Rig Rundown - Dream Theater [2019]

The progressive metal band’s sultans of shred talk about the gear on their 2019 The Distance Over Time tour, including John Petrucci’s brand-new Music Man Majesty Series signature models and Myung’s potential 2020 signature bass.

Dream Theater’s The Distance Over Time Tour is nirvana for the band’s fans, who are devout. It’s a three-hour sonic journey through the new The Distance Over Time album, a selection of fan favorites, and the entire Metropolis Pt. 2 Scenes from a Memory, which is being played in full to mark the 20th anniversary of its release.

We met with Petrucci, Myung, and chief axe tech Maddi Schieferstein onstage at Nashville’s Tennessee Performing Arts Center before a soundcheck for the band’s sold-out April 17 concert. The video covers everything—and the still photos provide a closer look at Petrucci’s new-for-2019 signature models, Myung’s bass, effects, amps and more.

And yes, I know I said “speakers” instead of “pickups” and “alder” rather than “ash” early in the video. Send coffee and hate mail in care of the magazine. Or just troll me in the video’s comments section, for your convenience. But more important, dig into this supercool Rig Rundown.

The latest and most primo entry in John Petrucci’s signature line of Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty guitars is the Tiger Eye Limited. As its name implies, only 300 total 6-string and 7-string models were built. The headstock, the bulk of the neck, and main body are all one piece of mahogany, with alder sides. “That’s where you get all the meat and sustain, and the alder shapes the sound,” Petrucci explains. There’s also a tiger-stripe maple top, and the same pattern is in the wood on the back of the 3-piece neck and the headstock.

All the Majesties come with DiMarzio pickups that Petrucci helped design. The Dreamcatcher, in the bridge, is built for a bold, aggressive, and tight sound, and the guitarist jokes he named the neck pickup the Rainmaker “because it makes people cry when you solo on it.” There’s a 3-way toggle and, as with all of his previous Majesty models, a piezo bridge (with tone and volume control) with a floating tremolo tail. There’s also coil-splitting and a 20 dB boost on the volume control, plus a built-in preamp to combat tone degradation with long cables, should they become necessary.

[graysonmichael]

Interviewer - "ok well thank you for being with us"


John Myung - "Ok thanks" *walks into a portal and vanishes*

[noahbenson]

“This is a neck thru, ” *flips it over* “-- this is a bolt on”

[shannonargentina]

in 31:30, Myung keeps talking, and moving his fingers automatically over the bass, without even thinking about it... amazing

[sadbassist]

Oh my yes, Cant wait for my own 2020 signature model Bongo

[nuclearwinter]

I love everything about this video.
But I'm now convinced that John Myung is an alien haha.
I could only wish I had his skill.

[ryanbobadilla]

This man needs to do all the interviews, he really let's the artist speak and explain their gear.

[Dejoblue]

The DAddario ad wasn't loud enough, my speakers still work!

[StreetsleeperUK]

I like this guy. Doesn’t talk over the person he’s trying to interview

[ChadAnthonyTheReaper]

Love Petrucci. Always such a soft spoken humble guy.

[AlexTheGreat]

3:20 he really just called the pick ups speakers

[cydeveas]

Oh my god JM talked for more than 2 minutes

[hetschhog]

John Petrucci, still one of my favourite Guitar Heroes, but certainly my favourite EBMM Sales Rep.

[tanweermahdihasan]

Even while being interviewed, John Myung was warming up running his fingers over fretboard. That's the extent of devotion in pursuit of perfection (which he attained long time back though).

[kacamataade]

You can tell that even when during the interview, JM always practicing.

[anahowana]

Kudos and respect for the interviewer, he gives enough room so that John explains every detail.

[ShredHeadJHJ]

These D'Addario Auto Lock Straps are awesome. I can't believe it took them so long to come up with something like this!!!

[Diax]

Someone at PG has a serious sense of humor. Send this super mellow interviewer to Eric Johnson, okay maybe a coincidence. To John Petrucci and John Myung? Absolute mad lad.


31:16 after killer little bass riff "...Cool..."


This is the most perfectly awkward thing I've ever seen

[CarlosKTCosta]

JM avoiding mentioning other Bass brands like Neo with bullets lololol

[FlankinspanK]

"Can we hear it a lil bass rips interviewer face clean off)

[shahinpf]

why is the interviewer dressed like Marty Schwartz😂