GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Under a Glass Moon Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Dream Theater
Dream Theater · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Ibanez JPM100
Pickups
DiMarzio Air Norton (neck), DiMarzio Steve's Special (bridge), both humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1992. Gear confirmed for Images and Words album sessions. Petrucci used the Ibanez JPM100 with DiMarzio pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ for the solo. No evidence of live/touring gear or later signature models for this recording.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass5.5
Gain8
Reverb1.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay
- Chorus pedal (model unknown) · chorus
Ibanez JPM100 → Delay pedal → Chorus pedal → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- tight and articulate
- singing sustain
- high-gain saturation
- precise note separation
- cutting upper mids
- fluid legato
- aggressive pick attack
- harmonics and whammy bar effects
- fast, technical phrasing
- clear, defined lead tone
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for 'Under a Glass Moon' solo found in sources; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ usage for Petrucci in 1992 and genre conventions.
- Pedal models not explicitly confirmed for this solo; delay and chorus are clearly audible in the recording, so included with high confidence as generic types.
- No evidence of wah, flanger, or phaser in the solo section.
- Guitar and amp model confirmed for Images and Words era, but not every knob setting is documented.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. John Petrucci's 'Under a Glass Moon' solo tone is high-gain but articulate, with tight low end, moderately scooped mids, and bright but not harsh highs. The reverb is minimal, as was typical for early 90s progressive metal, and these settings reflect his Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ setup and genre conventions.