Song Rig

Righteous

Eric Johnson · Ah Via Musicom · 1990

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Eric's heaviest tone on Ah Via Musicom — a distortion-driven track that shows his Marshall side alongside the Dumble clean and fusion lead tones. The Marshall at high gain produces a powerful, warm distortion with the Strat's humbucking-adjacent tone (using specific pickup angles to minimise 60-cycle hum).

Signal Chain

1Fender Stratocaster (bridge pickup, angled for hum cancellation)
2Marshall (high gain, specific model varies)
3Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume8

Bass6

Mid7

Treble7

Presence7

Eric's Marshall tone is warmer than most Marshall users — he positions the Strat bridge pickup at a specific angle and adjusts his picking position to create a fuller, less nasal tone from a bridge single-coil.

Technique

How to Play It

Aggressive alternate picking with smooth legato transitions — Righteous combines Eric's jazz-influenced legato runs with harder, more physically aggressive alternate picking on the rhythm sections, creating the hard rock energy he normally channels through instrumental technique.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Stratocaster bridge → Dallas Fuzz Face → Marshall JCM800 → the key is Eric's right-hand position: pick closer to the neck than usual for a fuller, warmer bridge pickup tone.

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