Geared Up: Jacob Johnson Discusses His Takamine P1DC SM Guitar

There’s so much more to Jacob Johnson’s new single “Jessica” than what it would seem on the surface. For one, the song is a cover of the iconic Allman Brothers song, one of their most defining tracks. Johnson puts his spin on the iconic song, reworking it in his style and infusing it with plenty of uplifting spirituality. “Jessica” was written and composed by the late Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts who we just lost in April. Johnson wanted to pay tribute to Betts, one of his musical heroes, by doing his version of the song.

Coincidentally, Johnson’s wife is also named Jessica, with her parents naming her after the Allman Brothers classic. He viewed this as an ideal opportunity to put forward his rendition, as not just a tribute to Betts but also his wife. Thanks to the success and influence of the song, Jessica has become one of the most common female names in Johnson’s native Greenville, South Carolina. As a result of this assemblage of circumstances, Johnson felt added responsibility to present the song respectfully. He first put a version of “Jessica” together to play at his and his wife’s wedding back in 2019. It’s been on his mind ever since then, so earlier this year, he decided it was time to record it.

Johnson joins us today to talk a little gear. In this latest edition of Geared Up, he discusses his guitar, how it was used in recording “Jessica,” and his early days as a musician.

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?

Jacob Johnson: “My guitar is the biggest part of my sound. Right now I’m playing a Takamine P1DC SM. It’s a dreadnought with a cedar top and a cutaway. I’ve been playing some version of that guitar for probably 15 years, and it feels right in my hands and it has a big, beefy sound plugged in thanks to their Palathetic under-saddle pickup.”

How did you first get your hands on this guitar? Vintage shop, regular shop, borrowed money, gifted. Give us the details.

“Takamine sent me this about five years ago when I became an ‘official’ Takamine artist. I’d been playing their guitars for years, but this guitar was sort of their way of welcoming me to the family officially. I’ve had other guitars for longer, but that makes this one feel special.”

What made you choose this particular guitar, and were there any close seconds or alternates?

“The P1DC is very similar to a Takamine EAN10C that I’ve had for about ten years. They’re both cedar top dreadnoughts with a cutaway. My older one has a little more road wear, and it still comes out on the road with me sometimes. But I’ve been leaning on the P1DC lately.”

Jacob Johnson with gear

Do you have a special way that you recreate your album (guitar) tones in a live setting, or is it more just plug-and-play?

“The Takamine Palathetic pickups have a very rich and natural sound. It sounds pretty great as soon as I plug it in. People are always asking me what the pickups are, but they’re not after-market. The system has six individually shielded piezo-electric elements, one for each string, twelve times the element mass of a typical under-saddle pickup.

“On top of that, the casing is mechanically attached to the guitar’s top and bridge, so instead of just getting that quacky ‘string’ sound a typical piezo gives you, you’re getting sound from the actual top of the guitar, which, as you know, is where the tone comes from. So it has a very natural sound but without the fuss and unpredictability that comes from having a microphone in your guitar.

“On stage, I plug that into a Schertler ‘David’ amplifier. It’s a 100-watt three-channel amplifier with a high-end Class-A preamp and no integrated circuits. They’re made in Switzerland and really give me a good sound on stage, so I’m not at the mercy of the monitors. I think a good amplifier is an often neglected element for a working musician who plays acoustic instruments. So, often we just go into a direct box and make the sound-guy shape our tone. But between the Takamine pickup and the Schertler, most of my guitar sound is there before sound-check starts.

“Also, from a practical standpoint, having an amplifier on stage is great for troubleshooting. If there’s a problem with my signal, I can listen to my amp. If I hear the problem in the amp, I know the issue is on my end (cables, power, pedals, whatever). But if the amp sound is clean, I know the problem is in the house.

“In addition to the Schertler, I also use a Fishman Aura Spectrum for some compression and to add just a little bit of that ‘air’ sound to the guitar on some songs. It also has a nice onboard tuner, so that frees up space on my pedalboard.”

Jacob Johnson “Jessica” single artwork

Did you use this gear during the recording of your latest song, a cover of The Allman Brothers’ “Jessica?” If so, please elaborate on how and for what parts.

“Yep! You hear this guitar on ‘Jessica,’ although I switched back to my old EAN10C for the video. I recorded both the main motif and the guitar solo on this guitar, and I recorded an electric rhythm track on a telecaster.”

How does this guitar hold up with regular touring and gigging?

“It’s idiot-proof and road-proof. There are guitars with more sophisticated pickup systems utilizing microphones, transducers, sensors, piezos, and all the other bells and whistles. But, the more there is happening in your rig, the more there is to go wrong.

“The Takamine Palathetic pickup system is, in my opinion, the greatest sound with the least amount of fuss. I love how simple the Takamine set-up is, and on the rare occasion I have a problem with it, it’s very easy to pop the preamp out and make sure everything’s connecting properly. I’ve never had a problem with it I couldn’t fix in about two minutes.”

What was your first-ever instrument?

“My first guitar was an old steel-string guitar my grandparents bought my mom for 25 dollars before my grandpa went to Vietnam. She and her brother wanted to learn to play, but the strings were so high off the fretboard it just sat and collected dust for about 20 years until I came along. I played it for a little while before I figured out I could put nylon strings on it and make it play a little easier. Thanks, grandma and grandpa!”

What setup did you spend the most time idolizing as a kid growing up?

“My first concert was Willie Nelson when I was about 12. I remember the audience erupting in spontaneous applause when a roadie brought Trigger (the name for Willie’s guitar) out on stage before the show. In hindsight, two things strike me about that. First, it was simple; a guitar plugged into an amp. Second, he found something that worked and stuck with it. I think that’s where I’m at now, I’m not looking for anything to add or change.”

Jacob Johnson with gear