Johnny A

[saturn]

I knew nothing about this guy, but I kept seeing these Johnny A guitars by Gibson. I really liked the looks of them and did a little research. Of course there are some great youtube clips. Then I checked his website and found out that he just played a club in my area about 10 days ago. Damn, I missed it and it was with Savoy Brown too.

 

I think I'm going to have to get one of his CD's and I want to learn his instrumental version of Wichita Lineman.

Anyone else a fan of his around here?

[guytar1]

Giddyup Saturn, a big fan here. so much so that I had no choice but to add a Bigsby to my 339. Consider it my "poor mans Johnny A model. Seen him 4 months ago here in Cleve. Truly a great show to see. Any body thinks Bigsbys don't work,must see this cat.

[daveinspain]

I knew nothing about this guy' date=' but I kept seeing these Johnny A guitars by Gibson. I really liked the looks of them and did a little research. Of course there are some great youtube clips. Then I checked his website and found out that he just played a club in my area about 10 days ago. Damn, I missed it and it was with Savoy Brown too.

 

I think I'm going to have to get one of his CD's and I want to learn his instrumental version of Wichita Lineman.

Anyone else a fan of his around here?[/quote']

 

He is from the Boston area... From my neiborhood. He is a great guitar player but he paid Gibson big money to make a Johnny A guitar.... It´s not because he is a ledgend...

[nikko18]

i dont mind if he paid them big money to build the johnny A guitar, i was a total les paul fanatic all the way until about a week ago when i played one of his guitars at guitar center. it was THE BEST guitar i had ever played! the necks are just the right shape for my hands, they play awesome, look cool, sound really really good and are just a all around great guitar. gibson did a great job with this model. i wonder if they come in black with gold hardware? i am currently finishing up the work on my epiphone les paul which i have realised (i know this is a total epiphone user thing to say but...) in my opinion it is as good as any gibson that i have played. of course i have changed it so much that it's hardly an epiphone any more, just the body, neck and tuners (which are being replaced soon). i dont need a gibson les paul really the only reason i wanted to replace my epi with one was because i wanted it to say gibson on the headstock of my guitar (just something about owning a gibson).

anyways back on subject. i have decided that after my epiphone is done that i am going to save up for the johnny A guitar. it was by far the best guitar i have ever played, and i do still want to own a gibson. i noticed while playing it that it is very versetile, when i plucked lightly on the string it had a nice smooth clean sound. but if i jammed a bit harder the tone would crunch up more into a throaty growl. the guitar had the coolest tone i had ever heard. i am definately getting one after my epi is done, it will take me along time to get the money, but with a possible job coming up in the future, and another one for sure happening in the summer i will hopefully have it by this time next year.

[daveinspain]

I´m not knocking the guitar or him... Its a great guitar, a great design a real beautiful guitar... It´s just that Saturn was surprised he didn´t know who he was. He is not a ledgend like Jimmy Page or Zak or Gary Moore or any of the other signature guitars that are out there....

[nikko18]

yeah i see what your getting at there now. i think it is probably better that way actually, gibson made him a signature guitar because he asked them to. and he oversaw the construction and planning of the guitar to make sure that it was just right for him. they made it to be a really good guitar, not just some guitar that has a famous persons name on it that will pull in a ton of money because of that.

[daveinspain]

yeah i see what your getting at there now. i think it is probably better that way actually' date=' gibson made him a signature guitar because he asked them to. and he oversaw the construction and planning of the guitar to make sure that it was just right for him. they made it to be a really good guitar, not just some guitar that has a famous persons name on it that will pull in a ton of money because of that.[/quote']

 

Good point....! I wouldn´t mind owning one either.....

[nikko18]

i just saw a video on youtube of a black one with gold hardware. looked like a johnny A custom, very cool. i dont think they make these anymore or something cause i have never seen one except for that one. maybr it was refinished. i would probably refinish mine like that because i have always loved the black and gold look.

[nikko18]

check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dr5s6Gz9AY&feature=channel

 

its johnny A talking about stuff, if you go to around 7 minutes he talks about almost exactly what i was saying, but better. he says that when he was making the guitar with gibson he was design it to be a great guitar because most people still dont know who he is. but he wanted it to be a great guitar anywas. like les paul, most didn't know who he was when the gibson les paul came out but it was just such a great guitar that people used it. it could have said anything on the headstock besides "les paul" because thats just words, people didn't and still dont play it because it is the les paul signature guitar. they play it because its an awesome instrument, thats how he wants his guitars to be.

definately cool.

[daveinspain]

check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dr5s6Gz9AY&feature=channel

 

its johnny A talking about stuff' date=' if you go to around 7 minutes he talks about almost exactly what i was saying, but better. he says that when he was making the guitar with gibson he was design it to be a great guitar because most people still dont know who he is. but he wanted it to be a great guitar anywas. like les paul, most didn't know who he was when the gibson les paul came out but it was just such a great guitar that people used it. it could have said anything on the headstock besides "les paul" because thats just words, people didn't and still dont play it because it is the les paul signature guitar. they play it because its an awesome instrument, thats how he wants his guitars to be.

definately cool.[/quote']

 

Uhhh.... Les Paul was very famous when they made the first Les Paul... He had his own TV show....

[nikko18]

whell i was just going on how i interpretted what johnny said, i guess i misunderstood him. but the point still remains people dont by les pauls today because thats what les paul plays, they buy them because they are great guitars and thats how johnny wants his guitar to be.

[KSG_Standard]

The Johnny A/Inspired by Johhny A are waay cool they sound different than the lam tops and like you said it plays great. Which one did you play? Custom Shop or the Inspired by model?

[nikko18]

i dont know??? i thought they were all made in the custom shop... it was one at guitar center, a new one i think. does that help at all? judging on how well it sounded, played, and the qaulity of the wood used i would be VERY suprised if that wasn't a custom shop model, it was just so awesome.

and i totally agree they do sound really different then the other hollowbodys, infact they dont really sound like anything else i have ever played. pretty cool, you think gibson will keep them, or maybe they will become super popular like the les paul. maybe the next generation les paul....

[cvansickle]

Johnny A usually plays the Dallas Guitar Show every April. I've seen him there four times since 2004. He never disappoints.

 

I've played the guitar at Gibson's Custom Shop vans at several guitar shows too. I have to say it's my favorite thinline model.

[KSG_Standard]

The Johnny A Sig comes from the custom shop, I've played it and it's great, it's hollow, it has a carved hog back and sides and a carved maple top, comes in several cool finishes and with or without the bigsby. List price > $4k

 

The Inspired by Johnny A is not a custom shop axe, I've played it too, it's great too, it's hollow, it has a carved hog back, sides and top, comes in two cool finishes and with or without the bigsby. List price < $3.5k

 

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Custom-Shop-Inspired-By-Johnny-A-Standard-SemiHollow-Electric-Guitar-with-Bigsby?sku=513728

[nikko18]

okay that clarifys things alot. i played the signature model from the custom shop.