COOL GEAR ALERT: Ernie Ball Music Man JPXI
John Petrucci has always played bitchen’ guitars. His old Ibanez signature models were pretty cool, but his new Ernie Ball Music Man JPXI has gotta take the cake. I spoke to John a few days ago (look for the interview closer to the release date for Dream Theater’s new album, A Dramatic Turn Of Events), and he told me he used JPXI six and seven-strings exclusively on the new album.
So what’s different about the JPXI? It features a combination of top appointments from JPX and BFR Petrucci signature instruments. The neck has been streamlined to a symmetric, extra slim profile with a flatter 20″ radius, medium jumbo stainless steel frets, a finished mahogany neck and an ebony fingerboard. The solid (i.e: non-chambered) alder body has a mahogany tone block and a maple top. The controls are similar to the JP BFR line, with two three-way toggles, Dimarzio LiquiFire and Crunch Lab humbuckers (see my review of them here) and a Piezo bridge pickup.
Another new Dream Theater clip surfaces!
Dream Theater’s new album, A Dramatic Turn Of Events, is due out on September 13 via Roadrunner. I’ve been lucky enough to have access to it via secure encrypted don’t-even-think-about-sharing-it-or-you’ll-get-your-ass-kicked-by-hired-goons stream, and it’s incredible. Everything you ever loved about Dream Theater is here. Everything you didn’t (Mike Portnoy’s barked vocals) is gone. Dream Theater haven’t been this diverse since Images And Words, and new drummer Mike Mangini does an incredible job.
A 90 second clip of “Beneath The Surface” has just been released – check it out below – and when you’re done, why not head over to MusicRadar for a cool track-by-track examination of the album by John Petrucci himself?
REVIEW: LickLibrary – Jam With Dream Theater
As those who have sweated it out over Dream Theater tab books know, there’s much to be learned from John Petrucci and co that you can apply to your own music. Phrasing techniques, interesting chords, odd time signatures, intricate multi-octave riffs – there’s plenty in there to help you find your way.
LickLibrary takes this approach and presents in an easy-to-digest way that puts the focus on playing rather than reading.In Jam With Dream Theater, Andy James takes us through many classic Dream Theater songs – “Pull Me Under,” “Under A Glass Moon,” “Fatal Tragedy,” “Erotomania,” “As I Am,” “Constant Motion” and “Wither” – in a way that’s very much reminiscent of sitting across from a guitar teacher. James breaks each riff and lick down into snack-size pieces and repeats them several times in several tempos, which really lets you get into John Petrucci’s head. Stripped of the do-it-yourself nature of tab books, this method gets you playing sooner, and allows you to instantly see finger patterns and fretboard positions.
CLICK HERE to buy LickLibrary – Jam With Dream Theater
CD REVIEW: Adrenaline Mob – self-titled
With Dream Theater kick all sorts of goals with new drummer Mike Mangini – critically acclaimed live shows, a super-well-received first track from forthcoming album A Dramatic Turn Of Events – Mike Portnoy seems determined for us to remember why he’s one of the most respected drummers of his generation. And so we have Adrenaline Mob, which includes Symphony X’s Russell Allen on lead vocals, Fozzy/Stuck Mojo’s Rich Ward on rhythm guitar, the monstrous Mike Orlando on lead guitar and Paul DiLeo on bass.
New Dream Theater song snippet online
OH HELL YES!!! Check out this clip from the song “Bridges In The Sky” from Dream Theater’s forthcoming album, A Dramatic Turn Of Events, their first album with new drummer Mike Mangini. It’s like Images & Words and Scenes From A Memory got it on at a party and had a musicbaby.
And check out the limited edition box set version of the album.
Hi! I'm Peter Hodgson. I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat (including their weekly hard rock/metal column Crunch) and The Brag. And I'm Assistant Social Coordinator with Seymour Duncan.
I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18. I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week), a setup tech, a newspaper editor, and I've also dabbled in radio a little bit. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my hobbies include drinking way too much coffee, and eating way too much Mexican food.
You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube, and feel free to email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com