• From: Mt Clemens Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-09-12
  • Posts: 572

Topic: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

I have a white blonde Eric Johnson Strat and I abosolutely love the thing! I was wondering if anybody else here has tried one or owns one? This thing is as close to a Custom shop guitar. I love the frets and the Nitro Cellous finish on this baby. The neck is a piece of art to me. Just beautiful if held at the proper angle in the light with its tiger stripes. Ive tried the SRV, Clapton and Beck Strats but really didnt care for them. The Clapton Strat is not bad but the other two I didnt like. I think the SRV Strat is very attractive but the few that I have played didnt cut it for me. I know Joe plays alot of Les Pauls and I have a 58 RI and I dont like it no more. The neck is too fat. I have owned 4 Les Pauls in my life time and just cant seem to find the right one. I love their tones and sounds but cant fin one compatible for me. Anyone else have this problem with Les Pauls? I love my Explorere!! That things kicks some major a$$ and my 52 Tele RI is very nice also! I have a 95 Parker Fly Deluxe that I enjoy playing once in awhile. Very very light with stainless steel frets. Its like having a stick strapped to your shoulders its so light. I have 4 strats alltogether and my Eric Johnson is my fav. Next up in my newest Deluxe with a ash body. Anyone else care to tell their Guitar stories please do!

Rob

All my tears they fell like rain, cant you hear them falling?
Led Zeppelin: Since I been Loving You
  • From: Tampa, Fl.
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 870

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

zosozep7 wrote:

I have a white blonde Eric Johnson Strat and I abosolutely love the thing! I was wondering if anybody else here has tried one or owns one? This thing is as close to a Custom shop guitar. I love the frets and the Nitro Cellous finish on this baby. The neck is a piece of art to me. Just beautiful if held at the proper angle in the light with its tiger stripes. Ive tried the SRV, Clapton and Beck Strats but really didnt care for them. The Clapton Strat is not bad but the other two I didnt like. I think the SRV Strat is very attractive but the few that I have played didnt cut it for me. I know Joe plays alot of Les Pauls and I have a 58 RI and I dont like it no more. The neck is too fat. I have owned 4 Les Pauls in my life time and just cant seem to find the right one. I love their tones and sounds but cant fin one compatible for me. Anyone else have this problem with Les Pauls? I love my Explorere!! That things kicks some major a$$ and my 52 Tele RI is very nice also! I have a 95 Parker Fly Deluxe that I enjoy playing once in awhile. Very very light with stainless steel frets. Its like having a stick strapped to your shoulders its so light. I have 4 strats alltogether and my Eric Johnson is my fav. Next up in my newest Deluxe with a ash body. Anyone else care to tell their Guitar stories please do!

Rob

All I can say is wow!!  Thats an impressive list of guitars.  I have actually played an EJ strat.  Second best feeling strat I've ever played.  First, of course, would be my strat.  It's nice and worn in- it feels just perfect.  But the EJ strat is VERY close- it really feels like it's been played forever.  Plus, you gotta love the bridge pu being wired to the normal mid pu tone pot- awesome.  That's about the only mod any strat needs.  But overall, an excellent guitar.  I really want one- in fact I'm attempting to save up for one right now smile

Scott

"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought-- particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things." - Woody Allen

http://www.last.fm/user/skynyrd128
  • From: Rome, New York
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 705

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

Joe has played the EJ Strat as well. Unfortunately, he posted about it on the old forum which is inaccessible. Can't remember what he said though I do recall him saying he liked it.

  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-05-25
  • Posts: 34

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

I had the chance to play the EJ Strat at a local music store and I thought it was one great sounding guitar.  I love the pickups in that guitar.  I personally thinks its Fender's best production/non-custom shop guitar.  However, I still prefer the feel of my Custom Shop '56 Relic Strat.  I would gladly trade both my American Deluxe and American Standard Strats for one EJ Strat.

5 Reply by ModTourMan (edited by ModTourMan 2006-09-21 21:26:27)

  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

Even though I'm a "Les Paul guy", I have been wanting to get myself an EJ Strat for some time now.  They feel great right out of the box!  I really like the 12" radius of the fretboard which is the same as my Les paul Historic R8.  I have a question for the more experienced Strat players.  Does the EJ Strat have the "vintage Stratocaster tone?  I know it is built great but  I know it has slightly different pickup winding wire (from the standard Fender single coils).  Unfortunatly, I have not had the chance to play the EJ Strat through too many different amps yet.  I would really love to hear it through my Univalve!

Russ B.

6 Reply by wood (edited by wood 2006-09-21 06:45:11)

  • wood
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  • From: Upstate New York
  • Registered: 2006-04-24
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Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

I own 2 EJ Strats.  They're great.  The pickups aren't the best thing in the world, but I plan to replace the pickups in the one that I play regularly.  Outside of that it's probably Fender's best production guitar.

  • wood
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Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

The pickups are good.  Overall the pickups are a tad dark (could be the .1 uF cap as well), but it is very vintage sounding.  Keep in mind that Eric based it on a bunch of his wants so they aren't specifically designed to be dead-on vintage, but they are close and do a good job.  I personally play in places that give me trouble with noise so I am probably throwing some different pickups in there that are noiseless (probably DiMarzio Area 58s/61).  Probably if you threw some vintage style pickups that many of the boutiquers are making these days, you'd come up with something that sounded really close to a vintage Stratocaster without spending 10s of thousands of dollars.

