What contributes most to Eric Johnson's tone?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dstroud
  • Start date Start date
dstroud

dstroud

Well-known member
What do you think contributes to EJ's violin tone - the Tube Driver with the Marshall, bridge pu with tone rolled back, something else? I know people will say "it's in his hands" but I'm not talking about that, I mean the frequencies his guitar rig is putting out, TIA!
 
The sheer volume of his amps, his attack/technique, his fuzz face, tone knob on his guitar, etc, etc.!!

I think the unique way he dials his gear and uses it all contributes to his sound. I don't think there is one thing that does it all for him.

Have you seen the old total electric guitar dvd?? When he tunes up, you would never think that tone contributes to his sound until he starts playing lol. A huge part of it, in my opinion, is his technique...honestly.

-Joe
 
I'd say in addtion to what you've highlighted the following:

the resonance of an old 50's/60's strat....yes there is a difference IMO from the a new model.
60's Plexi heads with no presence setting and obviously cranked to 10.
Those old basketweavecabs with the steel handles...warm as hell sounding.
That old Fuzz Face...i thought his tone in the 80's-early 90's was the best, just watch that first instructional
Echoplex
Duracell Batteries ; )
 
After the it's in his hands....

Tone on the bridge rolled back. The fact that he uses mostly upstrokes is also a big factor in his tone.
 
70strathead":27shq29p said:
I'd say in addtion to what you've highlighted the following:

the resonance of an old 50's/60's strat....yes there is a difference IMO from the a new model.
60's Plexi heads with no presence setting and obviously cranked to 10.
Those old basketweavecabs with the steel handles...warm as hell sounding.
That old Fuzz Face...i thought his tone in the 80's-early 90's was the best, just watch that first instructional
Echoplex
Duracell Batteries ; )
Click to expand...

Nice points!

Oh yes...His tone on that video is to die for. Better than the album if you ask me... :D

-Joe
 
70strathead":1w4150ag said:
I'd say in addtion to what you've highlighted the following:

the resonance of an old 50's/60's strat....yes there is a difference IMO from the a new model.
60's Plexi heads with no presence setting and obviously cranked to 10.
Those old basketweavecabs with the steel handles...warm as hell sounding.
That old Fuzz Face...i thought his tone in the 80's-early 90's was the best, just watch that first instructional
Echoplex
Duracell Batteries ; )
Click to expand...

Ha ha, yeah duracell batteries. I was watching a video of him going through the rig, I dont' think the fuzz face tone is the tone I was digging, I think it's the Marshall and Tube Driver. I think I'm looking for an excuse to buy a Tube Driver ;)
 
I think 70strathead already covered it as far as gear goes but it IS mainly in his hands, IMO. He sounds like EJ even through that crappy fender g-dec practice amp youtube vid I saw awhile back. Obviously all of his gear matters, but I'm pretty sure you could give him any strat and a marshall with a fuzz/od and he'd be at least 95% of the way there, IMO.
 
Another vote for his hands as #1. Moreso than most "shredders" IMO, he pays lots of attention to each pick attack and where the note is fretted. I think he would probably be much faster (a la Gilbert fast) if he didn't do that, but at the expense of tone.

Gear wise, he gets very similar sounds out of his vintage and new sig strats, and vintage and new 1959HW marshalls. So I think again it comes down mainly to how he uses them and how he dials things in. The Tube Driver with controls set very low. The Marshall set pretty dark, etc etc.
 
van hellion":1s12izyn said:
his hands.

peace
A Wood
Click to expand...


edit, I see you think that's what counts "most", but don't you think if we both hit an open a chord or even an open low e string (like the beginning of Cliffs of Dover), it would sound pretty close if we were playing through his rig?
 
dstroud":1i6y5qju said:
70strathead":1i6y5qju said:
I'd say in addtion to what you've highlighted the following:

the resonance of an old 50's/60's strat....yes there is a difference IMO from the a new model.
60's Plexi heads with no presence setting and obviously cranked to 10.
Those old basketweavecabs with the steel handles...warm as hell sounding.
That old Fuzz Face...i thought his tone in the 80's-early 90's was the best, just watch that first instructional
Echoplex
Duracell Batteries ; )
Click to expand...

