Basically it is a Custom Shop strat by the specs. You get one piece quartersawn neck, lightweight alder body, custom pickups, nitro lacquer. So where is the catch? You doesn't get this final touch which CS does have. This mainly refers to often repeated "sticky neck" issue. Lacquer process is exactly the same as the CS but without final cleaning and fine polishing. Solution is very simple. Use Dunlop Cream of Carnauba recommended for nitro which gently polishes and cleans the surface and Dunlop polish cloth for it. Never use steel wool as some recommend.
@@javiceres You can use something like Gibson guitar polish. That will give a nice feel. I never had a sticky problem though since I bought them lightly used and don't live in a humid place.
I bought a used 2017 EJ Thinline Strat 6 months ago. I’ve owned at least 15 different Strats over the years and this one will go to the grave with me. Best neck EVER!
I have an EJ strat from the early runs that I was lucky enough to have EJ sign. After he signed it, I decided to retire it from active play, afraid I would wear the signature off. A couple of years later, I found a white one very similar to this one on eBay at a bargain price, and picked it up. I love it. My thoughts on these models: They are solid and well-built, truly custom shop quality. They sound amazing, and if you have big hands, the neck is very comfortable. If you don't have big hands, it will feel like you are trying to play a baseball bat. The wiring scheme is like the common mod where you can get noise cancelling in the 2nd and 4th switch positions. The only downsides for me: the lack of a string tree takes a little "umph" out of the top two strings. Not enough that I would mod it to put it back in. The high-e string is very close to the edge of the fretboard, and you can have accidents pushing the string off the fretboard if you are not careful. The guitar is a strat without noiseless pickups, so it is very noisy in the non-cancelling pickup positions. It is NOT a high-gain beast for that reason! It's a great strat overall. And I LOVE EJ!
Incredible Guitar: i have small hands but i think the neck is very comfortable,(i prefer this than the neck of an AZ). Yes Is not a metal machine, but when you select the dist channel you have that sweet single coil distorted sound that an humbucker cannot replicate. Love It.
Love the "Phantom Whammy Bar" phenomenon in effect at 4:21 haha. I always do that when I'm playing on a new guitar and I don't have my trusty whammy handy.
@@tonystartup3817 What does that mean? All I was saying is that he is going from playing a guitar that has a whammy to a guitar that doesn't have one and he went to use it out of instinct. I wasn't commenting on the usability of the whammy on this particular guitar, but I'm still curious what "decked tremolo" means.
@@jorgemartinez42069 ah. See I don't think John was going for the whammy bar as he often doesn't fit them if you go back and look through the videos. But he does set his trems up floating and he can use his palm on the bridge and nudge it for a vibrato - I've seen him do that in other videos. However, on this guitar the bridge isn't set up floating so pressing on it with your palm doesn't do anything. That's what I was referring to
An amazing guitar - my vote for the best Fender production guitar is the Lincoln Brewster signature strat - nitro finish, soft V neck, contoured heel, Dimarzio Area pickups with a 20db boost and mid contour. If you get a chance - check it out. Love your channel - thanks for all you do.
If anyone is trying to figure out what song he is doing in his solo in the Opening of this video it is inspired by Manhattan by Eric Johnson :35 the 2nd SOLO from that song. Nice Cordy emulation of that with some exact parts and some of JC built stuff!!! The 2nd Solo stuff JOHN does to close out this video, is from SRV by Eric Johnson inspired, How much of actual from the CD, John copped on this, I did not even Guess. But I spotted this one right away, KEY of E, NICE JOB on this one too JOHN CORDY. I think ERIC would say you emulated his stuff really well. Manhattan is either one of 3 KEYS: B,C#, or F#. I am leaning toward C#/Db, but could be wrong. Nice Chord work in the middle of this Video TOO JOHN!!!!
I’ve had a 2001 American Standard from new. I hadn’t bonded with it much in the past 10 years, until I started using an HX Stomp, direct for gigs. It works so well with my Helix, that I’ve not gigged with another guitar for 6 months. A great instrument that’s just now coming in to its own.
I recently purchased one of the EJ Hollowbody strats and it is crazy light. Pickups sound great and the neck feels perfect. Hard to put it down. Amazing guitar for the money
I'm not a P&W player but I picked up one of the new Lincoln Brewster model Stratocasters and it's one of the best playing and most comfortable Stratocasters I have ever had in my hands. I played a 2024 Stratocaster Ultra and Professional II as well as an Eric Johnson at the same guitar shop and the Lincoln Brewster and Ultra had the nicest necks I've ever played from Fender. The LB Strat as a slightly thinner Soft-V profile on the back of the neck with a 10 - 14" compound fingerboard radius. The Ultra has the 9.5 - 16" compound radius, but what is best about the Ultra is the D profile shape of the back of the neck, which is more like the Music Man Albert Lee model... which is a way more comfortable profile that fits in the hand nicer than the long-running "modern C" or "Standard Thin C" shaped radius that USA made Fender Stratocasters have had for the last several decades. I think for me personally, a straight 10" or 11" fingerboard radius is preferable to a compound radius, but I really love the D-shaped Ultra neck and the Soft-V Lincoln Brewster shaped necks. I think these are the best two necks that Fender have ever made. Also, the new Noiseless pickups on the Ultra line Stratocasters sound every bit as good as my Jason Lollar Stratocaster pickups, which sound incredible. Fender's Ultra, Ultra Hot and Michael Landau Noiseless pickups mark the final destination for noiseless pickups. After many many years of failed attempts with different noiseless pickup designs under different designers from Bill Lawrence to several in-house designers at Fender (with help from John Suhr and others at times), finally Fender have nailed it. The Ultra noiseless pickups might even sound better than regular single coils. They have all the character, chime, grunt, quack, sparkle, shimmer, etc... but they are better balanced both vertically and horizontally on the sonic axes. They sound like great mid 1960's Stratocaster pickups where the mids and bottom are increased a little due to higher numbers of winds, however, the response is more dynamic and expressive. Landau loves them and uses them right next to his Lollars. They do sound similar to Lollars, but with more of the unique Fender characteristics that the best of the 1960's era Strat pickups have. If you can get noiseless Strat pickups that sound as good or better than single coils, there is no longer any reason to use noisy single coils. Especially in live performance situations. The big problem with the EJ Strats is the truss rod. It's not the best design and you need to live in a very stable climate to deal with the neck wood shifting. No problem if you live in Texas as Eric does, but if you live in a place where there are extremes between hot, cold, dry and humid, you must have a truss rod that is accessible without having to take off the guitar neck every time you need to make an adjustment. The lacquer gloss finish on the EJ neck isn't as nice as the satin finish on the Ultra and LB necks. Those satin finishes make those guitars so easy and fun to play fast on.