Really what Eric did was "fix" the problem areas of vintage Stratocasters and did a great job.  My 2nd EJ Strat is a dream to play.

  • From: Mt Clemens Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-09-12
  • Posts: 572

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

Modtourman, I love the 12" radius also. Its flat like a Les paul as you stated. Eric supposedly designed this thing to play like his 57 I believe. There is a very good article on Eric and his Signature Strat on GuitarPlayer magazine. He was featured in the September 2005 issue. Here is an awesome link to that interview. http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?storycode=10270
At the bottom of the page, Eric Sounds Off on his Signature Strat.
I like the Nitrocellous finish on the guitar. I guess this is the same method they used back in the pre CBS days. All the classic guitars had this . I guess it allows the wood to breath and the guitar will eventually shrink and thats when the paint begins to crack and peel. Think Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughn. If your a big fan of eric, this is a great article in its entirety!!!

Rob

All my tears they fell like rain, cant you hear them falling?
Led Zeppelin: Since I been Loving You
  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

Thanks for the replies gang...great input.

Russ B.
  • From: Mt Clemens Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-09-12
  • Posts: 572

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

Hey, few of you never said what color you have. I have the White Blonde but also want the red and the two tone sunburst. Has anyone checked out the prices on Ebay for them things? You could actually buy an Eric Johnson, break it all down, sell all the parts and make more money than you paid for the thing! The neck alone sells for well over $500!!

Rob

All my tears they fell like rain, cant you hear them falling?
Led Zeppelin: Since I been Loving You

11 Reply by skip62 (edited by skip62 2006-09-23 17:41:07)

  • From: Dallas Area
  • Registered: 2006-09-23
  • Posts: 19

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

I must be the only cat in the country that doesn't like them.  The feel ok to me, not bad, not good.  The sound is what kills me though, yuk.  I was playing one in GC and I was messing with the amp and messing with it, must have been a 20 minutes, and finally gave up and plugged in an American Strat and thought, there's the sound.  I do have 2 Beck Strats, new and old necks and I think one of them is the best guitar I've every played, so my disregard my views...lol  I'm recently a Les Paul convert as well.  Not dissin' anyones views, if we weren't different the world would be BORING. 

Skip

  • wood
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Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

My 2005 EJ is Sunburst, my 2006 EJ is Candy Apple Red.

  • From: Mt Clemens Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-09-12
  • Posts: 572

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

Im jealous Wood!! LOL. I want the candy red one also! If I buy another, wich I will, its just a matter of time, I want the red.

Rob

wood wrote:

My 2005 EJ is Sunburst, my 2006 EJ is Candy Apple Red.

All my tears they fell like rain, cant you hear them falling?
Led Zeppelin: Since I been Loving You
  • wood
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Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

The Red one is a slightly better guitar and still is below the 10000s serial number wise.  The other one (sunburst) is in the 2000s serial number wise.  I'm pumped about it but might sell the 2005 EJ.

The CAR is a nicer looking guitar in my opinion.  Personally I wouldn't buy a black or that blonde one, they just don't appeal to me.  My CAR has great flame in the neck vs the sunburst one I have which has very subtle...nearly none.  Still I just finished that Gold metalflake strat...and it's overall a stronger guitar.  Alas...too many strats! I love 'em.

15 Reply by zosozep7 (edited by zosozep7 2006-09-25 20:14:04)

  • From: Mt Clemens Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-09-12
  • Posts: 572

Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

Dude! I own 4 Strats and 2 Teles. Cant have enough!! LOL. I have a 97 California series Strat that needs some fretwork but is still a nice guitar. I am going to use this one to experiment with like adding the Duncan Antiquity Texas pick ups. I heard these on another 97 Strat and i loved them! I dont care too much for the black myself but really want the CAR. I really like the Blonde. Gives me that Hendrix feel but thats why they make 4 different colors. To appeal to most. I wouldnt mind seeing some other colors. Do you know if they are going to add some new flavors anytime soon?

Rob

wood wrote:

The Red one is a slightly better guitar and still is below the 10000s serial number wise.  The other one (sunburst) is in the 2000s serial number wise.  I'm pumped about it but might sell the 2005 EJ.

The CAR is a nicer looking guitar in my opinion.  Personally I wouldn't buy a black or that blonde one, they just don't appeal to me.  My CAR has great flame in the neck vs the sunburst one I have which has very subtle...nearly none.  Still I just finished that Gold metalflake strat...and it's overall a stronger guitar.  Alas...too many strats! I love 'em.

All my tears they fell like rain, cant you hear them falling?
Led Zeppelin: Since I been Loving You
  • wood
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Re: Anyone check out The Eric Johnson Strat?

There's been talk of a Rosewood EJ Strat, but I don't know about the validity of what I've heard though.  And I would have no idea if they'll introduce more colors.  I'd love to see some other colors, but Eric's particular so who knows what'd happen. smile  It'd be a great thing.  I'd get one if I needed one, but I think now my gold strat is exactly what I need for rosewood.