JP6 Questions

**ArchangelYabbo** · 02-25-2009, 01:39 PM

I am in the market for a new guitar. I went to my local dealer to try out the Ernie Balls. I tried out an old stock EVH (Peavey), an AXIS, and the John Petrucci 6 string. I was really impressed with the quality of the instruments. I am narrowing my choices down to the AXIS and the JP6. The EVH was a nice guitar, but I really didn't like the only color he had (white), and this guitar is a major purchase for me, and probably the last guitar i will be buying for a long time. I felt if I i bought the Wolfgang, I would rather keep it safe than to play the hell out of it...That is not what I am looking for, I am looking for a guitar that I will pick up before all others....and play the S___ out of.

I dug the AXIS, the EVH felt like the frets were a little more meatier than the AXIS. The dealer would install a D-Tuna to the guitar for me as part of the purchase. I was not as comfortable playing the AXIS due to no arm cut. But the neck on it felt great.

I am usually not one for signature guitars, but man the JP6 guitar was solid. The neck was slim enough to shred but not thin enough to worry about snapping it off. The arm cut was a nice surprise in that it was really comfortable. I just want to get a few things straight before i take a ride back to the dealer.

With the JP6, can I de-tune to Drop D without going thru the floating tremelo problems (keep having to tune)? I thought I remembered when I was trying out an AXIS the dealer told me he could tune to Drop D and did not have to mess with the rest of the strings; that the guitar stayed in tune.

Does the tone knob have a push pull pot to split the coils?

Has anyone tried to split the coils on a JP6?

What was really nice was the dealer was showing me how he could get fluttering sounds with just gentle touching the whammy bar....

So, any advice for me..
Thanks.

**Spudmurphy** · 02-25-2009, 01:51 PM

Hi and welcome to the forum.
If you thought that a Wolfie should be kept safe rather than play the hell out of it - you might think the same about your JP when you get one !!

Maybe you oughtta get a used one like I did - then you wouldn't have to worry so much?

I don't have a drop D tuner on my JP but have the trem floating to raise the pitch a semi tone (half step in my US bretheren's terms)
I was surprised to note that when I manually tuned the E down to D the guitar stayed in tune.
(I'll try that on my AL guitar a bit later).

No it doesn't come complete with a coil tap but you can install a coil split and info on this was posted on the forum recently - I'll take a look for it in a mo.

Edit
Care - take a look here
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/musi...ng-device.html

**Dead-Eye** · 02-25-2009, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by ArchangelYabbo

With the JP6, can I de-tune to Drop D without going thru the floating tremelo problems (keep having to tune)? I thought I remembered when I was trying out an AXIS the dealer told me he could tune to Drop D and did not have to mess with the rest of the strings; that the guitar stayed in tune.

It's a floating trem. So probably not - I think the Floyd on the Axis doesn't float, right?

Does the tone knob have a push pull pot to split the coils?

Only on the BFR. On the regular one the mid position of the 3-way switch means both pickups with split coils.

**ArchangelYabbo** · 02-26-2009, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

It's a floating trem. So probably not - I think the Floyd on the Axis doesn't float, right?

Yes it is...thats why I am asking here who has one, if they can do it.

Spudmurphy..."I was surprised to note that when I manually tuned the E down to D the guitar stayed in tune."

sounds like that is a yes???

**PeteDuBaldo** · 02-26-2009, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by ArchangelYabbo

Yes it is...thats why I am asking here who has one, if they can do it.

Spudmurphy..."I was surprised to note that when I manually tuned the E down to D the guitar stayed in tune."

sounds like that is a yes???

Spud must have been lucky, it sure doesn't do that on any of my 3 JPs

**Jack FFR1846** · 02-26-2009, 07:36 PM

If you want an opinion about Axis vs Wolfgang.......

I've had my wolfgang for about 6 months.
I bought my Axis last Monday.

My Wolfgang is now for sale. It is not an Axis.

The JP is quite different all around.

jack

**ArchangelYabbo** · 02-26-2009, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by Jack FFR1846

If you want an opinion about Axis vs Wolfgang.......

I've had my wolfgang for about 6 months.
I bought my Axis last Monday.

My Wolfgang is now for sale. It is not an Axis.

The JP is quite different all around.

jack

which Axis did you buy?

I went to check out the two big music chains on the way home from work...I played a Silo....OMG i dont know how anyone could play anything else after playing one...

I am getting a ball for sure...now just which one....

**ArchangelYabbo** · 02-26-2009, 10:14 PM

Nevermind..search was my friend...
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/musi...-down-but.html

It is beautiful...

**Dead-Eye** · 02-27-2009, 02:35 AM

Originally Posted by ArchangelYabbo

Yes it is...thats why I am asking here who has one, if they can do it.

Spudmurphy..."I was surprised to note that when I manually tuned the E down to D the guitar stayed in tune."

sounds like that is a yes???

I wrote "probably" because of what Spud wrote.

I can't do it and I'm surprised he can.

**Spudmurphy** · 02-28-2009, 10:59 AM

^
I know what ya mean - it just doesn't make sense.

I'll try it again and this time connect it to a tuner.

Edit

Just tried it and it sounded ok but when connected to a tuner other strings werte affected and out of tune - not too much though.

I'll do a video clip tomorrow to show ya what I mean.

**ArchangelYabbo** · 02-28-2009, 12:01 PM

Thanks Spudmurphy........

**eudaimonia** · 03-01-2009, 09:43 AM

I have a JP6. When I drop it down to D, the other strings go out of tune, though not by a huge amount. However, I typically only have to retune each string once, rather than many times as I do with my other guitars that have floating bridges. So, it wouldn't be a total disaster to use this as a lone guitar at a gig and switch back and forth between drop D and standard tuning, as long as your singer can keep the audience happy for 45 seconds.