I first started hearing rumblings of an Eric Johnson Signature Fuzz Face several months ago, and then Johnson later confirmed it in several interviews. Now that NAMM is upon us, official information about the pedal has been released:
When you think about Eric Johnson, you think tone, and the tone he’s best known for is his sweet, singing, lead tone. His choice for getting that tone has always been the Fuzz Face. EJ worked closely with Fuzz Face guru Jeorge Tripps to create his signature pedal. It is inspired by EJ’s prized personal Fuzz Faces and is built to his incredibly strict specifications, featuring hand-selected BC183 silicon transistors (for higher gain), custom repro ’68-’69 knobs, and a vintage-style hammertone finish. The result: a beautifully dynamic, expressive, and powerful pedal. “I first heard the Fuzz Face when I was about 12 and loved playing through it,” he says. “It’s the classic tone used by Jimi Hendrix, one of my greatest influences. No other pedal gets this type of sound. It’s the pinnacle of psychedelic fuzz.”
To help promote the release of the pedal, Dunlop have made a video featuring Johnson discussing his love of the guitar: