The Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster, EJ's One Guitar
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This is a short history of the creation and spec of the three models of the Fender Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster. Many have said that the quality of the production EJ strat rivals that of the Fender Custom Shop instruments.
Why am I so interested in signature guitars? I think it's fascinating in this age of "everyone plays everything" that an artist sticks with a single style of guitar to make his/her musical statement, to make his art some might say. Also there is the fact that if they play their signature model on records and live then you know how that instruments CAN sound. (Not to be confused with how it might sound in our hands.)
When I hear the phrases from "Cliffs of Dover" it makes me cry. I opened for Eric long ago and stood behind the board for his set in the late 80's. I have never known a person who tried so hard to be the best that he could be, every night. He made me, me.
Wow! Beautiful. Thanks for sharing that.
I bet he was an interesting dude to talk to.
@@clintwilson6380 I never said a word to him. I was busy setting up and playing and breaking down then I was behind the board with Richard Mullen when EJ came in from the bus and walked up play. Alas...
You seen Fender EJ videos talking about the Virginia Strat? My semi realistic dream guitar is the EJ Strat with the bound rosewood fretboard in the Lucerne Mist Blue color, that thing just kills 💙 me...
@@fivewattworld Mr 5 Watt, loved the Gibson SG episode, bet dudes are always bombarding you with guitar suggestions to do.
I have never considered buying an EJ Stratocaster, but after watching this enlightening video and reading comments from actual owners , this Strat seems right up my street! (Ok, maybe not the semi hollow one so much) Cheers 👍
I've been playing Fenders for 25 years and repairing them for 15. The EJ sig is one of the rare models that actually thought out by the player. Usually they just take an existing or former model, give it a different finish and maybe different pickups and call it a day. These have the same almost absurd (although when you find out why it is, it's not absurd at all) attention to things. The quartersawn neck; i don't know if it's because they're more stable and rigid so he just finds it sounds better, or if it's to address the thinner headstock and make it less suspectable to breaking. The thinner headstock and lack of string trees, which in all honesty using roller nuts would keep in tune just s well, but i really like it all the same. Matter of fact, whenever i build a neck or buy one from USACG, Warmoth, etc, i always get them unfinished and thin the headstock as well on a belt sander. I do it with a taper as opposed to just having the whole thing being of consistent thickness, so it's close to normal at the Low E and tapers down at the B and High E.
The block being unpainted where it meets the tremolo plate is a good move because at the end of the day all these small things do result in a difference. However, the most overlooked and underappreciated feature is the lightweight 2-piece body with the offset seam. Guitars like all stringed instruments sound and perform best when you can get it to resonate as strongly as you can, and have the entire instrument resonate together, at the same frequency. For this reason whenever i build one i try to use a 1 solid piece for the body. This can be difficult even if you're just building a one-off. Finding one that's light enough that doesn't have any blemishes or knot holes can be difficult, I've had to hold of for a couple months before i could source a blank that would work. Making a whole production run of guitars year after year would be impossible.
The next best thing is what they do here. You basically have the entire "business end" of the body: where the neck, bridge, pickups, controls, jack, etc. All be mounted on 1 piece, and basically just having the top horn being the second is as close to having a 1 piece as you'll get.
On a Tele the things that elicit so many arguments; tone wood, finish type, fretboard material etc is going to have the largest impact over pretty much any other solid body electric guitar you can find. Ironically Strats "normally" after effected less as a result of a floating tremolo (this is even more true for 2 point bridges as it is for vintage tremolos), and the pickups floating over the guitar suspended by a pickguard. However when you deck the tremolo the way the EJ comes from the factory or block it like the Clapton Strats are, it causes them to be effected by these things much more.
*(I firmly believe that when these debates are waged, in good faith at least; it's much more as a result of confusion and miscommunication than it is by any actual disturber difference of opinion. If you ask 5 players what they are referring to when they use the term "tone," you're likely to get 5 different answers. The most common miscommunication IMO is when people argue over something like finish or fretboards effect on the "tone," when in reality what they're actually talking about is "feel," or "response." Another one is talking about "bright vs warm," when a more accurate term is "more or less presence," and "sustain" when they really are talking about "resonance."
Obviously i might be completely wrong, but nothing I've seen or heard over a couple decades would indicate that being the truth.
He put a lot of common sense ideas into those strats. "You used to do this, but you stopped. Let's do that again." "It'll stay in tune better if you do this, it'll have better tone if we do that." A lot of it was just mechanical changes to the guitar, without doing a lot of expensive stuff.
I was never a single coil player, but that neck is something else. Play it more than any Strat I ever owned.
Is anybody gonna talk about snorlax in the background#bestguitarchannelonyoutube
Well FINALLY!
I bought that when my son was 10 (I think we bought him a Pikachu the same day) and have always kept in my studio space. I'm old enough to have never been a gamer but when he was into it I came across this rotund little fellow and he reminds me of a Hotei, those chubby bodhisatva statues you find in the lobby of Chinese American restaurants . To me he seems to be the "Tao of Pooh" sort of pokemon.
