Rig Rundown - Eric Johnson

[xXlopoXx]

4:00 *squeek*

[contact1araya]

isnt this dude like younger than Eddie Van Halen, and he has never done drugs............but he looks like Eric Clapton's anus.........is he ill?

[coltsuperocean10]

.........boring!!!!!!!!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzz

[afterthefox7]

He's just tired and need to go to sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzz

[chimbolo89]

yeeeah I'm gonna need those TPS reports. yeeah uhuh.

[jrmarrero96]

If you have your stash too close to the Fuzz Face and Vox Wah, it really messes with you tone and it really harshes your buzz, yeeeahhhh...

I'm also working on a Fuzz Face like the 60's where you can also roll perfect spliffs and you can get rid of the seeds which really messes the "tone" up on my dirty rhythm channel with the shrooms, maaaaannn...

[VanyLovesBillyTalent]

yeeaaah, aha, yeeaah

[Stratmater]

even his shoes look vintage 7:00

[metalfreak4677]

I love EJ he's the guy that inspired me to play! YOU KICK ASS EJ!

[16YearsInHell]

Everyone saying that he's high is probably wrong. I'm just like him, people think I'm high/stoned though I never smoked anything. I just look and sound that way and he probably does too. Chill dude.

[MeritMaestro]

Eric is such a cool laid back buy, its like he's stoned all the time but you know he's not..

[pabdiary]

I don't think there's anything strange about a brilliant, talented, middle aged guitarist like EJ to be so mellow. He seems at peace, I don't think he's stoned. Look at Slash, he' a mellow fellow too..

[Hylandren]

Sorry guys, but EJ is definitely NOT stoned here.

He has been strictly "no mind altering substances" for over 20+ years now. (For a long time, no sugar or caffeine, either.)

His spiritual/philosophical (NOT religious) beliefs guide everything the guy does, from being so humble, to being a vegetarian, even the lyrics in his songs. Alex Lifeson (who is a friend of EJ's) has talked about it in interviews, and drugs are definitely contrary to those beliefs.

Just being honest.

[TheAnti1337]

lawlz, he looks so fucking high!

[abaichmaide]

dude i woulda never pegged him but damn he is high as fuck right there.

[thorazine100mg]

ellen degeneres started playing guitar. oups that's Eric Johnson. and he is high as a kite .

[spicecrop]

I like how chill Eric Johnson is all the time.

[collinsamps]

eric....man.....please eat a cheesburger or something!

[spicecrop]

@collinsamps Ya he looks not totally well huh?

[tecnicasmuaythai]

i'm eric johnson, i'm stoned, i don't clean the pedals

[DaveDangerous74]

In all honesty this is way out of date.

You should really use amp modeling software these days.

[MrBiggMan]

"I think it's about a '67 or something" - hahaha classic

[piccicacca]

digilul delay....

[theMachineandI]

Can't tell if stoned or just from Texas.

[thesonsofbrian]

at 3.44 his "yeah um" sounds like bill lumburg from office space!



[dutyandhumanity]

part of the gig contract is all the pabst you can drink

[skrewflanders]

2:47 pretty sure thats a dunlop wah...

[eyeslikeezera]

sometimes I wonder if Eric hits the pipe...then I remember he's a guitarist, so yeah of course he does.

[chocomalk]

What a cool guy, looks mighty stoned too.

[Slugg0matic]

Damn he's a skinny dude. I've seen him live a few times over the years, and of course on TV, and he is either perpetually stoned or one of the most mellow guys I've ever seen.

[Satansbitch101]

PG: "so, Eric, what guitars are you using on this tour?"

Eric: "yeah.."



[ThieleM]

Thats my skull.....I'm so wasted......

[bgarza18]

Is he high?

[PortGuitarPlayer4]

@bgarza18 3:40 - 3:45! That sums it up, I think...

[stockjonebills]

screw you millennials and your digital boxes. This is the stuff of legends.

[rambutan83]

So Harry Potter played guitar when he got old.

[MrTimurbizel]

he looks high! :D

[SP2333]

see his finger bend at 3.07  He is an Alien...

[okamasphere]

3:59  WTF WAS THAT?