@@eternalforce116I like the soft V much better. The EJ Strat V is going to feel much more substantial in your hand, however the shoulders are subtle so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. It made me love thick V necks.
they are top notch I picked one up in a trade and with all the features you get it's definitely custom shop spec. It's amazing right down the details of him wanting a special silver coating on the thicker tremolo block, and no screw holes for the backplate! I like the radius as it's more friendly for bending than some of the vintage ones that fret out.
I agree for an American strat, it’s the most consistent I’ve seen. Others can be great, but only if you find that one in 1k that’s amazing. The EJ thinlines are actually great as well.
Your friend played it a lot. I have one of the 2005 models when there were going to only make 500 guitars total. I had mine re-fretted a few years ago also with the biggest Jescar stainless frets, and I heard they caked the nitro on the neck lol, and that was with coming up on 20 years of play. The OG first 500 are the best some say but I think the current ones are all good. If I needed to buy an off the shelf strat I would still buy one of these without hesitance.
Hi, friend! I really liked the sound of your guitar! And I even bought the same 2007 Eric Johnson Stratocaster! )) But I can't get the same sound... The third day I'm trying to set up my Quad Cortex but nothing happens! Please tell me how did you get that sound? Have you played tube amp? Or is it a plugin? What devices and what settings will help to get such a sound?
I have one. I dig it. In fact, the one I have is the black and maple one you sold me! I floated the trem because that's part of the Strat charm, The bridge pickup is one of Fender's best. Strat bridge pickups are rarely as good as a nice Tele bridge, but this one is very good indeed. In fact I liked the pickups so much I bought a set and put them in another Strat.
The sound that guitar produces is HEAVENLY! How on EARTH did you achieve that amp tone, and was the bridge tone turned down too? I have a 2001 (I think) USA Standard Strat and want to replicate that lead tone as best I can.
Don't think the bridge tone was turned down at all except for when John demoed doing it in the middle of the video. The replaced bridge pickup has a lot to do with it as it's a bit warmer sounding than the stock one
@@aquatichighs the bridge does have a tone control (with a .022uf instead of the standard 1meg) but I don't think it was used in the intro track. The pickup itself is less bright than the stock one so it doesn't need to have the tone rolled back the same
I was surprised at how thick the neck is. I almost sent it back but am getting used to it. I guess I am a Modern C kinda guy. I am surprised at how fast Eric can play on a neck like this! Most speedy guys have slim necks and jumbo jumbo frets. My favorite player.
It's just a matter of getting used to it. Lots of fast players like a chunky neck carve. You may find yourself getting so accustomed to it, that you won't consider yourself a "modern c shape" player anymore. Enjoy it!
Not a Fender but my first guitar was a Squire Classic Vibe 60th anniversary in Gold. I have modified it quite a bit but I still think its the best “Fender” strat Ive played
@@reesehaller4085 you went high out put. I bet they rock. I'm looking at pickups right now. Thinking about a p 90 in neck and something a little beefier in the bridge.
@@jitsroller I can say that with the Gold Foil Strat bridge it is very aggressive and articulate! The 500k pots and rolling the tone back to 5 make its almost like a bright humbucker with some gain and a Gretsch filtertron when clean. You would be surprised with how versatile it can be!
This one must be near the start of production. They first came out in 2005 and this one has 2005 marked on the body and 2006 on a sticker on the scratchplate
@@tonystartup3817 I took it to a very good luthier recently so it's very clean but still it gets a little sticky in long playing sessions. maybe one day I'll have it refretted and put 6105 frets to avoid friction of the fingers on the fretboard.
I think it made a big improvement over the stock pickup for getting good drive sounds. It's a little bit hotter but it's mainly got a lower resonance peak so it's a bit fatter and smoother but still has those single coil characteristics. I feel it's more in the keeping of the dimarzio that EJ uses than the stock one he specified for his signature
I would have preferred the sunburst but buying secondhand you have you take what's available sometimes. The white has grown on me, specially now it's starting to 'relic'
I have a CME road worn, lmt edition, I’ve owned this and a Clapton signature, the Mexican vintage spec is better than both I think. When I play the road worn, I feel like, Jimi could’ve played this, the specs are the same. When I played the others, I just felt, this is not a strat really.
Hey John. Could you go over the Austin city limits performance of trail of tears by Eric Johnson? It’s possibly his best ever and no one ever seems to talk about it.
I played one in a shop quite a few years ago and without a doubt it was the most comfortable neck I ever played…I loved it but didn’t have 1800 bucks at the time!!!
