# NGD! Arctic Dream Majesty 7 *Much EBMM Pronz*



## decreebass (May 16, 2014)

You know the drill: pron first:




































































































First Impressions: As soon as I opened the cardboard shipping box, I was immediately struck by how nice of a case it comes with. Its basically a flight case; plastic with the MM logo on it and a Majesty logo by the handle. 

As soon as I opened the case, I was awestruck. First of all, this guitar is TINY. Its much smaller and lighter than the JP13 7 which, by comparison feels like a boat anchor. Also, as you can see, its form fitted in the case - which even has a semi-circle cutout so you can leave the trem arm on all the time!! I swear, half the reason I dont use the term is because I cant be bothered to take the extra 15 seconds and get it out of the case and plunk it in place

Craftsmanship is just spectacular. Fretwork is amazing, finish is flawless and beautiful, shovel is nicely done, and oh, those sweet sweet mirrored inlays! As you can see, the Majesty symbol is a sort of fitted block inlay; its not a block, but its by no means a precise carving of every curve and point of the Majesty symbol. The shields are all little mirrors too. The knobs turn with slightly more resistance than the 13, which feels like zero resistance; I like the Majestys knobs a little better. The control layout is exactly the same as the 13 with one noticeable exception: the volume for the piezo pickup clicks like a digital button when you press it (whereas the other knobs are push/push spring action for their various function) which leads me to believe the Game Changer is a viable part of this guitar.

The (single) input jack feels extremely solid and tight. The location and/or angle of the strap button near the bridge of the guitar feels a little awkward. Doesnt seem to hurt anything though - its not at such an angle that Im worried my strap will slip off. All the black chrome hardware is beautiful and feels like quality: locking tuners are tight and strong, recessed switches feel buttery and click with ease, wammy bar feels a bit beefier than previous models.

I do have a couple issues with it though that take it from being a perfect 10/10 to about a 9.98/10. 

1) It ships with 10s. Im a 9s kinda guy (Ryan Reynolds anyone? No shirt? Hotel room scene? no? okay lol)

2)The action was high for my taste. I like my action stupid-low; to the point of a little fret buzz. Had to crank the wonderfully-located truss rod adjuster about half of a turn to get it where I like it. I think when I swap out the strings with the same set of strings that are on my JP13 7 (9s) Ill be a happy camper.

3)Indoor lighting makes it look very dark. I picked it up from a local guitar store (Dans Guitars, Honolulu, Hawaii) and opened it there and was speaking with another customer a few minutes later: he said, Oh yea, youre the one who just got that black guitar! Rest assured I corrected him like the self-righteous pri** that I am haha

4)I need more info about the Game Changer. This supposedly has it, and the pickup selector switch is LITERALLY seamless, but I wanna be able to customize my coils selection.

The big question: Yes, it can djent 

I havent really gotten to play it that much because a) I just got off a 13-hour nursing shift (and man are my nip-nips sore) and I was on my way to bed when I started thinking about this guitar. For shiggles and gits I decided to check my phone: lo and behold! Dans Guitars had called to tell me my guitar was here. So I drove an hour into town, messed around at the store for some time, then came home and took a bunch of pics and only noodled a little. But lets be honest: Its a fricken Music Man John Petrucci signature guitar, What do you really think - its gonna sound like balls? No it sounds amazing. It feels amazing; the whole thing resonates and vibrates against my body, which adds to the perceived volume.

So yea. Its great. You should buy one.


Heres the specs directly from the MM website:


> Model: The Majesty
> Description:
> "The Majesty guitar symbolizes the very reason why I am so proud to be a Music Man artist. I had the idea for this guitar a couple of years ago but it is because of their innovative spirit and dedication to the art of guitar building that it is now a reality. I am so grateful that I am able to collaborate with the best guitar company on the planet and so incredibly proud that together we have created what is to me, the perfect musical instrument for guitar players. I really hope you get a chance to play one and am confident that you will feel the same!" - John Petrucci
> 
> ...



I'm sure I'll be posting more pics and/or sound samples if I come across anything interesting or unique to this guitar. Feel free to ask any questions you may have, or just enjoy the pronz. Cheers, everyone!


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## emroth (May 16, 2014)

Looks pretty damn cool to me. HNGD!


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## asher (May 16, 2014)

Yeah. I'm gonna do it.



MAJESTIC!

HNGD!


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## rg401 (May 16, 2014)

Beauty ! HNGD


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## Svava (May 16, 2014)

HNGD bro!

I need to put nines on mine too xD

I have nines on my thirteen xD


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## Musiscience (May 17, 2014)

Happy NGD! Hope you really enjoy it, it looks like a beast of a guitar!

Side note : One day they will just remove the etched maple, and everybody will be like "oh, this was a very cool looking guitar all along.". This will happen soon enough if EBMM is not stubborn.


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## timbucktu123 (May 17, 2014)

im gassing so hard for a majesty right now. congrats on the new guitar! enjoy her


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## Noxon (May 17, 2014)

HNGD!


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## 77zark77 (May 17, 2014)

Great guitar and great pics, Congratulations and Happy NGD !


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## Ludo95 (May 17, 2014)

HNGD, thanks for the pics!!


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## TimSE (May 17, 2014)

Man that is awesome except the block inlay


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## MikeH (May 17, 2014)

Part of me really wants to hate these. But the other part thinks they're so damn sexy. Congrats, dude!


