Through these years with Music Man , it ’ s going on 17 years now , we made some decisions on my model as far as the neck carve , control placement , fret size , fretboard radius , things like that , that carried through on the Majesty , so there is a consistency with that guitar and all the other instruments . we ’ d drop them in and play that night . We even just did it recently at Radio City Music Hall . He brought his pickups down , I put them in the guitar and played , and they turned into the new Sonic Ecstasy ’ s . That kind of kind of longterm , tonal-pursuit relationship has been with Steve Blucher .
Thinking about my first conversation with Sterling Ball about wanting to do this unique guitar , all the way to seeing the final version being realized , it ’ s just phenomenal . Having now played it on albums and on the road , it ’ s an unbelievable instrument that I ’ m 100 % addicted to . I can ’ t go a day without playing it – it does everything ! It ’ s a player ’ s instrument . It gets out of your way , it ’ s light , it ’ s easy to play , and it ’ s friendly . Tonally it has this huge , solid , massive tone with tons of sustain and photo by Nidhal Marzouk clarity , and does everything that I need it to do . I can ’ t say enough about it . It ’ s [ John ] Well , thank you for saying that . The unbelievable ! guitar is an absolute creative masterpiece as far as I ’ m concerned . And I don ’ t say that as [ CG ] You ’ ve worked with DiMarzio for so the designer because I ’ m giving credit to Drew long , and as your signature instruments have Montell , Dudley Gimpel , Sterling Ball , and all evolved , you ’ ve used different pickups along the people that worked on the Majesty who the way . Give us some of the background about made it into what you see today . I say that that relationship as well as the new pickups with such respect and awe of Ernie Ball Music . and covers . They ’ ve been able to create these instruments that push the boundaries of artistry , creativity , [ John ] I ’ ve been working with Larry for longer and performance , and that do exactly what I than I remember . There are so many facets to want them to do as a player . That translates Larry himself and our relationship beyond the into other people being able to benefit from pickups . The first guitars that I played had those innovations and loving the instrument just DiMarzio pickups , and when I first started a as much as I do . signature model with Ibanez they had DiMarzio pickups . I met Larry back then .
With the Majesty , the biggest difference between all of the other guitars in my line is As far as the pickups are concerned , the design that it ’ s neck-through . All of the other ones are and tone , me communicating what I want from bolt-on necks . The neck-through allowed us to the pickup and them creating something that take the design to a place that was a lot more ultimately goes into the guitars , that ’ s more flowing and seamless , and really got all of the of Steve Blucher ’ s world . I had conversations curves of the guitar right . It got all of the wood , with Steve for hours , talking about pickups , and any sort of problems that would get in your trying things , prototypes , dropping pickups way , out of the way . That neck-through is huge . into guitars – he ’ d come to our shows and
With me and Larry , there is absolutely that aspect as well , but it goes further because , as you know , Larry is more than just DiMarzio pickups . His interest in photography , videography , art , and food – things like that are all ways that we ’ ve cultivated our relationship . He ’ s a brilliant photographer . He shoots all of his artists , and he has that connection to where he brings their personality out . They ’ re his pickups and he ’ s also the photographer . It ’ s such a unique situation . It ’ s the same with the video demos . That ’ s all him doing all of that stuff . He ’ s actually done the art photo sessions for Dream Theater as well . Any one of these sessions , whether it was some of the first ones I did up through the one with Dream Theater – and all the ones in-between , Larry just has this spirit of enjoying everything in life . He brings in the most amazing food , drinks , and wine , and makes you feel so comfortable and welcome . And our whole Italian connection loving art , beauty , music , sound , pickups – it ’ s all wrapped up into one big thing .
The whole thing with the new Sonic Ecstasy ’ s and the pickup covers just shows you his whole desire to push the artistic limits and do something different and unique . The straps that we ’ ve done together are beautiful – he just has a real eye for art . Working with his family , with Gina and Christiana , it ’ s just unbelievable and a really amazing and cherished relationship for me .
24 May � Jun 2017 CollectibleGuitar . com