I bought a 17 Fender USA stratocaster Eric Johnson signature I pick it up tomorrow I got a 14 Fender USA stratocaster sapphire blue sandblasted finish le for sale
Good spot. I'm not sure it's wear as much as a shadow where the nitro hasn't yellowed as much in the sunlight as the rest of the guitar - but I don't play it that much! And it sits on a stand long enough for it all to get plenty of light. It must be where the top layer keeps getting buffed slightly stopping it from yellowing??
This one has now worn through a patch near the bridge/scratch plate and on the upper corner where your forearm rubs. You can see in this video that it's a lighter shade of white in those two places where it was close to going through
I currently have an American Pro II which is an excellent production guitar. Another guitar I have is an American Ultra Tele. Also excellent. I got the Ultra first and decided to try the Am Pro ii at a savings of about $400 or 500.
i own masterbuilt and custom shop strats. This is equal to and sometimes better. So, yes great guitars and the reason the price is good is that many players have a "stupid" issue of not wanting a guitar with someone's name on it. Shame, missing out on a well priced great great great strat.
The good thing about the EJ Strats is there's not really any names or markings on it. The only real sign is the EJ on the neck plate and you can always swap that for a plain one. I think I paid £830 for this guitar which was pretty much a bargain
I can help with that. It's a Strat-90 pickup from creamery pickups which are based in the UK. I think this is the midrange version but I can't remember or seem to be able to find any paperwork now
Well.... The construction is the same as a P90 pickup, so a bar magnet rather than individual poles like a normal Strat. It won't sound the same as a normal full size P90 due to its physical differences. But it's still a 'P90' the same as single coil sized humbuckers are still humbuckers
i know this might be a long shot but can you please breakdown the improv you did on the last part of this video. maybe on a separate tutorial video. awesome playing dude. thanks a lot
@@johnnathancordy hi John, when get the time. i'd really appreciate it. i would drop cheesy lines here like how you inspired me to further my learning but you already know that. really, thanks a lot
My vote is for what I have, 2016 Delluxe Roadhouse Strat, MIM. Phenomonal bang for the buck. Some don't like the Vintage Noiseless, I do. 6 position preamp gives a range from twangiest strat, to P90 and a little more. rolled frets, locking tuners, jsut great
Very nice presentation. Tastefull playing. I am a proud owner of the same guitar. Same colour, about same date. I fully agree. The specs are customshop alike. But the price tag was in a realistic range for me without starving the next two years or even longer. The pickups are kind of unique. In a subtle way, the midrange is slightly increased. They sound very fat. But that also means, they lack a bit of the glassyness in the inbetween sounds. And therefore my conclusion is: Its mandatory to own at least two strats to cover all the signature sounds a strat has to offer.
This is the best Strat out there period. You can if you like, it's your dollar, spend $2-3000 more on one thats been dragged around the car park or $4-5000 more on one that's been Master Assembled from parts cut on the same CNC machines. None will come close to the bang for buck spec or playability of this guitar. New it's superb value, pre owned it is a 24/7 no brainer.
They're awesome especially if you can pick one up used for a good price, which is usually cheaper than you'd pay for a new American made strat of another model.
Yes they are. Stock tone cap (.1mf?) has been changed to a more modern .22uf though but that doesn't make much difference with the tones all the way up
Apologies if you have already covered this; could you explain how you dialled in the tone you are using. I can’t seem to balance my delays and reverbs. Too much, too little, I’m in a cave etc.
I can’t recall for sure, but I think he runs them parallel? Seems I picked up the habit from one of JNC’s patches last year, ?, I now run reverb/delay parallel on all of mine so they don’t wash over each other.
@@johnnathancordy Yeah as John says, neck and middle are standard and the bridge has been changed to a P90 style - just a bit more output and fatter sound. This one is a Strat90 pickup from creamery pickups in the UK
Looks great. A bit surprised that the wear on the top and bottom of the neck don't match. I have the same guitar and I find I wear off the neck finish on the top before the bottom. Maybe the way the paint was sprayed.
Unless you mean fretboard before the back of the neck? That could just be playing style. I don't tend to touch the actual fretboard much cause the frets are quite large
I believe my Eric Clapton signature is somewhat similar except for frets. They come with smaller vintage frets which I (like many it seems) didn’t totally bond with. Tech suggested 6105s and after a refret it became my favorite Strat, best playing one I’ve ever owned. Mid boost, tbx, noiseless pickups make it its own thing of course, very versatile for what I do. If I were choosing a production Strat I’d still go with the EC -with the refret caveat. I’m still jonesing for a (fairly) classic 50s-60s sounding/style Strat and am seriously considering an EJ because of neck shape, pickups, build quality and the bigger frets he specs. I’ve seen him live many times and his cleans are so Beautiful. His lead tones of course, the result of several things beginning with his Strat- are glorious.
@@neilritson7445 I’ve read that Eric likes the vintage frets bc he when he first moved to Stratocasters in 1969, the ones he played were made in the 1950s -like Brownie, or from 50s parts -like Blackie. Even that early on, 9 or 10 years after the 50s ended, some players were already figuring out that the older Fenders made during Leo’s time were better. In any case Eric is most comfortable with those smaller vintage frets and those are what he spec’d for his signature Fender -along with a 1957 type soft v neck carve. My own lead guitar style is based primarily on EC’s -lots of bluesy bends and vibrato. I’m from a different generation and am more comfortable on guitars with modern jumbo frets. So (ironically) these larger frets help help me play (somewhat) like him. When talking about guitars in online forums I’ve discovered some other Clapton Strat owners have also refretted theirs with larger frets, while many keep them stock. By all means play what you like. I do. Cheers!
