Petrucci’s 2024 rig

[SpiderWars]

I have an older Majesty 6; it's the easiest to play, and most versatile guitar I own. I plan to get one of the new Majesty 6 guitars eventually.

I have many types of guitars, brands, models, etc., but if I was going to just focus on guitars I really need, a Majesty would eliminate many guitars I have. My current fav guitar is also an EBMM; I'm late to the brand; the EBMM Kaizen 6, not as versatile or easy to play as the Majesty, but it does it's own thing, hard to describe, but you either love it or hate it.

Majesty are very small guitars too, which was surprising to me. Before I got one I never thought about the size.

IMO

You’re not helping rsm.

 

[rsm]

You’re not helping rsm.

I am helping. Helping your justifications for owning a Majesty.

Mine's a 2016 with older pickups, and satin finish...I plan to get a new one with the latest pickups and gloss finish.

 

[rsm]

FWIW, I got the 2016 Majesty used on Reverb; worth a look. Took me awhile to find a white one tho'

 

[Classic]

If you use any gain, I think chorus after distortion sounds cheesy and cheap, like it’s way too obvious.

Chorus into the amp is where it’s at.

I'm curious why so many pros use the effect in the effects loop?

 

[SonVolt]

I'm curious why so many pros use the effect in the effects loop?

Delay and other time based effects typically sound better after a high-gain distorted pre amp, so in the loop. You can also do it with a line out but that requires re-amping. Chorus can really go in the loop or out front. It's less cheesy out front IMO.

 

[Shask]

His tech answered all these questions for the most part. He's definitely running the Axe III through a mixer to preserve the dry signal.

He's not using the 2290P or SDE-3000EVH live, he's just "messing around with them, still trying to work them into the system". That probably means they are product placement.

The 2290 rack is used for his modulation - specifically for the 7ms delay for the spatial widening thing, and some flanger and chorus sounds.

He's running the AxeFx3 for his actual delays and harmonizers... all effects in parallel, ran through the mixer.

Yeah, but if the Axe III is doing the job, then why try to "work them in the system" if not needed? That is just strange. I can kind of understand the 2290p, to see if it can replace the rack so he doesn't need to take the vintage unit out on the road.

He is running this rack through the mixer, but the last 5-6 years he has been been straight through the Axe III with no mixer, and no TC/Lexicon/Eventide. He also added a TC Mimiq pedal for a bit. I would think the Axe III would be able to do what the 2290 is doing here.

Of course, I know he also just likes to switch it up, so it could be "just because" also, lol.

 

[Shask]

I'm curious why so many pros use the effect in the effects loop?

Depends on the type of Chorus. If you are talking a simple 2 knob pedal, like a Boss CE-2, yeah, it is too overbearing and cheesy. However, if you are talking rack Chorus, or any Chorus really with a mix knob, you can dial it back and have it sit on top of the main tone in a spacious, non-cheesy way.

 

[Shask]

I have an older Majesty 6; it's the easiest to play, and most versatile guitar I own. I plan to get one of the new Majesty 6 guitars eventually.

I have many types of guitars, brands, models, etc., but if I was going to just focus on guitars I really need, a Majesty would eliminate many guitars I have. My current fav guitar is also an EBMM; I'm late to the brand; the EBMM Kaizen 6, not as versatile or easy to play as the Majesty, but it does it's own thing, hard to describe, but you either love it or hate it.

Majesty are very small guitars too, which was surprising to me. Before I got one I never thought about the size.

IMO

I always thought they were fugly, and figured the neck would be too wide/thin, but I picked one up recently, and it kind of made me want one, lol. More comfortable than I expected. I cant do the Ibanez-style necks.

 

[SonVolt]

Yeah, but if the Axe III is doing the job, then why try to "work them in the system" if not needed? That is just strange. I can kind of understand the 2290p, to see if it can replace the rack so he doesn't need to take the vintage unit out on the road.

He is running this rack through the mixer, but the last 5-6 years he has been been straight through the Axe III with no mixer, and no TC/Lexicon/Eventide. He also added a TC Mimiq pedal for a bit. I would think the Axe III would be able to do what the 2290 is doing here.

Of course, I know he also just likes to switch it up, so it could be "just because" also, lol.

He's doing true W/D/W. He has to use a mixer because there's no analog dry through in the Axe III. He's layering digital effects with his dry tone.

I also run my VP4 through a mixer in parallel with a SDE-3000EVH and an Eventide Micropitch. Why do I do this instead of just running delay, reverb and detune all through the VP4? Because each effect running in dedicated units in parallel sound & feel better.

The VP4 sounds amazing... it will compete toe-to-toe for Delay, Reverb & Detune when A/B'd against each effect in isolation. However, once I start stacking effects in the VP4 things start falling apart. Yes, it still sounds good... but not as good as letting each device run a single effect through a hardware mixer.

