Guitar Gear

This morning before going into the office, I ate breakfast while watching an Elton John concert on AXS TV. I had seen this recording of his Vegas shows a few times and while I love all of EJ’s music, I’m always drawn to Davey Johnstone; especially when he straps on that custom-painted Captain Fantastic Les Paul Custom.

Two guitarists drew me to the Les Paul: Peter Frampton and Davey Johnstone. I’ve been a big fan of both Elton John’s and Frampton’s music, but looking back on the development of my own sound as a guitarist, I’ve seemed to gravitate more towards Davey Johnstone’s sound than Frampton’s. Davey’s tone has a pleasing bite that I’ve always associated with a Les Paul.

But that Captain Fantastic Les Paul; painted for Davey for Elton’s 30th Anniversary tour. So iconic and so appropriate for a guitarist who deserves so much more recognition than he has gotten through the years. For chrissake! He even played for Alice Cooper! Alice only gets the best musicians to play for him.

I suppose, if you think about this, Davey could be considered the ultimate sideman. He’s the guy who can hold everything down, which is why it’s no surprise that he’s Elton’s musical director when they perform. He is always smack-dab, center stage, and if you watch him closely, he gives EVERYONE their cues; even Elton. And having played with Elton John for over 40 years, it’s fitting that he had a Les Paul custom-painted for him that pays tribute to that lifelong relationship.

And to underscore just how involved he has been in the music industry and the sounds of other artists to whom he has contributed, check out this credits link at AllMusic.com. He even played for the maestro, Luciano Pavarotti on the maestro’s “The Duets” album as THE guitarist for the album!

To me, Davey Johnstone is truly an icon of rock and roll!