I'm not a fan of strats because they usually sound thin, and also hairy/fizzy when overdriven. but the way you dial in your tone for a strat is just amazing and makes me want one
I guess Eric Johnson is the master of not making a Strat sound thin, hairy or fizzy. I also struggled for a long time with the overdrive sounds of a Strat. Having the tone control on the bridge helps and the change in the bridge pickup to the higher output P90 style had also helped
Well since iam a fan i can tell you that first...dont use overwound pickup sets(even if you want overdriven sounds or to touch high gain territory)...use low output quiet ones but drive them hard...also as a rule of thumb not much distortion but enough volume....that ll make your sound travel so much better....if thats not enough use an overdrive pedal as a booster....again...almost no gain but volume all the way up.....cuts through the mix like a mofo.......
I've had two and a an AVRI or two and I think the EJ strats are nice but there is one really big issue as they come normally; overspray on the frets. This actually wrecks their playability if it's not addressed. Furthermore, it uses the Fender USA nitro process which results in a finish that simply doesn't feel as good as FCS stuff (FCS has a different setup that allows them to spray properly) much less the really top flight painters. That wear on the neck probably makes things a lot better because on both of mine the nitro was very sticky YEARS after manufacture. Was not a fan. To me the best Fender USA guitar is the American Original 60s. YMMV.
Isn't the fret over spray meant to be historically correct on maple necks as they are sprayed after fitting the frets? I'm pretty sure I read that. I would rather that it was then dressed back however but it doesn't bother me much and it's never caused a playability problem for me
@@tonystartup3817 historically correct. You can use steel wool to polish those frets. Sticky neck sucks, i used Dr. Ducks on the neck a few times and it solved 90% of the problem. The Rosewood version is less or not sticky at all.
Its Olympic white, but the nitro top coat has yellowed quite considerably over the last few years so now it is more of a vintage white. There are areas on it that have been more protected from the sun that are less yellowed (the back is whiter than the front)
The color is White Blonde and it's a very light grey-white when new. With the yellowing of the top coat they start to look more like Olympic White after a few years.
@@sundrenched6248 Huh,. I could have sworn it was Olympic white, but you're right, white blond which is a white/grey colour to begin with (I think this is because it's semi transparent and lets the wood grain and colour come through) and gradually yellows to Olympic white
Sono un felice possessore di una Eric johnson stratocaster sunburst, fantastico strumento, saluti dall'italia 🎶🎸🇮🇹
Basically it is a Custom Shop strat by the specs. You get one piece quartersawn neck, lightweight alder body, custom pickups, nitro lacquer. So where is the catch? You doesn't get this final touch which CS does have. This mainly refers to often repeated "sticky neck" issue. Lacquer process is exactly the same as the CS but without final cleaning and fine polishing. Solution is very simple. Use Dunlop Cream of Carnauba recommended for nitro which gently polishes and cleans the surface and Dunlop polish cloth for it. Never use steel wool as some recommend.
Would that remove the stickiness?
Or just play it until it's gone....
@@javiceres You can use something like Gibson guitar polish. That will give a nice feel. I never had a sticky problem though since I bought them lightly used and don't live in a humid place.
I just took the finish off and used Monty's wax on it..
I bought a used 2017 EJ Thinline Strat 6 months ago. I’ve owned at least 15 different Strats over the years and this one will go to the grave with me. Best neck EVER!
Beautiful sounding Strat
Killer playing. So tasteful and melodic 👍🏼
if only they had a production tele with such amazing specs!
I have an EJ strat from the early runs that I was lucky enough to have EJ sign. After he signed it, I decided to retire it from active play, afraid I would wear the signature off. A couple of years later, I found a white one very similar to this one on eBay at a bargain price, and picked it up. I love it. My thoughts on these models: They are solid and well-built, truly custom shop quality. They sound amazing, and if you have big hands, the neck is very comfortable. If you don't have big hands, it will feel like you are trying to play a baseball bat. The wiring scheme is like the common mod where you can get noise cancelling in the 2nd and 4th switch positions. The only downsides for me: the lack of a string tree takes a little "umph" out of the top two strings. Not enough that I would mod it to put it back in. The high-e string is very close to the edge of the fretboard, and you can have accidents pushing the string off the fretboard if you are not careful. The guitar is a strat without noiseless pickups, so it is very noisy in the non-cancelling pickup positions. It is NOT a high-gain beast for that reason! It's a great strat overall. And I LOVE EJ!
Incredible Guitar: i have small hands but i think the neck is very comfortable,(i prefer this than the neck of an AZ). Yes Is not a metal machine, but when you select the dist channel you have that sweet single coil distorted sound that an humbucker cannot replicate. Love It.
Love the "Phantom Whammy Bar" phenomenon in effect at 4:21 haha. I always do that when I'm playing on a new guitar and I don't have my trusty whammy handy.
I noticed that too, but it doesn't work on this guitar as the trem is decked
@@tonystartup3817 What does that mean? All I was saying is that he is going from playing a guitar that has a whammy to a guitar that doesn't have one and he went to use it out of instinct. I wasn't commenting on the usability of the whammy on this particular guitar, but I'm still curious what "decked tremolo" means.
@@jorgemartinez42069 ah. See I don't think John was going for the whammy bar as he often doesn't fit them if you go back and look through the videos. But he does set his trems up floating and he can use his palm on the bridge and nudge it for a vibrato - I've seen him do that in other videos. However, on this guitar the bridge isn't set up floating so pressing on it with your palm doesn't do anything. That's what I was referring to
I have one in the turqoise version and love it. I bought it before the price rises, and will never sell it.
An amazing guitar - my vote for the best Fender production guitar is the Lincoln Brewster signature strat - nitro finish, soft V neck, contoured heel, Dimarzio Area pickups with a 20db boost and mid contour. If you get a chance - check it out. Love your channel - thanks for all you do.
