Music Man John Petrucci JP15 & Artisan Majesty Guitar Review | Guitar Interactive Magazine

Review of the Music Man John Petrucci JP15 Guitar and Artisan Majesty Guitars read the FULL review here: bit.ly/MusicMan_Issue33
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[@kareemb0]

Came for the guitar... stayed to watch Tom's playing. Awesommeeeee.

[@drumavidcheckupz4792]

definitively

[@eugeneelgr]

I swear Tom Quayle makes some of the BEST reviews, So much is highlighted, and it feels like a very personal review, not just a reading of the brochure or something.

[@keithbarto5464]

i Just got my jp15 yesterday. Sahara Burst roasted Flame maple top..roasted maple fretboard. African Mahogany . The neck is the best Ive ever felt in my life..and the rest of the features made me cry when I plugged in. The Piezo Blending with the Dimarzio ILLUMINATORs is Elite stuff. Ive never been so happy with a guitar in my hands as I am with my JP15. Best thing ever made IMO

[@Barracuda007]

this dude knows how to demo guitars! :D

[@5urg3x]

Barracuda007 My thoughts exactly -- it's a shame guitar world has that lame ass guy "Paul" try to play the same shitty power chords and pentatonic licks for every review...this dude for GI can actually play very well.

[@gtrpimp76]

Man! That jazz run he plays on the Artisan Majesty neck pickup position slays!! it is a proper demo for such a high end guitar. Tom just makes this sound like an amazing guitar. It actually sounds better than JP's demo of the guitar, ironically.

[@sergios4214]

Barracuda007 you shouls check his PRS demos, hes a really great player, awesome technique

[@sergios4214]

yeah, i agree the sound isnt as good, but the sound is also in the hands :v

[@brianjenkins5973]

Barracuda007 I was just thinking the same then I read your comment :)

[@AlexrooXell]

9:42 . i just melted hearing that chord

[@roba1899]

+AlexrooXell me too, the moment I heard it...3 3 2 4 X X is all it is, a Cmaj7 with the 5th in the bass makes it a little more mysterious sounding than the open version...love these kinds of surprises

[@CristobalGalitJr]

Tom needs to review all guitars in the world. Proper explanation and superb playing demo. Very informative and entertaining, and honestly this video finally showed me my final decision to buy the majesty this weekend.

[@PetrucciJP6]

Amazing playing. Artisan 6 Marrone will be mine in 2 months. Can't wait.

[@viperplay1103]

The best review I've seen in some time. Great job!

[@mystixboi]

I absolutely love the way you play. Wow. Thank you for posting this

[@8KilgoreTrout4]

Loved the intro!

[@TrevBec]

Sweet! I prefer the 15 in looks and tone.

[@paulcuban]

Trevor Beckett great guitars the JP15 m8 I got mine last week

[@V8LC100]

Tom does the best reviews. Keep em coming. Love your work man 🎸👍

[@jcinurritegui]

This guy should review every guitar out there. Really great job man!! Gotta love those guitar tones man... simply as sweet as it gets!

[@AntarikshOfficial]

Great review and absolutely great playing too :)

[@JamesRussoMillas]

I never thought I'd see the day Tom Quayle played a JP model!

[@Irzancoolo]

Superb review and playing.Give this guy a cookie ay! Cheers!

[@jameswoynilko7962]

Great modern design and features..and wow!...this guy can sure play!

[@shatnershairpiece]

Is the majesty still having problems with the gold finish wearing off the trem bridge? This was a problem, don't know if it still is.

[@azulinna1704]

Amazing review!!

[@mackenziehunter1755]

I'm hoping to get an Artisan Majesty in the near future, lots of saving.

[@LordZeromus]

Great review! Tom is an incredible player and these guitars are some of the best production guitars you can buy.

[@Glissmann]

lovely guitar, superb sound, super materials !

[@jimknight7666]

This is literally the best review of anything I’ve seen. Incredible guitar player too

[@Beyond-Antares]

Tom do you have an album out? That was some incredibly chord voicings and the jaz runs were insane. Though I've been partial to ibanez for about 20 years, I may in fact pick up an artisan majesty after this review.

[@stevequarcini4637]

Great review!

[@DaniloGajic]

Tom Quayle for guest solo on DT new song!

[@jmpconway]

Great demo and really lovely playing. JP would approve of that I think.

[@AlexisGitarre]

Tom you're an amazing player but please, it's a Metal guitar and just a few complex chords with distortion would be really helpful.

