grayn
Well-known member
I picked up this beauty, yesterday. It's a JPX BFR, from 2017. It's in excellent condition and came all set up, rather nicely. No fettling needed, at all. It's finish is Barolo, which to you and me is dark purple, with a metallic flake. One of those finishes that really responds to light. With all the hardware being black and a matching headstock, this guitar looks a little "stealth" like, out of the light.
Overall though the aesthetic is very special, with the body shaping and shield fret markers.
For those that don't know, this is one of John Petrucci's (of Dream Theater) many signature models, with E.B.M.M. I've never really taken to his Majesty models but have had a hankering for a JP, for some time. I came very close to getting a JP6, about a year ago but thought the seller's price a little high. My only other MusicMan at the moment, is a Stingray RS, which I really rate as a no nonsense, high quality, rock guitar. The JPX has a few more bells and whistles. It's DiMarzio Liquifire & Crunch Lab Pickups are very suited to the high gain overdrive used in Prog Rock and Prog Metal. They do also clean up fairly nicely, it has to be said. But the JPX also has piezo pickups built into the bridge. This is supposed to give a more acoustic tone, especially if you use the separate piezo output, into a PA or acoustic amp. That's just one step too fiddly for me. I think the piezo pickup sounds good just as an
alternative clean sound, through the guitar amp. It is different enough from the magnetic pickups, to make it a worthwhile addition to your available tones, from this guitar.
Controls wise, the JPX has a volume for the magnetic pickups, another for the piezo and an overall tone control. It has a 3-way switch, for having either the piezo or mag pickups, or both together. It also has a 5-way switch just for the mag pickups. Positions 2 and 4 give you some single coil options from these humbuckers. So, as I said, it has a bit more to contend with, sound wise. But it's really not that complicated.
The DiMarzio Liquifire & Crunch Lab Pickups have a reasonably high output and have a thick, punchy tone, overall. They do push overdrive rather well and respond well to all the nuances of fast and/or aggressive picking. Definitely a fair bit different to the alnico 5, more vintage HB tones, I use. And, rather holistically, the whole feel of the guitar lends itself to that style of playing, too. This is a real pro guitar, suited to the rock and metal genres. Business like but also quite stylish.
Overall though the aesthetic is very special, with the body shaping and shield fret markers.
For those that don't know, this is one of John Petrucci's (of Dream Theater) many signature models, with E.B.M.M. I've never really taken to his Majesty models but have had a hankering for a JP, for some time. I came very close to getting a JP6, about a year ago but thought the seller's price a little high. My only other MusicMan at the moment, is a Stingray RS, which I really rate as a no nonsense, high quality, rock guitar. The JPX has a few more bells and whistles. It's DiMarzio Liquifire & Crunch Lab Pickups are very suited to the high gain overdrive used in Prog Rock and Prog Metal. They do also clean up fairly nicely, it has to be said. But the JPX also has piezo pickups built into the bridge. This is supposed to give a more acoustic tone, especially if you use the separate piezo output, into a PA or acoustic amp. That's just one step too fiddly for me. I think the piezo pickup sounds good just as an
alternative clean sound, through the guitar amp. It is different enough from the magnetic pickups, to make it a worthwhile addition to your available tones, from this guitar.
Controls wise, the JPX has a volume for the magnetic pickups, another for the piezo and an overall tone control. It has a 3-way switch, for having either the piezo or mag pickups, or both together. It also has a 5-way switch just for the mag pickups. Positions 2 and 4 give you some single coil options from these humbuckers. So, as I said, it has a bit more to contend with, sound wise. But it's really not that complicated.
The DiMarzio Liquifire & Crunch Lab Pickups have a reasonably high output and have a thick, punchy tone, overall. They do push overdrive rather well and respond well to all the nuances of fast and/or aggressive picking. Definitely a fair bit different to the alnico 5, more vintage HB tones, I use. And, rather holistically, the whole feel of the guitar lends itself to that style of playing, too. This is a real pro guitar, suited to the rock and metal genres. Business like but also quite stylish.