If anyone is trying to figure out what song he is doing in his solo in the Opening of this video it is inspired by Manhattan by Eric Johnson :35 the 2nd SOLO from that song. Nice Cordy emulation of that with some exact parts and some of JC built stuff!!! The 2nd Solo stuff JOHN does to close out this video, is from SRV by Eric Johnson inspired, How much of actual from the CD, John copped on this, I did not even Guess. But I spotted this one right away, KEY of E, NICE JOB on this one too JOHN CORDY. I think ERIC would say you emulated his stuff really well. Manhattan is either one of 3 KEYS: B,C#, or F#. I am leaning toward C#/Db, but could be wrong. Nice Chord work in the middle of this Video TOO JOHN!!!!
I’ve had a 2001 American Standard from new. I hadn’t bonded with it much in the past 10 years, until I started using an HX Stomp, direct for gigs. It works so well with my Helix, that I’ve not gigged with another guitar for 6 months. A great instrument that’s just now coming in to its own.
I recently purchased one of the EJ Hollowbody strats and it is crazy light. Pickups sound great and the neck feels perfect. Hard to put it down. Amazing guitar for the money
Great tone and very nice playing. On the fence about buying one of these guitars.
There is such a complex sweetness to the EJs when played delicately. ❤
I'm not a P&W player but I picked up one of the new Lincoln Brewster model Stratocasters and it's one of the best playing and most comfortable Stratocasters I have ever had in my hands. I played a 2024 Stratocaster Ultra and Professional II as well as an Eric Johnson at the same guitar shop and the Lincoln Brewster and Ultra had the nicest necks I've ever played from Fender. The LB Strat as a slightly thinner Soft-V profile on the back of the neck with a 10 - 14" compound fingerboard radius. The Ultra has the 9.5 - 16" compound radius, but what is best about the Ultra is the D profile shape of the back of the neck, which is more like the Music Man Albert Lee model... which is a way more comfortable profile that fits in the hand nicer than the long-running "modern C" or "Standard Thin C" shaped radius that USA made Fender Stratocasters have had for the last several decades. I think for me personally, a straight 10" or 11" fingerboard radius is preferable to a compound radius, but I really love the D-shaped Ultra neck and the Soft-V Lincoln Brewster shaped necks. I think these are the best two necks that Fender have ever made. Also, the new Noiseless pickups on the Ultra line Stratocasters sound every bit as good as my Jason Lollar Stratocaster pickups, which sound incredible. Fender's Ultra, Ultra Hot and Michael Landau Noiseless pickups mark the final destination for noiseless pickups. After many many years of failed attempts with different noiseless pickup designs under different designers from Bill Lawrence to several in-house designers at Fender (with help from John Suhr and others at times), finally Fender have nailed it. The Ultra noiseless pickups might even sound better than regular single coils. They have all the character, chime, grunt, quack, sparkle, shimmer, etc... but they are better balanced both vertically and horizontally on the sonic axes. They sound like great mid 1960's Stratocaster pickups where the mids and bottom are increased a little due to higher numbers of winds, however, the response is more dynamic and expressive. Landau loves them and uses them right next to his Lollars. They do sound similar to Lollars, but with more of the unique Fender characteristics that the best of the 1960's era Strat pickups have. If you can get noiseless Strat pickups that sound as good or better than single coils, there is no longer any reason to use noisy single coils. Especially in live performance situations.
The big problem with the EJ Strats is the truss rod. It's not the best design and you need to live in a very stable climate to deal with the neck wood shifting. No problem if you live in Texas as Eric does, but if you live in a place where there are extremes between hot, cold, dry and humid, you must have a truss rod that is accessible without having to take off the guitar neck every time you need to make an adjustment. The lacquer gloss finish on the EJ neck isn't as nice as the satin finish on the Ultra and LB necks. Those satin finishes make those guitars so easy and fun to play fast on.
Of the many many guitars I've owned over the decades, the Eric Johnson neck is easily the most comfortable to play.
How's the soft V compare to a modern C? I've only really ever played the latter!
@@eternalforce116I like the soft V much better. The EJ Strat V is going to feel much more substantial in your hand, however the shoulders are subtle so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. It made me love thick V necks.
they are top notch I picked one up in a trade and with all the features you get it's definitely custom shop spec. It's amazing right down the details of him wanting a special silver coating on the thicker tremolo block, and no screw holes for the backplate! I like the radius as it's more friendly for bending than some of the vintage ones that fret out.
I had an old one, best Strat I’ve ever owned. No string tree is awesome, but I sanded the bank of the neck in the first week- sticky
That is some tasty ass tone and playing, sir!
I’ve got one in black bought it when they first came out ( 2005 ish ) low sn# 200’s…plays & sounds like dream
I agree for an American strat, it’s the most consistent I’ve seen. Others can be great, but only if you find that one in 1k that’s amazing. The EJ thinlines are actually great as well.
Your friend played it a lot. I have one of the 2005 models when there were going to only make 500 guitars total. I had mine re-fretted a few years ago also with the biggest Jescar stainless frets, and I heard they caked the nitro on the neck lol, and that was with coming up on 20 years of play. The OG first 500 are the best some say but I think the current ones are all good. If I needed to buy an off the shelf strat I would still buy one of these without hesitance.
The ultra strats are super nice
I love my EJ strat, I’ve got the two tone burst. That was always my dream strat after seeing Cliffs of Dover from Live in Austin
I wanted the two tone but buying secondhand it's a case of beggars and choosers
Smoking intro and outro. Holy.... you killed it.
Hi, friend!
I really liked the sound of your guitar! And I even bought the same 2007 Eric Johnson Stratocaster! ))
But I can't get the same sound... The third day I'm trying to set up my Quad Cortex but nothing happens!
Please tell me how did you get that sound?
Have you played tube amp? Or is it a plugin?
What devices and what settings will help to get such a sound?
