Eric Johnson with a new vintage Goldtop?

I saw Eric Johnson tonight and he was playing a Goldtop I've neither seen him with online nor heard him mention in an interview. I had thought his main Les Paul was an R9. This thread discusses a 58 Goldtop he once had and also shows him playing one a number of years ago with Bonamassa. But the Goldtop I saw tonight was different. If you look at the corner by the tone controls much of the lacquer has come off. The lacquer also looked "checked" throughout the top. The back had significant belt buckle wear.

So, does anyone know the story on this guitar and whether it's a new acquisition? I obviously assume it's a 57 or 58. Regardless, the guitar sounded awesome, thick and really cut through the mix. It also sparkled clean. One song he played on it was a Wes Montgomery cover ("Down Here on the Ground") where he brought out a wide range of tones. Beautiful. (Incidentally, he played for a set a new royal-navy thinline Stratocaster; perhaps a new color coming out in 2019. It sounded better to my ears than the 50s Strat he also played, fuller.)

I'll bet it sounded glorious!!

It did :2cool
https://youtu.be/IBELPSS4sqg

Sorry that I don't have much more to offer than what has been already said.

That being said, he is unequivocally my number 1 and he does have a closet affection for LPs as well (and sounds better on it too :rofl but who am I kidding)

There was a 57/78 that was almost mint/and a 59 burst called buddy that he had refretted.

P.Walker said:

There was a 57/78 that was almost mint/and a 59 burst called buddy that he had refretted.

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Someone converted a 57 to a 78?! :wah

[I'm going to guess that is a typo :ganz]

Tom Wittrock said:

Someone converted a 57 to a 78?! :wah

[I'm going to guess that is a typo :ganz]

Click to expand...

Oh. :##

This was the goldtop I was referring to:



His goldtop that he has right now is obviously more beat up, like the 54 strat he got before the ah via musicom tour started happening again.

Likes them more beat up these days (in his own words) it seems

He's had multiple bursts in the past I believe, one being "Buddy" down below.

Thanks P.Walker. Yes the one he had at the show was definitely beaten up. The last I officially heard (from a 2014 interview), he said he sold one of his old Les Pauls because he found an R9 he likes better. See the video below, published in 2014, where he talks about the R9 and what he prefers about it (interested take on the pots).

It's always insightful to hear him articulate what he likes about a particular guitar, so I'm hoping an interviewer will ask him about that new Goldtop! It sounded wonderful, especially live, though the video posted by bobbradley above certainly gives a glimpse. I'd love to hear him play more jazz of that ilk.

Thanks P.Walker. Yes the Goldtop he was playing was definitely beat up. In the interview below, apparently from 2014, he talks about a brand new R9 he had acquired and how he liked it better than the old Les Paul he had (so he sold the old one--perhaps that was the clean Goldtop). Some interesting comments on the pots on the recent R9s too!

It's always so interesting to hear him articulate what he likes about a particular guitar. I hope that someone interviews him about his newly acquired Goldtop and posts it on YouTube. It sounded amazing for the jazz piece, especially live, though you can get a glimpse of it in the video bobbradley posted.