Eric Johnson Talks Guitar Tone
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2023
- In this episode Eric Johnson talks about his guitar tone. He discusses his pedals, amps, guitars and even post recording EQ and Compression after it's been recorded.
📚 30% OFF ANYTHING IN THE STORE - Use Coupon Code RB30 at checkout. Link: ⇢ rickbeato.com
Also available: The Beato Ultimate Bundle, which includes:
📚- The Beato Book Interactive - $99.00 value
🎸 - Beato Beginner Guitar - $159.00 value
👂- The Beato Ear Training Program - $99.00 value
🎸- The Quick Lessons Pro Guitar Course - $79.00 value
… all for just $139.00 + and extra 30% off at checkout using code RB30
Get it here: rickbeato.com
Full interview: • The Eric Johnson Inter...
Remember to hit the subscribe button! - เพลง
A buddy of mine was helping a friend work on his car one night. This guy walked up and said he bought the building and wanted to check it out. My Buddy said "Are you Eric Johnson?" It was. EJ bought the building to use a studio.They talked for a long time about music and cars. EJ was extremely nice and laid back. No ego at all. He gave the guy that was using the building as a garage plenty of time to move out.
I hope someday I get to meet a guy who uses a building as a garage.
Incredible musician/ composer with no ego , super nice guy and level headed , that blows my statement - musicians are 100% temperamental- 60 temper / 40 mental , great to see !
@@davelouis4004 Steve Vai is the same way too.
@@davelouis4004 can you elaborate?
EJ and Mike Stern had played two back-to-back shows in Phoenix, and my wife and I attended the second show. We were literally the last people in line at the merch table, but Eric signed our concert poster and chatted with us as Mike yelled, "Hey, we gotta get going, man!" They're both great guys though, lol.
It blows me away how many of my guitar playing friends don't know who Eric Johnson is. I cant think of a player out there who, if I had a genie in a bottle, I would want to sound like. A perfect combo of melodic and shred. Simply an amazing musician
I could not agree more bro. He is a true virtuoso. His lead tone is so dark its my favourite tone for sure
Not that it really matters, because if you are a guitar player you should know who EJ is....even if it's just Cliffs, but how old are your friends? Do they know who SRV is?
"A perfect combo of melodic and shred" on point!
Ah Via Musicom marked me as a 10yr old learning guitar in the early 90s, introd by an ex of my older sister who also played classical guitar. I could spend hours pre-internet figuring out the notes and work on my interpretation, way before tabs were available. I really appreciate what kids nowadays are exposed with all the tools at their disposal to potential their talents!
Eric johnson is guitar tone. The live in Austin gig is mind blowing even now 40 years later 👍
Back when he had an entire pawn shop of amps on stage? 🤣
Great to hear his favourite moments are just playing
Ah Via Musicom marked me as a 10yr old learning guitar in the early 90s, introd by an ex of my older sister who also played classical guitar. I could spend hours pre-internet figuring out the notes and work on my interpretation, way before tabs were available. I really appreciate what kids nowadays are exposed with all the tools at their disposal to potential their talents!
Eric has been a musical hero of mine since the day I heard Cliffs Of Dover on the radio. That’s right, on the radio!!!! Lol. Me and buddy literally pulled our car over as we were stunned. Immediately ran to the record store and bought the album. A few months later got to see him for the first time open for RUSH. I’ve been a super fan ever since.
Awesome story! I too was exposed to EJ for the first time hearing Cliffs of Dover. I had never heard anything like it. I kept thinking how thick his tone was and was amazed to see he was playing a strat. My favorite Cliffs of Dover performance is his performance on Austin City Limits. He vamps an extended intro and it's awesome.
wow, I have seen both acts many many times... together on one bill? great show!
Can you imagine a collab between EJ and Rush, that’d be awesome
My fav Eric Johnson solo is the end of the song Venus Isle. The way it builds is awesome and ends with that high chirp harmonic, goosebumps every time I listen to it.
You read my mind. My favorite too.
Fantastic album !