[n2motocross]

Eric is the Commandant of Cool.

[TaylorSvendsen]

Probably the most consistent thing I have learned from Eric through all his interviews: Sound > Aesthetics

[AwakenWorshipGuitar]

He seems like the most chill guy of all time. I could listen to his tone for days.

[ibzmav]

pedalboard from hell

[gnrmanmatt]

on a scale of 1 to eric johnson how stoned are you?

[icantreadorwrite]

EJ needs sleep! o_O

[cachetband]

it always look weird when theirs no top comments

[fretbored1974]

Golden tone temple!!!!

[MetallicaFan4ever5]

His rig is almost like a museum

[BluesNoozle]

but he looks very ill .... i hope its not so.

[dapoy100]

i love you eric but can you buy some new pedals and amps?

[marcwormjim]

3:58 Pure tone.

[vi70h12]

@marcwormjim hahaha

[ColKorn1965]

does he ever eat?

[sirgerry]

@ColKorn1965 He lives on a pure diet of amazing tone and nutritive chops, I do think he needs a sandwich

[richardg1968]

What an awesome guy

[pab265]

He looks like such a nice bloke. The whole way he explained everything, with all the detail we wanted to know. He's ace.

[DavidGrando]

haha I can't believe his pedalboard is that messy after all the shit I have heard about him being crazy regarding batteries, cable order and stuff like that

[sidewinder2803]

I´m sure his music always makes him so relaxed.

[Wheatgrasser]

Someone solve his wall-wart problem

[MauroPavanelli]

He is the best guitar player ever born. He turn from Hendrix to Montgomery in a second and got his own unique sound.

[TheMDR7506]

He's such a star.

[thecompleteofficial]

This is amazing. How cool is it to get a look at EJ's rig...by EJ himself!

[CamHawesMusic011]

@DuralastTurbo

Eric Johnson is one of the most influential guitarists of all time and your trying to give him advice for a better sound, as if he doesn't know his tone ? Buddy get off the high horse your on Youtube.

[DuralastTurbo]

Here's an example roughly what Eric could do if he stopped wasting his time on Strats trying 2 make them sound like Teles via technique, & just bought a fuking Telecaster:

JD Simo & The Don Kelley Band / VideoMusicLive

watch?v=3vqiK9ubhJQ

Maybe get some stacked hum-cancelers or something though as that guy's Tele is fuking NOISY! =)) BZZZZZ!

[matthew909]

@DuralastTurbo mad troll is mad?

[DuralastTurbo]

@matthew909 Oh U R so very 'sassy' & 'clever' 2 go around trolling people who state obvious, verifiable facts. U R so very 'superior' 2 pretend that Eric Johnson could save a ton of time & effort by simply playing Teles instead of plucking strats in special ways trying 2 make them bark like Teles. Perhaps U should get a life, instead of wasting it trolling people.

[DuralastTurbo]

Eric is funny in that he spends half his energy trying 2 sound like he's playing a Telecaster, by popping the strings against the body, which slows him down & makes him sound mechanical. Just imagine how much better he would sound if he just played normal style but through a fuking telecaster so he doesn't waste his energy like that. What a fool.

[legcoca]

@DuralastTurbo If you're so knowledgeable and above all, why don't you post your videos and a compilation list of all the albums you've sold? Mr. Telecaster Super-star.

[mexistratman1]

@DuralastTurbo Where the hell did you get the idea that he was trying to sound like he's playing through a Tele. Why put a comment like that when you clearly don't have a notion of what you're talking about.

[xJustynLx]

@DuralastTurbo

You're clearly insane

[timmy47]

cant wait for the EJ fuzz to come out. i will for sure get one

[MrRcheek]

@gkb911 That is A. stupid that you thought that. B. even more stupid that you posted that. He is a touring guitar master who's not a teenager. If you ever get a chance of meeting EJ, one of the World's greatest electric guitarists, you'd be amazed that he's just warm and true soul. Not an arrogant bone in his body.