I wish there was a simple system for handing out prizes for people catching these details in vids. If I didn't think it was a copyright problem I'd use the Snorlax image more. Just always makes me smile.
Dig it, Keith
@@fivewattworld was just about to chime in on the snorlax myself! thanks for the videos!
PROP3R VILLAIN. Snorlax?blue n yellow
PROP3R VILLAIN. How about the lumox talking baloney or ej tell him noterioty fell on his head so much bullshit kids Lenny breau played crappy guitars usually cause he sold the nice guitar to buy dope
five watt world the reply only is a worthy prize love the channel keep up the good work
I modded my strat with EJ wiring and pickups that were wound by some guy I found online who just nailed the tone. The odd thing with the EJ wiring was having no tone control for the center pickup. At first I thought I would have to redo it but after playing in the 2 - 4 positions, when cranking down the tone on now just one pickup, you get a really nice Straty quack with some chime left. The trade off of having a non adjustable bright middle pup was worth it to me. I still have an EQ box and the amp to dial in the over all tone.
Nobody can match the beauty of his clean signature tone. I've been fortunate to see him twice. One of the best ever is EJ!!
Not surprised he went with binding, 12" radius and an angled headstock.
Cliffs of Dover was recorded on a 335 after all...
Cycada Acolyte Zack Berry fixed Eric's guitars on that album n we used to pick out what guitar was where tell Eric that noterioty fell on his head he told me once that noterioty fell on his little head fame has a price dear Eric i remember when u found the strat at the church yard sale to bad about ur head did u go back to eating meat
@Russel Murray You should learn English.
I think only the rosewood has binding
I subscribed a few years back when there were just a couple of videos - gliding through life on autopilot I tend to disable notifications by default, and thus I had no idea you've been putting out all these incredible videos. I just wanted to commend what an amazing job you've done turning this into one of the best music related channels on CZcams. Concise, informative scripts backed up by a wealth of knowledge - check. Charismatic host with clear, articulate delivery - check. High production values and quality editing - check. It's got it all. For me, what separates your work from every other channel is having an underlying philosophy and theme - the most music with the least gear and enhancing creativity by embracing limitations - that is some powerful wisdom that really resonates. Thank you for sharing this content with us, the world is richer for it. I now have the great pleasure of working my way through the back catalogue to catch up.
Welcome back. Have fun digging through the catalog.
I just found your Channel, I have to say I have really enjoyed watching and Learning from you, You are different, something special about your approach and insight!
You have my Support!
God Bless!
J... ( Toronto & Vermont )
Excellent
My most gigged guitar is my red EJ Strat. The light weight and comfort playability is perfect for me. It now has Bare Knuckles Apache pickups as I play mostly 60s pop with it.
this new thinline EJ strat is an exceptional guitar
Thanks Keith ⚓️
This video was great, I’ve seen EJ a number of times including his opening for Rush on the Ah Via Musicom tour. The best show I’ve seen with him though was when he co-headlined with Joe Satriani, it was the best because the sound in the music hall he was performing in was so good that Eric didn’t want to leave the stage! Glad you got to see the performance you referenced in the video, it sounded magical as well!
Dang, I never knew he opened for Rush.
@@clintwilson6380 - It was awesome!! That was the only time I’ve seen Eric play an arena sized show. All the rest have been mid-sized venues (which is a great way to see and hear live Music). That arena show was the first time I got to see Rush live as well. Such a great night!
@@CC-qb9sm I saw Rush "Signals" Tour @ The Summit in Houston. To quote Billy Corgan, the level of musicianship was insane. I was a big Rush fan and it still slayed me...
Forgot to mention that Golden Earring strangely enough opened for Rush. Good band, had an 80's hit "Twilight Zone" but a lot of people were kinda scratching their heads 🤔. They absolutely jammed "Radar Love"
@@clintwilson6380 - I remember Golden Earring! That is an interesting pairing for sure.
If I have to pick my favorite Rush concert outside of the one with EJ opening, definitely have to go with the Time Machine tour, where it was just rush all night! I think I smiled for a week after that concert! I’ve only been to a few Rush concerts though, wish I could’ve went to more!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Cool stuff.
Also, Signals is such a stellar album, that would’ve been such a great show!
Been a huge strat guy my whole life, Eric Johnson was no small part in that. I was looking for something new so I bought a 335 this year after I found out EJ recorded most of “cliffs of Dover” on one. Now I’m a huge 335 guy. Still love my strats though.
I had an early release EJ strat. Best strat I ever owned! I wish I still had it!
Hi, just got into this Eric Johnson guy. He is great! Thanks for recommendation. I would never heard about him and about a lot of good music without channels like this.
So glad to get to show you this guy. He IS amazing.
Just found this channel, great stuff! Subscribed!
