John Petrucci -- Mark V -- Settings and Tone Tips (Part 2)

John Petrucci discusses the philosophy behind his Mark Five settings and demonstrates the tones used in Dream Theater.
Recorded in Petaluma, CA at Mesa/Boogie - June, 2010.
Part 2 details Mark V channel 3 settings with playing examples.

[@HotRod5881]

he seems a nice guy with sincerity, no overblown like other musicians just like a seller

[@karlkanner]

he seems to always be/have been a nice humble guy....who could destroy the earth at any time by playing too fast

[@Fartsnack]

I've wanted this amp for 10 years. I finally ordered one today, thus beginning the week of pure misery, waiting on it to get here. So beyond excited.

[@axepharaoh]

Glad for you man! Just wondering, since it was just last year, are you playing many styles so you wanted the V or why didn't you take the JP2C?

[@madslashers2002]

I Heard that! I’m the same way. Pure misery. Can’t focus on anything. Absolutely useless until it arrives.

[@Fartsnack]

@@axepharaoh Update a year later. Love the amp very much. It took me quite a bit of time to get it sounding the way I want lol. I mix it up a bit and dabble in a few different styles so the versatility is really appealing to me. Mostly prog/metal stuff though so it fits the bill!

[@axepharaoh]

@@Fartsnack Haha yea I get you, makes sense, hopefully you'll have the opportunity to touch on a JP just to check the difference between those lead channels, glad you dig it man ;)

[@endezeichengrimm]

@@Fartsnack That 5 band EQ took me a long time to dial in. The stock settings don't work for everyone.

[@UltimaRedFireEskimo]

I remember not eating lunch during high school to save up for one of these. To this day, my favorite amp. Channel 2 is low key the Iron Maiden rhythm tone channel

[@mesaboogie]

Thanks, Daniel - amazing! Appreciate the kind words. :)

[@sazidhasankhan9144]

@@mesaboogie Reimburse his lunch money, Mesa :p

[@TheDistortionPrinciple]

Bruh how much was your school lunches lol

[@mattbailey1015]

@@TheDistortionPrinciple actually I imagine $5 a meal for 200 days a year will save quite a bit

[@TheDistortionPrinciple]

@@mattbailey1015 very good point!

[@nickyounger1368]

It’s amazing how the quality of these KZbin videos have drastically increased. Really amazing.

[@5urg3x]

This is like the best rythm tone I've ever heard in my life...

[@domdabombabc]

I love John Petrucci. He seriously knows what he's talking about when it comes to amp settings.

[@mesaboogie]

Hi +Francisco Tomas - For many of John's Rhythm sounds, the Crunch mode will be great with gain settings around 7-8. For the high gain solo sounds, the Burn Channel will the mode to use, and probably the most important aspect of getting close to John's spounds is to figure out the effects that he's using (delays, chorus, flange, etc.). Figuring out his effects sounds/settings will QUICKLY get you closer to his sound regardless of the amp you use. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!

[@marc-antoinemetivier2854]

Hey guys, any chance you could tell us what mic(s) were used on the cab during this video? it really sounds great. Thanks,

[@fjk1138]

This is John before his beard took over completely .

[@Spencerianism]

I always love to listen to guitar guys talk about their tone and the way they invent words out of thin air to explain the sound.

[@vaportrails7943]

The thing about this amp is how versatile it is. You can be John Petrucci or James Hetfield, you can be Carlos Santana or Steve Lukather. But it's also a killer blues amp, and any other style you want to play. It's basically a really good Fender that also goes into the highest gain territory in existence.

[@kristianschott8801]

Different gain setting on Pull me Under... Gain is dimed!!! SOUNDS MASSIVE AND AWESOME!

[@paweka8129]

Oh man, that punch coming from muted low E string... Shiiiitt!

[@aandc2005]

A down to earth, easy going, easy to talk with person, John is one of my very favorite guitar players on the planet! Thanks for uploading a very informative video about your incredible mark five amplifier!

[@Rickles]

It's because he's not intimidated by other guitarists. As god he's secure in sharing all of his tones and secrets because he know's that the real secret to his success is his incredible and authentic work ethic which very few people can match.

[@AlanThomasMusic]

Wow, a lot of great tones there... In addition to being such a righteous player, John seems like a helluva nice guy!

[@avilakaj]

I love this man - a truly gentle and humble person! Thanx for the inspiration Mr Petrucci! -And thanx to Mesa Engineering for this kick ass amp!

[@taylorplambeck]

If I could exemplify the signature Mesa sound in a single riff, it would be that downpicked part in Pull Me Under at 4:17. That growl, that chunk, that bark, the viscosity is unparalleled.

