John Petrucci interview (excerpts)

During a conversation with Rob Chapman, John Petrucci talked about the technical aspect of Dream Theater’s music, the band’s upcoming new album “Distance Over Time,” his signature guitar, and more. While discussing how technically demanding DT music is, John pointed out:

Here’s the thing. I know that a lot of listeners who appreciate Dream Theater music like that aspect of our music, but the important thing to note is that it comes from a very genuine and natural place. Before we were ever signed or anything, when we got together, that's the kind of music we just wrote. We liked that kind of music. All the guys in the band continue to push themselves technically and it's fun. It's kind of like driving a fast car. It's just a lot of fun to do, to challenge each other and make music that not all the time, but sometimes is kind of complex and over the top. It creates a lot of tension and a lot of drama to the music when you do it right. We understand there's a contingent of Dream Theater fans that really like that side of us. But we like that side of us. That's where it comes from. It comes from a natural place. I think the important thing is when writing, it has to be very genuine. If you start to write for other reasons and other people or to satisfy this, I don't think that's the right way to go.

It’s 2019 – you got a new guitar, you’ve got new music, what else is new?

Isn’t that enough? I mean, it’s really exciting because the timing is so perfect, and I love when things work out this way. It really is no accident, you know, in working with the Ernie Ball family and the timing of what Dream Theater is doing with our record label, there is a lot of working together, and I love when it all comes together to the point. There are a couple of different things that were going on at the same time while we were recording the record. One was this prototype for this new model that was being made – and I was able to get one in time to play on a song or two – and the second thing is that we were sort of tweaking the pickups a bit with DiMarzio pickups. I was able to integrate those and use them on the record as well, which I’m really happy about.

How involved are you in the production?

“I produced the record. I've always said this and some people think that I’m being, you know, biased because I’m a guitar player, but the sound of the guitar in a band – we'll generally say a 'rock band' – kind of determines the style, the music. That’s my opinion. A simple example of that is: if you’re playing with a kind of cleaner sound and you’re playing prog and the sound’s, like, kind of the ‘70s, kind of UK prog thing – if you’re playing a style and it’s like more just… I don't know — where the guitar is more organic, not as heavy, but just maybe a bit overdriven, with a gritty sound and goes in that direction, whatever: rockabilly, anything. For me, I go for more of a metal sound. I play six- and seven-string guitars and I de-tune the guitar. I play through my signature Boogie which is that big Mark II sound, which is very heavy, and I try to go for the sound, as far as the pickups and the wood and everything that gives us big percussive Metallica, heavy thing. Therefore Dream Theater sounds like we’re like a prog-metal band. That's the direction the guitar pushes the music in. As a producer, wearing that hat for a second, I want the guitar to have this really powerful, percussive, heavy, aggressive sound. That's going to push the sound of the record ultimately.

When do you write best music? Is it with a cup of coffee in the kitchen, with the kids, jamming, or is it like locked in a room?

It's all different. The funny thing is that sometimes music just hits you. 'Oh my god. I have to play this!' Sometimes it comes when you're fooling around with a piece of gear, which is why I'm such a gear nerd and I love amps and guitars and trying new pickups and things. You just get inspired by the instrument and by the craft, just the love of guitar and the love of gear. Sometimes, in a bunch of different places, inspires really cool riffs and chord progressions, whatever. Sometimes it's from a massive lack of sleep. When you're traveling and you have super jet-lag and you're in Australia and in some weird dream state and all of the sudden, all this music pours in. Sometimes it's from being with great musicians, you know. All the guys in the band, they’re super, super creative, always are really just, I don’t know, generous, the way we interact together, there’s a lot of chemistry, synergy and we’re all smiling and having fun.

So, Ernie Ball was obviously massively influential and really looked after you for a long time, they give you strings. But what does Ernie Ball do maybe behind the scenes? What else do you get?

Oh my god, so much more than just strings and guitars. I can honestly say that from the moment I interacted with Sterling and met the Ball family, that was one of the best things in my professional career. It turned out to be in my personal life as well because they’re so into the art of guitar building. They’re innovative, they have some of the best engineers ever on their team, and Sterling, and his whole family, just have this sort of spirit of life. As Sterling said, ‘Making tools for artists’ – they’re so dedicated to that. So we’ve come up with some of the most amazing instruments on the planet by working together.

I’d hate to say the words ‘tone’ and ‘wood,’ but is it really important to you which timbers are used, where they’re placed in the guitar?

For me, I have this thing where, again, the purity of sound when you just plug the guitar into the Boogie, you have these two great ingredients, and what I want to hear is just this giant monster of a sound with a lot of clarity and depth and range that just sounds like a house when you play. The combination of these woods and the way what they’re doing with them, the neck-through, the mahogany, the maple, there’s nothing that sounds like that. It sounds so sweet and bold and aggressive, it just jumps out of your hands.