Johnny A. Discussion Forum Index

Johnny A. Discussion
The Official Johnny A. Discussion Board

www.JohnnyA.com


 

 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 
 

 
Johnny's pedals/setup???
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Johnny A. Discussion Forum Index -> Johnny A. Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
griz



Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 4:37 pm    Post subject: Johnny's pedals/setup??? Reply with quote

Just saw Johnny in Va and meant to get a picture of his pedal board. It's pretty extensive. Does anyone know what pedals are in there?
_________________
And I can play this here guitar,
gonna thank my lucky stars
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnnyp



Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 4
Location: Mayfield, NY

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:47 am    Post subject: Pedal Board Reply with quote

Just saw Johnny tonight at the Turning Point in Piermont NY. Here are the things I saw on his board. Everything seems to be powered by a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2, Boss Chromatic tumer, Alphex "Punch Factory" compressor, Boss Octave, Cry Baby Wha wha, Boss RV-5 digital reverb, Line-6 "Tap Tremolo", Line-6 "Echo Park", There is one other pedal that I cannot figure out. I'm quite sure it's an auto-wha, but I have never seen one like this. It say's "Robot" something on it. Maybe someone else can chime in on this one, like Johnny A. himself. He also has the Marshall chanel controller with 3 buttons and he has a clock. That's it. The show tonight was really great. I brought my 14 year old son who has become a big Johnny A. fan. The best part of the show was Johnny's graciousness, humor, and attitude. He was very friendly and seemed grateful that everyone came out on a Tuesday night. Most impressive was his willingness to play a request, even though he new he would not get it 100%. I requested "Bundle of Joy". He said "Oh, we never do that", but let's give it a try. He did fumble in a couple of spots, but it did not matter, because of his attitude about it was so great, and even on his worst night, he is better than enyone else I have ever seen. If you have not heard 'Bundle of Joy" check it out. Chet Akins on steroids. Johnny signed my Gibson "Certificate" for serial number 80 Johnny A. model guitar. He asked how I liked it, and we chatted. Thanks Johnny. You made our week.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
johnnyp



Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 4
Location: Mayfield, NY

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:24 pm    Post subject: johnny's pedal board Reply with quote

Ok, I just figured out what the other pedal was. It is definatly a ROBOTALK envelope filter and random arpeggiator made by Xotic Effects. Hope this helps.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
bclaire



Joined: 12 Aug 2004
Posts: 44

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 2:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The clock was my idea.

It was a way to have John know how long his set is going... that way, I didn't have to walk onstage in front of the crowd to say "5 minutes left..."

It's your typical auto parts store stick-on digital clock.

And you're right about the xotic Robotalk pedal... it's pretty cool.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jacksonn



Joined: 03 May 2005
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 4:15 am    Post subject: Johnny's pedals/setup??? Reply with quote

In my neck of the woods, we call an extensive pedal board setup like that "The Pizza!" You have to be the kind of player who plays a massive, unique setup like this, or become a roadie for a day to understand.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jacksonn



Joined: 03 May 2005
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2005 1:32 am    Post subject: Johnny's pedals/setup??? Reply with quote

Johnny A is a musical genius. Don't you agree? Johnny Z, Johnny P, Chris A, others - What kind of pedals/set up do you use? And why?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnnyp



Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 4
Location: Mayfield, NY

PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2005 11:52 am    Post subject: Johnny's pedals Reply with quote

Genius is a strong word. In explaining his talent, it appears to me that Johnny is a guy that has had several things touch him all at once. First, I'll bet he had, even as a kid, a very natural ability to hear, musically. Second, his influences, ie. Hendrix, Chet, Beatles, Ventures, etc. made a very strong impression on him growing up. Third, he had to spend MEGA hours with the guitar in his hand, Fourth, he absolutly must have a excellent memery, and Fifth, I believe he has a God given ability to touch the strings in a way only one in a million people can. To have all of this is unusual. I think you got a better chance of getting struck by lightning on a sunny day. I'm missing the ear, the memory, and the touch. Other than that I play just like him. As far as my pedals, I'm just fart'n around with the same pedals he uses. Just when I think I have one of his songs mastered, I listen to him play it. I'm retarded compared to him. Ya, ok...... maybe he is a genius.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Nofallo



Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 23
Location: Seattle Area

PostPosted: Sun May 08, 2005 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

See John's pedalboard as of Feb 2005 here...

http://www.stevetrembley.com/GuitarToys.htm

That tuner is a must for a JA w/Bigsby...(and I still like my Rotosphere II better 'n that Robo Smile Ok, if I could afford the floor space, I'd have both!)