[@MK4vDubbin]

John seems like he would be a nice guy in person. His videos are always very detailed, personable, informative and enthusiastic. It's a nice change to a lot of other pro's whose videos are more about them showing off cool licks and talking about what they've done. It seems like John genuinely cares about sharing valuable information to help out other guitarists.

[@MylesJP]

That Count of Tuscany lead sound is incredible!

[@steven.sakkas]

How can you describe how good he is? No words!

[@scootertb26]

Bought this amp today, it was kind of intimidating at first but the layout is pretty easy to navigate, I have owned a Blackstar ht 50 , a JVM 410 and currently have a KSR Colossus. This amp has less gain and the clean channel isn't as good as a Colossus but the price is a bit lower. It is on par with the Colossus though as far as being a superb amp for clarity and options. I am very happy I bought it and really love the 10 watt option for practicing. You can pretty much dial in any tone with this amp & it has more than enough gain for playing anything thats worth listening to. If you are on the fence as to buying this amp I don't regret it.

[@theothersideisjustashard3237]

and this switch controls the temperature of the sun when im playing 1000 notes per second lol

[@Bleedingskiesmusic]

That's all I could hear when watching this haha

[@rickleblanc8900]

Lol ! And then i watch him go in kill mode and people explode !

[@rocknrory]

John Petrucci rocks, thanks Mesa for making a video of him demoing the Mark V with his settings. As good as it sounds in this video, it sounds even better in person, check it out! I'm so glad I bought one.

[@pony_drums]

It's amazing how these amps sound so similar to each other. Some of the chugging riffs if I closed my eyes I could have sworn that Mark Morton (Lamb of God) was playing since the amp has such a distinct sound.

[@StaySharpFacas]

I just went from a Mesa Road King 2 to the Mark V and couldn't be happier, the leads are just beautifull, the crunch mode is awesome and channel 3 with the EQ is heaven, just add a EP booster and you are all set. Don't get me wrong the RK2 is awesome, but this is a whole other level. Tight, brutal, smooth at the same time. Great video to understand how the EQ works.

[@frobobio]

Wow. It would be really sweet to have more of these videos posted for different artists. This is an aspiring players dream video.

[@dodgernorth2500]

Man this guy in the video is good he should be in a band

[@CrossfireAmbush]

I love musicians, you are so creative. You guy's comments are as good as the video. I was laughing at them in a good way. I feel better now. Keep the faith my brother's. And don't ever abandom your dreams. Chase them, catch them and live them. Love and peace to you all.

Hi Mesa! I own an Express Plus 50 combo and I want to get a similar tone to John's, I know it's a different sounding amp but could you give some clues to get something similar? I use an Ibanez Jem. Thanks!

[@danielrodrigues62153]

O melhor guitarrista da atualidade!!! fantástico...

[@tomasconnolly3006]

Just bought one. Can't wait to pick it up

[@mesaboogie]

Enjoy, +Tomas Connolly ! Let us know if you have any questions. :)

[@merqury5]

I've met the man and he is like this all the time and its inspiring.

[@Turboy65]

I finally got a Mark V. Now I've had every Mark. I can't IMAGINE how Mesa is going to top this with a Mark VI!!!

[@kilipeti]

4:17 how the hell! I've never heard such sexy chugging sounds. Literally. I've never heard from anyone else this kind of rich and tight chugging. John's tones are absolutely the very best to my ears. amazingly awesome. The only other tone that can keep up with this is Marc Okubo (Veil of Maya)'s

[@juandiaz7650]

Did you notice the gain was turned up all the way for pull me under ?

[@thecentralscrutinizerr]

This is, in my opinion, the most amazing amp ever made.

[@TheStratman007]

Excellent recommendations John...Thank you very much...greatly appreciated!

[@ultimatemetalguitartones]

I have a 2:90 paired with an old quad preamp and all I can say the tones are freaking amazing. Especially when I engage the parametric eq I get the the old Metallica tone.

[@damnationdefied777]

Petrucci's low end was always great, it doesnt seem like its so tight till you hear that chugging going on. Mesa made a great amp here ive always had mesa's but this one sounds very fat and toneful!

[@mesaboogie]

Thanks very much, +damnationdefied777 - much appreciated!

[@Spitatra]

How can he make it sound so amazing? Beautiful, beautiful tone.

[@RevMishka]

I have owned a Mark V combo for over a year. It is the most versatile amp I have ever heard/used/owned. I have not experienced a need for an attenuator as the variable power modes suffice for my needs. I have sold most of my other amps as the Boogie has simply rendered them obsolete and has replaced them. I owned a Mark II B years ago and this is so much more.

[@IRISHguitarist777]

@ UniversalMind55,its the Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Ball family reserve signature guitar and its an amazing piece of work,I have it in blue,best guitar I have ever owned,blows away even my Gibson Lps.plus it has a piezo pick up system which enables you to sound like an acoustic guitar.get one,you wont regret it! : D

[@charvelguy]

Great vid. I very much enjoyed how he uses the eq sections as well as how he shapes it.