[@henriktemberg85]

Really great review! Thanks. I was bummed out though, over the batteries...

[@rickfeith6372]

Piezo plus 20db boost. Need power for that. Illuminators are passive direct mount though.

[@fjk1138]

Most excellent playing and review.

[@jaythedjentleman2571]

Just put a precious metal series majesty on layaway and I never even knew about the control boosts or the magnetic pickups. It just turned me more on to the guitar than I was

[@marcink4322]

Nice review, out of my price range for now so I stick to jp60 by sterling , wish they could make jp170 for lefties tho

[@ljicevatepri330]

14:13 lovely sustain

[@craigchapman6613]

Great review Tom. Does the Majesty have a battery saving circuit like the JPs, if not using the piezo ?

[@abijahkishretamal8322]

4:40 Hey! Hey!

[@gtrpimp76]

The perfect guitarist to review an awesome guitar!!

[@kennielfraser8164]

That is the guitar God that guitar just everything I could ever wanted and so much more

[@CaioPTV]

Mais cara que meu carro. Impossível no Brasil.

[@lotionman9274]

Dream guitar right here

[@MysticRhythmsLive]

What I would really like to know is how well these guitars stay in tune compared to a double locking trem system.

[@patson187]

absolutely adorable guitars and playing. GAS´ing so hard on these ones. :D

[@dogapart4701]

At 12:20 arpeggio i listened it probably more than 6,7 hundreds time to copy it but still struggling to do it specially what Tom plays before changed the cord to Am. I am desperate to see the tab. Thank you Tom for your honest review.

[@Macckos]

Any FX in chain? This tone at beginning sounds freaking amazing! How do I get that?! :D

[@drumavidcheckupz4792]

nice, evh neck profile on the jp

[@polyphony250]

Great demo, thanks! Absolutely stunning tones from these guitars, just unbelievable. Suhr modern has more tone versatility in some configurations (more of that "spank" mentioned in the video), at the same price point. But then, JP has those piezo pickups, too. I'd get the JP15 in a heartbeat if it wasn't so heavily JP-ed. I love Pettruci but I'm just not that into the whole fanboy vibe that the shield on the fretboard gives.

[@drumavidcheckupz4792]

so you care about the guitar or about the fanboyism talk?

[@polyphony250]

I get what you're saying, but don't we all want a guitar that fulfills both our technical requirements, and that we also think of as "representative" (or "cool", or whatever word you want to insert)? If you were buying a guitar that you are going to take with you on a stage, don't you care what kind of image it projects? I think for most of us, it's a significant part of the decision.

[@giggs102]

god damn that legato playing is so god damn insaneeee

[@yukihyostar]

I'm in the fortunate position of owning both a JP6 and a new Majesty 6, and as far as I'm concerned, nothing even comes near. My older PRS P24 sounds great , but the piezo system on the MM models simply slays it. I hear people stating that it would be nice to have access to these fine guitars at a lower price, and it can be done up to a point. The Sterling JP100D has the same pickups as the JP6 (alas, no piezo), but is superb at a very reasonable price. No Artisan models for me though. Just like the PRS Artist packages. Just more bling :0)

[@jamshic]

Which guitar do you prefer between the two you own? JP6 or the Majesty? I tried both today and the only reason I bought the JP6 was because its been my dream guitar for 10 years, but the Majesty blew me away.

[@hudlmaniac7673]

'There's enough wood to get your hand around' I'm not sure how to best respond to that remark :p

[@oziris1244]

You said that the action on some frets were high because of your tunning. Do these guitars come with a perfetc action then?

[@TheDistortionist]

Yes Tom, you said "San Luis Obispo" correctly. Beautiful town.

[@scalazann]

Great review. For years, I thought those JP models don't have any proper clean sound, but they have! I think John Petrucci shouldn't demonstrate his signature guitars (:

[@jesseascriven]

excellent video

[@TheRealEvades]

Im about to purchase a 3,500$ JP BFR 6 with the koa top. Any thoughts on that guitar in comparison to the artisan?

[@AhmetOmerOzgen]

does the jp15 sound better or just me? tho i like the majesty design

[@aneeshcrao]

Ahmet Omer Ozgen it does. JP15 gives all the majesties a run for their money. That's the reason it's still not out of production.

[@MinhPhamGators]

It's probably a great guitar (Majesty), but somehow it reminds of the spaceship on the cover of the first Boston album. It's just too spacey looking for me. I do like the other JPs.