Ha ha, yeah duracell batteries. I was watching a video of him going through the rig, I dont' think the fuzz face tone is the tone I was digging, I think it's the Marshall and Tube Driver. I think I'm looking for an excuse to buy a Tube Driver ;)
Click to expand...

Get one of the newer BK Butler Tube Drivers and with the treble and bass nearly off, run it into your 1987 cranked wide open with the presence and treble down low and you will be smiling.
 
ratter":1mq5jacs said:
dstroud":1mq5jacs said:
70strathead":1mq5jacs said:
I'd say in addtion to what you've highlighted the following:

the resonance of an old 50's/60's strat....yes there is a difference IMO from the a new model.
60's Plexi heads with no presence setting and obviously cranked to 10.
Those old basketweavecabs with the steel handles...warm as hell sounding.
That old Fuzz Face...i thought his tone in the 80's-early 90's was the best, just watch that first instructional
Echoplex
Duracell Batteries ; )
Click to expand...

Ha ha, yeah duracell batteries. I was watching a video of him going through the rig, I dont' think the fuzz face tone is the tone I was digging, I think it's the Marshall and Tube Driver. I think I'm looking for an excuse to buy a Tube Driver ;)
Click to expand...

Get one of the newer BK Butler Tube Drivers and with the treble and bass nearly off, run it into your 1987 cranked wide open with the presence and treble down low and you will be smiling.
Click to expand...

ding ding ding ding, we have a winner!!!!! I'm just looking for a reason to buy one of those ;) !
 
dstroud":1u5zl65c said:
ding ding ding ding, we have a winner!!!!! I'm just looking for a reason to buy one of those ;) !
Click to expand...

Go for it. I had one for a short while. It does that job very well. I didn't like it as the only source of dirt into a clean amp, though.

EJ's settings:

TubeDriver1.JPG
 
ratter":3a5vpx3v said:
dstroud":3a5vpx3v said:
ding ding ding ding, we have a winner!!!!! I'm just looking for a reason to buy one of those ;) !
Click to expand...

Go for it. I had one for a short while. It does that job very well. I didn't like it as the only source of dirt into a clean amp, though.

EJ's settings:

TubeDriver1.JPG
Click to expand...

yeah, I've seen that pic - I'd definitley be going into my already dirty plexi :)
 
we all know its in the hands/grip/approach etc. I tried the Chandler Tube driver years ago and they do some cool for lead soloing , but keep in mind he replaced the tube in that with a very hard to find Yugoslavian 12ax7 thats apparently sounds much different than the stock. That article has been posted somewhere in the archives, but i'm sure u can find. I'll tell ya something that i tried that came pretty damn close was using the Maxon 880 OD...similar to the butler with a tube, very musical sounding. U can also try to look for an Old Ibanez Tube King pedal which will also mimic that tone.


A
 
:aww: because no one else does what he does on a commercial level. hell even with him it is getting sparse.
 
I think its his ability and his intense search for perfect tone. That search is evident in his equipment from batteries to amps to pedals to speakers. That kinda of depth is far beyond the sum total of all the evident parts. It goes way down into the innermost parts of the man. And that cannot and should not be copied. We all have an essence and we need to find our own individual way to express it.
 
Years ago I went to a small local shop looking for some Marshalls for my metal rig o doom lol. I plugged into a couple of JCM800's that sounded pretty beat and then out of the corner of my eye I saw an old Marshall JTM45. I plugged into that sucker for a goof and it sounded like Eric johnsons tone right out of the gate. The amp seemed to be down on power and it distorted like a mother with moderate volume. The amp did not have the usual marshall crunch , it had that buttery EJ violin type of tone NAILED. If I was a bit older and I had more money I would have scooped that sucker up, but Because I could only afford one amp, I did not have the luxury of picking it up especially since I did not play that style. I still think about that amp and I wished I had it.
People can give you the tone is in the fingers bullshit all they want but this amp had that sound nailed. Technique is what makes EJ...EJ.... but the underlying guitar tone was in that amp in spades, So much so that the owner of the shop said...fuck that sounds like Eric johnsons tone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top