Riff Tone

Desert Rose

Eric Johnson

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

Guitar1954 Fender Stratocaster

AmpFender Twin Reverb (blackface, mid-1960s)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (vintage 1954 spec)

Amp Settings

gain3

bass6

mid6

treble6.5

reverb4

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1989-1990 for 'Ah Via Musicom'. Eric Johnson is known for using a '54 Strat and a blackface Fender Twin for clean tones in this era. No evidence of pedals for the clean riff section; all effects likely from amp or studio. Settings estimated based on genre, era, and typical EJ clean setup.

Tone Character(10)

glassy and articulatebright but not harshtouch-sensitiveslightly compressedclear note separationsmooth high endmild amp reverb for spacedynamic response to pickingno audible breakupclassic Strat 'quack' in position 4

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate technique due to its intricate chord shapes, precise picking, and dynamic control to achieve the signature clean, articulate sound.

Sources

Essential Listening: Eric Johnson's 10 Greatest Guitar Songs | Guitar World Help me set up an Eric Johnson tone | The Gear Page

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