[@Robstafarian]

Whereas I am boycotting the brand (to no effect, of course), this was a fantastic demonstration. I do wish bridge's range of motion had been shown, though.

[@Lenser]

do the medium-jumbo frets feel rather small compared to jumbo?

[@TheDormonid]

What is the difference between JP6 and JP15 or above? Seems that the features are the same and only the pickups may change. By the way those guitars have the same features as well... piezo option plus active pickups and amazing craftsmanship.

[@dreameshuggah12]

Great video very well done love the way you compare to two. I cat can rip!!!

[@greekfreak1980]

Both guitars are amazing instruments,MusicMan (along with PRS) makes the best Made in USA production models and yes that comes with a high price,because they're loaded with shitloads of features.But these are supposed to be high-end instruments designed for pro-musicians and you can play literally any music style with it,not only Prog-Metal.Joe Bonamassa has recorded ''The Ballad of John Henry'' with an older JP model. Personally I like the JP15 better,because the design is more classic,the Majesty looks like a disfigured Superstrat imho.

[@flufbom7337]

greekfreak1980 I've played some us made PRS Gibson and fender pieces of shit. I have yet to pick up a EBMM that I wasn't thoroughly impressed with.

[@greekfreak1980]

PRS are great,but their prices are ridiculous,specially over here in good o'l Europe,only Suhr tops them in that category. I can get me a Kiesel CT model,for far less,custom build to my specs,even with all the extra costs,like shipping and VAT/import taxes.(like the one in my profile pic) Gibson and Fender aren't worth the money,if there wasn't for their prestiguous names,they would have been out of business long ago. EBMM makes guitars,that are: a).flawlessly build and b).designed for maximum playability.

[@flufbom7337]

greekfreak1980 I think that if Paul Smith had developed the majesty and it was as kick ass as this EBMM that it would be a special order custom piece in the 5000+ ballpark even here in the great state of Texas. do u agree?

[@greekfreak1980]

flufbom Propably it would be some special ''Private Stock''/''Wood Library''-edition,which would cost more then a car.But EBMM's ''Family Reserve'',which these 2 here belong to,is also expensive as shit.I wish ESP would bring back their 2013 discontinued,MIJ ''Standard'' series,with more pickup options.Those were fairly priced,quality guitars,build like tanks.

[@flufbom7337]

greekfreak1980 theres a majesty in every guitar center in my city. at least one. and they're going for $2300.00 here

[@silverdragon0000120]

I have a skervesen raptor and I like it more than my music man.

[@Aristowi]

I see the guitar and an orange amp behind, but can you share the gear used? Amp model and effects if used (the distorion is from the amp as far as I can see and I can't see the chorus when playing clean). Thanks, amazing review and amazing sound.

[@GuitarInteractive]

Aristowi Hi there, the amp used in this Video is the Orange Rockerverb 100. You can watch the review by Tom Quayle here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5XIg4eKgKuJo9k

[@Aristowi]

Thank you, I love Tom's reviews.

[@jamesmelton5245]

Guitar Interactive - The Free Online Guitar Magazine having a hard time choosing between these two guitars. it's like I want the neck from the jp15 on the majesty. traditionally a ibanez prestige player but these babies look like a joy to play just can't choose.

[@kalmont84]

You just can't go wrong with the jp models!

[@MrSatch12]

God!!! The split sound is to good for me.

[@MdFarooque13]

Make a video of comparison between Ernie Ball Musicman Majesty vs Majesty Artisan

[@guitarmemoir]

I came here thinking it would be a JP demo. After I started watching it I though this isn't JP but he is pretty friggen good. Then they showed who it was and I thought yeah no shit. lol

[@TheG7thcapo]

I wish i can afford the jp 15

[@5urg3x]

What a great review -- the only thing I didn't like is that you did not mention that the Majesty has the Ernie Ball "GameChanger" feature that allows you to re-wire the pickups on the fly using the embedded micro controller and a USB cable + a web browser.

[@ianperge7331]

It wasn't mentioned because it doesn't exist: "The Majesty comes with Music Man's Game Changer technology, which is used to *enhance the switching speed of the 3-way and the piezo to HH switch.* ...and that's straight from EBMM Promotional Materials. The only part of the "Game Changer" are the Digital Switches used for the Piezo and Magnetic Pickups.

[@5urg3x]

+Ian Perge This is not correct. The Majesty artisan might be different but the Majesty has the game changer system, you can re-wire in the fly...I've done it myself with the one at the shop near here.