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## jephjacques (May 17, 2014)

HNGD! And thanks for confirming that these are smaller than the JPX series and that a huge bear of a man like me would look silly playing one, you just saved me $2600


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## rapterr15 (May 17, 2014)

jephjacques said:


> HNGD! And thanks for confirming that these are smaller than the JPX series and that a huge bear of a man like me would look silly playing one, you just saved me $2600



Hey dude I'm 6'7 and am GASing for a Carvin HH2 which I would look absolutely ridiculous playing, but who cares?! If you want it, go for it


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## rapterr15 (May 17, 2014)

Oh and happy NGD to the OP! I'm still not crazy about the shape, but the paint scheme is awesome and no doubt it plays and sounds stupacular (stupidly spectacular).


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## jephjacques (May 17, 2014)

rapterr15 said:


> Hey dude I'm 6'7 and am GASing for a Carvin HH2 which I would look absolutely ridiculous playing, but who cares?! If you want it, go for it



YOU'RE NOT HELPING


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## jvms (May 17, 2014)

Hey bro, how is the neck thickness compared to other JPs? Wich other JPs have you played? Also, how is the neck finish? Is it gloss or satin? any close to a non painted neck? Anyway, beatiful guitar, hope you are loving it!


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

Thanks everyone; I've been doing my best to put it out of my mind for so long now; I bought it before the NAMM show and all I've been able to do was just wait.

@jephjacques - It is small, but like I said; it plays like a dream. If it's what you want, then don't let thinking you'll look ridiculous stop you. Just buy one. Do it. DO IT MEOW!!! Here; use your oar - beep boop beep meow boop beep...

@Musiscience - I think you may be right; they might do well to get rid of the entire center aesthetic (color, etching, etc). Honestly though, I think so many people have a problem with it because someone heard the term "carbon fiber" and now everyone thinks it's an attempt to make it look like there's carbon fiber on the guitar. It's not; it's just a really tight cross-hatched design (see image) - and I think if the whole 'carbon fibre' thing had never gotten started, people would have been able to appreciate it for what it is. I might be wrong. Either way I'm sure YOU'RE right 

@TimSE - Out of curiosity, what is it that you don't like about the inlay?


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

jvms said:


> Hey bro, how is the neck thickness compared to other JPs? Wich other JPs have you played? Also, how is the neck finish? Is it gloss or satin? any close to a non painted neck? Anyway, beatiful guitar, hope you are loving it!



I've only played my JP13 7 (which easily has the thinnest neck of the JPs previous to this) and this one is nearly identical. It does have a satin neck as well. I think my only problem with this neck- and it's the same problem I had/have with my JP13 7- is that the neck is so thin, it's almost painful to pick up by the neck; the fretboard edges basically cuts into the side of you hand since they're practically the only parts that make contact with your hand.

And I am indeed lovin' it. I get my first chance to perform with it tomorrow!


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## Timelesseer (May 17, 2014)

I was not a fan of these when they first released info on them, but I have to admit they're growing on me after seeing a few NGDs on here. Loveeee the Arctic Dream finish too!

Happy NGD man, looking forward to hearing some clips of it!


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## SkullCrusher (May 17, 2014)

Everytime I see that inlay it reminds me of Marseille Olympique football team.







Happy NGD


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## Jonathan20022 (May 17, 2014)

HNGD man, and no it doesn't have the Game Changer's ability to mess with the pickup coils. That functionality isn't there, just the advantages of the switching system.


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## jvms (May 17, 2014)

decreebass said:


> I've only played my JP13 7 (which easily has the thinnest neck of the JPs previous to this) and this one is nearly identical. It does have a satin neck as well. I think my only problem with this neck- and it's the same problem I had/have with my JP13 7- is that the neck is so thin, it's almost painful to pick up by the neck; the fretboard edges basically cuts into the side of you hand since they're practically the only parts that make contact with your hand.
> 
> And I am indeed lovin' it. I get my first chance to perform with it tomorrow!



what to you mean by having a satin neck as well? Other BFR and anniversary JPs have satin necks, aside from the Stealth one?


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## Doulton (May 17, 2014)

Absolutely gorgeous! I'm reaaaally starting to want one of these and this isn't helping!


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

jvms said:


> what to you mean by having a satin neck as well? Other BFR and anniversary JPs have satin necks, aside from the Stealth one?



Sorry, I see what happened there: I meant "as well [like the body's finish]" - I'm not sure if other JPs have satin necks; Johnathan20022 would be the one tos ask about that 

@Johnathan20022 - Any idea what's up with the button in the piezo knob then? I'm not questioning your knowledge, just curious if you know- the JP13 doesn't have that...


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

Doulton said:


> Absolutely gorgeous! I'm reaaaally starting to want one of these and this isn't helping!



You can have mine; all you have to do is kill me, break into my house (which should be easy since you can loot my housekeys from my corpse) and gank it. Easy peasy.


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## jvms (May 17, 2014)

Oh, got it, damn language mistake xD.
Thank you for answering, enjoy the new axe!


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## TremontiFan16 (May 17, 2014)

NEBMMD!
Looks cool-Different in certain lights


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

Yea, I was a little worried when I was taking the pics with my iPhone; I couldn't really even see the color nuances on the iPhone screen, but they all showed up in the gamorous photos


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## Jonathan20022 (May 17, 2014)

No clue yet man! I need to get my hands on one of these soon, sucks because apparently my local Guitar Centers won't stock them unless people pay for one first 

I was really hoping for this to have it, it's not that I don't want to buy a Gamechanger Reflex, it's just that I could buy a JP or a Silhouette given the chance instead 

But as far as necks go, the JP6/7 are raw wood (Gun Stock Oil) finished. The JP BFR, X, XI, 12, 13, are all gloss and painted necks, and the Majesty/Stealth Guitars have painted satin-like necks! Assuming all guitars are just straight production models and not special run guitars of course!


