What Does ERIC JOHNSON Want?

Are you an electric or acoustic guitar player? The majority of our readers are both, but there’s no denying that the acoustic side resonates more robustly in the culture these days. Electric shredders simply aren’t generating as many streams, sales and tour tickets as rootsy singer-songwriters and country pluckers. One cat who bridges the gap first graced our cover in May 1986 with the infamous headline “Who is Eric Johnson and why is he on our cover?”

Nearly 35 years later, there’s no need to ask why Eric Johnson is on our cover again. He was, and still is, a unique breed of guitar hero. Although he’s from the shredder era, and even sported an impressive spiked mullet, Johnson didn’t surrender to every tapper trapping in Van Halen’s wake, so he doesn’t suffer the deadly levels of contempt attached to many of his contemporaries. His style reflects his deep affection for roots music, owing as much to Chet Atkins as Jimi Hendrix.

With Americana and country music ruling the day, Johnson’s technique and more traditional take on tone are as relevant as ever. Over time, he turned his focus toward the acoustic, touring with Andy McKee and Peppino D’Agostino on the Acoustic Masters tour in 2010. In 2016, he went all acoustic on the solo album and tour [. The album was a blend of song-oriented originals and choice cover arrangements that also showcased Johnson’s piano skills, most notably on his stellar arrangement of Hendrix’s “One Rainy Wish.” He continues down a similar path on (Provogue), an album with an acoustic heart, colored by his signature violin-toned Stratocaster, which sings more melodically than ever in select spots. Several tracks, including