[SpomenkoJabucar]

@MrRcheek so what's your point? he still looks stoned

[ThieleM]

@MrRcheek

Are you saying that adults with warm 'true' souls (whatever a true soul is....is there a test for an artificial soul? Is there an artificial soul?) and no arrogant bones in their bodies can't get stoned?

[MrRcheek]

@ThieleM I spoke specifically of my experience in meeting him to someone who made an observation that I believed was foolish. But to answer your question, yes. If you ever get a chance to meet him, DO IT, then tell me your opinion. Please read the other comments here from people who have also met him...thnx.

[ThieleM]

@MrRcheek

I met him after a show a few years ago. Super nice guy, totally humble totally cool BUT that doesnt mean he isnt able to enjoy a technicolor cigarette or two on occasion......

[MrRcheek]

@ThieleM true, I take back the comments, LOL

[philotze]

I almost fell into a sweet dream

[jimistephen]

@gkb911 peanutbutter!!!

[FlavioCastro81]

If I had those old pedals in that bad condition I would be considered a poor guitar player... Eric is a vintage collector... :)

[cowboytonydee]

3:58 wtf?

[Timzsk8]

The most laid back Rig Rundown ever!! EJ ftw.

[VintageburstStandard]

Stereo Twins. That's one tasty clean tone.



[benjiandtheaxeHD]

Hey guys, I know that Eric uses George L cables, I was wondering does he use George L input/output jacks as well? is there a reason why he has brass/nickel? And what guage wire does he use? the thinner or thicker variety? I've looked quite a bit and cant find exact info on this. Also, what input jack does he use for his guitar? It looks a little different and I havent been able to find this out... Many thanks for anyone who can help me out with these few questions. Thank you:)

[tingly7654321]

seems like a cool guy

[bizthin]

Stratoblogster Approved!!! Good job PG!

[Jowl]

I thought he was a poster the first two seconds

[ThirdElexis]

@Jowl i laughed so hard, i hurt myself

[pob1989]

I met him after a show in Cleveland and he signed the back of my strat! He was extremely kind to say the least!

[oansun]

Eric Johnson: The Bob Ross of Rig Rundowns

[FRIJJMONSTA]

3:58 wtf is that noise?

[FICHTNER02]

Wow, I didn't expect to see the dinosaur gear coming from EJ. His pedals are all beat up and it even looks like instead of buying new, they glue stuff back together. Cords were laying all over. They just mark his amp settings with chalk? Not knockin it. Just sayin.

[VintageburstStandard]

@FICHTNER02 Sometimes you'll find that buying new versions of the same gear, or even within the same batch, can give you a slightly different tone than what you've gotten used to or prefer (especially with tube amps, but pedals are notorious for this as well). Or sometimes it's the same tone, but you psych yourself out. I can understand why some guys prefer to keep the old dinosaurs alive until they just can't be fixed anymore. It also seems that some pieces sound sweeter with age.

[DakotaBleu11]

Theres like 4-5 different videos of him explain his rig, but you guys did the best job for sure. Thanks a ton for showing the EQ for the twins, ive been looking for the settings for years

[Indieguitarist85]

EJ is king.

[waitin4winter]

that's the first time i've heard about tone being messed with by pedals being placed too close together.

[briankillebrew]

@gkb911 i've known some relaxed people in my life but that was ridiculous

[rampage222555]

now I know tone god's tone is impossible for me to achieve

[gnrmanmatt]

eric johnson =  -___-

[kpExperiment]

EJ's gear. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees.

[knikk77]

Hey.... where did his mackie mixer go, he used to mic up his clean tone and send that to a mixer where he would send that sound through some rack effects and out of there to the main mixer....

[vokasgrota]

yea..................

[stratorarious]

Good interview, the man just looks a bit lagged which is understandable I think.

[sirgerry]

Great rundown, EJ looks a little sick though...

[Moltisanti]

Aaaaaagh Piezo!!!!!!! Drives me nuts!!!!!!

[bingefeller]

For those of you who are interested:

Eric, on his Strats, sets his action at 2mm when measured at the 17th fret on both the bass and treble sides. He likes his necks with no relief.

[willievega]

@bingefeller He's not alone there. I hate the feel of a neck with relief. Thanks for posting this info.