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

I asked the question over at the EBMM forums... Hopefully someone over there has some insight as to what the button does (or did - perhaps it was used during initial Gamechanger programming...)


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## alvaro89 (May 17, 2014)

I can not believe you got one.. I envy you, you don't know how much I do jaja

Congratz and enjoy it  !!


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

alvaro89 said:


> I can not believe you got one.. I envy you, you don't know how much I do jaja
> 
> Congratz and enjoy it  !!



Haha thanks  I'm still in shock myself. It is literally the perfect guitar (for me anyhow). I've had it strapped on for a couple hours now and no sore back - or belly; the back of it has no sharp edges or anything that makes it uncomfortable. It almost has that sort of Warwick thumb bass or Specter bass type feel to the back of it; kinda just carved out for my belly? I can see that it doesn't actually have a concave back, but it feels like it does. I dunno, difficult to describe.

Also, turns out the button on the piezo knob switches the guitar from mono to stereo when you have a TRS cable plugged in; which is nice since there's only one output (the other JPs have two).


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## AkiraSpectrum (May 17, 2014)

Dang, I want to play one so bad. 

congrats!


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## decreebass (May 17, 2014)

It's fantastic in every imaginable way... except it needs 9s. A part of me is willing to swap the strings out right now even though the ones on it are still new, but another part of me is thinking to maybe wait to see if the 10s grow on me. I don't think they will; they make faster runs more difficult - but maybe that's just me needing to clean up my playing.

To be honest, I haven't even touched any of my guitars in the last 6 weeks. I've been in a bit of a slump (may have something to do with working night shift) so I was absolutely thrilled to get this on the verge of going back on days AND getting to play guitar for the church praise team I'm on - which, up until now I've been playing bass for. I love playing bass but nowadays I'll choose guitar over bass any day. I can't wait to bring everything I've learned from Petrucci's style to the worship team. I'll even be rocking my TC Electronic Dreamscape pedal  

Let me tell you; the cleans on this guitar with the mag pups in the middle position with the coils split coupled with the piezo and the Dreamscape? Such ringing, clear, and beautiful sounds. I'm in heaven.


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## AKan (May 18, 2014)

These guitars are really growing on me...

HNGD


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## Matthew (May 18, 2014)

Now I have to buy one so I can have the first non arctic dream Majesty.

Who are we kidding? I'd get arctic dream. HNGD!


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## nathanwessel (May 19, 2014)

You can dislike the shape, but none can deny that finish.


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## decreebass (May 19, 2014)

Matthew said:


> Now I have to buy one so I can have the first non arctic dream Majesty.
> 
> Who are we kidding? I'd get arctic dream. HNGD!



You know, I've had the photo of Petrucci playing his black Majesty 7 as my desktop background for a the last couple months...

To be honest, while I love the arctic dream finish, I wouldn't mind one of the solid colors. For some reason the matte finish doesn't really highlight the color changing effect too well in normal room lighting. I think if I get the 6-string Majesty (or maybe an Albert Lee, haven't decided) I might go for one of the solid colors.


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## Shawn (May 19, 2014)

Great finish! Looks sleek.....really like the silver one too though. Nice pair.


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## decreebass (May 19, 2014)

Shawn said:


> Great finish! Looks sleek.....really like the silver one too though. Nice pair.



Thanks! I think getting the Majesty reinvigorated my love for the 13 too! Also, the Majesty is exactly 1.5lbs lighter than the 13, believe it or no! So easy on the back... That means I can get that Mesa/Boogie Mark IV combo I've been eyeing and lug that bad boy around


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## asher (May 19, 2014)

decreebass said:


> Thanks! I think getting the Majesty reinvigorated my love for the 13 too! Also, the Majesty is exactly 1.5lbs lighter than the 13, believe it or no! So easy on the back... That means I can get that Mesa/Boogie Mark IV combo I've been eyeing and lug that bad boy around



Some of those have casters! Mine did, at least.

Which I never used because I was scared of knocking the tubes around rolling over transitions and stuff.


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## Sunyata (May 20, 2014)

Congrats! These look better and better every time I see them.

BTW, I'd really appreciate if you could take a side by side comparison pic of the majesty and 13 to show the size difference. I loved how small my JP7 was compared to other guitars and was kind of disappointed at the gradual enlarging of the JP line, so the smallness of the majesty is really making my want one...


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## lewstherin006 (May 20, 2014)

Congrats bro she looks awesome!


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## dlsmith976 (May 20, 2014)

Congrats! Although, I hate those because they look like shovels. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy it.


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

Sunyata said:


> Congrats! These look better and better every time I see them.
> 
> BTW, I'd really appreciate if you could take a side by side comparison pic of the majesty and 13 to show the size difference. I loved how small my JP7 was compared to other guitars and was kind of disappointed at the gradual enlarging of the JP line, so the smallness of the majesty is really making my want one...


 
I don't think that would be a problem; I'll try to get a good comparison pic for ya. Stand by; might be a couple hours


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

dlsmith976 said:


> Congrats! Although, I hate those because they look like shovels. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy it.


 
It's all good  Perhaps it will be a huge flop and 50 years from now it'll be a rare guitar - who knows? I kinda dig the shovel, to be honest, and when you're playing it, you really don't notice the shape. All you feel in your hands is perfection lol.


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## Alberto7 (May 20, 2014)

I think it's official. I love this guitar. I semi-slandered it at first, but after seeing a couple of NGD threads and real-life pictures of it, I find myself liking it more and more.

