Steel String Singer

[thyx]

You guys are driving me nuts. I have never seen Eric live, so jealous

Eric is the ultimate guitarist IMHO he has tone, chops, melody. I just wish he would get a proper band together with a really good singer.

EJ has used an ODS before too during the 80's. I have heard people say the song Zap is mostly ODS not sure if this is true though.

Yes...Zap is ODS on most of the song (I think a Marshall shows up briefly). His drummer has a keen memory for those kinds of details and imparted this knowledge at one time.

[Guitar James]

You guys are driving me nuts. I have never seen Eric live, so jealous

Eric is the ultimate guitarist IMHO he has tone, chops, melody. I just wish he would get a proper band together with a really good singer.

EJ has used an ODS before too during the 80's. I have heard people say the song Zap is mostly ODS not sure if this is true though.

Yes...Zap is ODS on most of the song (I think a Marshall shows up briefly). His drummer has a keen memory for those kinds of details and imparted this knowledge at one time.

Thanks for the info. Thought that was correct.

[stratcat62]

I saw him twice...first was right after Venus Isle came out and IIRC he was using 100W plexis and two Twin Reverbs. He sounded phenomenal and his playing was amazing. The second time was that tour where Derek Trucks Band opened and he was battling tinnitus and had scaled down to 50W Marshalls and Deluxe Reverbs...he didn't sound nor play nearly as well that night.

For me, his Tube Driver into Marshall tone is the one that made me go; "Wow! What a tone!". It's the 300-pound-violin-tone although the FF-into-Marshall can be just as sustainy...but the 'cello-like attack' and saxophony/flutey upper mid voice aren't there.

The GP that came out after Bloom (which I'm not very fond of at all) had an article that broke down his rig in detail.

Just curious, when you saw Eric Johnson, did he have dramatic volume changes when switching from clean to lead tones? It would seem to me that going from clean Deluxes to dirty Marshalls would be a huge jump in volume, but all of the Eric Johnson stuff I've heard seems like absolutely no volume difference.

[rfgordon]

When I saw EJ at Grant Street, the amps were mic'd into EJ's mixer at stage front, and his guitar monitors were a pair of JBL Eons. The Deluxes and the Plexis were set where they would be hard to hear from where he was playing. I got the impression that he sends his processed signal from his mixer to the soundman's board. That way the EJ's mixer sets the levels, so there's no apparent change in volume when he switches between rigs.

[thyx]

Just curious, when you saw Eric Johnson, did he have dramatic volume changes when switching from clean to lead tones? It would seem to me that going from clean Deluxes to dirty Marshalls would be a huge jump in volume, but all of the Eric Johnson stuff I've heard seems like absolutely no volume difference.

He used a 50-watt Marshall when he was using Deluxes. Two amps at around 20 watts isn't much less than one at 50. Add to that the high efficiency JBLs he used with the Deluxes (as compared to the lower efficiency Celestions he used with the Marshall) and the volume would be pretty darn close without even going to the board to even it up.

[stratcat62]

Just curious, when you saw Eric Johnson, did he have dramatic volume changes when switching from clean to lead tones? It would seem to me that going from clean Deluxes to dirty Marshalls would be a huge jump in volume, but all of the Eric Johnson stuff I've heard seems like absolutely no volume difference.

He used a 50-watt Marshall when he was using Deluxes. Two amps at around 20 watts isn't much less than one at 50. Add to that the high efficiency JBLs he used with the Deluxes (as compared to the lower efficiency Celestions he used with the Marshall) and the volume would be pretty darn close without even going to the board to even it up.

Right, that makes sense. I just figured that the Deluxes (or Twins, whichever he's using) being set to a clean volume, while the Marshall (or Marshalls) almost dimed would be radically different, but both of your explanations seem to cover that.

[bluesfendermanblues]

Just curious, when you saw Eric Johnson, did he have dramatic volume changes when switching from clean to lead tones? It would seem to me that going from clean Deluxes to dirty Marshalls would be a huge jump in volume, but all of the Eric Johnson stuff I've heard seems like absolutely no volume difference.

