Over the course of his career, John Petrucci has nailed a lot of riffs, played a lot of shows, and generally solidified himself as shredmaster extraordinaire as the guitarist of Dream Theater. All this is to say, he’s certainly caught the attention of some high-class gear-makers, leading him to collaborate with some of his favorite brands. TC Electronic, for instance, was one of the first effects companies he got into as a young guitarist, and he’s been playing Mesa Boogie amps for nearly 30 years.
It’s safe to say it was a dream come true for Petrucci to design signature models with these companies, so he dropped by the Reverb studio to share them with us.
John Petrucci Signature TC Electronic Dreamscape
Petrucci grew up a huge fan of bands like Rush, Yes, and Pink Floyd, performers that used chorus, flanger, phaser, and vibrato to great effect, conveying a dreamy, atmospheric feel. As a young guitarist, this sound was no better exemplified to Petrucci than by the TC Electronic Stereo Chorus and Flanger pedal. This is what he aimed to capture while partnering with TC to create the Dreamscape.
Preserving the original algorithms that made the flanging and chorus effects of the Stereo Chorus and Flanger so great while providing modern updates that make the Dreamscape a joy to use. Getting rid of the noise that often afflicts older pedals, the Dreamscape provides an enviable clean effect that works just as well on its own as it does paired with dirt or distortion pedals. And with different modes as well as TC’s famed TonePrint capabilities, you can wrangle just about any modulation sound out of the Dreamscape that you could, well, dream up.
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Dunlop JP95 Signature Cry Baby Wah
Containing the solid wah capabilities that Petrucci developed on his rackmount system, the Dunlop JP95 Signature Cry Baby is a wah that won’t let you down. Enveloped in sleek chrome casing and sporting killer blue lights that leave you with no doubt your wah is activated, the JP95 has even proven a favorite for actual Dunlop employees.
The JP95 provides a big, throaty curve that’s usable for the entire range of the pedal. Certain wahs might have a lower end that doesn’t go low enough, or even goes so low as to stop sounding musical, and higher ends that sound piercing, but not so with the JP95. The lows on this pedal take on a synth-like quality and the highs are anything but harsh.
John Petrucci Signature Mesa Boogie JP-2C
John Petrucci is a big fan of Mesa Boogies. There’s a reason he’s been using them for three decades — their pure gain sounds heavy, thick, and distorted, but never sacrifices clarity. Petrucci describes it as if each note is individually distorted only to come together to provide one crystal-clear distorted sound.
Of all the Boogies he’s played, Petrucci always had an affinity for the Mark II C+. When Mesa Boogie approached him to discuss a signature amp, he said, “Let’s do a real C+ reissue.” The JP-2C is built with the same big transformer, the same big circuit, but with some serious 21st century updates that will appeal particularly to performers. Take, for instance, the JP-2C’s three separate channels, one clean and two for lead, two distinct EQs, and even its MIDI capability, proving the JP-2C is truly the modernization of a Boogie classic.
John Petrucci Signature Gear