Ernie Ball Music Man Launches 2020 John Petrucci Signature Guitars
Sleek new looks abound for the 2020 editions of the Majesty, JP15 and JP maple top.
Ernie Ball Music Man has launched the 2020 editions of its line of John Petrucci signature guitars.
Changes for 2020 include a number of sleek-looking new finishes for the Majesty, JP15 and JP maple top guitars.
“I am extremely proud and very excited to introduce the new Majesty and JP15 colors for 2020," Petrucci said in a press release. "Every year the incredibly talented team over at Ernie Ball Music Man dream up the most unique and stunning finishes that take my signature guitars to new artistic heights.
"The sleek, performance-centric design of the Majesty and the unrelenting powerhouse attitude of the JP15, both outfitted with my signature DiMarzio pickups, make them two models that are so creatively inspiring that I just can’t put them down once I start playing them.
"From the visionary lines to the incredible feel, beautiful surfaces and epic tones, they are the ultimate musical machines one can ever dream of experiencing. These brand-new 2020 colors and finishes will continue to propel the Majesty and the JP15 far into the guitar universe for years to come.”
You can learn more about each of the guitars below.
Majesty
The Majesty features a flamed maple shield within a lightweight Okoume body, with a translucent finish on the front and back.
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Sonically, the guitar features Petrucci's signature DiMarzio Dreamcatcher (bridge) and Rainmaker (neck) pickups, combined with an onboard piezo bridge system. This year, the Majesty is available in four new finishes: Pink Sand, Red Phoenix, Smoked Pearl and Ember Glow.
The Ernie Ball Music Man 2020 Majesty is available now, with prices starting at $2999.
Purple Nebula Majesty
The new Purple Nebula Majesty features a three-piece neck constructed with two strips of Honduran mahogany and a center strip of flamed maple, accented by a translucent burst finish.
The guitar's body features a carved, highly figured quilt maple top over alder sides and a neck-through center of mahogany and maple.
Sonically, the guitar features Petrucci's signature DiMarzio Dreamcatcher (bridge) and Rainmaker (neck) pickups, combined with an onboard piezo bridge system.
The guitar is available as either a 6-string or 7-string - in a limited run of only 200 guitars worldwide - and will be accompanied by a backplate signed by Petrucci, plus a numbered certificate of authenticity.
The Purple Nebula Majesty is available now, with prices starting at $5299.
JP15
The 2020 JP15 features a lightweight Okoume body with a figured maple top, and a figured roasted maple neck and fingerboard.
Sonically, the guitar features twin custom DiMarzio Illuminator pickups, a piezo bridge system and an onboard 20db gain boost.
The JP15 - complete with a new Cerulean Paradise finish - is available in 6-string or 7-string iterations with an Ernie Ball Music Man JP tremolo, a 3-way toggle pickup selector and an Ernie Ball Music Man hardshell case.
The 2020 JP15 is available now, with prices starting at $3249.
JP Maple Top
The JP maple top features an alder body with a mahogany tone block and figured maple top, plus a Honduran mahogany neck with an East Indian rosewood fingerboard.
In the sonic department, it features DiMarzio Liquifire & Crunch Lab pickups, a piezo bridge system and a coil-splitting tone pot.
It's available in 6- or 7-string incarnations with a Music Man JP tremolo, a 3-way toggle pickup selector and an Ernie Ball Music Man hardshell case. The Koa Top option includes a Mahogany body and neck with an ebony fretboard.
The 2020 JP maple top is available now, in a Dragon Blood finish, with prices starting at $3249.
Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
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