Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster - Tropical Turquoise with Rosewood Fingerboard Reviews

This guitar is absolutely gorgeous!!!! I thought it was Sonic Blue but next to my Sonic Blue Yngwie Malmsteem Strat it is definitely a different shade of blue. I actually like the color better. Feel of the neck is very nice, and the tremelo block is huuuuuuge!!!! Definitely a pro level guitar at a great price!!! Sounds amazing through my Fender Twin Amp!!!

I wasnt sure at first about this guitar for it is my first Straticaster i have owned but once i figured out how to deal with single coil pick ups now i absolutely love this guitar the play ability is really nice the only thing you might have to adjust to is the 1st string is very close to the edge of the neck i kind of like it because it forces me to focus and play more accurate on that string the guitar showed up in perfect condition I was worried because of the mikro cellulose coating because it was shipped during a winter snow storm was worried about checking but i let stay in the box over night and it was all ok if you like blues style music the guitar is great for that style of playing

I've had my Eric Johnson Strat for about a year now, and I'm still blown away every time I play it. This is truly the best playing guitar I've ever owned. Each pickup position sounds exactly as it should. You can dial in the classic Hendrix tones from the neck pickup, the parallel positions conjure up Gilmour and Knopfler, and the bridge really gets the shining Eric Johnson tone! Pictures really don't do the build quality or true beauty of this guitar justice. Whether it's studio or a live setting, this guitar will not let you down with its combination of vintage and modern appointments.

Awesome finish and awesome sound. I love the E To E string balance. mids are smooth and articulate for my "chicken picken " style of jazz.

Im a humbucker guy and this guitar is becoming my favorite guitar of all time. I knew I was going to upgrade the tremolo before I bought it. I got a super ver bladerunner with callaham saddles works perfectly and stays in tune. Pickups are amazing so pleased I dont have to change them. Guitar is gorgeous. Its hard to put it down. The only other guitar I felt that way with was a Jimmy Page Lp I had.

After staring at this guitar for a month and every color available in stock I finally clicked on purchase (I got the tropical turquoise which appears to be not turquoise at all, but a gorgeous color). Six days later Fed Ex delivered the package. About 30 minutes into playing this guitar through my amp I came to the realization that I now own the greatest guitar on the planet.

Few guitars make an instant emotional connection the first time to you pick them up and the ones that do you keep! The Eric Johnson Stratocaster is one of those guitars. In the Stratocaster World, the EJS is special and announces to the world that Fender is producing very desirable guitars in a very competitive market. Aside from being visually stunning, actually a work of art, the EJS is superbly balanced with a beautiful neck that plays effortlessly. Here are a few reasons I’m emotionally connected to this guitar. The balanced, very resonant Alder Body, Vintage-spec Pickups, superb Hardware and Attention to Detail. The Finish is old-school lacquer and instantly puts the guitar into another class. The Neck wood is gorgeous; the white binding classy and smooth to the touch. A Retro Paint Color and Hardware make this Strat an instant classic and highly desirable…

When I opened the case, I experienced something that has never happened to me before. I was transported through a long-forgotten memory to middle school, to the moment I first laid eyes on a high end, brand new Strat. I have owned a few great guitars. But I opened this guitar and I was a kid again, just in awe of this thing from the moment I laid eyes on it. A brand new Strat is a magical thing and buying new from Sweetwater was the best choice I could have made.

A few less poetic points: Buying was simple, guitar was out of stock when I bought it but my rep communicated with me well and it came back in stock within a couple of business days. It came not just set up properly but in tune too! Thankful that Sweetwater inspected it before sending to insure that everything was working perfectly right out of the box for me. And the finish is just exactly like the photos I was sent ahead of time. The guitar itself is light, feels great in my hands, sustains for DAYS, the pickups are even and full-sounding and ring out really sweetly, and the fretwork is immaculate.

I had a budget of $4,000 to find my dream Strat and I spent three months searching. For me, the Eric Johnson Strat beat out a ton of quality guitars from custom shops all over the US. It was just my lucky day that it happened to come in well within my budget.

I am one of those lucky guys that has owned many very nice guitars over the years. The kind of guitars that other guitarists go "wow, that's really, really nice." The reason that I mention this is because right out of the box this guitar is one of those. The feel is special. The tonal range is very broad, very dynamic. This has become my #1 strat. It stays in tune. It has clever pole heights that really allow you to sonically explore. You certainly don't have to be a fan of Eric Johnson's songs, tone, or style to purchase this guitar - however - if you are a fan - this guitar nails it. What a great collaboration.

Well this is my second Eric Johnson Stratocaster! My other one is a White Maple Neck. Both are outstanding, but I have more to say about this EJ Stratocaster. I have always been a "Les Paul guy." Strats were pocket fisherman toys to me, as I never in 20 years played a new one that I liked, nor did they give off any Vintage vibe or tones, I had an bad experience with Bernie Hefner the guitar builder. He made me a custom Silver Sparkle Strat that was all wrong and looked bad in the end result. Then around 2006 I had Tommy at USAG build me a truly beautiful Strat with a Rosewood neck and I was very happy with that guitar. Then in early 2013 after much research and discussion board sessions, I decided to take my chances on a Maple neck EJ. I have played allot of Strats in stores in my life, but never had this feeling from a brand new out of the box guitar. It was PERFECT! I could feel the warm vibrations as I strummed the guitar for the first time, just RING OUT like a bell and it has such a nice light weight to it that it was immediately inviting!