[@josephmadden5371]

When he's playing pull me under the gain is all the way up

[@christianheras4192]

maybe to compensate the use of an overdrive pedal in front of the amp to get that extra gain for the most heavy songs of DT.

[@williamscolaro1159]

Exr3jf wloss all rig rundowns I’ve seen show he does have a rotating overdrive pedal in his rig. Not sure the extent to which he uses tho.

[@Owtyg23]

@@giorgosk2884 He doesn't use the mark anymore he uses his jp 2c+ and yes he does use a boost he has an tube screamer for lead and heavy rythm

[@Tropicsca]

These Mark V's are so tight. They are crafted with true talent.

[@Erock09291]

I just ordered a Mark V in this exact finish! So Stoked!

[@austinsandefer649]

Thank you, John for these videos...👍

[@Luxdg]

Thanks to Mesa Boogie and Jonh for this amazing video. Now when i will buy a mark V in 2011 (Hope!!!!) i can setting the amp in the right way!!!!!!

[@verruckterwissenschaftler]

John your a really cool rockman. Thanks for the awesome sharing of tone on the amp. Also getting to follow your playing here is awesome to learn.

[@Dreadzombie]

Picked one up after oogling over one for a while, worth every penny :D

[@OTCRock4one]

Was it hard to dial-in a good tone? I heard the learning curve is pretty hard to get a tone you like but have to stick with it. Personally, I would copy John's tone settings!

[@Dreadzombie]

+OTCRock4one I found I can find a good tone though I'm having a bit more trouble getting it to sound the same when recording. it really is a tweakers amp, but its an experience experimenting with different settings

[@OTCRock4one]

***** Thanks for the reply! It seems like the most versatile amp, better cleans than Dual Rec and still good for metal.

[@astro2069]

Invaluable Mesa tone tweaking tips, love it!

[@cfh13]

Bought my first high end amp last night. Mark V 90w. So blown away and I've just begun tweaking it. I can sell my old solid states for a badass cab.

[@44Bigs]

I never knew you could get so many timbres out of a single amp, without any effects. It sounds awesome!

Can you tell me please how is the position of the mic? I got an Express Plus 50 and i would like to get this sound.

[@darteykan]

came back to dial in tones for amplitube. works like a charm

[@sorcereous]

i love john petrucci.. humble and a nice guy in general..

[@SonicProvocateur]

So awesome! Thanks for sharing, Mesa and John!

[@mattvalero6061]

I love his eye before he play Pull Me Under riff. Eyes tells a lot of thing.

[@heyedmond]

@vedard6 Its the hetfield palm mute technique, you pick the strings at a slightly higher angle than normal, that produces a scraping sound that makes palm mutes more powerful and rough

[@YinPatchesYang]

I reeeeeeally like the fact that it says what riffs are being played. I think that should be done in every guitar/amp video. EVER. also, sweet tips, Mesa all the way!

[@8KilgoreTrout4]

Those heavy tones.. I remember he first time I played a triple-rectifier almost peed myself

[@aandc2005]

abdulah786 lol, the rectifier is one legendary sounding amp! One of my personal favorites!

[@8KilgoreTrout4]

Alan L Yeah the only problem is if you're uneducated in tubes and real amps like me you might try one at a store one time and just not get that sound back. Only ever owned digital and solid state.

[@aandc2005]

abdulah786 ok...I have try one... in fact I used to own one

[@Henrix1998]

Nice, casual 3000€

[@dominikguitar]

i love his sound

[@klblackstar]

The note definition of those pickups is beautiful.

[@ultimatemetalguitartones]

"You can recognize Marshall distortion in an instant; that's why I shied away from that and went with MESA/Boogies." - James Hetfield aka the Fucking Riffmaster

[@Erock09291]

I just ordered a market V in this exact finish! So stoked!

[@Chuchuguitar]

I just got the Combo used and a Rivera RockCrusher! woow.. I love it! If you have a tube amp you "must" get an attenuator to get the most out of it and the Rivera RockCrusher is a great one. The Mark V has so many options that you don't need another amp.

[@Erock09291]

it is, the channel controls really shape the character of your distortion and the graphic hits after the gain stages

[@ataydaloglu]

imagine quad tracking with this tone, mesa boogie amps will always be my favorite hope i will be able to get one

[@squashedmike]

Awesome video!! John has come a long way on video presentation since his Rock Dicipline dvd!!

[@yellowdudewithedibleshorts]

This is just my favourite amp. Even though I own a Kemper and I can get those tones I'll probably get the original head. I remember playing a really nice dime from hell through a mark V in Newcastle. Still blowing my mind.