I have one. I dig it. In fact, the one I have is the black and maple one you sold me! I floated the trem because that's part of the Strat charm, The bridge pickup is one of Fender's best. Strat bridge pickups are rarely as good as a nice Tele bridge, but this one is very good indeed. In fact I liked the pickups so much I bought a set and put them in another Strat.
The sound that guitar produces is HEAVENLY! How on EARTH did you achieve that amp tone, and was the bridge tone turned down too? I have a 2001 (I think) USA Standard Strat and want to replicate that lead tone as best I can.
Don't think the bridge tone was turned down at all except for when John demoed doing it in the middle of the video. The replaced bridge pickup has a lot to do with it as it's a bit warmer sounding than the stock one
@@tonystartup3817the bridge pickup has tone control.
@@aquatichighs the bridge does have a tone control (with a .022uf instead of the standard 1meg) but I don't think it was used in the intro track. The pickup itself is less bright than the stock one so it doesn't need to have the tone rolled back the same
Hi John, can you tell me pls, what kind of gear do you use by dist sound. Sounds really amazing. Many thx. Zdeno :-)
I have to agree with you! It is amazing!
I have an ej and American original 60’s. Love them both.
Oh I loved your playing and your tone. I am thinking of buying the Rosewood model or the American Pro II. Do you have any thoughts? Thanks
I was surprised at how thick the neck is. I almost sent it back but am getting used to it. I guess I am a Modern C kinda guy. I am surprised at how fast Eric can play on a neck like this! Most speedy guys have slim necks and jumbo jumbo frets. My favorite player.
I think that the flatter radius and the big frets play a big role to play fast. I love this guitar❤
It's just a matter of getting used to it. Lots of fast players like a chunky neck carve. You may find yourself getting so accustomed to it, that you won't consider yourself a "modern c shape" player anymore. Enjoy it!
What patch is this? Tones are just lovely with this guitar
Not a Fender but my first guitar was a Squire Classic Vibe 60th anniversary in Gold. I have modified it quite a bit but I still think its the best “Fender” strat Ive played
Cool man. What did you mod on it?
That's a pretty cool first guitar!
@@jitsroller GFS gold foil strat pickups, 500k pots and a bridge tone mod.
@@reesehaller4085 you went high out put. I bet they rock. I'm looking at pickups right now. Thinking about a p 90 in neck and something a little beefier in the bridge.
@@jitsroller I can say that with the Gold Foil Strat bridge it is very aggressive and articulate! The 500k pots and rolling the tone back to 5 make its almost like a bright humbucker with some gain and a Gretsch filtertron when clean. You would be surprised with how versatile it can be!
Get that trem bar in there!!
Gorgeous music at the top!!
got one of the very first production run years ago. gorgeous guitar, only a bit sticky on the neck.
This one must be near the start of production. They first came out in 2005 and this one has 2005 marked on the body and 2006 on a sticker on the scratchplate
@@tonystartup3817 definitely. I had the neck sand it out to make it for a more satin finish and since then it's better.
@@PaoloC. I think age and use has helped mine. If it gets sticky it's normally because of a build up of grime and needs a good clean
@@tonystartup3817 I took it to a very good luthier recently so it's very clean but still it gets a little sticky in long playing sessions. maybe one day I'll have it refretted and put 6105 frets to avoid friction of the fingers on the fretboard.
That’s what I found too…sticky neck finish…some steel wool and playing…took a couple weeks if I remember right.
John, what was your guitar tone source for this video?
My Fender Player SSS Strat MIM in polar white with maple fretboard works great for me.
Could you do more headrush videos please? Such an underrated unit and so few videos of people really showcasing it’s ability
That strat 90 pickup sounds incredible-I’m GASing.
I think it made a big improvement over the stock pickup for getting good drive sounds. It's a little bit hotter but it's mainly got a lower resonance peak so it's a bit fatter and smoother but still has those single coil characteristics. I feel it's more in the keeping of the dimarzio that EJ uses than the stock one he specified for his signature
Hi! How do you do not to get noticeable hum noise with such distortion? Tks!
That was very quick lol You just got it
Getting an EJ Strat today! The original brown sunburst
I would have preferred the sunburst but buying secondhand you have you take what's available sometimes. The white has grown on me, specially now it's starting to 'relic'
I have a CME road worn, lmt edition, I’ve owned this and a Clapton signature, the Mexican vintage spec is better than both I think. When I play the road worn, I feel like, Jimi could’ve played this, the specs are the same. When I played the others, I just felt, this is not a strat really.
Sounds amazing
this playing deserves that guitar
Hey John. Could you go over the Austin city limits performance of trail of tears by Eric Johnson? It’s possibly his best ever and no one ever seems to talk about it.
That live performance is one of my favourite tracks
@@tonystartup3817 me too! It’s highly underrated
Great playing!! Would love to know how you setup your guitars. String action, pickup height etc. keep the great videos coming! Thx!
I played one in a shop quite a few years ago and without a doubt it was the most comfortable neck I ever played…I loved it but didn’t have 1800 bucks at the time!!!
This one cost me £850 in basically unplayed condition
John thanks for this channel and the info you provide. How would you compare the EJ Strat to you favorite K-Line Springfield?
great sound you play👍👍✔✔
I bought a 17 Fender USA stratocaster Eric Johnson signature I pick it up tomorrow I got a 14 Fender USA stratocaster sapphire blue sandblasted finish le for sale
You can see the finish where the right arm sits is wearing a bit as well. It’s a bit whiter than the rest of the guitar. Nice character.
Good spot. I'm not sure it's wear as much as a shadow where the nitro hasn't yellowed as much in the sunlight as the rest of the guitar - but I don't play it that much! And it sits on a stand long enough for it all to get plenty of light. It must be where the top layer keeps getting buffed slightly stopping it from yellowing??