If you're just running a VP4 through an effects loop of a single amp none of this matters. Petrucci's rig is a lot more complicated than that.

 

[Techdeth]

Lots of great tunes there, imo the best albums are the firsts up to Metropolis (including A Change of Seasons) and then Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

Awake and Falling into Infinity have a special place in my heart.

I still love up to train of though

 

[Shask]

He's doing true W/D/W. He has to use a mixer because there's no analog dry through in the Axe III. He's layering digital effects with his dry tone.

I also run my VP4 through a mixer in parallel with a SDE-3000EVH and an Eventide Micropitch. Why do I do this instead of just running delay, reverb and detune all through the VP4? Because each effect running in dedicated units in parallel sound & feel better.

The VP4 sounds amazing... it will compete toe-to-toe for Delay, Reverb & Detune when A/B'd against each effect in isolation. However, once I start stacking effects in the VP4 things start falling apart. Yes, it still sounds good... but not as good as letting each device run a single effect through a hardware mixer.

If you're just running a VP4 through an effects loop of a single amp none of this matters. Petrucci's rig is a lot more complicated than that.

Oh, I agree. I run my Axe II or FM3 through a parallel mixer because I dont like how they change the dynamics when running them with my Synergy rack. I also have some older units in the mixer, like the MPX-1, G Major 2, Intellifex, and Replifex.

However, Petrucci been running right through the Axe III for the last several years, so I am curious what prompted him to return to a parallel mixer.

It is interesting you are finding the effects not as good when piled together in the VP4. I have not noticed that in my Axe II or FM3.

 

[rsm]

I always thought they were fugly, and figured the neck would be too wide/thin, but I picked one up recently, and it kind of made me want one, lol. More comfortable than I expected. I cant do the Ibanez-style necks.

Majesty remind me of the old Ibanez R series, like the S540. I don't think Ibanez makes the R series since the '90s? Closest today are the Satriani sigs, without the carved tops.

 

[SonVolt]

It is interesting you are finding the effects not as good when piled together in the VP4. I have not noticed that in my Axe II or FM3.

Only thing I can guess is with dedicated units I can control the wet/dry mix per effect. That is, each effect runs through a separate channel of the parallel mixer. With the VP4 I have to cram the entire FX chain (up to 4 effects) through the same channel of the mixer.

 

[Shask]

He's doing true W/D/W. He has to use a mixer because there's no analog dry through in the Axe III. He's layering digital effects with his dry tone.

I also run my VP4 through a mixer in parallel with a SDE-3000EVH and an Eventide Micropitch. Why do I do this instead of just running delay, reverb and detune all through the VP4? Because each effect running in dedicated units in parallel sound & feel better.

The VP4 sounds amazing... it will compete toe-to-toe for Delay, Reverb & Detune when A/B'd against each effect in isolation. However, once I start stacking effects in the VP4 things start falling apart. Yes, it still sounds good... but not as good as letting each device run a single effect through a hardware mixer.

If you're just running a VP4 through an effects loop of a single amp none of this matters. Petrucci's rig is a lot more complicated than that.

 

[Shask]

Only thing I can guess is with dedicated units I can control the wet/dry mix per effect. That is, each effect runs through a separate channel of the parallel mixer. With the VP4 I have to cram the entire FX chain (up to 4 effects) through the same channel of the mixer.

In my FM3 picture, I cant remember why I changed the 4 effects from being stacked, but I generally dont use my FM3 like that, so it really isn't up to date.

You can see on my Axe II, which permanently stays connected as effects to my tube stuff, that I normally keep each block at 100% mix, and then level at 0db. I then use the mixer block after them to control the level of each row of the grid, to dial in the balance of all effects. All blocks are set to mute the bypass, so there is never a digital dry going through.

 

[SonVolt]

In my FM3 picture, I cant remember why I changed the 4 effects from being stacked, but I generally dont use my FM3 like that, so it really isn't up to date.

You can see on my Axe II, which permanently stays connected as effects to my tube stuff, that I normally keep each block at 100% mix, and then level at 0db. I then use the mixer block after them to control the level of each row of the grid, to dial in the balance of all effects. All blocks are set to mute the bypass, so there is never a digital dry going through.

Hmmmm, I don't think the VP4 has a mixer block. At some point I need to drag my AXEIII off my desk and plug it up to my tube gear.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

Maybe I’m old school, but John should do a Picasso version of the majesty or an Axis.

 

[BenoA]

Maybe I’m old school, but John should do a Picasso version of the majesty or an Axis.

I have a replica under construction

 

[VH1R2]

JP is so freakin good, is he the ultimate player of today.

 

[BenoA]

Maybe I’m old school, but John should do a Picasso version of the majesty or an Axis.

I just remembered that JP offered Tosin a Picasso theme Abasi guitar