That guitar is tiny, and I love it.

Congrats man! Looking forward to trying one out myself some time!


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

Alberto7 said:


> I think it's official. I love this guitar. I semi-slandered it at first, but after seeing a couple of NGD threads and real-life pictures of it, I find myself liking it more and more.
> 
> That guitar is tiny, and I love it.
> 
> Congrats man! Looking forward to trying one out myself some time!



WARNING: if you try it, you'll have to buy it  Hell, I didn't even need to try it before I ordered mine. As soon as I saw it I was like *beep boop beep boop meow...* "Hello, Dan? Yea I'm gonna need you to order me a Majesty 7 in arctic dream finish, mmmkay? Thanks, buh-bye."


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

Sorry about the crappy image quality; just iPhone pics and it's really hard to capture the difference in size; the outdoor pics by the motorcycle kinda show it, but I also took these just now:






Here you can see the horn size differences and where the body shapes differ.






You can clearly see the width differences, at least in the outer portion of the bodies.










The upper fret access is unparallelled in the Majesty. It's just phenomenal.


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

Whatever they did to it, they shaved off a pound and a half from the JP13 7... I bet the 6-string version of this is stupid-lightweight!


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## HighGain510 (May 20, 2014)

I wasn't really digging the Majesty but the more I see it (and better pics of it, thanks for that!) the more I kinda like it.  I too wish they didn't go with the cheap way of "inlaying" that first fret "block inlay" though, looks kinda cheap.  I'd prefer either no inlay or actually do it as an inlay, but the black and mirror material sunken into the fretboard with a border makes an otherwise-awesome-looking guitar look more like a $500 cheesy Indonesian Schecter.  I really like everything else about it, even the "shovel" jokes aren't really hitting home as much now that you see the comparison to the standard JP body, I actually dig the shape. Not sure I'd buy one, but I am curious to at least play one at some point.


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

I have to admit; it plays and sounds nigh identical to my JP13 7 - surely has a lot to do with the Illuminators, I bet. But if you like the neck of the JP13, you'll like this neck; it's microscopically fatter (1-7/8" (47.6 mm) at nut, 2-7/16" (61.9 mm) at last fret on the Majesty vs 1.6875" (43mm) at nut, 2.25" (57.2mm) at last fret on the JP13) - but that probably has to do with it needing a slight bit more beef since it's a neck-through.

Either way, it's easily the greatest guitar I've ever held, played, or heard. I think if I ever get another guitar, it'll be exclusively for the novelty (ie something new and different) because this guitar is, quite literally, perfect (or it will be once I throw some 9s on it!).

And the inlay isn't that bad in RL - the photo kinda highlighted the edge since it's a clear/mirrored piece. In RL it looks fine. I spent like 5 minutes trying to find just the right angle that showed the edges of the inlay - it is quite undetectable in person unless you're explicitly looking for it. And the mirrored shields are awesome; especially to a fantasy/RPG video game buff like myself - "Oh yea? My guitar has mirror shields on it! Try to cast lightning on me and it'll fry YO a**, not me!!!"


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## HighGain510 (May 20, 2014)

Right on.  I'm all tapped out for a while (just spent ~$11K in the last month between selling two guitars and an amp to bring in 3 new guitars... ) but this is still on my radar. I've seen some variety in the boards though, yours looks like it has a nice dark one, so I think if I do ever opt to buy one of these, I'll definitely need pics before I pull the trigger!  Thanks a lot... giving me GAS for one of these like a jerk....   Seriously though, thanks for the nice pics! I'm glad someone finally took some decent shots of one of these!


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## The Hiryuu (May 20, 2014)

Someone seriously needs to talk Petrucci into trying out 8-strings so this can be released as one.


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

The Hiryuu said:


> Someone seriously needs to talk Petrucci into trying out 8-strings so this can be released as one.



Don't worry. It's only a matter of time. I think though, that unless he used it enough to justify a custom/signature model, we wouldn't see a JP8/Majesty 8. I could see him on a Skervessen or even a Carvin for one song if needed it. But yea - a Majesty 8 would be pretty mind-blowing; especially if they decided to make it multi-scale. Guarantee that'd be near the $3500 price tag though. 

Anyway, I forget where I saw it, but he said in an interview that it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, so he gives us a little something to hang our hopes on


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

For your pleasure:


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## decreebass (May 20, 2014)

That's all for now... GAS yet?


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## ihunda (May 20, 2014)

HNGD and thanks for sharing!


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## Guamskyy (May 20, 2014)

Yes GAS... but no left handed option yet :/


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## Jonathan20022 (May 21, 2014)




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## decreebass (May 21, 2014)

haha yep  

I'm at work right now and I can't stop flipping through the 50 or so pics of her that are on my phone. It's an addictive guitar to look at!


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## HaloHat (May 21, 2014)

Ha, first thing I think is, that case is awesome lol. Well it is.
Next, Cool bike for the island twisties.
Please post an "after the honeymoon" thread if you think about it and want to. Your too "in lust" right now for me to read your impressions lol. Congrats, know you have been waiting on this like Christmas day ha.


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## decreebass (May 21, 2014)

HaloHat said:


> Ha, first thing I think is, that case is awesome lol. Well it is.
> Next, Cool bike for the island twisties.
> Please post an "after the honeymoon" thread if you think about it and want to. Your too "in lust" right now for me to read your impressions lol. Congrats, know you have been waiting on this like Christmas day ha.