Welcome to five watt world Nikolaj! Good to have you along for the ride,
@@fivewattworld Thanks!
I have a fabulous EJ strat. It is definitely a future Stratocaster - neck date 2806!!! body & pot dates 2005. Also, an email from Fender customer service Regarding the neck date which says ‘oops’ ....
I'm 95% sure (I'm never 100% on anything, even if they person telling me is) that the serial numbers on Eric Johnson models don't really mean anything the way they do on most models. Mine is an 08 but the serial number is lower than earlier years I've seen.
*(addendum)Fender will be able to tell you the info if you give them the number; what i mean is that the number they give it is pretty random, so 1 guitar might be made right after another one in order but they'll have wildly different serial numbers. Most other models you know the year just by looking at the number.
Yes that’s very true! an 800 year difference?...Wow that’s really stretching the availability of the model!
My buddy let me use a 1965 Twin Reverb he bought from EJ. I can’t believe it’s in my house!
I tried these and was very impressed. What I liked the most was the high-quality wider and beefier neck.
Love my EJ strat. Popped a 10 way freeway switch and it’s incredible.
I just recently discovered Eric J about 3 years ago. I'm not a signature guitar player guy but this is the one I would love to have. I played what I believe to be the 2016 model.
I love EJ he's allways had a sound that's just different
Playing guitar is both a challenge and an adventure, especially when trying to decide on which guitar will allow you to fully express your creativity by giving you the 'dream sound' you desire, and also stay in tune, look beautiful, and never create continual frustration from imperfections inherent in its design. After years of continual frustration with American made Fender and Gibson models, that always sounded incredible on recordings, but never stayed in tune or produced the sound that I cared for, Jackson and Charvel appeared, and using a Floyd Rose bridge, a locking nut, and pickups wired for the sounds I liked, I never returned to the Fender or Gibson guitars. Thankfully, Michael Soldano created a mini SLO called the Hot Rod 25...and after 50 years of playing guitar, my fantasies became reality. Similar to cars, cameras, and dirt bikes, whatever pleases the user, is the best for them; so there are no right or wrong choices, the key is finding through experimentation, which guitar lights a fire in YOUR soul.
Keith....nice job as always!! I like how you pick interesting topics.....my best to you and family!!................j
Thanks Jeff. The whole idea is to research things that have interested me all along. Best to you and yours.
I really dig the look of a bound neck on Fenders. They should do more of them.
I heard one eric johnson song. Sold me. Checked the specs and they are just as advertised. Played so wonderful I got another one. Had to. What if I lost my johnson? 😆 I aint gonna play on a prosthesis.
Great review as always I just purchased one’ and the snorelax is just what this video needed haha
Great video Keith. I played one of these today along with an American Professional II strat. I liked both very much. The EJ model is very light, which I really like.
Another great video. I really love Erics playing, always has such beautiful tone and playing. Glad I came across your channel today. Look forward to watching more.
As always-great informative Video. Never knew what might have been special about EJ's strat, Now I do!
Cool video, as always. I've been a fan of strats since I started playing guitar around '85. After a year of playing acoustic, I got my first electric, a white Squire strat with a maple neck. I eventually got a series of shred sticks, but also got more strats including a '61 which the previous owner had loaded with a DiMarzio Shockwave active system. While it was fun, the battery ran down very fast and I got tired of replacing it. I was going to replace the active system with a DiMarzio HS-3 set, but never got around to it. I wish I still had that guitar and wish I had done that mod. As this strat was not vintage in the first place I was able to get it for about $600. I sold it eventually for twice that amount. But man, I loved that guitar. I should have kept it. I've owned many strats since. While I've mostly used humbucking guitars in a band situation I've gravitated back towards single coil strats in recent times. I love the versatility of a strat. I find the strat to be a very rewarding instrument. You can get more out of it than you put into it. No guitar packs as much of an emotional punch or cuts through a mix so well.
I hear EJ is reasonably skilled.
Hhaaha yeah, i think so because i hadn't any views at that moment.
Man, it would be great a review or your opinion about the squier/fender bass VI.
Have a great weekend!
I was a little late to get onboard the EJ train but i am on it now to stay. What was unique i guess about my experience is i remember Cliffs Of Dover being played on the radio back in the day and i never switched the station. The more i heard it the more i liked it. Flash forward to about March of 2019 he played a show pretty close to where i live in a small club on his Ah Via Musicom tour where he and his original bandmates played two sets of music, one being the album in its entirety. I sat in stunned silence all night with a perpetual smile on my face. His tone and playing were glorious! I am going to see him at that same club this February during my birthday week and am also in the process of buying all of his albums i can get my hands on. The EJ strat is a great guitar for an even better player. Thanks for the video. I would love a fivewatt world interview with the man himself and a comprehensive look at his tone and other gear. You would do an excellent job i'm sure and ask all of the right questions. Keep the videos coming. Getting a quality education here!
