John Petrucci

Throughout this official video lesson, we can see John Petrucci playing his Ibanez JPM100.

This guitar had a very unique electrical layout, that petrucci used to capture his sound on Images and Words:

Pickups

The standard pickups for the JPM100 are the DiMarzio Air Norton and the DiMarzio Steve's Special. Some catalogs list the pickups as being the DiMarzio Norton Lite and/or the DiMarzio SFP (Steve's Favorite Pickup) but these are believed to be the same pickups. The first JPM, used to record the "Images And Words" album, used the DiMarzio Humbucker From Hell in the neck and the DiMarzio The Tone Zone in the bridge.

Wiring

The wiring on this specific guitar model is unique, due to a proprietary Ibanez 3-way 4PDT toggle switch, which allows the pickups to be wired in a way that in the middle position only the inner coils of both pickups are active, producing a very bright and chimey tone. That played through a clean amplifier such as the Roland JC 120 and doubled by an acoustic guitar, that was key to achieve the clean sounds that John Petrucci used on the Dream Theater records on which he used his Ibanez signature instrument.

To this day, John still has his Ernie Ball/Music Man signature instruments wired this way, the only difference is that this is optional and engaged through a push-push tone potentiometer, and Ernie Ball uses a DiMarzio EP1111 switch.

Source: https://ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/JPM100

"The last different guitar is the Baritone, and this is actually the BFR model before we came out with the JP10s and JP11s. It's got the maple top on it and tobacco finish. It’s a longer scale, I believe its 27-inch, and this is tuned down to A. And again it's a custom gauged set, it's like .12 to .64, I think - 24 frets. John uses this on 'These Walls' which is tuned down to A. That's the only song he uses it on," says John Petrucci's guitar tech.

John said in an interview: "We used to have flea markets - it was a Les Paul copy, a Suzuki guitar. [Chuckles] But it was the most decked-out thing I've ever seen. It had a bind going down the neck, gold hardware, it was black, unbelievable... I think I traded it for an Aria Pro II." This guitar can also be seen in early Majesty photos. Interview source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FazMQa6JLI

"This is a new thing. Well the guitar is not new, but using it live is new. They're doing a little acoustic set depending again on the set list. We use this in the studio, it's a Taylor 30th anniversary. It's a 712ce model. We just plug it straight into a DI and that's it. We use Ernie Ball Light Gauge strings on this one," says John Petrucci's guitar tech.

In this video recorded during the early years of "Dream Theater", back when the band was known by the name "Majesty" John Petrucci can be seen playing this guitar.

The headstock and the the HH pickup configuration are clear giveaway that the guitar is a B.C. Rich Assassin. Judging by the year in which the video was shot it's most probably a Platinum Pro Series Assassin.

On 3:40 John Petrucci Looks Using Ibanez Talman 90's Model

"We get into the seven-strings, which is the exact same guitar [as the JP11] but with an extra string. Same color, same neck, same everything. The gauge is the same as the standard except it's got a .56 for the low B," says John Petrucci's guitar tech.

"We're using all the JP11s now, except for one guitar. So this is the main JP11 and it's kind of a silver color. I think was the last prototype before they went into production. This is the one [John Petrucci] used throughout the whole recording of the new album. It has DiMarzio Crunch Lab and Liquifire, it' a signature set of pickups from DiMarzio. Then it's got the Ernie Ball Piezo system on the bridge, which all his guitars come with. For string gauges we're actually using a new custom gauge, it kind of changes around whenever he feels like it. Starting high to low, it's .010, .012, .016, .024, .036, .046. Dudley at Ernie Ball came up with that gauge for himself and said 'You guys should try this out,' and we did and [John] loves them. You can't really go to the store and buy them off the shelf but we put them together as we need them. back in the Ibanez days he used the Ibanez version of a Floyd, the Double Locking. When he went to Ernie Ball he said, 'We don't want to do that. Let's do something different.' So they came up with that one and it works every bit as good and you don't have all the hangups of the Locking or anything like that," says John Petrucci's guitar tech.

John Petrucci can be seen holding this guitar in the source photograph. He also uses this guitar in the video for "Lie".

As seen on his website and on many stages, John Petrucci is using his double neck JP signature model.

At 3:44 you can clearly see John Petrucci using a JP6 Mystic Dream

In a YouTube video titled "John Petrucci of Dream Theater - Equipment Check - Alte Oper Frankfurt," John Petrucci discusses the gear used during "The Astonishing" tour, including his Taylor 916ce acoustic guitar.

At the 0:38 mark of the video, you can see John Petrucci using his Taylor 856ce 12-string acoustic during the performance of "Heaven's Cove."

In this video, John Petrucci gives an overview of the new 2019 Majesty in the Tiger Eye finish. This is a limited edition model from his Majesty range, only 300 pieces were made worldwide.