Last edited by Nofallo on Wed Oct 12, 2005 5:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
chrisa



Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Posts: 48
Location: Dayton Ohio

PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2005 5:20 pm    Post subject: Is JA a genuis Reply with quote

Musically John's incredible, he's got that intangible quality in his playing that guys like me admire, understand, yet can't quite wrap our fingers around it. The emotion, the feel, the touch the ability to adjust on the fly. Like Hendrix and SRV JA doesn't claim to read music or even tab but he's got a very functional understanding of theory. I think the best analogy are people who are excellent writers or communictors due to extensive reading. They use their language well but if you asked them about the rules of English, or what the conjunctive predicate of the verb is or whatever...they wouldn't know it. They know what sounds correct and they know what doesn't. JA's taken the best of the guitar world, Beck, Chet, Jimi, Bloomfield and has made his own sound and his own genre. That to me is the genuis of JA. He's taken the same 12 notes of the guitar that we all play and he's carved out his own niche of classy, stylish stuff. He's a hell of a player and an excellent guitarist for anyone interested in really playing to emulate. That's my two cents on the genuis topic. As for my pedal setup it's very pedestrian. I use a Boss Loop station and a Boss GT-6 processor. It works for me!
Chris A.
Dayton O.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
griz



Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2005 5:40 pm    Post subject: Tell ya why I asked... Reply with quote

I don't use a lot of effects but would like to dump my POD and get a chorus and delay. I just don't use the amp modelling very much.

Here's the dilema.. I've got a wah, sparkle drive, qtron envelope filter (for Jerry G sounds) and a compressor. If I bought a good delay and chorus, Id be paying almost as much as a DIGITECH or BOSS effects processor. If I got a processor (all-in-one pedal board) I'd make at least two of my stomp boxes obsolete.

Pros like Johnny seem to use multiple stomp boxes more often than a combo board BUT, the didgitech would give me all kinds of toys!
Question Question Question Whatdoyathink? Question Question Question
_________________
And I can play this here guitar,
gonna thank my lucky stars
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jacksonn



Joined: 03 May 2005
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2005 9:15 pm    Post subject: Johnny's pedals/set up??? Reply with quote

Great thoughts. Let's just call JA and all order a pizza. The genius is in. No matter how ya slice it...Do you think there are any pedals that won't work with the JA guitar specifically? I mean those that would be better used with a different kind of guitar? or those that help to acheive a specific sound? What do ya think?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jacksonn



Joined: 03 May 2005
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2005 5:31 am    Post subject: Johnny's Pedals/Setup??? Reply with quote

I'm down with multiple stomp boxes.

"Johnny was a schoolboy
When he heard his first Beatles song
Love Me Do I think it was
And from there it didn't take him long.

Got himself a guitar
Used to play every night
Now he's in a rock and roll outfit
and everything's all right
Don't ya know
Don't you know that you are
A Shooting Star, Don’t you know?

Johnny made a record
Went straight up to number one
Suddenly everyone loved to hear him sing his song
Watching the world go by
Surprising it goes so fast
Johnny looked around him
And said "Well I made the big time at last."

(Shooting Star, Bad Company)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
JohnnyZ



Joined: 09 Aug 2004
Posts: 45
Location: Haverhill, MA

PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2005 11:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Johnny's pedals Reply with quote

johnnyp wrote:
Genius is a strong word. In explaining his talent, it appears to me that Johnny is a guy that has had several things touch him all at once. First, I'll bet he had, even as a kid, a very natural ability to hear, musically. Second, his influences, ie. Hendrix, Chet, Beatles, Ventures, etc. made a very strong impression on him growing up. Third, he had to spend MEGA hours with the guitar in his hand, Fourth, he absolutly must have a excellent memery, and Fifth, I believe he has a God given ability to touch the strings in a way only one in a million people can. To have all of this is unusual. I think you got a better chance of getting struck by lightning on a sunny day...


In the book, Between the Strings: The Secret Lives of Guitars, Johnny A. tells the story about how he started playing the guitar. It's been about 6 months since I read it, so some of the details may be a little off... When JA was a teenager, he spent considerable time in a full back brace due to scoliosis (I believe that's what it was). He started playing then, but he wasn't able to look down to see the fretboard, so he had to rely on feel and his ears. And, since there was little else he could do with his time, he played alot.

Lot's of other great short stories in this book by many famous, and not so famous, guitarists. I highly recommend it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnnyp



Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 4
Location: Mayfield, NY

PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2005 11:47 am    Post subject: Johnny's pedal cables Reply with quote

Can someone tell me what brand of pedal cables Johnny uses? They are right angle and very small which allows him to squeeze his pedals together. Thanks, Johnny P.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
jacksonn



Joined: 03 May 2005
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Sat May 28, 2005 5:02 am    Post subject: Johnny's pedals/setup??? Reply with quote

Johnny Z, Thanks for the tip. The book sounds killer. I'm gonna get it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Johnny A. Discussion Forum Index -> Johnny A. Discussion All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group