We got to see him on that same run. I was disappointed with the sound of the thinline strat, then he broke out a 50’s strat for the Ah Via Musicom set and we were spellbound by the tones.
Thanks for watching. Glad you’re digging the channel.
Keith
@@fivewattworld thank you for interacting with those of us who make comments and enjoy the content. He played his old, vintage '50's strat all night at the show i attended so the tones were stellar all night. He played a couple of acoustic tunes with an Australian-made Maton and it was like your head was in the soundhole. The sound just engulfed you in glorious acoustic tone. I could have listened to that all night and been completely content. He is a complete guitar player for sure.
I used to have a 2-tone EJ strat, made in 2014. It had a flamed maple neck. It was not the mega-flame of 90s CS guitars or modern boutique, but it was definitely noticeable. I sold it because I've always had a preference for RW strats, although somewhat ironically my main guitar for the last year has been a maple/ash strat with a similar setup to EJ's with it's combination of low output in the neck/middle and higher in the bridge, made by K-Line.
I've played a couple EJ strats and I think they're really nice, if not particularly close to any vintage strat I've personally tried out in feel.
BTW I agree Eric's chord playing is what it's all about. I saw him here in a record store in Austin where I was so close I had to duck behind a display to avoid getting blasted by his ultra bright clean tone. But that's my favorite thing he does, e.g. the intro to Trail of Tears in the ACL performance.
What is it about strats? I have this love/hate thing with them. I buy them and they always end up going away again. This EJ I have now has lasted longer than most but I'm working on a video on a limited run PRS Custom 22 with three soapbar pickups and a DGT carved neck (which to me feels like home as that's my main guitar, of which I have three, one low tuned, one all mahogany, and one with the traditional flamey PRS top thing. And yeah, there was a time when I owned 25 electric guitars. It's interesting what wakes us up, anyway back to the actual sentence) that I use for strat-enough tones. I think the EJ as great as this one sounds is about to go on the block. I've taken the pics but haven't found the time to list it yet.
Wow, 25! I must say, I woke up one day with 5 and realized something had to change. I own 4 today, but that's because I've bought a new RW strat and I'm gonna put that K-Line up. Not saying it's right for everyone, but for me I just couldn't bear to look at a guitar and see it not being played, and even 3 is more than I can play (but 1 is older and only gets used on special occasions). Really I'm a 1 strat and 1 les paul dude. I wish you luck on your minimilization effort if that's what your goal is.
BTW I do actually like the idea of having copies of the same guitar. I've got several Parker 51s and MB146s which are sort of what I've settled on for pens and I dont really look for much else. But strangely with guitars 1 seems to do it for me.
@@fivewattworld was your EJ a stiff player?
@@jimkiousis Hi Jim, Not sure what you mean by "stiff". I still have the EJ though I think about letting it go now and then, get it out play it, enjoy it and put it back without listing it. I have the EJ .10's on it, which are basically light top and heavy bottom strings 10-50.
I recently started playing Strandberg guitars and they are the only guitars that, for me are a big leap forward in comfort for playing. I'd say my EJ with his GHS 10 set is pretty similar to my Gibson es-390 (see video) with EJ 11's, which he uses on the shorter scale guitars.
Thanks for the comment. If I missed the mark in my reply let me know.
Keith
I have a 2006 and the nitro’d neck definitely was tacky for a long time before playing wore it in eventually. Ive heard that EJ has all of his personal signature guitars stripped and refinished by his local tech here in Austin to get a more vintage-correct feel. At least the first two years of the signature pickups don’t have a very hot bridge pickup - that change came later. I’ve owned two pickup sets - the original from my 06 and then one taken from an early 05 when the production had just started. I prefer the 05. They also “revoiced” the pickups not long before the thinline model released, when they released the pickup set as a stand-alone product. It’s what you’ll find in all of the models now. EJ says he prefers it, but he’s moved toward a way darker tone over the years and I suspect he has gradually lost a lot of his high frequency hearing. Most of the flamed necks I’ve seen have been from the early 05 run, but not all of them had it by any means. I seem to remember reading that there was a production shift after the first ones were made because they had such a supply shortage relative to the demand, so some people look for ones with a specific low s/n.
I agree that EJ's tone preference has shifted to darker tones, and it also seems reasonable to suspect he's lost some high frequency hearing, as that is almost unavoidable with age (even for non-musicians). However, high frequency hearing loss should have the *opposite* effect on his tone: if he were trying to match his earlier tone, compensating for hearing loss, his current tone would be *brighter*. If he indeed has high frequency hearing loss, his current darker tone would sound *really* dark to him. So I'm skeptical that hearing loss is the reason. But I suppose we're all just speculating.