 

Haha you're right... to an extent. I'm still thrilled with my JP13 after 9 months (plenty of time for the honeymoon to wear off). And with as perfect as the JP13 is, it would take a LOT to beat it - and the Majesty does just that. It's about the same as far as playability (except the Maj has better upper fret access due to no heel) but the Maj just looks so much cooler. I always compare playing my JP13 to playing a BMW, but the Maj is like playing Lotus... It's just on a "hole 'nudda level" aesthetically. So I'm sure my glee and obsession with its looks will fade, but that won't change how amazing it plays and sounds...

And to be honest, I pretty much put it out of my mind after I ordered it, especially when I started hearing that it wouldn't be here til June-July. So when I checked my phone and saw a missed call from the guitar store that I bought it from (knowing they would have literally no other reason for calling me) I was reservedly excited. I'm pretty good at keeping my emotions in perspective so you can trust that this is a pretty sober review. But just for you, in a few months I will do as you suggest - I will make an "after the honeymoon" thread about the guitar.

I suppose I can already say the small size is a bit of an issue; I have two guitar stands that it will not fit in without also touching the ground... Small complaint, but a complaint nonetheless


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## decreebass (May 21, 2014)

fsjzhen said:


> im gassing so hard for a majesty right now.


 
As should you be  

srs.

I'm gonna post another 30 pics in a few days likely; probably family pics of all my ERGs... I'm gonna try to borrow my friend's Nikkon so I have a better camera than just my iPhone, though, to be honest, some of those pics still came out pretty nice, eh?


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## Andromalia (May 21, 2014)

That thing is growingon me, but at 3500&#8364; I'll pass. :/


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## Miijk (May 21, 2014)

Wow... looks kind of sci-fi in a way ^^ I love sci-fi!


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## decreebass (May 21, 2014)

Miijk said:


> Wow... looks kind of sci-fi in a way ^^ I love sci-fi!


 
Yea; they did an excellent job making this thing look ultra-modern and futuristic, but still conservative enough that it doesn't scream avant garde. Then the finish... That brings it home, especially those times where you can see the royal purple with the teal/moss green at the same time. This is truly a work of art. I've had so many people comment on how awesome it is - and these are mostly non-musicians. They don't know who JP is and they can't tell a nice guitar from a beater. This thing speaks to people, I think.


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## WhoThenNow7 (May 21, 2014)

Happy NGD! Looks awesome! Although, I don't really understand how it coming with 10's instead of 9's can justify rating it lower; but hey who am I to judge. Enjoy it!


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## Reynder (May 21, 2014)

dat neck joint, HNGD


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## decreebass (May 21, 2014)

WhoThenNow7 said:


> Happy NGD! Looks awesome! Although, I don't really understand how it coming with 10's instead of 9's can justify rating it lower; but hey who am I to judge. Enjoy it!



Well, for starters, I think lowering it by 0.02 is a pretty negligible hit to the otherwise perfect score; but you understand this will require an entire - albeit minor - setup and bridge balancing. It's not quite as bad as a Floyd Rose, but it'll still be a little work for me


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## decreebass (May 21, 2014)

Reynder said:


> dat neck joint, HNGD



Rest assured I rub my hand along it most sexual-like


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## Fear (May 21, 2014)

What a beautiful guitar! I agree, it is very science fiction influenced, which is a great thing in my opinion. I wasn't sure I was going to like these, so thank you for changing my mind with some quality photographs from every angle possible. I will own one of these.


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## decreebass (May 22, 2014)

Fear said:


> What a beautiful guitar! I agree, it is very science fiction influenced, which is a great thing in my opinion. I wasn't sure I was going to like these, so thank you for changing my mind with some quality photographs from every angle possible. I will own one of these.


 
Be sure you mention me when you order so I get a commission 

And yes; I know some people are a little put off by the shovel and the fake carbon fibre, but I think when you see it from every angle, in different lighting, it helps your mind to feel as though you yourself were holding it and turning it over and around and inspecting it - thus making it more real. Then you gotta have it


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## Vampire KISS (May 22, 2014)

That's gorgeous, I really like the EBMM jpm especially because of the construction (neck) and the floyd+piezo. Enjoy it


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## decreebass (May 22, 2014)

Vampire KISS said:


> That's gorgeous, I really like the EBMM jpm especially because of the construction (neck) and the floyd+piezo. Enjoy it


 
Ooooh... Calling the Music Man bridge a Floyd... Them's is fightin' words round certain parts of this forum 

And this pizeo is especially magical; With new strings it's piano-like and rich. That, combined with the middle position mag pups split and you got yourself one of the nicest clean guitar tones round these parts.


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## Vampire KISS (May 22, 2014)

Really? Its not a "floyd based" floating trem?

i ddidnt mean anything besides that i thought it was a floyd (read "floating bridge") derivation, i liked the feel of it, not as much "fun" or "pizzazz" if that makes any sense...in otro words, its like a tamed, subtle floating bridge in comparsion to a floyd(/licnsed) n the piezo makes up for it


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## decreebass (May 22, 2014)

haha I have no idea what you're talking about  But to be honest I don't know enough about the history of Music Man to give you a good answer. For all I know, Ernie Ball may have worked with Floyd Rose and or based his bridge on the Floyd. I suppose I could Google it, but meh.

But the Music Man bridge is truly magical: it's got this beautiful little flutter if you hit a note then quicly slap the whammy bar (check out the solos to "Lost Not Forgotten" and "Under A Glass Moon" if you don't know what I'm talking about). Sure, you can do this on Floyd too, but it's not quite the same. I find it works best on the 6-string JPs with 9 gague strings, but it also works on the 7-strings.