I know it’s probably his most famous song but cliffs of Dover is still probably my favorite sound and playing by him. That song is one of the reasons I started playing. I used to play it beginning to end years ago. But I a lot of cheating by just hammering notes that he picks. Sounded good in front of people who didn’t really know anything about playing but I’d be embarrassed to play it in front of people who knew how to play and were familiar with the song. I think I’ll revisit that song and practice it the right way and see if I can nail it now after all these years
@@srficarraI kinda cheat out songs like that by using different chords and notes lol. Play how you wanna play :)
Yeah, Venus Reprise is unbelievable. So short but so powerful.
Im a percussionist from the 70's still jamming today, never hit the big time, but playing small town gigs and just jamming is fine with me, the best times I had were back in the old garage jamming and people just walking by and stopping to listen , 🥁👍.
The childlike thing is spot on! The 1st time I plugged into a Marshall (a Plexi I think) I was all tingly inside and out. I always tried to retain that “musical innocence” to this day. The Ramsa thing was great too. I use a few unorthodox things in my rig as well that people laugh at. I just tell them it works for me! EJ has always been an inspiration! Thank you Rick! Peace ☮️
Just playing an E chord does it for me… brings back that childhood wonder of the infinite possibilities of music
Rick just crushes these interviews. He always asks very thought-provoking questions and is able to lead his interviewee into giving these long, concise responses.
EJ is such a technician. It's mind-boggling the grind these guys go through in the studio to capture a certain sound or tone. Rick and EJ are absolute Masters when it comes to this.
❤❤❤
Interviewee
@nintony2994 That's from the TH-cam make up a word club. Pretty clever, huh?
@@OriginalOldSkoolFunk yuhhh
Ian Paice of Deep Purple said the same sort of thing as Eric about being a "professional" and how to keep that spark of playing. Remembering that feeling when you first started playing and the excitement of it. What drove you to pick up the instrument. Also he said if he had never become successful in a commercial sense he would still be playing down at the local pub on the weekends. Those are all the right reasons to be in music. So I like what Eric says about having that child like quality and focus on the moments when it was pure joy.
Agreed
one of the very best (possibly the best) tones in all of guitar.
I know a man in Texas named Bill Starett who told me about Eric Johnson. After that I couldn't wait to see Eric live. Then I got to get to the Satch/Johnson '06 Supper Colossal Tour at the Vancouver Commodore ballroom. Unbelievable. I'll never forget it. Thanks Rick for posting. Cheers from the north.
The guitar sound on Eric's solos in his song "Lonely in the Night" is beautiful and unique.
Shout out to Rick for being able to remove his own ego from his conversations/interviews. True sign of greatness.
Yep, he just nods his head and let's the Artist speak.
Ah Via Musicom came out the first year I started playing guitar (got my first guitar at age 12). Thanks to albums like that one, Passion and Warfare, Rust in Peace, And Justice for All, Operation: Mindcrime, and going back the first album to inspire me when I was 7, Van Halen's 1984, I was set on my journey.
I bought a strat at the Austin store Eric was known to visit. While there, I asked about Eric. The gent helping me said he came in once and wanted just one of the speakers out of a cabinet he was playing through. Not the whole cabinet. Just one of the speakers. He told Eric “I’m sorry we can’t do that.”
I’ve never worked a show where I wasn’t impressed. A real gentleman.
This was amazing! Just the perfect, laid back interview! Loved it!
Eric’s been one of my favorite and most inspiring guitarists from the time I discovered his music back in the early 90s. I’ve always admired his signature style and sound.
I like the message that Eric conveyed to stay child like and keeping the passion, I live on the central coast of California and on any given weekend you can see the keyboardist who plays with U2 and countless other band’s (Terry Lawless) playing small gig’s at a local restaurant or park, Being a keyboardist myself we talk about music and gigs, Terry genuinely loves to play in front of people wether it’s 20 people or 90,000 at Wembly Stadium, if that’s not passion then I don’t know what it is. Thank you Rick for the great interview. Eric Johnson probably my favorite guitar sound!
