Petrucci Signature JP6 questions

[mcalo42]

I just bought a new JP6 at my local GC. The date on the box says 6/15/09, presumably the build or ship date. It didn't come with any paperwork about the guitar in the case. I've only had it a day and I really like it.

I have the following questions:


1. The recent mail out catalog from CG said it has D-sonic bridge and custom neck PU's but the EBMM web site says the model comes with Neck: DiMarzio LiquiFire, Bridge: DiMarzio Crunch Lab. So when in production was this change made and how do I know which ones my guitar actually has since they look the same?

2. How the does the PU selector switch positions work - what is the middle possition and is there a coil tap trick?

3. Any information on setting up that custom bridge? It seems to have come with a nice set up, really low action that I like but I know I may eventually need to tweak it.

Thanks for any insights offered on these questions or anything else a first time ebmm owner/player should know! I have many other guitars and have been playing a couple decades, mostly PRS, Gibson, Fender, and Ibanez. First time for a ebmm though.

 

[SteveB]

2. How the does the PU selector switch positions work - what is the middle possition and is there a coil tap trick?

3. Any information on setting up that custom bridge? It seems to have come with a nice set up, really low action that I like but I know I may eventually need to tweak it.

The pickup selector works like this:

Toward the bridge: bridge humbucker only (both coils)
Toward the neck: neck humbucker only (both coils)
Middle: inner coil only of each humbucker - makes great clean tone!

If you've got a piezo you'll have another toggle on the upper horn of the body that works like this:

Down: magnetic pickups only
middle: magnetic pickups + piezo
Up: piezo only


As for setting up the bridge.. I'd leave it alone. I've had mine for years now and never needed to touch it (well.. slight intonation tweak once..)
The screws on the tail end of the bridge set the intonation of each string.

If you need an action tweak, start by checking the neck bow and making small truss rod adjustments.. this will get the results you want almost all the time. You *can* change the height of the bridge saddles but that's something I'd leave to a pro because the saddle heights are meant to match the curvature of the neck radius. Again, I've never needed to touch them.

If you change string gauges there's a chance you'll need to adjust the tension of the tremolo claw inside the back of the guitar, but this isn't always necessary either.

 

[mcalo42]

Thanks Steve! The set up is absolutely perfect as is. I have owned many guitars but I don’t often get a factory perfect set up, expect maybe one or two of my PRS’s.

Yes, I have the piezo feature and was able to figure the top toggle out. Very cool sounding piezo set up! I saw the trim pots on the back of the guitar too although I could not find any literature on it. Did you need to tweak them?

Cool, the inner coils of each PU with the middle position. I thought it might be something like that. It does sound really nice clean.

Thanks for the input!

Still trying to figure out what PU’s I have. If anyone has any insight on that it would be greatly appreciated – and any insights why the PU’s changed. The guitar seemed to get rave reviews as it was.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[mbgreene]

Per Dargin - (Scott Ball)

All JP's that ship after June 26th will have the new pickups.

So if yours is 6/15 it probably has the D-sonic. But you could try asking in the serial # thread just in case

 

[SteveB]

Yes, I have the piezo feature and was able to figure the top toggle out. Very cool sounding piezo set up! I saw the trim pots on the back of the guitar too although I could not find any literature on it. Did you need to tweak them?

[snip]

Still trying to figure out what PU’s I have. If anyone has any insight on that it would be greatly appreciated – and any insights why the PU’s changed. The guitar seemed to get rave reviews as it was.

Thanks,
Mike

You're welcome, Mike!

The pots for the piezo on the back of the guitar.. I've never touched them actually.

I run my JP with a stereo (TRS) cable from the lower output jack. From there the signal goes into an Ernie Ball splitter box, which isolates the piezo signal (in my case, into a DI box then straight into the PA system) from the magnetic signal (which I run into my pedalboard, then amp).

In this configuration, I don't think the 'mix' pot would have any effect.. I think it only increases or decreases how much piezo you hear (versus the magnetic pickups) when you're combining them into one output signal. I'm not 100% sure of that, though.

Here is why the pickups changed: Mr. Petrucci decided he wanted different ones in there. It's not the first time. My JP is from the era before they put the D-Sonic in the bridge. When JP decided to switch the bridge PU to the D-Sonic, they all came with D-Sonic. Now that he's changed again, they'll all come with the new pickup. That's the definition of EBMM "signature" guitars.. they make them exactly as the artist uses them with no more or less features. When the artist makes a change, the production line follows suit.

 

[mcalo42]

That confirms mine has the sonic D and custom. Thanks mbgreene!

Thanks for the additional feedback Steve. I have a Jem which is a Vai's signature and the same thing with those. I happen to have the one with the ebony fretboard, before it was changed to Rosewood. That one gets a lot of play time, so I never felt at loss with changes in the follwing years.

Do you have any idea how long the sonic D's and customs were in before the change on June 26th to the new PU's. Is that the only change?

Thanks!
Mike

 

[kneeoh]

The original bridge pup was a custom wound Dimarzio... essentially a souped up Steve's Special... used in the JP from inception to the early part of 2006 when the D-sonic became its replacement. The original neck pup was also a custom wound Dimarzio... described by JP as "an Air Norton Lite". It remained the bridge pup until the late part of June 2009 when both pups changed to the Liquifyer/Crunch lab combo.

These have been the only major changes to the guitar (not counting any of the various BFR JP's and the compensated nut).

 

[SteveB]

The original bridge pup was a custom wound Dimarzio... essentially a souped up Steve's Special... used in the JP from inception to the early part of 2007 when the D-sonic became its replacement. The original bridge pup was also a custom wound Dimarzio... described by JP as "an Air Norton Lite". It remained the bridge pup until the late part of June 2009 when both pups changed to the Liquifyer/Crunch lab combo.

These have been the only major changes to the guitar (not counting any of the various BFR JP's and the compensated nut).

I think Kneeoh meant that the original 'neck' pickup was also a custom would DiMarzio (the Air Norton Lite one).

I read somewhere else in the forum that the D-Sonic was used in the JP starting in Jan 2006.. but it wasn't a post from anyone at EBMM so it could be inaccurate.

 

[JaketheGreat]

Will the non BFR JP6's come with his new pick ups? I just got one like 2 months ago, and it came with the dsonic and his custom pup. Love it, but curious to play with these new pickups!

 

[kneeoh]

I think Kneeoh meant that the original 'neck' pickup was also a custom would DiMarzio (the Air Norton Lite one).

Yup to both points... I'm a bit under the weather so my brain isn't fully connected... JP switch to the D-sonic for the Octavarium tour 2006 and I did mean to type "neck" for the Air Norton lite... it's been corrected in my original post.

 

[kneeoh]

Will the non BFR JP6's come with his new pick ups? I just got one like 2 months ago, and it came with the dsonic and his custom pup. Love it, but curious to play with these new pickups!

AFAIK, the new pups will be standard on all models of JP's. Such was the case when the D-sonics were first introduced.