In this article from Ultimate Guitar, John Petrucci explains why his new Purple Nebula is "One of the most beautiful majesties ever."

In this video, at 1:49 Petrucci shows off an Ernie Ball Majesty in an Enchanted Forrest Finish.

"This is a cool one. This is tuned down to D. It was an experiment that Ernie Ball did, and this is actually aluminum laminated to the top. He made two of these which we possess. It's a tiny bit brighter but it's a cool guitar. We got this one again while we were in the studio and [John] had me tune it down to D for one song. That's what he recorded with. Tonight he'll use it on 'Endless Sacrifice' and then the other D song in the set is 'Forsaken', depending on what set list we're doing. Same pickups, Crunch Lab Liquifire, this one's got Black Hardware instead of Chrome, black headstock instead of the matching color. This is a cool guitar and we have two of these. Dudley made two of them at the same time so we said, 'Yeah we'll take them'," says John Petrucci's guitar tech.

"The Majesty guitar symbolizes the very reason why I am so proud to be a Music Man artist. I had the idea for this guitar a couple of years ago but it is because of their innovative spirit and dedication to the art of guitar building that it is now a reality. I am so grateful that I am able to collaborate with the best guitar company on the planet and so incredibly proud that together we have created what is to me, the perfect musical instrument for guitar players. I really hope you get a chance to play one and am confident that you will feel the same!"

John Petrucci uses the Ernie Ball Music Man JP12-6, one of his signature electric guitars, as noted in the Ernie Ball Forums discussion titled "Petrucci in Germany!"

Guitarist John Petrucci is associated with the Ernie Ball Music Man JP15 Sahara Burst Flame, which is his signature model.

John Petrucci plays this guitar in this video

In this video John demos the sterling by music man version of his majesty. THis is the more affordable version of his majesty signature guitar.

I played a new Taylor acoustic they sent me with their new V-bracing system. And for the first time, on “Fall into the Light,” there’s an acoustic break that I doubled with a Gypsy-jazz guitar made by a German luthier.

In a YouTube video by Ernie Ball, John Petrucci demonstrates his Music Man JP6 BFR guitar. This model, an evolution of the original JP6, features a slightly larger body with a unique taper for comfort. It is crafted with an alder body, a mahogany neck, and tone blocks. Equipped with DiMarzio Signature CrunchLab and LiquiFire pickups, Petrucci highlights its incredible sound quality.

In this video, Petrucci demos the new 2021 8-String Majesty:

"Hey everybody! This is John Petrucci, and I'm here to introduce my Ernie Ball Music Man signature Majesty 8-String Guitar."

"The 8-String has so many things about it that we would be doing for the first time, with this 8-String Majesty. An example, it's the first Majesty with a fixed bridge, the first, or any one of my guitars with fanned frets and slanted pickups. It was important that it had multiple scale-lengths, this top distance here, is shorter than the bottom distance which needs to be longer to allow those strings to resonate, and of course when you do that, the pickups have to be angled, bridge has to be angled. The pickups are my DiMarzio signature Rainmaker and Dreamcatcher (the Dreamcatcher in the bridge the Rainmaker in the neck), these are slanted 8-String versions that were specificly made for this guitar."

"Everything else about the guitar really follows in the tradition of all my signature models with Ernie Ball Music Man, as far as the layout of the controls, the 3-Way pickup selecter, the Piezo selecter, also incorperating a Preamp into the guitar which allows you to have up to 20db boost on the volume control, a coil-split on the tone control, again the Piezo system, controls for the Piezo on the back here and for the boost, and this is a classic Ernie Ball Music Man JP signature color. This was the first color that we came out with, with the first JP-6 and it's Mystic Dream, so this is a color-change paint depending on how you move it, it goes from purple, to green, to slightly black, amazing. The Schaller locking tuners, compensated nut so there's no intonation issues. And there you have it, that's the 8-String Majesty."

at :31 seconds john says " this is my new JP16. It is modeled off the JP15 so it has the same body style, but we brought back the arm scoop from the original JP line of guitars."

It's his most new signature guitar series to date

this is a very special guitar make for petrucci and music man team

Inspired by Dream Theater's album The Astonishing, John Petrucci and Ernie Ball Music Man teamed up to create 21 exclusive NOMAC guitars - each one truly a masterpiece

John demos his JP100D here.

John demos his Sterling EBMM JP60 here.

John Demos his Sterling JP70 here.

In an Instagram post by John Petrucci, he is pictured with his Ernie Ball Music Man BFR JP Majesty in the Blue Steakhouse finish. This limited edition guitar, part of the Ball Family Reserve line, is distinguished by its unique finishes and choice of woods. The post was shared in anticipation of the European leg of the G3 tour.