BTW, EJ has explained that loud listening has caused him to develop tinnitus. That's different from hearing loss, but perhaps it also plays a factor in his evolving tone preference. Or maybe he has just moved to darker tones to protect his high frequency hearing. See: www.hearnet.com/features/articles/artist_article_celebs.shtml. And here's an interesting article arguing that EJ's hearing concerns, which have led to lower stage volume, may have improved the concert experience for audiences: www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2012-01-05-ct-ott-0106-music-fill-20120105-story.html
My favorite strats are the musicman cutlass guitars. I like to play jazz and those old 50s songs on it like sleepwalk. These sound cool too!
Saw EJ on that same tour here in Atlanta. Magical is the word for it @fivewattworld Love your videos Keith and the Snorlax in the back.😉 Keep doing what you do.
Thanks Steve
Oh, and glad you caught the Snorlax. You’re only the second one ever to catch him. To me he’s the Buddha of the Pokémon universe.
“It was magical.” Yeah, seen EJ a few times, always takes a bit for me to digest what I saw. The “holy fuck.” factor can’t be overstated.
I hear you brother.
I've seen him twice. Agree wholeheartedly.
FWW, as I dig back through your content.. I'm blown away. Keep it coming man!
Thanks! Really glad you found your way here.
It would be so cool if Fender did a production model tele that was this perfect of a vintage/modern combo. Nitro without the poly undercoat, sweet pickups, flatter radius, big frets etc
It's a fantastic Strat, just about as good as any Fender you can get outside the custom shop. The only issue is that I found the finish on the neck to be sticky - I had to sand the finish off the neck on mine to get rid of the stickiness.
Thank you for the great and inspiring EJ video. Playing guitar as a hobby, without much gear knowledge, I wonder if you would care to comment on how EJ signature strata compares to a Fender Vintage II 61' strat. Thank you!
Slightly different specs, 12” fretboard radius is the big difference,
Thanks again Keith
I've definitely noticed that the necks on the models over the last decade or so not having the same amount of figuring in the grain as they did for the first few years.
Great video!
Thanks man! It must have just loaded when you saw it! I was still working on the custom thumbnail.
Glad you liked it.
Keitth
I prefer a quarter sawn neck. They are so much more stable. Such a great guitar, mine is the thinline. Got it for 1200 on American Musical Supply
Nice!
Just found your channel from the 6120 video. Great stuff here too, as I have an EJ in cherry red. It's a 2006 model.
Mine is the transparent white from the same year I believe.
Welcome to five watt world Mark!
Eric is such an inspiration.
I bought My EJ in 2005 and could never part with it ! Nothing sounds better to me and does everything , it’s the only fender I would own ....
Great job,as usual.
Had the rosewood one in gold, but it had a neck which wasn't properly adjustable and the guitar buzzed all over. Had to let it go, I really wanted to like it.
I have a mystery for you - purchased a 2016 Eric Johnson
Rosewood Strat in Lucerne Aqua Firemist color. It’s one of the ones with the
binding on the sides of the fretboard. This is the 3rd EJ that I’ve
owned, so I am relatively familiar with the ins and outs of it. Funny thing…I noticed
that the tips of the magnet poles in the pickups were actually beveled, so did
a quick comparison to my others. Turns out, the other EJ pickups that I have
are flat, non-beveled at the magnet ends. My next step was to look under the
hood. On the one in question, all 3 have the rectangular ‘Fender Custom Shop’
decal on them, with the bluish markings on the underneath side of the pole
pieces.
Everything about these scream Fender Fat ’60 pickups like
what can be found on the Fender Postmodern Custom Strats from around 2015 (not
the EJs that have specific markings on the bottoms). My luthier says that all
the solder points were straight up Fender factory solder points and that this
guitar did indeed come from the factory this way.
Have you ever seen anything like this? I wonder whether this
was just a mistake at the factory. I am the second owner, but the first owner
did not swap out the pickups. It sounds fantastic.
I just went and looked at my ‘04. Flat topped pole pieces, with raised D and G poles (even though these are 12” radius boards.)
Custom shop logo? You’ve stumped me. If it was me Id call either Carter Vintage or Bob s Willcutt at Wilcutt Guitars. Those guys have seen it all and should be able to help you out. Tell them I suggested you call ‘em. Great folks at both stores.
five watt world Many thanks!
I don't have alot of money - but if i did, the EJ and YJM strats would definitely be in my collection at this point in my life, at 32 i'm stuck because the affordable import guitars don't really meet my quality, fit and feel expectations and the premium instruments are much higher than i can currently justify in my economic station, which leaves me building parts guitars and sourcing the pickups to hack together my own pirate signature out of an old ibanez gio guitar, its funny because i'm sure thats how EJ and Vai pieced together a vintage strat with secret extremely modern features like the shreddy neck profile but the design ethos is different like a 2020 C7 corvette vs a VW karmann ghia with a tesla engine. its tougher than ever to choose between modern modern, vintage modern, and DIY build with quality parts.