One feature of the best interviewers is the ability to keep quiet and let the person being interviewed have plenty of time to complete their thoughts and speak their mind. Rick has become really good at that exact thing.
yes, that youtuber "profesor of rock" could learn a lot from rick. he was once interviewing steve kilbey from the church , and he was explaining why he put an F# over an Amsus4 and he started talking over him about something completely different and the look on steve's face, if looks could kill. Oh and he could smoke less before an interview, Rick is great
Wonderful interview. Thank you Rick❤ and EJ plz, keep sharing your gift with us.
The main solo on "Desert Rose" is amazing, but the outro solo of "Desert Rose" is just exquisite! I was hoping that EJ had said "Desert Rose" was his favorite because every time I hear it (even all these years later), I still get goosebumps.
This. That outro solo is my fave EJ solo. I still have a warm spot in my heart for the performance of "Cliffs of Dover" on Austin City Limits, though.
@@erich1710 I do have to say that the intro (with all the chimey chords) to COD on that recording is wonderful.
Those feedback notes in that second DR solo really just are so….I can’t even think of the word. Amazing. The whole solo. I agree, it’s the best.
Trans dimensional. That’s it.
@@erich1710 Trail of Tears is like that for me 40 mile town is awe inspiring
Wonderful insight, here. I've been thinking a lot about this as a guitarist recently.... I almost ruined my guitar playing for myself by getting too obsessed with getting better and practicing, but left no room for enjoyment, passion, love for playing. I became way too serious, self critical and therefore negative about my playing. The times when you're just playing and smiling and in the moment enjoying it are what it's all about. I think it's super important to think back to those times when I was 15 plugging into a 100 watt amp and a 4x12 for the first time. Pure enjoyment and passion. Love Eric's words here!
Eric shares this amazing revelation about getting back to loving music intrinsically without the need for fame, money, and recognition. Rick then quickly pivots to ask Eric about his favorite solo, like he wasn’t even listening to what Eric was saying. I really wish that Rick would have dug deeper, because I think Eric was trying to communicate a significant truth that a lot of musicians like myself need to hear.
Yeah that was a pretty weird move on Rick's part.
@@moonloop6 Yeah. I just can't believe he missed that. I feel that there was so much treasure to uncover by following the thread that Eric started. Maybe Rick was nervous being in the presence of someone so accomplished.
Don’t measure “success” on some record deal you strive for in the future. Measure it on the love and passion you have for your craft in the present. The things you truly want, are the things you probably already have. Don’t overlook the things that are truly the most important. That’s what I got from his statement. $ and fame doesn’t equal success.
This is a clip from a longer interview. It may be an edit.
I remember 2 or 3 times (back in "the day") poking fun at E.J. about how ultra-careful he was with cable choices, batteries in pedals, tuning alongside an acoustic piano player, voltage, etc. Then I had a handful of "nightmare" gigs where I prepped hard and then equipment malfunctioned in front of hundreds (or thousands!) of people. I'm so anal now about my gear and my tone that I don't even gig anymore.
If your TONE ain't happenin' your TECHNIQUE is probably gonna go out the window - along w/ all your prep. PTGES post traumatic gig experience syndrome
💛 This guy really opened up on all the truths here! Thanks for posting
Whoa, I did not expect Eric to mention Ramsa! My dad still gigs with a 24-channel Ramsa mixer. We live in MX and he bought that in the US in the early 90s. He tells a story that when he brought it home some local musicians looked at it and ridiculed him, even told him he must have gotten it for free inside a cereal box (because it was a relatively unknown brand around here). Nearly 30 years later and that mixer keeps going and going!
This guy is something else. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Very cool!! Great interview as always Rick asking the questions we all are dying to know 🙏🙏
Love all your interviews, but this one really resonated with me
Man what a great interview with a great guitarist. Had the pleasure to see Eric over 30 years ago at the Old Post Office in Augusta Ga. When he played Cliffs of Dover it just blew my mind. A few weeks later I saw Steve Morse at the same club. Fun memories.
