Music Man's Petrucci Majesty (7-string in dark roast)

BDJohnston · September 2020

‘Fantastic’ certainly describes this instrument, as it should for the price. You get what you pay for. The model in question is a 2019 7-string ‘dark roast’ with a scale length of 25.5-inches (64.8 cm) and an African mahogany body and flamed maple top. It has a three-piece Honduran mahogany neck-through construction with center strip of flamed maple. It has a matching flamed maple headstock with ebony finger board and 24-jumbo stainless-steel frets. The neck has a 17-inch (43.2 cm) radius with adjustable truss rod (no component or string removal required). The Schaller M6-IND locking tuners are one of the company’s best and the bridge is a custom Petrucci floating tremolo with hardened steel and solid steel saddles. The body and neck have a high-gloss polyester finish; and although I usually prefer a matt finish, the neck is very glass-like and smooth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrWhVHLji3Y&feature=youtu.be

The pickups include a DiMarzio Rainmaker (neck) and Dreamcatcher (bridge), as well as a Piezo bridge, both Petrucci signatures controlled by a custom Music Man preamp (push/push volume for gain boost of upward of 20dB) and 500kohm push/push passive tone for custom 2 pickup configurations (for a split pickup/single-coil result). The pickups are selected via a 3-way toggle pickup selector and a 3-way toggle Piezo/magnetic selector (the Piezo can be off, blended with the humbuckers or on its own without humbuckers). Both humbuckers and Piezo both have their own volume controls. Some aspects are controlled further through the rear panel of the guitar, viz., amount of boost, the mix and EQ of the piezo and operating the guitar in mono or stereo.

Wow! Crème de la crème. Both humbuckers sound crisp and clear, although with a modest growl and robustness (a nice amount of grain without muddiness). There is no shrillness to the pickups, but with a slight darkness for that Rock or Metal flavor. The neck pickup is smooth with a good midrange quality (not too fat), ideal for thick and creamy leads, whereas the bridge pickup has a good amount of bite with sufficient fullness. Splitting the pickups offer an intense ‘Strat-like’ quality, but certainly more ass-kicking than a Strat (no matter the pickup selection). The Piezo pickup has good sparkle, clarity and roundness, and it sounds awesome with acoustic simulators/pedals. There is a more ‘calming’ effect when the Piezo is combined with the other pickups, e.g., more ‘organic’ quality that subdues the tone (although crunch and high-gain territory sounds best without the Piezo… obviously). The electronics are super quiet with no noise when flipping controls or turning knobs. Sweet!

This is the best playing 7-string I’ve experienced. There is something very ‘finished’ about the Majesty that screams “high-end.” The frets have no sharp edges and with rounded edges; no dead spots or buzzing; and a great feel of the neck that is neither thick nor overtly thin (although more on the thin side for a 7-string). String action is quite low and with a good amount of slink to accommodate string-bending with ease. The guitar has very good tuning stability considering it is a floating NON-NUT-LOCKING bridge system, which means far easier and faster tuning when required. Even the knobs are custom-made, shaped like protruding castle turrets that are easy to use with their rubber grip rings. As important, the body is highly comfortable and balanced, whether sitting or standing; a perfect degree of tilt for optimum fretboard access when wearing a strap or sitting.

Overall, the Majesty is as close to flawless as I have experienced… but is it worth the price? I thought of this guitar over the recent years and was hesitant in the investment, but I have invested upward of 20k in so many other guitars over the years (always chasing the ‘ideal’ instrument), before taking the plunge. The playability and craftmanship of the Majesty are perfection, or as near as one can make it. The sound is full and rich and the ergonomics nothing short of impressive, from its balance to knob and switch placement (and diversity of its tones). The innovation and craftmanship of this instrument would make any review seem like an advertisement, making it difficult to voice any weaknesses. Special thanks to Timber-tones for supply a titanium plectrum for the demo.

https://www.music-man.com/instruments/guitars/the-majesty

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Music Man's Petrucci Majesty (7-string in dark roast)