Only recently found your channel, some great stuff! Although wanted to point out 2 things because I'm such a big fan of EJ's. I've gotten the chance to briefly talk to him about his gear and his Rosewood strat was based on his old sunburst 62 strat, that one along with a fiesta red 61 were his favorites. I also saw him on the Ah Via Musicom tour and asked about his vintage strat and he said it was a 54 that he was trying to get to sound like his old Virginia strat that he used during those days, but wasn't quite there.
He's owned a lot of vintage guitars over the years. I did this based on the info I could dig up but sadly I didn't get to speak with him directly. Thanks
@@fivewattworld You clearly do your homework, it shows, simply wanted to point out some information that I was able to get from him directly. Keep up the great work
My goal is to get a metallic blue EJ Strat with rosewood fingerboard to replace my beloved 2005 Dlx with old VanZant pickups and Guilmour wiring. The trussrod on my Dlx keeps going loose and I'm tired of dealing with it.
I've had the opportunity to get one and I made the mistake of passing on it. One day, day.
Another great video. AND another connection for me. 1st saw Eric on the first G 3 Tour, with Joe Satrianni & Steve Via.(1996 ?) Mike Keneally was on 2nd guitar with both Satch & Via. On bass Via had Roscoe Beck and Stu Hamm played with Eric & Satch. What a great line-up! I later booked mike Keneally here in Santa Fe. Nice guy. (He has an endorsement deal with Fender for ERIC CLAPTON STRATS.. how?). They filmed it all and released it. (Cold Nov. nite in Minneapolis.) Recently when Eric played Santa Fe Brewing his drummer tripped and fell off the stage unloading gear. My lovely wife was the only Dr. in the house. Sharp ankle sprain- Advil & ice were prescribed. Eric was very thankful but, no free merch! On a TOO WEIRD NOTE. We saw Eric play at the JOINT in the Las Vegas Hard Rock. 2006. People sitting behind us were the same couple who sat behind us at the Northrup show in Minneapolis 10 years before!. We love EJ We bought his hat & T-s. . Soon his guitar. The 12" radius is great.
Great stories! Thanks. I got to see him last year up here in NH.
Least I forget, I have a couple of his VHS instructional videos. But they only help if I put my guitar away, & pour a glass of whiskey, sit back and just watch.
Since signature guitars are gonna be a series of videos, which you do an amazing job. How about a video on David Gilmour's "Black Strat"? Probably the most iconic single guitar in history. Aside from BB kings "Lucille" and Jimi Hendrix white '63 strat, not sure Jimi named it or not. But still a historic instrument.
I did this earlier, before the Short Histories started, but that's an idea.
@@fivewattworld this was my first time seeing this video. I thought I had seen them all.
Another great video!
Simply awesome !
Flamenco4U Thanks man!
Keith. I have a good story for you to do... Mark Knopfler..of Dire Straight use the Pensa guitar MK 1. Story has it .. That when that guitar was built.. John Surh . founder of Surh guitars was working for Rudy Pensa ... During the time that guitar was built.. I'm sure you can confirm this. I'm almost positive that John Surh built it. John was Rudy's number one tech guy. Not sure if this is widely known..
That's the way I understand the story as well.
I recently saw a Pensa MK1 guitar in a video and the headstock said "Pensa-Suhr"....
Those guitars are amusingly priced. You can buy a guitar company for less money....
Eric did use some Gibsons in the beginning ... settling on the strat over the years.
True enough. He has a soft spot for 335s but the strat is clearly his voice,
Yes he plays a 335 live and a les Paul as well but is a strat guy all the way !
Awesome guitar
What do you mean by "the headstock angle is increased slightly," @1:14 ? I can understand that staggered tuners give more of an angle running up to the nut but isn't the overall angle created by also having a thinner headstock ? Great topic and excellent details of the EJ Strat. Thanks for posting.
Love the thinline design. Was talking to a G&L rep in the early 90s to make one.. They wouldn't agree unless I bought 10. Manny's Music in NYC wouldn't help.. Sell others so my idea died 😥😥😥
I have the early version bought it randomly in 2007 with no idea who eric johnson was.but I love the guitar. Dumb question... the neck is made of what maple? In the video he just referes to the 2 piece alder body... second dumb question... what does that mean? I think it means the body is 2 pieces of alder wood glued together on the flat yes?
Love Your Vids. Keep goin man.
Take a '57 Strat and run it through some magical machine that combines the best of vintage tone with the best of modern playability features and you'd have a good example of what the EJ Strat does. All vintage Strats are not great. I've played a number of '50's and '60's Strats that were just about unusable. The pickups were noisy, the frets were uneven, the guitars would not intonate and some were pretty heavy as far as what we associate with Fender weights. I've also played some great vintage Strats that were magical....so they can be great. But, every EJ Strat I've played has been very good. My 2005 EJ keeps getting better. If you've thought about buying a vintage Strat, you might play some of these first. You'd have to do a lot of things to a vintage strat (destroying its value in the process) in order to make it play as nice as a EJ Strat. These EJ's (pick any model) are a LOT of guitar for the money.
