Riff Tone

Damage Control

John Petrucci

Guitarmetal2000s

Original Gear

GuitarErnie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Signature (likely JP6, 2005 spec, basswood body, maple neck, rosewood board)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IV Head

PickupsDiMarzio D Sonic (bridge), DiMarzio Air Norton (neck) humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid5.5

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionBoss Boss MT-2 Metal Zone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Suspended Animation' (2005). Gear confirmed for album era; no evidence of live rig differences for this song's riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivehigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationaggressive palm mutingmodern metal claritychunky low endfocused midscrisp, defined pick attackminimal ambiencefast, technical riffing

Difficulty

The riff section of 'Damage Control' is extremely technical, requiring expert-level picking speed, rhythmic precision, and advanced muting techniques, making it one of the most challenging modern metal riffs.

Sources

Suspended Animation - John Petrucci - Equipboard Any tips on JP's guitar tone? : r/Dreamtheater - Reddit Time to Focus! John Petrucci on Two of His Most Challenging Guitar ...

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