Thanks Rick!
It's beautiful to listen him talk about the times he played just for the fun, what a wonderful human being, that's why he's the best, he just loves it with all his heart.
Literally the perfect tone.
Yeah. I just can’t see how you could improve it. Both his clean and lead sounds. Those Memory Man’s on his clean…such beautiful modulation. Ive got some legendary pitch modulation pieces, like the TC 1210 Spatial Expander and an Eventide H-3000 and a Rockman Chorus, but that modulation you get out of a Memory Man is just glorious.
And his lead tone…the 1000 lb violin. More like a 1000 lb cello. What better way to describe it?
@@zenlandzipline i’m usually not a signature guitar or signature pickup kind of guy for my own playing… But I would definitely make an exception for Eric Johnson.
@@billgerazounis5610 his tones are more to do with pedals and amps, than guitars. On Cliffs, he actually used a 335 and a Stratocaster, and it’s hard to tell which one is which. It’s more about his signal chain.
But then, yeah, you add a great sounding guitar to that, and you get tone Heaven.
@@zenlandzipline cool thing with his guitar, and his signature pick ups… It’s all to his very detailed specifications. He went out of his way to have the perfect guitar to get that sound. Not too hard to get a tube screamer, or some of the other tools at his disposal… But that guitar is 100% him. They play like a dream.
@@billgerazounis5610 no, it’s not hard to get a Tubedriver or Echoplex or amps. But it’s all of the experimentation and years of tweaking knobs that make it what it is.
And the guitars.
Hey Rick, thanks for having E.J. on. He's SO deep on being a guitar player/musician ,Such experience, (EARS),,Gotta love it, when he was talking about playing gigs when starting out,,,(memorable gig stuff/fun),,I can so relate to that,,,PLAYING GUITAR/SONGWRITING-,,,what's better than that. GOD BLESS YOU GUYS,,,,,thanks--RJ
Got to catch a pretty intimate gig at the MIM in AZ back in 2014, Eric, Mike Stern, and Anton Fig were doing a signing afterward, and even as the staff and bouncers were trying to hurry people along, Eric was super kind and took a minute to chat with everyone. What a great dude
cool to see Eric being Interviewed. I wished he still had that old Fender from the Austin City Limits Video. I heard he sold it.
These clips are great, keep ‘em coming 👏👏🎸🎸
Thank you for another great video Rick.
This is so interesting. Though, these conversations remind me that, at the level I play, the weak link in my sound is me, not the gear or settings. It's like the way shaving my legs wouldn't help me a smidge as an Olympic swimmer.
Great interview. I've seen Eric a couple of times. always a great set.
Eric really opened up when he was starting to talk about recording clean tones. Then I observed him pulling back a bit when he talked about the "Marshall". Almost like he was giving away secrets.
Good interview!
Fantastic insight as to how Mr. Johnson attains his recorded tone.
Good interview, makes me think to all the different mic techniques I use and how to learn even more and try some from Mr Eric himself
Thanks for this Mr Beato🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
+1 interview, always amazed at the way these fellas keep chasing the tone. God forbid they ever catch it because it would be a terrible loss to us mortals. 🏴👍👍👍🥃Respect to you fellas.
I am most certain that years ago I read an interview with Eric and he mentioned using felt picks. Listening to his tone and picking style it sounds very smooth.
Wow, what a life changing interview. Merci beaucoup to both Eric and Rick.
I joked that I had two left ears all my life, and apart from dropping a couple baggies of Mary Jane in my crack pipe, I would just zone out on music. But at 87 years old, I decided to splurge, and I bought a ukulele last week. I already know how to do a C chord, and an A sharp chord in the key of B minor, so I know my stuff.
But I knew I was missing that real ukelele sound, and so bought a Marshall amp, a Wah pedal at half price, though I did put a down payment on the other Wah, and a Whammy bar. But I didn't know where to plug all that stuff in. Wow, watch out world, can you hear my train a'coming?
