Eric Johnson has given Guitarist a fascinating insight into his vintage gear-loaded live rig, and in doing so, let slip the most important thing he looks for in a guitar.
The Cliffs of Dover fretboard burner is most often seen armed with a Fender Stratocaster – although he admits vintage isn’t always best. Vitally, though, he says finding the right guitar goes far beyond the make and model.
“Some guitars fight you when you play, and other ones kind of play with you,” he explains when asked why certain guitars in particular speak to him.
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“I think it’s the breathing of the resonance of the wood – whether the envelope is matching your picking style, or if it’s kind of the opposite. You can kind of feel it when you pick.”
Of course, some players like a guitar that puts up a fight – something Keith Urban has been trying to put that philosophy in his signature PRS. Johnson, meanwhile, wants to feel like he and his electric guitar of choice are in perfect unison.
If you can find a guitar that works with you, rather than against you, you might have hit the jackpot. That’s probably a good place to start, and sage advice for everyone who might find themselves in the market.
“Some of them are kind of stiff and too in your face,” he adds of his search for the right instrument. “Other ones fold in and out like they’re breathing with your picking. So, I look for ones that do that. That’s probably my most important thing.”
Ultimately, what he craves isn’t something that can be remedied in the aftermarket.
“I can get used to the neck or change the pickups,” he adds. “But the most important thing to me is that it has that kind of envelope breathing thing – you know, that matches your picking.”
His wild PRS prototype is another insight into what Johnson looks for in a guitar. Sadly, though, it never went into production. For more nuggets of wisdom, see Johnson’s valuable advice for players “trapped in patterns”.
Last year, Johnson found a surprise new squeeze in Dave Mustaine’s signature Dean, which was a pleasantly bizarre watch.