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## Vampire KISS (May 22, 2014)

The flutter is stronger definitely, and it feels tighter as well, its agreat bridge, im a big lo pro edge fan but the jpm is just as good, and id love to have one


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## HaloHat (May 22, 2014)

Always liked the "1/2 ashtray" touch on the bridge too.

Do you know if the Game Changer is for sure a functioning part of the controls? I read somewhere the "guts" are there but it is not actually functional as a Game Changer...yet. I really like the idea of the Game Changer and the guitar overall for that matter. Yet no sale to me for the same ol' reason I have not bought a CT7 etc... must have more than a 25.5 scale.


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## decreebass (May 22, 2014)

It's not; SSo member Johnathan20022 explained this to me on the other (Svava's) Majesty NGD thread. I guess they just use it to make pup selection seamless.

It's too bad, too, 'cause I would have really loved to be able to choose which coils to use and when. But I don't want the GameChanger if it means I gotta buy a Reflex 

But you'd probably dig the DC7X; I got mine with passive pups (custom wiring to allow for coil split in middle position to use outer coils) and that thing sings. Of course, with my JP13 and Majesty it don't see the light of day that often...


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## HaloHat (May 22, 2014)

decreebass said:


> But you'd probably dig the DC7X; I got mine with passive pups (custom wiring to allow for coil split in middle position to use outer coils) and that thing sings.



true dat...


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## MetalThrasher (May 22, 2014)

That's sick as hell! Haven't been on here for a while but man this really makes me want to get one in blue! Might have to sell a guitar or two to fund this. How does this compare to the JP7 you have? I'm sure they are both awesome! HNGD!


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## decreebass (May 22, 2014)

MetalThrasher said:


> That's sick as hell! Haven't been on here for a while but man this really makes me want to get one in blue! Might have to sell a guitar or two to fund this. How does this compare to the JP7 you have? I'm sure they are both awesome! HNGD!



Thanks! Actually, I have a JP13 7 - and to be honest, aside from the pure sex that is the Majesty, they're pretty on-par with each other as far as playability, tone, electronics, and build quality. I can't really even say with any objectivity that this has more sustain than my 13. They're both such wonderful guitars.

Here's some differences (and I'll assume you saw all the pics on the previous pages) - the upper fret access is absolutely unhindered in the Majesty due to the neck carve and neck-though construction. The Majesty has those recessed knobs and a carved top, whereas the JP13 has bevels, but is otherwise a flat-top guitar. Both trems are flawless, though the Majesty wins this round because due to the amazing case it came with, I can leave the whammy bar on 24/7 whereas I have to take it off before putting my JP13 away.

I think one of the most striking differences between the two is that the Majesty is so much lighter than the 13 - literally a pound and a half lighter! Actually, it's probably even lighter than that since I weighed the Majesty with the Whammy bar and the JP13 without.

But, in my opinion, and with as much as I'm turned on by the JP13 7, the Majesty 7, in this particular color, is easily the sexiest guitar I've ever played, seen, or heard. (That said, Johnathan20022 posted a Mystic Dream fully loaded JP6 with the rosewood neck over at the EBMM forums and I nearly creamed when I saw that...). But really, any color you choose of the Majesty - 6 or 7 strings - is gonna be your favorite guitar ever. I kinda want the black one myself; but I gotta pace myself with my EBMM buying... two per year... no, three... okay, four. Five - tops!!! ...okay; twist my arm: six...


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## decreebass (May 22, 2014)

HaloHat said:


> true dat...



Dude... What the F do all them switches do?!? Beautiful guitar!


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## MetalThrasher (May 22, 2014)

decreebass said:


> Thanks! Actually, I have a JP13 7 - and to be honest, aside from the pure sex that is the Majesty, they're pretty on-par with each other as far as playability, tone, electronics, and build quality. I can't really even say with any objectivity that this has more sustain than my 13. They're both such wonderful guitars.
> 
> Here's some differences (and I'll assume you saw all the pics on the previous pages) - the upper fret access is absolutely unhindered in the Majesty due to the neck carve and neck-though construction. The Majesty has those recessed knobs and a carved top, whereas the JP13 has bevels, but is otherwise a flat-top guitar. Both trems are flawless, though the Majesty wins this round because due to the amazing case it came with, I can leave the whammy bar on 24/7 whereas I have to take it off before putting my JP13 away.
> 
> ...



I hear you on guitar limits a year LOL! I have a JP6 and I love it! I like the idea that you don't have to remove the whammy bar on the Majesty 7 when you put it away! Guess I'll be selling one of my Carvin's soon to fund this. BTW I see that Sweetwater has them but they are on backorder. anyone know when they are getting more in? I've been so busy with work and fishing lately that I haven't touched a guitar in 2 months which I know is a sin! I think this guitar just gave me gas and inspiration big time!


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## erdiablo666 (May 22, 2014)

I didn't even take a second look the first time I saw one of these, but man, that is gorgeous! HNGD dude! 

I don't know why I come here, all I ever get is GAS


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## decreebass (May 22, 2014)

MetalThrasher said:


> I hear you on guitar limits a year LOL! I have a JP6 and I love it! I like the idea that you don't have to remove the whammy bar on the Majesty 7 when you put it away! Guess I'll be selling one of my Carvin's soon to fund this. BTW I see that Sweetwater has them but they are on backorder. anyone know when they are getting more in? I've been so busy with work and fishing lately that I haven't touched a guitar in 2 months which I know is a sin! I think this guitar just gave me gas and inspiration big time!