Had to go back and listen to Trademark again. Desert Rose grew on me over time as one of my favorite solo sounds of EJ. Saw him at house of Blues, soooo good live. Sounded just like the album. Desert Rose my fav for sure after that
I remember with the radio play of the first song from Tones, I heard that "Tone" that immediately caught my attention and I went WOW! I saw him a few days later. I think I've seen about 10 shows. My favorite was at Antones in Austin, where he played two hours of Hendrix for a charity. He was more free that night, more loose.
Tell Eric to look up the Tube Museum , owned by a monster guitar player in his own right, Marc Keweki. He has every unobtainable tube
Tone is something I love about EJ's sound.
PERFECTION….thanks Rick, EJ is the “Tone GOAT” ✌️
Jesus that is a real high profile musician there Rick, top top level. Great stuff!
He was stating to relax great interview!
Eric Johnson one of my all time top guys what a player.
What a humble nice person.
Love, Eric!🎸🎸👍👍
Love Eric's music. He has some interesting ideas about sound shaping. Fender amps have a peakiness in the 2.8-3kHz region? Maybe the JBL D120F speaker does. 3-3.5kHz is the most sensitive human hearing range. Maybe he's picking up on that? 4-5" away on a 4x12 with an SM57 is an interesting choice. I guess there's a spot he likes where there's a certain phase relationship.
EJ is right. I ran the same Tube Driver extensively beginning in the late '80's and when I finally had to replace its tube many years later it simply was not the same sound.
mine is definitely Desert Rose. i know thats oviouse but i worked on that for months.. and never really got it. the tone changes in that song are remarkable and its such a powerful cut though your soul song that i can never listen to it once. even though I've heard it a hundred times.
Legend! I love EJ!!! Thank you Rick!
All that sound stuff is quite a science. Interesting short Rick!
The studio looks great!
When I was in college in the 90s my roommate and I would end up many late nights at Kerbey Lane Cafe on South Lamar in Austin to scarf down omelets and coffee. Eric Johnson was often there, too, sitting at a table with one or two other people. To be sure one night, I asked our waiter - our regular waiter, who's name was Darby - "That IS Eric Jonson, right?". Darby, lovable contrarian that he was, confirmed - with some disdain sprinkled on top with, "Yep that's Eric Johnson. I hate what the electric guitar has done to music, by the way." Nevertheless, he went over to EJ's table and got him to autograph a napkin for me. EJ is awesome. But so is Darby.
eric johnson one of my hero ! man luke and eric !
Wow finally EJ in the house! :) He's one of my guitar heroes that really influenced me songwriting and guitar playing. One of my fave guitar solos from his sessions is the song from Christopher Cross "When She Smiles".
Oh man this is nothing. Check out the entire interview.
Rick, your interview skills really shine here! Eric seems so laid back and has a very artistic personality. His casual demeanor is kind of deceptive because he's actually very serious about how he creates his sound and technically savvy. Wish it was a little longer.
Your wish is granted :) This is an excerpt from a longer interview from a couple years ago on the main Rick Beato channel; title is The Eric Johnson Interview.
The debut album from Christopher Cross has a remarkable solo from EJ on 'Minstrel Gigolo', but it sounds like he's playing a vintage Les Paul and not a Srat. Cool tone and he nailed it! Thanks Rick
@UseTheSupeRsonic Thanks man. Will have to check out some of his early stuff. Cheers!
Best tones ever!!!
Rick, I see that you're rocking some Event monitors. I've just sold my Project Studio 6 for $120 on EBay. They've not held their value very well. I bought them new and had them for nearly 20 yrs. Their "boxines" eventually got to me, and I replaced them with Focal Alpha 65 Evo 6.5 inch. The Focal have a much broader and clearer top end, and the larger cabinet provides tighter and deeper lows. At $800/pair at Sweetwater, I couldn't resist. Rock on!
Eric Johnson played my club in tiny Opelousas, LA. in 1981. Almost no one knew who he was. They were shouting "Play some ZZ Top!" So... he did! 😂
So true. You don’t have to be a rich and famous rock star. We can all get that feeling of creating music in our house just for the love of playing guitar
Love Eric!