[@5urg3x]

+Ian Perge forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-guitars/57593-here-majesty.html "It has a gamechanger in it and is set to just be a switch but as we introduce the gc incrementally you can activate if you choose but it is not mandatory."

[@MR-ys3vc]

What amp is this being played through?

[@anthonysantiago8668]

For the people interested, this guitar is amazing! I've played this guitar and is one of the best guitar I have played. If you just want a good versatile axe, just buy this if you have the money. For the person who doesn't care much for signature guitars, just disassociate JP with this guitar for the greater good for the music. I high recommend.

[@alessandroformica6824]

which one of the two are you talking about?

[@anthonysantiago8668]

Alessandro Formica: The traditional version. Not the majesty

[@MrPrase]

Tom's playing is the main exciting thing of this video

[@breal1183]

Great vid. Can you use this guitar effectively for metal through a Mesa Boogie? Will it handle bone crunching, brutal distortion well, or is it predominantly for acoustic, jazz and tradition rock? Thank you!

[@kareemb0]

Easily. This thing is made for metal. Comes with great, tight sounding humbuckers with plenty of output.

[@breal1183]

***** Oh Yeah. Sweet. Thanks for answering my question.

[@drumavidcheckupz4792]

dude, dream theater chocolate layer sound

[@peelenerikpeelen]

What about the trem?

[@Martinroot]

Kind of wish that B.C. Rich would make a Warlock in all natural but with all roasted woods, maple neck, mahogany body ebony board, neckthru.... The whole nice yards... ;)

[@codymarkley8372]

Ew

[@andrewstace4557]

Might just be me, but I like the carbon fibre/opaque finish look! Pity the guitars are about 3 times what I could justify spending on a guitar :(

[@johannjensson6190]

Why do these Illuminator pickups sounds so buzzy? In all the videos i've seen so far. And people still say they would sound better than CrunchLab/Liquifire - i don't get it.

[@idontwantahandleleavemealone]

Absolutely gorgeous, fantastic sounding guitars. But they're far too expensive for me to ever be able to justify getting one, i really wish there was a model that's less fancy but actually affordable.

[@morlun838]

I know this is 6 years late but you might wanna try the sterling majesty models. The newest ones are like half the price and actually have the pickups JP used in his original JP6 signature. No piezo system, but still great bridge, neck and look.

[@UnstopFooL]

He talking about how good and unexpensive this non 9 volt batterys are,well,it really means a lot for ppl who bought a majesty for 3500-4000$

[@roba1899]

I was reading the comments below and I do agree the Artisan is a better looking, more modern but the Jazz and clean tones were way thicker and rounder than the 15...the 15 in fact was WAY too spanky for my taste, almost Tele tones to my ears..The Artisan in Viola I've got to try out in person..

[@rickfeith6372]

Played a floor model Majesty at GC a month ago. Just wow. Nicest guitar I have ever played hands down in 25 years. And we all know that the store is a less than ideal enviroment for gear demos. If you are considering...do it. They look GREAT in person too.

[@roba1899]

Wow and now I'm here changing my mind .. the JP15 actually has that sharp clarity that I like that sounds more crisp and natural and really it looks better than the spaceship Majesty. I play a 1992 Davies Washburn N4 with a John Suhr DSH+ in the bridge and a Steve Vai Gravity Storm in the neck and it plays like a dream. So in getting one of these, I would wind up preferring one over the other ignoring someone in the process .. I've never been a collector at heart.

[@emiliano4212]

and vs PRS Custom 24 Piezo?

[@112358miau]

I only heard shit sounding cleans with this guitar until this. Great Tom.

[@AlexPerevod]

what is the tuning in this video? is it EADGCF?

[@JoeHeisler]

He said he tuned it to his tuning so yeah it should be.

[@Don_of_the_Dad]

I turne my bass to that! Now I don’t feel so alone lol

[@benok8263]

What is his tunings?

[@TheRealEvades]

I am going to be buying one of them. I cannot decide. My current rig: JVM410HJS satrianis, with 2 marshal cabs. Going to be getting some boutique pedals soon enough. my question is, do you feel like this guitar would go well with a marshal stack / satriani eddition head ? I am a professional traveling musician who specializes in guitar solos / lead. But I do love rhythm aswell. typically play Dark rock / heavy rock with a hint of metal, but I also play anything from neoclassical rock / metal to all types of blues. So pretty much everything. Which guitar is for me? and will that amp stack combo work well with this guitar

[@paulcuban]

Evades Dreadd I Bought my JP15 a few weeks ago from Merchant City Music came into the shop on Tues and had it delivered Thursday (great service) I think its the first one in The UK plays and looks great.