I was so happy with the Maple EJ Stratocaster, that I just had to have a go with the Rosewood edition. What a Beauty she is, with the binding on the neck and the wonderful C shaped neck (a little slimmer perhaps than the Maple) , I am in Stratocaster Heaven!

I operate my own 24 track studio and I can tell you that I mod things quite a bit. Strats are always stepping grounds for personal improvements. However, I feel that both my Eric Johnson Stratocasters are practically perfect as they are! No Pickup changes are needed, as these PUs are just perfect for this guitar and feel and sound just as a classic strat should!

The only changes being made are the Springs and Bridge Saddles. I am replacing them with "Raw Vintage" brand (check them out!)

So now I am a STRATOCASTER GUY as well as a Les Paul guy, in fact, I would say these Eric Johnson Strats are of equal high end quality to the best Les Pauls made today and that takes allot to have me say anything nice about a guitar that I once thought of as a Pocket Fisherman! LOL!!

Out of the case, this guitar is very well made! The tone of this guitar is
beyond good. after setting the action to my preferred height, and replacing the 5 stock springs with Raw Vintage springs, it opened up with more tone than any Stratocaster I have owned. The pick ups on this guitar are very strong, and set up with the right pedals and amp
bloom with Stratocaster goodness! I would highly recommend this guitar. The finish is very beautiful and the staggered string tuners are spot on! even if your not a big fan of Eric Johnson, this guitar will make any type of music sound really good. I own 6 custom shop Stratocasters, and have played many vintage Strats, this one blows them all away! Run don't walk, and get one of these guitars.

This thing is amazing. I was blown away by the tones coming out of this beast. The craftmanship is top notch as well. I have a custom shop 55 soft shoulder Gibson Les Paul that cost about three times as much and this Strat is right on par with it. My first choice was a Fender deluxe, but after comparing it with the Eric Johnson model, the deluxe sounded so lifeless and dull. I made the right choice. My first one that I ordered arrived with a few scratches, but Sweetwater took care of me right away. I notified them and within the same day a new one was on the way. The second model was even better than the first one I ordered. Thank you Sweetwater and thank you Eric for creating a tonal monster that truly is an affordable custom shop model......

This is the third Fender Strat I have purchased. The previous were SVR and the Clapton Strat. The tone in the Eric Johnson exceeds both. If your looking for to buy the American standard think about spending a little moe for the Eric Johnson . Money well spent !

I've been trying strats in stores for years and have owned a 2012 Deluxe and a 2005 Custom Shop '63. There was always something I did not like - pickups, fretboard radius, neck profile, etc., and I've tried two different Suhrs, one of which I still have. But then I tried one of these EJ strats in a local shop and had to order from Sweetwater the next day (great experience buying from Sweetwater btw). This strat is (almost) the perfect strat. The neck is a little chunkier than usual which is perfect for me - I find the usual thinner profile uncomfortable for my wrist. I love the neck binding - it looks a little different but it just feels great. The pickups sound great - better than whatever was on the Custom Shop strat I briefly owned. There is no fret sprout. I like that the tremolo is decked. So why did I knock off half a star? There was a little too much bow in the neck I had to adjust myself, and this required taking off the neck. It's kind of a hassle - wish they just had the adjustment at the headstock. But now that I made the adjustment it has a perfect action. But when I play it, my fingertips turn black. What did they put on the fret board? Dye? I've never had that happen before. Scrubbed the fret board down with a damp rag, put a little fretboard oil on, wiped again, and changed strings, but still a little bit of residue of something gets on my fingertips. But despite those annoyances, it's the most perfect strat or strat clone I've ever tried, including more expensive boutique brands. I love this thing. I never really appreciated that there could be a meaningful difference between one Fender Strat and another. But there really is.

Finally a Fender Quality strat at a Prs rating.I own 7 PRS'S and nothing short of picking one out anywhere and are playable gig wise immediate.
The Ej strat met those,the quailty,tone ,playablity out of the box was up to standard with a PRS. for a production style guitar.It's been quite some time I played a good new strat.Fender and EJ put some time in this guitar.
The only remark is that the tremolo is set up tight.Don't expect to do any big dives and pull ups on the bar.Mine was set,like it was concreted to the body and wouldn't move.Perhaps the EJ set up,5 springs,10'sand bridge flushed to body,it does he job in keeping it in tune.Other than that,I extremly happy with the guitar and Sweetwater's service.I'll be doing more with Sweetwater in the future.
Thanks Sweetwater

Since there hasn't been a review in a while, I thought I would share my thoughts on the EJ Strat.

Overall tone is great. I love how articulate it sounds either clean or dirty. The pickups are more in the vintage range so they need a push to get any breakup out of them. But still sound fantastic.

Color and finish are awesome. The overall nitro finish on the guitar looks and feels great. I love the details like the white binding on the neck.

For my hands, the neck feels comfortable. Frets could be slightly higher, but still easy enough to play.

Where things went wrong is the overall construction and how it came from the factory. First off, the neck joint (or pocket) does not fit tightly to the neck. Leaving a bit of wiggle room for the neck to be offset. As a result my guitar came with all the strings misaligned. So much so, that the high E string was barely in line with the frets. If you were to press down on the string up the neck it would complete miss the frets.

Also, there has been complaints about the rosewood fingerboards and how they are not dark colored anymore. Unfortunately this is the state of affairs these days with wood in general. Its just harder to find. On this guitar, it seems that they stained the board to look darker. The first few days of playing I had black fingertips because of the stain. No biggie.

The other issue was the scratches in the finish on the neck. Surprised that missed the 55 point inspection.

In any case, at least Sweetwater is getting me a replacement. I'm hoping this one comes out better because I really do like the guitar.