He used a 50-watt Marshall when he was using Deluxes. Two amps at around 20 watts isn't much less than one at 50. Add to that the high efficiency JBLs he used with the Deluxes (as compared to the lower efficiency Celestions he used with the Marshall) and the volume would be pretty darn close without even going to the board to even it up.

Right, that makes sense. I just figured that the Deluxes (or Twins, whichever he's using) being set to a clean volume, while the Marshall (or Marshalls) almost dimed would be radically different, but both of your explanations seem to cover that.

A 50w marshall with EL34, usually only puts out 35watts and is IMHO not as loud as a 6L6 ditto....even if the Marshall (EL34) is set to overdrive grit and the 6L6 set to loud clean sound.

[Fischerman]

Plus he sets his Fenders a bit louder (i.e. dirtier) than you might think...when he plays softly it's pretty clean but they do break up a bit if he plays hard.

Did not know Zap was an ODS...I'll be listening to that as soon as I get home tonight!

A 50w marshall with EL34, usually only puts out 35watts...

The JTM45 often only put out around that much but Marshalls had very different voltages over the years. If it's one of the 50W amps that only had ~390v-400v then yea but sometimes the voltages were higher than that and they put out more than just 35W.

EJ uses 6L6s in one of his Marshalls (either the Rhythm or the Lead amp...can't remember). The Rhythm amp is set up to be bright...including the speaker cab and even the speaker cable. The Lead amp is set very dark and breaks up very early and gets a different cab and speaker cable type.

[thyx]

EJ uses 6L6s in one of his Marshalls (either the Rhythm or the Lead amp...can't remember).

It's the dirty rythm amp...using G12H-30s in a slant cab. The lead amp, G12M-25s in a straight cab. Subject to change without notice.

BTW, there's something about the match-up of the 6L6 and the G12H-30...try those speakers (the 55-Hz resonance ones) in your Fender and see!

[Roe]

I heard that EJ had started using his SSS again as his main dirty rhythm amp (instead of the marshalls). speakers are supposed to be the 80w celestions, if I remember correctly

[thyx]

I heard that EJ had started using his SSS again as his main dirty rhythm amp (instead of the marshalls). speakers are supposed to be the 80w celestions, if I remember correctly

It's my understanding that EJ got the amp back from the guy he sold it to and gave it a whirl, but in the end decided against it.

['67_Plexi]

The SSS isn't UL, but should make a good donor, although I wouldn't go putting 6550's in there, it's a bit more than the PT will handle...

This is true. Eric Johnson used to use one (SSS)...and in spite of the Dumble reputation for longevity and reliability, the PT is what eventually went out on him. He sold it and hasn't used it since.

I think it was the "power supply" not the transformer, IE, it needed a couple filter caps.

I was at EJ's studio last year a couple of times doing some work. One of the jobs I did was change out one of his Marshalls to a 56K/250pf tone stack. It was fitted with 6L6's.
His SSS blew a power tansformer according to Eric. It was replaced by HAD and when it came back simply didn't sound the same.
When I spoke to him on the phone at the beginning of the year he had a SSS in his studio, but said it was too loud and not what he remembered. At the time he had one of my amps and sent that back to me for some tweaks in the SSS flight case.
In March I got a letter from him saying he was buying back his Dumble, by this I actually thought he meant his ODS. I sold the OD2 for him and he talked about some time later this year doing another amp with me. THat never transpired because of a Contract I had with the Dealer that at the time introduced me to Eric.
I'm really happy that even if it was only for a short time, actually built an amp and manged to tweak it at his studio it to the point he bought it.
Eric is a really sweet guy and I really enjoyed working with him.

[Guitar James]

Great story Allan. Eric is a genius, I would of loved to hear him through one of your amps.

BTW which of your amps would suit a Marshall lover more The OD2 or Tucana?

[Structo]

Most of you have seen this diagram.
I can't remember what year this is from but I think it was from 2001.
On recent interviews I have seen with EJ he doesn't really mention the Dumble.

I think he prefers a Fender tone for clean and a Marshall for dirt.

BTW, I'm not sure why the forum software doesn't show the image full size.
Maybe I'll just post the url to the image.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b392/ ... 01_rig.gif

[IMG:450:1373]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b392/ ... 01_rig.gif[/img]

[dr. who]

Maybe this thread should have been named EJ instead of SSS.