Well done.
Love your work Keith. Do you have plans on making a video of your personal gear, gigging/home use. Thanks and keep up the great work
Hi A.B., I’m not planning on it. I try to make videos that ask questions. Granted they are questions I’m wrestling with but questions none the less.
I would never want anyone to think my (current) answers might work for them.
But maybe some day. Convince me otherwise.
Thanks? Keith
@@fivewattworld The reasoning for my request is as follows; do we really need 1of everything? Do you have a particular guitar that does multiple jobs for your goals? Have you modded a guitar to make it more versatile?
My guitar owning system is; fill your guitar rack, mine has space for 4, so that is 3 electric guitars and an acoustic, BUT I also have a bass and ukulele as I feel we all need a bass and uke's are fun.
I also think you are a man of refined taste and your guitar collection would be premium quality. Thanks and keep up the great work.
A. B. Camma Good points all around. Actually, I’m in the process of moving so all the guitars, amps and bass are at the new place in another state already. I’m living a one guitar experiment for the next two months. So maybe when I’m moved I’ll come back to this idea. Test the tag line, “ the most music from the least gear.” And all that.
Thanks for being a part of five watt world A.B.
@@fivewattworld Thank you for your contribution to the guitar world.
Calling the nitro finish "delicate" is a bit understated. I know one person who had one of the first ones & it got dinged up rather badly within a couple of weeks playing out. A good friend of mine picked up a used one for $1200 that was clean. He took a little chunk out of the back upper bout edge simply by hitting it against the case latch. I don't think he's even taken it out of the case after that.
Mines in pretty good shape though a chip by the neck pocket that really is just from the stress of the engineering.
Every chip/dent/scratch tells a story. Like building memories.
Believe it or not, EJ used a 335 on Cliffs of Dover.
@2:20 He had a tree for high E & B strings on that black prototype... interesting. My EJ came without one in 2007 and I actually had to add that one tree back on because the high E kept jumping off the damn guitar! That string even severed the high E slot of the bone nut and I had to super glue it back on. Anybody know where I can order that style replacement nut? I have trouble finding a similar one... that glue has held for 15 years but I'm always afraid itll pop again
I had a sunburst one. One of those I wish I hadn’t sold 🙄. Great vid
How about a Yngwie Malmsteen Fender signature video, up to the new Seymour Duncan YJM pickups?
Awesome 🤘
my son immediately noticed the pokemon in the back
And it’s still there. :)
Although he says that he wants to make a Strat exactly the way they use to make when Leo was the owner. How does he do it ? He change the radius from 7.25” to 12”. He puts a hummbuker and two hotter single coil pickups. He change the headstock Engle and remove the string tree. Then he change the depth of the strings block and remove the paint off of the block. He adds 5 positions toggle in stead of Leo’s 3 positions. What the hell ????????? Are we so dumb and believe what the marketing says without even think ?
Had one after 5 years sold it. Wasn’t my favorite sound. 62 reissue sounds and plays much, much, better.
Not the biggest fan of this guy and his guitar but he is pretty boss and that guitar is pretty dope. I prefer a more hendrix or frusciante style but hey... They are all freakin good lol. Higher end pick ups, decent quality wood, and a string height setting that's just right and you can't really go wrong when it comes to strats.
"Not the biggest fan of this guy and his guitar but he is pretty boss and that guitar is pretty dope." And the award for the most contradicting statements ever made in one sentence goes to....
I have an 08 maple neck, and its not a V profile at all. It's definitely not a 57, i had a few reissues over the years and they have an obvious soft-v. Mine is more like a U that transitions to a C higher up.
Mine is definitely V'd and I recently got one of the Rosewood ones and it too has a soft V to it. Oh well.
@@fivewattworld no doubt. I just looked at my comment and realized s whole section is missing that i had wrote (i had cut it to paste to the beginning and something happened and it never did). My 08 isn't the only EJ that I've owned, and I've played dozens over the years that came through the repair shop i used to work. My other 2 were definitely soft-Vs, and a good portion of other ones i played. My point was supposed to be about they profiles not being consistent. 1 of the other ones felt much closer the earlier boat neck Vs, and the other closer to a 57, though I've never played one that actually felt like a 57. the shoulder of the profile on my 08 is definitely a Soft-V, i was referring more to the middle of the profile being more rounded than other soft Vs I've used.
This may not be the case now, but i don't think Fender has ever put a soft V, let alone anything harder, on rosewood fretboard necks before the EJ model. There was actually a lot of confusion as to what it would have before it came out and what it did after because of that. One thing said it had the same profile as the Maple, other places say it didn't. Even people from Fender including ones behind the model in some fashion seemed to not know. I watched 1 video describe it as a soft V and in another one say it was a deep-C. This confusion spread to the pickups too and whether or not the bridge pickup is hotter on the RW compared to the maple.