That was my scenario. I've been on night shifts, to which I just can't seem to adjust, so I didn't even take a guitar out of it's case for probably around 10 weeks... I felt terrible but I'm getting old enough to realize that although that sucks, sometimes it helps to re-invigorate my passion and sense of music.

I'm sure Sweetwater will start getting them "in stock" once all their pre-orders are fulfilled. Best to order soon if you want one - I'm sure you've noticed they can't even keep their other JP models in stock. 

And yes; even though I love my Carvins and have no intention of selling them, I would say this would be one guitar that would be worth it to do so for.


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## HighGain510 (May 23, 2014)

I hate that I keep coming back to check this thread.  I have no money to buy more guitars since I just brought in 3 new ones (2 I've posted already, one very special one incoming today!!! ) so I'd have to let one go to even think of buying a Majesty 7, but for some odd reason I'm actually quite tempted and I can't for the life of me figure out why!  I've located a store that has one in stock but it's way too far to drive to check it out, so I was tempted to see what they could do for me on the price and if it was good enough, I may consider it...


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## decreebass (May 23, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> I hate that I keep coming back to check this thread.  I have no money to buy more guitars since I just brought in 3 new ones (2 I've posted already, one very special one incoming today!!! ) so I'd have to let one go to even think of buying a Majesty 7, but for some odd reason I'm actually quite tempted and I can't for the life of me figure out why!  I've located a store that has one in stock but it's way too far to drive to check it out, so I was tempted to see what they could do for me on the price and if it was good enough, I may consider it...


 

Dude. I have a simple flowchart for exactly this type of situation:

Does the Majesty 7 exist? 
If "Yes:" Buy it.
If "No:" Kill yourself and keep doing it over and over until you get reincarnated into a universe in which it does exist, then repeat flowchart.

But in all seriousness, if you like the JP guitars, this will feel very familiar and you already know the quality and atention to detail is there. You really can't go wrong.

And I think we all know why you keep coming back to this thread. It's the pron.


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## lettmusic (May 23, 2014)

it goes well with your Ninja. 
What do you think of the flat neck radius?


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## decreebass (May 24, 2014)

lettmusic said:


> it goes well with your Ninja.
> What do you think of the flat neck radius?



Thanks!

And I LOVE flat radii. My JP13 7 has the same radius; as far as feel goes, to my left hand there's not much of a noticeable difference (except that my JP13 7 has 9s for the strings) - the necks feel just about the same thickness, too. I guess if you're one of those people that care about the finish of the back of the neck you'd probably be aware of the matte vs the JP13s gloss, but I don't even notice.

And actually, I just bought a JPXI six-string from a user here on the SSo Marketplace and that thing has an even flatter radius (20" vs 17" for the Maj & JP13) so when that gets here, that'll be even better!

After playing on and loving the JP13's rosewood fretboard, a part of me wonders if the Maj might be slightly better rosewood instead of ebony... I am really curious to see what variations of the Maj they're going to come up with over the next couple years...


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## Greenbrettiscool (May 26, 2014)

Dude I love how thorough you are with the comparisons, great reviewing and killer guitar! I totally would of gotten the "arctic/mystic dream" color if I had the extra cash H-late-GD!!


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## Greenbrettiscool (May 26, 2014)

And I also LOVE the neck radius, it is the lightest and most comfortable 7 I've probably ever played, it's just an amazing instrument.


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## decreebass (May 26, 2014)

Greenbrettiscool said:


> Dude I love how thorough you are with the comparisons, great reviewing and killer guitar! I totally would of gotten the "arctic/mystic dream" color if I had the extra cash H-late-GD!!



Yea I hate how the Arctic/Mystic Dream finishes are several hundred dollars more expensive. But this is literally the last/best guitar I'll ever need (even though I've already bought another one since lol) so I figured I'd go all out. But now I want a black one


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## decreebass (May 26, 2014)

FYI I thought I'd post this to show the range of where the trem arm can be and still be able to close the case:










Really it's just an excuse to post more pics of her...


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## HaloHat (May 27, 2014)

decreebass said:


> Dude... What the F do all them switches do?!? Beautiful guitar!



I just got tired of mini switches so tried regular 3 ways instead [which of course are really 5 ways as you know]. All just like a regular set up... One 3 way for the pu selector, the other two 3 ways are to put each pu in Series/Split/Parallel. Guess that is my preferred set up on pick up switching as I like being able to have one pu in split and the other series or parallel and be able to blend them with the middle position on the pu selector. Gotta paint the switches black asap lol.

Would I do it again? No, I would just buy some heavy duty mini switches with the larger flat style tangs. Kinda disappointed in myself at where I placed these too. Not horrible but could have been better. Next build ha. The 3 ways are much stronger and easier to feel and see so once I paint them black I'll probably live with it peacefully  It does play and sound hella good. Probably going to try a Fishman Triple Play on six of the seven strings soon. I'd do the Hipshot Piezo saddles but I think I wanna try the Fishman MIDI/Wireless for the multi instruments and I like the tab/notation writing feature too. And of course the wireless part of the deal is great!

Wish it was as light as your new Mystic though ha. 10lbs on the dot. Heavy ebony is heavy lol.


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## decreebass (May 27, 2014)

I'm telling ya; if Carvin would have just started selling piezos on their sevens, I probably never would have even bothered with Music Man. That's one of the reasons I was so pissed at Carvin at first - I had ordered my DC747 WITH PIEZO pups; here I was thinking that I literally had placed the order for my perfect dream guitar, then the next day the sales guy calls me back and says, "Oh yea, sorry, we don't offer piezos on 7-strings..." I was like, "WTF, over?" Apparently he didn't usually work in sales or had some sort of reason for ruining my perfect guitar. Haha that was the first of many nails in the coffin of my relationship with Carvin. Only took three other builds and countless mistakes/blunders for me to realize I needed to take my money elsewhere. Music Man all the way now, baby! Though I still enjoy my Carvins, there's always that sour taste in my mouth when I play or think about them  Anyway, I'll digress.