Watching this video with him holding his guitar the whole time was maddening. I kept wanting to hear him play something 😯
I think he walks around, eats, and showers with it!
I lost my sense of wonder back in the late 90s. It had been almost 15 years of gigs and original stuff and it all sort of falling apart in the creative sense. Still playing for drunk bikers was hollow. It took stepping out of it for a while, moving to Baltimore and meeting Dave Diamond and joining his band ( Cyberstrike) in the beginning of that whole thing. I felt creative again, I was playing a lot and my chops were back up. Writing heavy prog was fulfilling but we ended up going off in different directions. It was OK and got me to a good place of wonder again.
I owe Dave a lot.
I liked when EJ said "just play, dont even think about. Practice is for thinking". I know when lm playing a gig l think lm on auto pilot, bc lm not really thinking, lm just playing.
What a lovely guy (well, both of em, while we're at it). Not a hint of an attitude problem. His personality does _not_ fatigue. Best thing he ever did was NOT on electric - but on acoustic: "Tribute to Jerry Reed" as performed on ACL. Just an amazing show of talent. And I don't consider myself a Jerry Reed fan - I lean more toward Chet Atkins in that genre, but this composition is something very special.
Playing music, for music's sake. Great insight here!
I was a freshman in high school when I overheard one of the music teachers telling somebody else about having just seen EJ in concert. He said it was so noisy! The other guy said but did it sound good? He said it sounded incredible! This was around 1985 ish.
I am measuring the internal resistance of all my 9 Volt batteries because I can hear the voltage droop under high current playing episodes....LOL - I WISH I could hear that. However, I will tell you one thing, removing the rear trem plates on all guitars that do not have the slotted or "open" back plates is a true revolution in tone...I tried that based on Eric's comments, and he is 100% correct it is an epiphany that amazes me every day....
His sound is absolutely immaculate. There's really no other way to describe it. And he seems like a kindhearted human being.
so smart about it all, lovely
Hey Rick! Check out the footage on TH-cam called "session with Les Paul". Eric Johnson, Satriani, Slash, Zakk Wylde...had the opportunity to play the blues with the late Les Paul, in a very slow tempo. I'm interested in your opinion. It was real improvisation...no overdubs.
Rick, put the full video link up high in the caption. Maybe even add "Clip" in the title, so folks know more readily that it's from a long-form interview, and click on that link. Just a thought. "In this clip from the Eric Johnson Interview, Eric Johnson talks..."
Fascinating!
You have spoken to the person who got me back to plaing a guitar after giving up. Hallowed be his name
YOU SHOULD GET AN INTERVIEW WITH
G.E. SMITH🎵 a remarkable guitar player,a class act, and cool dude. One of the greats that has been appreciated by all , but not given much notice in the way of his interesting life stories. just his stories on SNL are legendary let alone everything.
This just made me realize I don't have any Eric Johnson in my collection, so I just ordered Ah Via Musicom (to get started.)
That's probably his best one good choice!!
Ah Via Musicom is amazing! Venus Isle is as well! Some people prefer Ah Via, some Venus Isle, just a personal preference thing at that point. I'd say Venus Isle is my favorite!
@@ATX0705 Well, how about just playing them back-to-back and pretending it's a double album.
Will you be interviewing Eric again now that he's going back on tour to support a new album?
My first 8 track studio board was a Ramsa.
Eric is such a chill dude. Good stuff!
One of the greats!
He is the Messiah
Great interview. Rick has the smarts and respect to just sit back and let the artist respond to a question as long as they want without interrupting them. Eric like EVH is passionate about getting the tone and sound HE wants to create. Today's artists I don't think have that kind of passion towards music. Watch the Grammys tonight and you will hear what I mean.
The legend!
My favorite moments are when I've been playing music!!! Mostly at my house tbh!
rick i would love too hear you disect the shawshank redemption soundtract great peice of music thanx
Super nice guy, super talented
Another great one.
Keep them coming