Personally spec wise i think RW model is about as perfect as any production model they made. I prefer rosewood and i like the 57 body more than any other.
Ah, I agree. What I’ve heard is that the rosewood is based on his memories of a 64 that he used on Venus Isle. I think it was a lake placid blue guitar. He says in some places that it was his favorite Strat. But he does tend to search for tone and buy and sell guitars. Friends from Austin tell me there is a small cottage industry there of the gear he flips.
@@fivewattworld lol, I'm sure. Hell, Dimarzio STILL are producing the EJ Custom humbuckers they made for him back when he purchased an R9 Burst, and i remember watching a video YEARS ago when he was asked if he had a Les Paul, and he mentioned it, but said he sold it even a few years before the interview.
I've installed those pickups twice for people in my life. They were by far the brightest humbuckers that were more or less traditional humbuckers. I put a set recently into a PRS hollowbody standard SE someone bought used. He thought it was the II, that had maple top and back, but it was mahogany and really dark. In that context i can't think of a set that would have worked better.
EJ are great guitars, I Prefer my SRV I believe
It has the same radius as the EJ, and those Texas specials wow!, changed the scratch plate to mint green....well , because I’m not SRV lol, but it is a wonderful instrument
My #1 and a little cheaper than the EJ.
Great video I enjoyed it!
The nitro is nonsense if you research Fender they used a Urethane since the late 50s. Leo wasn’t about tone that is modern day nonsense, he was about mass production and cost savings with increased efficiency. The urethane was used as a base such as primer would be used so the top layer paints wouldn’t be absorbed in the body, which is wasteful. He didn’t care about tone woods because he knew the magnets are what process the sound, he used what was cost effective.
Does anyone know what circle around the tremolo hole on the bridge is for...shows up at 4:40... thanks
It's the silver colored sticker that covers the hole on new Strats to keep the tension spring from falling out.
I've played the EJ Strat, it's a nice guitar, but the 12" radius is just too much for me. The neck is big too. It is quite vintage like but it is a big vintage neck.
The pickups were not quite to my liking. It sounds very acoustic like but something didn't sound right to me.
The thin line Strat is a really nice guitar, and I like the neck better.
That said and done I like EJ's tone with the SG.
Mark70609 bigger the better unless ur hands r tiny like Donald Trump
Russel Murray I want to get my thumb around the top of the neck. I didn't feel comfortable with that neck. EJ has spider fingers so it's a good fit for him.
Has he not heard of G&L? Go there!
Who is E. Johnson?
Seems that Jamie Lanister likes guitars too.
Ha! Someone is excited about the GOT premiere this month it seems. :)
@@fivewattworld but he does look like Jamie doesn't he
GOT aside ... Im really wanting a neck through strat, or a modified strat with those tapered neck joints like ibanez. why doesn't fender update their neck joints. I mean without the premium pricetag of the custom shop.
if fender does a mass production line of "modernised" strats ... They'll make millions more ... they could throw me a tiny piece of the pie too for suggesting it 😂.
👍🔥🎸🦅
All is correct....except....he is wrong it has a sticky neck....✌
Fender waited 30 years too late to put this out.. Also to set the record straight Ejs neck was worked by Michael Stevens who used 4 different radius to flatten Ejs neck I know because mine was the 2nd one done right behind Virginia . Fender is not very smart they waited far to long to do this.. Eric's main guitar was not 12 radius down the entire neck thats just not even close to true.. Stevens guitar shop was private the only reason I was allowed there was I took my 58 strat there to have them do it the same as Erics 54.. But it does not matter keep on rocking in the free world and all that.... Virginia was spruce... I made Eric a one piece body spruce strat and right as I was going to give it too him he told me he signed with Fender.. He would not play it on stage ever as he would be contracted and I said I didnt care just wanted to give him a gift. To give something back. I still have the spruce body I dont even play strats anymore I asked Eric if he could hand pick me one and he said they dont do they they just sent him what ever .. So I told him if thats the case I dont want one then.. Ill make my own.... Instead of suing me Fender sued Scott Lentz which was amusing to say the least.. Caveat emptor
He probably played custom shop versions 🤷♂️
I believe he plays the prototypes, so yes, but I still think the production guitars are a great value compared to CS prices. I still have mine and that says something when so many more have gone away.
@@fivewattworld Aww just pulling fingers.
I hear ya Hypes. Just got a custom shop 63 but did contemplate the EJ first.
You DO know where of you speak .
All that and no contoured heel...
can do WITHOUT the fn idiotic riffing in the background. otherwise nice info
Interestingly people seem to either love the music in the background or hate it, no middle ground. Sorry if you find it so distracting. I'm looking for a balance.
Glad you enjoyed the info.
Keith
Didn't annoy me, I was too busy listening 😎
five watt world, I am enjoying it but I’m only three minutes and six seconds in.
The playing was lovely and enjoyable all the way through, but maybe could have been at a slightly lower volume.