I miss my EJ strat 😭😭😭 had a white one just like that and was starting to get some nice "arm wear" on the body.
This one has now worn through a patch near the bridge/scratch plate and on the upper corner where your forearm rubs. You can see in this video that it's a lighter shade of white in those two places where it was close to going through
I currently have an American Pro II which is an excellent production guitar. Another guitar I have is an American Ultra Tele. Also excellent. I got the Ultra first and decided to try the Am Pro ii at a savings of about $400 or 500.
BTW, the Am Pro ii is a strat.
The AmPro ii is a strat
i own masterbuilt and custom shop strats. This is equal to and sometimes better. So, yes great guitars and the reason the price is good is that many players have a "stupid" issue of not wanting a guitar with someone's name on it. Shame, missing out on a well priced great great great strat.
The good thing about the EJ Strats is there's not really any names or markings on it. The only real sign is the EJ on the neck plate and you can always swap that for a plain one.
I think I paid £830 for this guitar which was pretty much a bargain
Hey great vid, could you please indicate me what the exact name of this p90 in the bridge, and where it is from ?? Thanks !
I can help with that.
It's a Strat-90 pickup from creamery pickups which are based in the UK. I think this is the midrange version but I can't remember or seem to be able to find any paperwork now
Amazing tone. What’s the signal chain?
Just an HX Stomp!
Is this considered a standard strat? Sorry for the dumb question
That bridge pickup doesn't sound anything like a P90. Where did that description come from?
Well.... The construction is the same as a P90 pickup, so a bar magnet rather than individual poles like a normal Strat. It won't sound the same as a normal full size P90 due to its physical differences. But it's still a 'P90' the same as single coil sized humbuckers are still humbuckers
Are these guitars thin skin? Or do they have the poly base?
Poly base I believe
What a tone dude, is It in your Google drive presets?
i know this might be a long shot but can you please breakdown the improv you did on the last part of this video. maybe on a separate tutorial video. awesome playing dude. thanks a lot
I think I can Ryan, could you remind me in a couple days?
@@johnnathancordy wow thank you!
@@johnnathancordy hi John, when get the time. i'd really appreciate it. i would drop cheesy lines here like how you inspired me to further my learning but you already know that. really, thanks a lot
This sold me on them for a Squier uograde!
My vote is for what I have, 2016 Delluxe Roadhouse Strat, MIM. Phenomonal bang for the buck. Some don't like the Vintage Noiseless, I do. 6 position preamp gives a range from twangiest strat, to P90 and a little more. rolled frets, locking tuners, jsut great
The previous roadhouse had Texas special pickups with all the same features. Agreed it’s the best current model Fender makes.
Very nice presentation. Tastefull playing.
I am a proud owner of the same guitar. Same colour, about same date.
I fully agree. The specs are customshop alike. But the price tag was in a realistic range for me without starving the next two years or even longer.
The pickups are kind of unique. In a subtle way, the midrange is slightly increased. They sound very fat. But that also means, they lack a bit of the glassyness in the inbetween sounds.
And therefore my conclusion is:
Its mandatory to own at least two strats to cover all the signature sounds a strat has to offer.
John, what are you playing through?
You mentioned this one doesn't have the stock bridge pick up.... do you know what your buddy put in there instead?
It's called a Strat-90 pickup from UK pickup makers creamery pickups. John did quickly flash it up on the screen but you could have missed it
@@tonystartup3817 ah you're right, i did miss that! Thanks for answering my question. That bridge pickup sounds amazing
This is the best Strat out there period. You can if you like, it's your dollar, spend $2-3000 more on one thats been dragged around the car park or $4-5000 more on one that's been Master Assembled from parts cut on the same CNC machines. None will come close to the bang for buck spec or playability of this guitar. New it's superb value, pre owned it is a 24/7 no brainer.
TRY out a Virginia, like to see you try it.
They're awesome especially if you can pick one up used for a good price, which is usually cheaper than you'd pay for a new American made strat of another model.
Yeah, it was a few years ago when prices were a bit more sensible, but I got this for about £850 in as new condition
What P-90 pickup in bridge is that?
It's called a Strat-90 pickup and is made by a UK company called creamery pickups
I think you said the bridge pickup is an aftermarket P-90? Are the rest of the pickups stock EJ pickups?
Yes they are. Stock tone cap (.1mf?) has been changed to a more modern .22uf though but that doesn't make much difference with the tones all the way up
@@tonystartup3817 Just saw this response, thanks for that!
@@ATX0705 no problem
Apologies if you have already covered this; could you explain how you dialled in the tone you are using. I can’t seem to balance my delays and reverbs. Too much, too little, I’m in a cave etc.
I can’t recall for sure, but I think he runs them parallel? Seems I picked up the habit from one of JNC’s patches last year, ?, I now run reverb/delay parallel on all of mine so they don’t wash over each other.
You pu the fender floyd rose saddles on there?
Wilkinson locking saddles
That is a great sounding guitar. Not a fan of the tangerine color stain on the neck (or is it the camera doing that?).
It's a bit more honey coloured in real life. The EJ signature are known for their dark tint necks
It’s the only signature Strat I would buy.
Love to see a Fender with no string trees
It is (but as I own one I am slightly biased :-) ) Mine is unmodded. Rosewood fingerboard.
What’s the pickups in this guitar from the bridge middle and neck pickups cause I have a Strat that de needs this 😍😍
I think it's the standard in the neck and middle, the bridge was some something else...
@@johnnathancordy Yeah as John says, neck and middle are standard and the bridge has been changed to a P90 style - just a bit more output and fatter sound. This one is a Strat90 pickup from creamery pickups in the UK
Good review.. 👍🏽
Looks great. A bit surprised that the wear on the top and bottom of the neck don't match. I have the same guitar and I find I wear off the neck finish on the top before the bottom. Maybe the way the paint was sprayed.
