To learn more about the song that landed at #20 on Total GuitarвЂ™s 50 greatest guitar solos of all time, head here. вЂњYou can hear the tone difference, but thatвЂ™s okay вЂ“ the spirit is there.вЂќ

Then it goes back to the Strat for the end. вЂњIn the studio, I tried a few versions until I got something that sounded right.вЂќДЄs for the gear he used to craft his now legendary tone? вЂњItвЂ™s just an Echoplex into a Tube Driver, and that went into a 100-watt Marshall with a 4x12 cabinet,вЂќ he says, adding, вЂњI played it all the way through with my Strat, but the solo didnвЂ™t sound as clear and elegant as I wanted, so I punched in a ES-335 for the main solo. вЂњIt varied every time I played it live,вЂќ he says.

When he finally did, for Ah Via Musicom, he included a freeform improv section at the top, much like how he always did it onstage. Johnson goes on to say that he played Dover live for years before committing it to tape. If there was any craft involved, it came from this ethos of mine that I donвЂ™t want to play a bunch of notes I want to play music. In five minutes, I had the whole song down. I really like that one.вЂ™ вЂќДЇrom there, he continues, вЂњI was just having fun connecting the dots. My mom popped her head in and said, вЂThatвЂ™s a good song. It just came to me вЂ“ right place, right time. One day, I started playing this descending-arpeggio pattern.

At the time, he was living at his parentsвЂ™ house, and, he says, вЂњThey had a music room, so I would use that to practice. Johnson penned the instrumental after coming off the road as a member of Carole KingвЂ™s backing band in 1983.

Cliffs of dover guitar lesson