[@anyday82]

so clean and tight picking

[@dusted04]

i have owned lots of high end amp dual rec triple rec marshalls now i have a mark v i have found my perfect amp it simply does everything you could ever want in an amp ! i sold a diezel vh4 to buy it and i have never looked back !

[@godspeedshredderjei7685]

Amazing as always John and Mesa! Does these settings apply to the Mark V 25??? I'm about to get one of those! :D

[@mesaboogie]

Hi GSSP - the settings apply a little bit... Certainly a good place to start and then adjust from there. Congrats on your Mark Five: 25 - hope it sounds amazing!

[@phabi0]

Google's voice recognition seems to like John's playing. Turn on auto-subtitles at about 5:30 and watch its excitement from there.

[@icenic_wolf]

Yeah!

[@phabi0]

Apparently, they have fixed it. :/

[@Lee52052]

Thank you for sharing this...

[@wookieblaster]

I can buy a Mark V alright. But where do I buy those fingers? :) Damn.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

yup one must spend time like years building chops then invest in nice amp to make it worthwhile. Love Mesa amps. On my list to upgrade from my Peavey 6505.

[@ttguitarnoob]

Got myself a Mark V three days ago!!! still trying to figure it out lol...

[@platinesam]

AMAZING AMP....I bought it yesterday...awesome tones!!!

[@Bridgebain]

JP describes tone better than anyone - like a master sommelier describing fine wine!

[@uglyguitarguy]

I've been watching this video for years, and just realized that the Solo knob is almost fully cranked. Ive struggled with the settings in this video for years, not being able to recreate the tone with the same settings and guitars, but I activated the solo mode and cranked it to the level shown, and voila! A chimey clean, and an even more gritty distortion. A whole new level on this amp that's clearly not even touched on in these videos that he's using that very important function. Turn your solo channel on and leave it cranked!!

[@5FromWithin5]

Such a Beautiful amp.

[@kschott425]

Did anyone else notice he had the gain dimed for the Pull Me Under riff? I always wondered why that riff sounded so different than the other riffs he played!

[@JamesRussoMillas]

i give jp a lot of cred for using some really great eqipment. you can't get much better than a music man with dimarzios running through a mark 5 mesa. and he gets the tone to just flow out of it. its a beautiful thing

[@DevoGuitar08]

Thanks for sharing you settings - and your catchphrase :D

[@MartisGTR]

So we finally get to channel 3 which you can't never get because theres just one in the world specially done for me.

[@expressyourselfist]

I love the bass response of Mark V. I has a texture to it. My Diezel Herbert on the the other hand felt like playing a bass amp that is why I sold my Diezel.

[@onetime504]

I love how John is the antithesis of the CC DeVille's of the world.

[@rofflesmini]

love the sound when he plays pull me under

[@SeverinoSE]

Very helpful tips!

[@6-string-silliness]

@Aristowi As mechajabo said, it depends. But most devices affect your sound, even if they arent engaged (because you have a longer signal path). Petrucci installs almost all his effects in effect loops with bypass option, so there isnt any loss of signal. But such a setup might be a little complicated and expensive xD. In most cases, your pedalboard affects your sound and you have to check the settings again.

[@Tzis11]

Petrucci is so awesome..

[@victotvictorvictor]

great tone !!! awesome petrucci playing ...

[@suhrtapper]

@Zhaggysfaction I just read your post. The Mesa rep gave a clinic here in Eugene last year and discussed that question, which is no. The extreme mode in ch. 3 is the Petrucci mod though. According to the rep, Mesa approached John about taking the Mark V out on tour and John said he would if the put his Mark IV lead mod (surprise right?) they did for him on it. Randall Smith upgraded the circuit to accommodate John and here we are. Shouldn't surprise most, as he is a die hard Mark IV guy.

[@isnain1424]

sounds powerful

[@mechajabo]

@Aristowi it depends on what kind of pedals you want to add, where they're being put in the chain and their position (in front of the amp or through the fx loop)

[@kilipeti]

most beautiful sound in the world. 1. 4:17 those palm mutes are just ARGH! 2. 6:12 beautiful 3. 6:51 those chords sounds way too awesome!

[@deanmlshredder]

A lot of guitarists wouldn't even talk about what's on their pedal board and this dude is giving away his amp settings.

[@clevelandbrown5709]

I bought the Mark V 25, absolutely love it- sounds indistinguishable from the big guy here

[@NCRTXXX]

"Get yourself a mark V" Ok mr petrucci i will

[@jasonladd3682]

did you get it?

[@Rxbandit421]

Did u??? Jason and I want to know

[@Xitahh]

AH I SO WANT THAT ONE!

[@lando885]

Gotta love that look in his eyes at 4:16!

[@guitarblade1891]

@MK4vDubbin I completely agree. I even like how he refers to tone as his philosophy instead of my killer tone or sound