Could easily be just subtle thicknesses on different necks. But the finish has worn more on the top than the bottom
Unless you mean fretboard before the back of the neck? That could just be playing style. I don't tend to touch the actual fretboard much cause the frets are quite large
I believe my Eric Clapton signature is somewhat similar except for frets. They come with smaller vintage frets which I (like many it seems) didn’t totally bond with. Tech suggested 6105s and after a refret it became my favorite Strat, best playing one I’ve ever owned. Mid boost, tbx, noiseless pickups make it its own thing of course, very versatile for what I do. If I were choosing a production Strat I’d still go with the EC -with the refret caveat.
I’m still jonesing for a (fairly) classic 50s-60s sounding/style Strat and am seriously considering an EJ because of neck shape, pickups, build quality and the bigger frets he specs. I’ve seen him live many times and his cleans are so Beautiful. His lead tones of course, the result of several things beginning with his Strat- are glorious.
I love the original Clapton frets. Maybe he knows something you don't? Ha ha! best wishes!!
@@neilritson7445 I’ve read that Eric likes the vintage frets bc he when he first moved to Stratocasters in 1969, the ones he played were made in the 1950s -like Brownie, or from 50s parts -like Blackie. Even that early on, 9 or 10 years after the 50s ended, some players were already figuring out that the older Fenders made during Leo’s time were better. In any case Eric is most comfortable with those smaller vintage frets and those are what he spec’d for his signature Fender -along with a 1957 type soft v neck carve.
My own lead guitar style is based primarily on EC’s -lots of bluesy bends and vibrato. I’m from a different generation and am more comfortable on guitars with modern jumbo frets. So (ironically) these larger frets help help me play (somewhat) like him.
When talking about guitars in online forums I’ve discovered some other Clapton Strat owners have also refretted theirs with larger frets, while many keep them stock. By all means play what you like. I do. Cheers!
Would of liked to know what you were playing through, amp and so on ,thanks
It was probably one of his EJ presets that's he's made for the HX stomp
Player. Amen.
I would buy a Japanese made 62 reissue Strat. If i did not already have one that is.
Neck width at nut too narrow... Made for smaller hands
This the same for the virginia ?
Not quite. Virginia is a '54, this is a '57, plus subtle other changes
I still like my Leo made ‘61
I'm not a fan of strats because they usually sound thin, and also hairy/fizzy when overdriven.
but the way you dial in your tone for a strat is just amazing and makes me want one
I guess Eric Johnson is the master of not making a Strat sound thin, hairy or fizzy. I also struggled for a long time with the overdrive sounds of a Strat. Having the tone control on the bridge helps and the change in the bridge pickup to the higher output P90 style had also helped
Well since iam a fan i can tell you that first...dont use overwound pickup sets(even if you want overdriven sounds or to touch high gain territory)...use low output quiet ones but drive them hard...also as a rule of thumb not much distortion but enough volume....that ll make your sound travel so much better....if thats not enough use an overdrive pedal as a booster....again...almost no gain but volume all the way up.....cuts through the mix like a mofo.......
SMOOTH‼️🙌🏼💪🏼😎
The best Strat style guitar is the PRS Fiore, hands down.
john nathan cordy what should I do if I got my pecker stuck in the input jack please help expeditiously it hurts
john nathan cordy it is turning red like the movie pls help they didn't say how to fix this in the real book
I've had two and a an AVRI or two and I think the EJ strats are nice but there is one really big issue as they come normally; overspray on the frets. This actually wrecks their playability if it's not addressed. Furthermore, it uses the Fender USA nitro process which results in a finish that simply doesn't feel as good as FCS stuff (FCS has a different setup that allows them to spray properly) much less the really top flight painters. That wear on the neck probably makes things a lot better because on both of mine the nitro was very sticky YEARS after manufacture. Was not a fan. To me the best Fender USA guitar is the American Original 60s. YMMV.
Isn't the fret over spray meant to be historically correct on maple necks as they are sprayed after fitting the frets? I'm pretty sure I read that. I would rather that it was then dressed back however but it doesn't bother me much and it's never caused a playability problem for me
the fret spray is easily taken off with a pair of fret snips gently used at the base of each fret, this works great for both lacquer and poly
@@tonystartup3817 historically correct. You can use steel wool to polish those frets.
Sticky neck sucks, i used Dr. Ducks on the neck a few times and it solved 90% of the problem. The Rosewood version is less or not sticky at all.
best fender production made guitarrange at the moment are without a doubt the american original range , they are cs level guitars .
Is that white blonde color model?
Yes it is.... Or was.... It's quite a bit creamier coloured now from the yellowing of the nitro
@@tonystartup3817 Looks great. I found well used one body is too white. Aged color looks better.
@@trebleclef4889 leave it out on a stand and it will soon change colour
That finish! Is that olympic white blonde white?
Its Olympic white, but the nitro top coat has yellowed quite considerably over the last few years so now it is more of a vintage white. There are areas on it that have been more protected from the sun that are less yellowed (the back is whiter than the front)
The color is White Blonde and it's a very light grey-white when new. With the yellowing of the top coat they start to look more like Olympic White after a few years.
@@sundrenched6248 Huh,. I could have sworn it was Olympic white, but you're right, white blond which is a white/grey colour to begin with (I think this is because it's semi transparent and lets the wood grain and colour come through) and gradually yellows to Olympic white
They are great guitars , remember though, 21 frets, great sounding pickups but they are noisy and it has vintage tuners.
Vintage tuners are fine. These ones are pretty rock solid at keeping things in tune. As long as the nut is kept lubricated there are no problems