doing what you do.

[@stephenr.vaughan4983]

So generous with his talent

[@trinzeon]

Such a stud! This is exactly what it is like talking with a touring studio guy. totally unassuming, except for those monster chops...

[@garyguitar]

They should get Skunk Baxter back? This guy is such a fine player ...some of these comments are sooo irritating. Every one to their own opinion, but seems like most have no concept of the depth of his musicianship. I'd like to see them sit down and play with him..

[@gbarrancos1]

Awesome interview and tone. And Jason is such a nice guy as well. Thanks premierguitar!

[@spakuloid]

One of my favorite guitarists

[@brooklynboy1000]

saw them live in Atlantic City.. was awesome.. very old school vibe.. like seeing the Ray Charles band... very pro... not alot of stage flash - except the songs and the playing which was great.

[@tdarnold]

Very nice vid. This guy expertly covers ALL of the various Steely Dan guitarists like the pro that he is.

[@AidenBradley95]

I have to admit, I used to get annoyed when guitarists didn't actually know about the gear they were using. Jon kind of redeems them though, he puts as much care into his gear as someone like me. He knows exactly what's going on and when it's happening. A testament to gear junkies like myself everywhere.

[@adamwebb241]

I like the way he says "pickup"

[@scootmcgoot570]

Gaucho at 13:30! Man i love it!

[@three11maniac8]

This guy is sooo excited to talk about his gear...

[@dsputt]

Best rig video I've ever seen. Astute questions asked as well. Nice work!

[@stevedixon8567]

I like how he demo'd using a lot of his actual steely dan parts, rather than just noodling

[@harmonica212]

Jon Smokes on a Guitar. They Have a Documentary About Them. it's the Making of Aja and a DVD in Stores That Came out and Jon is on a New DVD The Dukes of September That is Really Good.

[@onnostomp7138]

He's the absolute best Jazz/rock guitarist. Saw him live in my home, amsterdam with Steely Dan somewhere in the 201x's ......

[@chazzlucas6395]

Man .. You must be rich ... Jon came to play at your home, and your home is Amsterdam : ) (only kidding around) lol

[@Obidibidou]

Ha HA !!! After nearly every Fx he says "I don't use it much" or "Have'nt stepped on that one for a while".JH has impeccable Tone so I guess he relies more on his hands rather than his feet .

[@marc0d0n]

Now, I like this. It's not overfilled with an unnecessary amount of amps like the other guy in Steely Dan.

[@Erock09291]

I was at this show! great tones!

[@DAVEBLISS2007]

Great Interview, very much for tone merchants. Thanks for posting.

[@williamconidi6832]

Just caught him in Vegas with the Dukes of September and he ripped it up! Great player!!

[@graxjpg]

Two power amps sounds awesome. I would imagine that a nice integrated SS power amp on the outside of a tube power amp would give you the best of both worlds. Endless headroom on top of power tube saturation with the ability to have al that distortion at any volume.

[@rockinrob2004]

LOVE IT! Jon, what a player! Cool to see all your stuff that you hardly use? Nice!

[@Espectro101]

Guitar players love switching guitars but the truth is these all sound so similar that in the mix, especially in an ensemble the size of the Dan, he might as well use the one guitar all night. Watch the master, Jeff Beck. One guitar all night and huge array of sounds and textures.

[@JB19504]

With Walter's passing, there will be no more of these guys playing together as the SD Orchestra. Saw Dan in 1993 (At Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion) and 2007 (at the Borghata in A.C). Will Donald be doing any more tours? Anyone know?

[@Mitchelloy123]

when through the whole rig rundown without finding out what the mic was. Maybe just because I am a FOH guy and what to know but it just looked bad ass

[@RustyBurrito]

+Mitchelloy123 Cascade Fathead II

[@zeal6742]

That's true! And have you heared how much power he get's out of this small amp? AWESOME!

[@luit13]

@Dedalusalley The Boss tuners have a buffer build in. So, besides the tuning function, it also buffers the signal before it goes into the chain of the rest of the pedals. It's a great extra you get with this pedals.

[@reichlinsmall9765]

What a stark contrast: Jon's setup is functional, to the point (comparatively), and easier to transport than Becker's seven amp, two techs (with personal purchaser), five pedal boards amp switching cabinet switching truck and a half load! Jon's stuff fits into a decent sized van, and probably sounds better!

[@mattfuller4307]

Jon's sounds way better

[@Veaseify]

Having seen the documentary about how Aja was made I think Walter Becker is kind of an eccentric, the tech that did his rig rundown basically said its random what guitars he uses on any night which is why he carries all of them with him. Herington is essentially a normal human being so has a rational setup...

[@jasonrobinson5854]

Becker is a musical genius, but damn, could you imagine working for him?.... Jon is a straight up Pro Player for sure!

[@TheDancingSaxophone]

Are you a musician? It's all about being comfortable, having a stable guitar that'll last, and feels right, so you can do what you do without having to worry.

[@fastandbulbis]

Good interview, well done PG!

[@MrColdwatercanyon]

Genius solutions for covering the catalog or set list. All business

[@adumbberg]

The interviewer should have asked Jon demonstrating the tremolo at 12:12 if he would do it again.

[@jimmymarchisotto8152]

That's cool to hear I also use nickel strings on my Stratocasters and Telecaster's the steel ones are too bright and shrill on my Fenders.