[bingefeller]

@willievega No problems. I got the info from a Dan Erlewine book so I'm probably quite accurate. BTW - I've never played a neck with no relief - what is the difference of having relief and no relief on a neck? I don't want to change my own setup just to experiment. :)

[willievega]

@bingefeller

As you tighten the truss rod, the neck begins to take on a back bow (it bends back. Or curves back). If you loosen the truss rod, it does the opposite (it curves or bends forward) and that is what's refereed to as 'relief'.

Most guitars have some relief. Mine have just the tinniest amount. It needs it so that fret buzz is kept at a minimum.

[bingefeller]

@willievega Cool :)

[braberdebrabel22]

2 fucking 57,s .................... And he changed the pickups ... I have to say, his rig is just a compilation of holly grail stuff.

[DemoColorScheme]

This guy is a great player, but quite superstitious ... (which we all know). Haha, I can't stand his board with the huge cables between each pedal and then hearing him complain that the proximity of the pedals messes with his tone and that that is the reason why he spreads them out, while instead he's using long ass cables between each pedal.

Nevertheless, it's not important. It's about his playing and his tone has been chased by a lot, which says enough.

[VoodooChild501]

2:47 Vox wah wah?? Looks like a crybaby to me.

[EricClaptonFan24]

@VoodooChild501 At the beginning they were the same company. Eric had a very old wah so that may be the reason.

[vaporettos]

@buddybopper ahueahuea

[mcafee1971]

Very Cool and Layed Back.

[dixiedevil1369]

love this simple layout that achives great tone and vintage gear who couldnt like this

[AndySan]

Remember when Eric's rig consisted of an army of little amps and gizmos and stuff? Good times lol...

[ahvaimusicom]

holy crap! ERIC JOHNSON!!!

[sillennium]

Eric must blow through 9volts right and left. Someone needs to introduce him to Voodoo Labs power adapters.

[zuperbal]

Eric is a very cool guitar-man, he seems so like a down to earth guy!

[97956864]

5:36 MXR DIGITAL DELAY???

[bonetrainmusic]

wow...great tone and classic effects but it looks like sanford and son.

[hawg427]

His rig is very simple compared to some I seen videos on. But at the end it's the Tone that counts :-)

[aceman42]

maaan, eric johnson looks so old here.

[skategeezer99]

That pedalboard is setup the same as one he had in the 80-90's. Talk about consistency. Maybe it is the same board.

[Firestorm686]

That pedalboard is terribly configured.

[skategeezer99]

@Firestorm686 Can you elaborate?

[Firestorm686]

@skategeezer99 Its a god damn train wreck man how do you even go about using that on stage.You have to jump over 3 buttons just to change a channel.

[CRANKYONE100]

@Firestorm686 Yeah, and so is Guthrie Govans if you have seen it?, but geniuses are usually less concerned with the "tools" and focus a lot more on the "art". That's why I'm a gear gaser-still trying to get a rig that makes me "play" and "sound" as good as Guthrie-no luck yet..??? ;:-P

[Firestorm686]

@CRANKYONE100 I am only saying that to me his pedal board is unusable cause it' s way over complicated.IMHO

[TheChuckNorris1997]

This guy is so depressing.

[marcussilvamgs]

Dude, and i thought that my pedal board was a mess...

[almudjk]

they seem really high

[etguitar18]

Cool! Lets hear it!

[Guitar5986]

I freakin' love EJ!

[prsfan01]

wow, he's so sloppy in person and in his gear. Unimpressed!

[StratsRgreat]

well done....thanks

[caressxofxsteel]

BOUT TIME!!!!!!!! thank you EJ and Premier guitar!

[fifolon]

EJ knows his stuff!

[sportsportsport]

haha I love the way he talks... it's like he's constantly stoned. His pedalboard really doesn't mirror his neat immaculate playing! his guitar has serious Mojo!

[shango02005]

Great work, guys! I love PG! You know just the right questions to ask! :) Thanks!

[ironzeppelin44]

the mysteries revealed...

[vigierandprsrule]

his pedal board confuses me

[thelilEmoBoy]

cliffs of dover with a 7 string guitar = good idea :}