[@TheRealEvades]

paulcuban I just purchased the BFR 6 with the koa top 3,500$ got it for 2700 brand new. It is about 15% better than both of these in my personal opinion / for what I want :) thank you though.

[@luish777]

Dam that guitar sounds nice

[@ipojuca22]

Anybody can tab that stuff he does at 0:16 to 0:20, and again at 0:30 to 0:34?

[@hudlmaniac7673]

Does this Artisan Majesty guitar come with the gamechanger like the regular Majesty guitars do?

[@iTz_FLAwL3zZ]

Pretty sure the specs are 100% exactly the same, just a different finish on it than the standard Majesty.

[@ianperge7331]

I'm pretty damn sure that NONE of the guitars in the Majestic lineup come with The GamChanger option. The confusion about it started when EBMM first released the specs for the original Majestic stating, "with GameChanger features..." Basically, it comes with the same Digital Switches to control the Magnetic and Piezo Pickups that the GameChanger does. This leads to a far quieter and faster switching between settings compared to traditional Analog Switches, but it's nothing close to having the actual GameChanger installed. Misleading marketing at the best, outright lying at the worst...

[@richardpapa242]

Great player....Has the legato down

[@drumavidcheckupz4792]

comparing this to the Charvel Guthrie Govan would be awesome.

[@drumavidcheckupz4792]

Birdseye maple cracks. I wonder how this roasted one compares to regular roasted. I.e. Guthrie Govan's model.

[@iganpparamarta8813]

it surprises me that its neck has scarf joint. nowadays it’s only used for cheap mass produced guitar like my Cort guitar that cost only $150

[@IcarusNadir]

what scales does he use during his lead playing? Amazing.

[@rickfeith6372]

Quaylegato

[@IcarusNadir]

Rick Feith what?

[@fabiofabioafonso]

DanielRDB

[@staygood249]

The JP15 sounded a lot tighter in sound. If only I could sale enough blood to get one of these lol.

[@Jay-sy5yf]

Tom is damn good.

[@5urg3x]

I never understood why all guitars don't have stainless steel frets -- there is literally no downside and they're better in every way compared to the standard nickel / etc ones of the early days...you'll never wear them down and you'll never need a re-fret -- on some fenders and gibson with normal frets you can see wear after only 2-3 years...

[@ianperge7331]

The downsides are that a) the raw materials cost more and therefore are more expensive as either standard equipment or an option, b) working on stainless steel fret *eats* up your typical Guitar Tech's tools, and costs more for any type of fretwork... when you can find a Tech to work on them, and c) your average Basement-to-Semiprofessional Player typically doesn't need that level of durability. I just got a 3.5K Custom Bass from my Better-Half for my 40th Birthday, and when my Options List was reaching the 4K Mark and giving her micro heart attacks, the first thing I dropped were the Stainless Steel frets. Would I have liked them? Sure, but their were other options far more important to me and that made the Bass a fundamentally better one compared to steel frets.

[@Nasosdag]

Sounds great, plays great, love the looks, lover JP. However there are two things that kinda bug me: 1. For the amount of money this guitar costs, I would expect a better "Majesty" symbol inlay. Just the symbol in the wood. Not a block of resin (or whatever it is that covers the metal symbol) etched in the fingerboard. 2. Not really major, but they could have designed a new headstock, which would complement the body.

[@rickfeith6372]

Thats a signature EBMM thing. Not changin anytime soon.

[@Nasosdag]

+Rick Feith Sure. But they did it for the Bongo... ;)

[@rickfeith6372]

I am purely talking about 6 strings. I even think the 7 string MM headstock aint as sexy as the 6. But I was specifically meaning traditional six string electrics.

[@YourFridge_in_the_fridge]

Aye it Tom

[@svalkemon]

This guy plays far too good for a guitar reviewer, very impressive playing indeed

[@GeorgMaier-Guitarist]

I believe his B string is tuned up a half step. ...Indeed ;)

[@jonathanguerrero7394]

Yup , b and e

[@GeorgMaier-Guitarist]

Ha! :)

[@einarabelc5]

The stainless steel fret ONLY lasts if you're strings are made of a softer metal, i.e. nickel.