SANDY, Utah -- Guitar virtuoso Adrian Belew--whose long list of credits include Frank Zappa, David Bowie and King Crimson, as well as a prolific solo career--has recently become an endorser of Johnson Amplification. Belew currently uses a Johnson Millennium JM150 guitar amplifier combo in conjunction with a JM212V extension cabinet and J-12 foot controller for both live and recording applications.

"I had used my previous guitar and amplifier setup for almost five years, and felt that I had thoroughly wrung out all of the different things I could do with it," says Belew. "Then I went to last year’s NAMM Show, heard the Johnson Millennium and thought to myself, ‘here’s a fantastic new amp’. It’s really an amazing leap forward. In fact, it inspired me to start from ground zero again with my equipment. I’ve rebuilt my entire guitar setup, which now revolves around the Johnson system."

"The Johnson amp has so many beautiful stereo effects. I love some of the sounds I’ve been able to design so far, and I know that it’s capable of so much more. Personally, I love the quad detuning-type stuff because you can get this huge, thick, very stereo-sounding guitar. The amp also has the Whammy effect built-in, which is great. Robert (Fripp) has a Whammy Pedal, and I really like what he does with it--shifting harmonies as he plays. The J-12 pedal board is great for that. You can control all sorts of effect parameters with it in real time, like bringing in a delay or changing the amount of distortion."

"The wah is great, too. One thing I like to do with wah is to set the tone in a certain notch where you get some sort of interesting overtone, then leave it in that spot. With the Johnson amp, you can internally set the tone value to a specific number to get the exact notch you want. You don’t have to even move the pedal to try to find it."

"Then there’s the modeling part of this amp, which is a whole new animal. That’s amazing. It’s fantastic to have Marshall, Matchless, Soldano and other sounds all in one package. Although, I have to say that my favorite overall amp section happens to be the ‘Johnson’. It has such a beautiful, pure, sustained, ‘tubey’ amp sound. One of the factory presets, called ‘Johnson Power Solo’, is simply the greatest solo guitar sound. It’s terrific. No tweaking needed. I’ve left that one just as it is."

Belew has remained extremely busy with a host of recording and production projects, including The Irresponsibles (Musician Magazine’s Best Unsigned Band of 1996), Sara Hickman and, of course, his own material. He also continues to practice and perform with King Crimson, ProjeKct II (featuring Robert Fripp and Trey Gunn of King Crimson), The Denems and The Bears, as well as as a solo artist.

The Johnson Millennium JM150 pushes the envelope of guitar amplification to the next level by combining programmable preamp simulations with a powerful 150-watt stereo amplifier (75 watts per side), two 12-inch Celestion "Vintage 30" speakers and an amazing on-board, programmable multi-effects processor. The Millennium combo’s front end features two 12AX7 tubes to provide the warmth and clarity that only tubes can offer. Featuring six different possible amp voicings--American Stack, British Stack, American Combo, British Combo, ‘Johnson’ and Custom Distortion--the amplifier can simulate virtually any amplifier on the market, as well as create tones all its own. It is even capable of morphing between its dual-path preamp and effects.

The J212V is an extension cabinet housing two Celestion Vintage 30s wired for either stereo or mono operation. The rear panel on the J212V cabinet is removable, permitting either open-back or closed-back use, depending on the guitarist’s preference. Lastly, the J-12 floor controller sports ten footswitches and two built-in expression pedals to allow guitarists to control any parameter of their sound in real time.

Johnson Amplification, a division of the Harman Music Group, is a manufacturer of guitar amplifiers, loudspeaker enclosures and other guitar-oriented products for live and recording applications. The Harman Music Group is a subsidiary of Harman International.