GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Bend the Clock Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Dream Theater
Dream Theater · 2010s+ · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Majesty (likely 7-string, 2023 signature model)
Pickups
DiMarzio Dreamcatcher (bridge) and Rainmaker (neck) humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C (John Petrucci Signature Mark IIC+ head)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2023. No direct studio documentation found, but Petrucci is confirmed to use the Majesty with Dreamcatcher/Rainmaker pickups and Mesa JP-2C for all recent Dream Theater studio work. No evidence of live rig or alternate gear for this solo.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb3
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay
- Reverb pedal (model unknown) · reverb
- Noise gate (model unknown) · noise_gate
Guitar → Noise gate → Delay → Reverb → Mesa/Boogie JP-2C (lead channel, digital reverb on amp)
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Tone Character
- singing sustain
- liquid and smooth lead
- tight low end
- articulate note separation
- rich harmonics
- high-gain saturation
- modern progressive metal clarity
- fast legato-friendly response
- clear pick attack
- slightly compressed
Notes & Caveats
- No official studio documentation or direct interview confirming exact pedal or amp settings for 'Bend the Clock' solo.
- Settings estimated based on Petrucci's known studio rig for 2023 and typical Mesa JP-2C lead channel settings.
- No explicit pedal models confirmed for this recording; effects inferred from audio and Petrucci's standard setup.
- No direct evidence of effects loop use, but typical for Petrucci's rig.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. John Petrucci's solo tone on 'Bend the Clock' is saturated but articulate, with forward mids and tight low end typical of his Mesa/Boogie Mark series amps from this era. The gain is high for sustain, mids are prominent for note clarity, and reverb is subtle, matching Dream Theater's modern prog-metal production style.