I really do dig those switches; I think they look pretty elegant. And I like the placement. I like the versatility they offer. If I had better know-how, I might do the same thing but with toggles that would fit into the current holes. Nice work! And that's all ebony? Or just the top? I don't recall your NGD...


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## decreebass (Jun 7, 2014)

Here's a couple vids I just shot. Nothing spectacular, but man, this guitar is so easy to play. I mean, you'd think it would make me a better guitarist, but alas! I still need much practice


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## Psionic (Jun 7, 2014)

decreebass said:


> Here's a couple vids I just shot. Nothing spectacular, but man, this guitar is so easy to play. I mean, you'd think it would make me a better guitarist, but alas! I still need much practice




These vids just lowered the resale value of the Guitar by at least 1k here on sevenstring, if you are really naked


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## Ari_VD (Jun 7, 2014)

Happy NGD bro..
Wish I had the black one, dat Ninja I meant


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## decreebass (Jun 7, 2014)

Psionic said:


> These vids just lowered the resale value of the Guitar by at least 1k here on sevenstring, if you are really naked



Oh yea, bro, and it's a mess back there... What you can't see WILL make you throw up 



Ari_VD said:


> Happy NGD bro..
> Wish I had the black one, dat Ninja I meant



You should get one! They're like the most affordable bike out there, right behind the Honda Shadow and Huffy!


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## Alberto7 (Jun 7, 2014)

Call me childish, but you're a funny dude  I genuinely chuckled. You also happen to be a great player from what I can tell. Doing Her (His?) Majesty justice! Whatever was discernible from the tone was spot on as well! Cool clips


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## decreebass (Jun 7, 2014)

Alberto7 said:


> Call me childish, but you're a funny dude  I genuinely chuckled. You also happen to be a great player from what I can tell. Doing Her (His?) Majesty justice! Whatever was discernible from the tone was spot on as well! Cool clips


 
YOU'RE CHILDISH!!! Okay. Now that we got that out of the way, thank you!  I actually recorded that for a friend who was on 24hr staff duty at the hospital, just trying to give her an awkward chuckle, but I figured I'd post it anyhow. 

My Mark V is an amazing tone monster... I think my perception of good guitar tone has been hugely colored by Petrucci's tone. So I'm not satisfied until it's heavy, clear, rich, squishy, and singing. I've actually learned most of this song and a couple others off their latest album; some of my favorite parts are the cleans - when I get to have a little compression, some chorus, verb, light delay, and using the middle-split mag pup blended with the piezo. MMmm mmmm mmm! sweet!


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## Toxic Dover (Jun 11, 2014)

I've always wondered this but never asked: is there a reason for the notches in the nut on the fret board side of each string, or is it just cosmetic? 

HNGD anyway man, that thing is gorgeous


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## jephjacques (Jun 11, 2014)

It's a compensated nut, it makes the guitar intone better.


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## decreebass (Jun 11, 2014)

Yea, Toxic - that's Ernie Ball Music Man's patented "compensated nut." Basically it helps compensate for the varying thicknesses of the strings so the strings' upper harmonics are more in tune. It's like a much simpler version of the True Temperament frets (the ones that look like little bits of spaghetti on the fretboard. 

Is this nut better than others? I dunno- I can't really tell. Someone must believe it is for it to be on most, if not all EBMM guitars


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## Andromalia (Jun 12, 2014)

Those are 3K5&#8364; in europe, seriously....


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## UltraParanoia (Jun 12, 2014)

I'd love a Glacial Frost 6 string, but they are over $4,000 in Australia & thats never going to f***ing happen!


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## decreebass (Jun 15, 2014)

Dang! Y'all need to make friends with someone in the US and have them buy it for you. That's crazy expensive. Maybe. Or not, I dunno. I dunno what the economy is like over there. Maybe it's the same price but the numbers are higher lol.


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## wilch (Jun 15, 2014)

decreebass said:


> Dang! Y'all need to make friends with someone in the US and have them buy it for you. That's crazy expensive. Maybe. Or not, I dunno. I dunno what the economy is like over there. Maybe it's the same price but the numbers are higher lol.



Nope.. Our dollar's are almost at parity.

We get ripped because of shipping costs (we're very, very, very far away from most countries), and despite our large land mass we have a very small population compared to other countries. So, it costs a buttload to get high end gear and equipment...distributor's don't bring everything in due to the large risk of not being able to sell.

Getting stuff from the US sucks too. We have to not only pay for shipping, but we have to pay a stupid amount of import duties ontop of anything over $1k.

Importing one of these from the USA would cost more for us, than if we found a dealer that was willing to sell at near cost locally....and even then we'd probably have to order it in, and wait several months for the distributor to bring it in with "the next lot of orders for Australia" (many, many months if you get GAS at the wrong end of the cycle).

Also, lol @ the "naked guitarist" vids.


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## MesaBeno (Jun 15, 2014)

I'm itching for this in 6 string so bad...just waiting for my Razorback 7 to sell so I can have some money to burn on it!


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## jpcalloway (Dec 28, 2015)

Beautiful! Awesome pictures.


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## GuitarFactoryDylan (Dec 28, 2015)

Really unique finish, I don't think I could go with any other colour if I were to own one.


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