Should I buy a new Ernie Ball Petrucci Signature Majesty Guitar?

guitarzen

guitarzen

Inspired
Would like feedback on the pros and cons of the Ernie Ball Petrucci Signature Majesty 6 string guitar from those of you who own or have played one. What do you like / dislike about it? How is the tone? Tuning stability using the whammy? Ergonomics? I'm looking at a top of the line model for modern hard rock / prog rock type playing.
 
It's definitely a top of the line model for modern hard rock / prog rock type playing. And probably the most ergonomic one at that.
If you can afford it, go for it.
 
One of my hesitations with buying a JP Majesty is the proprietary PCB electronics that severely limits user serviceability of the guitar. If something goes bad on the PCB then you need to deal directly with EBMM to get it repaired. Their customer service reputation is quite good, so at least that is something you can rely on comfortably. However, I wonder how long they'll offer replacement boards for. A guitar can last a lifetime. Will they still have the correct parts for your 2023 Majesty down the line in 2050?
 
I liken my majesty to my parker fly deluxe too, but the majesty is comfortable sitting & strapped whereas the parker fly pokes you in the chest when sitting. The only other guitar body as comfortable as the majesty is the ibanez joe satriani

The majesty is a very well balanced, light instrument with great upper fret access thanks to the upper horn cut. I was very impressed - second only to the parker

The majesty has a narrower string spacing than the parker or my ibanez prestige, and I like the majesty spacing better

I don't use the trem and blocked it so I can't comment on the its use, and I also don't use the piezo so no comment there either

Having features I didn't use used to scare me off but now I just accept that every guitar is a compromise and this compromise was paying for feature I wouldn't use in order to have a superior instrument that inspires me to play

I have a first generation majesty with DiMarzio Illuminators and I like the sound very much - wide open and a great platform for dialing in your sound

edit: I should have mentioned one thing I have is having to use batteries!

but even here EBMM went with a good solution with both their battery compartment and choosing 3 AA batteries instead of the normal 9 volt. This way, you can use rechargable batteries: 9 volt rechargable batteries are 9 volt in form factor and name only as their voltages hover around 8.4 volts in reality
 
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I bought a brand new EBMM Majesty a while back and returned it.
I used to own an EBMM JP6 the original one and I loved it so I assumed I would the Majesty.
You asked about tuning stability with the floating bridge. If you’re not going to change tunings it’s okay but not perfect but if you want to drop one string it thrown throws every string out of whack and have to retune the whole thing but that’s to be expected from a floating bridge you probably already know that but just in case it’s worth mentioning.
Someone else mentioned the proprietary electronics in it being an issue. Yeah finding someone who is qualified to work on one of those is difficult and the labor ridiculous since it takes 10 times longer than any other guitars to deal with all that crazy wiring.
The sound was not even close to the JP6 I owned many years ago and it wasn’t an upgrade in tone in my opinion but it wasn’t terrible either, just not what I was hoping for.
Here is the thing that topped it all off though for why I really returned it and I’ve talked to several people who’ve encountered the same thing (even the Sweetwater reps told me it’s been an ongoing problem with the Majesty’s for quite some time and has only been getting worse)… it arrived with a major short in the volume knob and the preamp inside it was defective. I sent it back to get repaired and when it came back finally after them having to order a preamp from EBMM for it to just have another electronics issue arise soon thereafter.
Not worth $4,000, not even remotely close.
I will say the fit and finish was spectacular and it felt great to play but the whole debacle with the electronics and them telling me it’s a regular thing just did it in for me on it. (Notice how many returned Majesty’s go up for sale for discount on Sweetwater and other dealers, I regularly see them and I suspect that’s in large part why).
I ended up getting a Schecter USA Custom Shop KM7 Mkiii Pro which is an awesome guitar though very different than the Majesty. I changed the pickups in it but I’ve done that with most every guitar I’ve ever bought lol.
Anyways that was just my experience, good luck!
 
The weight, ergonomics and piezo are phenomenal. I blocked the trem to dive only so I can drop D. It stays in tune very well in this configuration. I HATE how the preamp colors the pickups. I thought it was the illuminators that bugged me so I ordered the special connector version dimarzio super distortion and Norton only to realize the preamp dramatically colors the tone.
 
Yeah, I'm a little scared by the electronics and the preamp as I really like to do my own work on my other guitars. I've got vintage rock well covered with my other guitars but am looking for something to get me into the modern rock/prog territory. Not sure of this is worth the money as it's a premium price tag.
 
guitarzen said:
Yeah, I'm a little scared by the electronics and the preamp as I really like to do my own work on my other guitars. I've got vintage rock well covered with my other guitars but am looking for something to get me into the modern rock/prog territory. Not sure of this is worth the money as it's a premium price tag.
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I’d even more strongly caution ⚠️ against the purchase of one in that case. I had never been so let down by a guitar my life whole life as I was by that purchase and I’m definitely glad I returned it. The JP6 I had was killer though! I also preferred the old jack that it had (separate cables for the electronic and piezo pickups as opposed the having to use a Y cable with the Majesty).
 
Brian Dean-O said:
I bought a brand new EBMM Majesty a while back and returned it.
I used to own an EBMM JP6 the original one and I loved it so I assumed I would the Majesty.
You asked about tuning stability with the floating bridge. If you’re not going to change tunings it’s okay but not perfect but if you want to drop one string it thrown throws every string out of whack and have to retune the whole thing but that’s to be expected from a floating bridge you probably already know that but just in case it’s worth mentioning.
Someone else mentioned the proprietary electronics in it being an issue. Yeah finding someone who is qualified to work on one of those is difficult and the labor ridiculous since it takes 10 times longer than any other guitars to deal with all that crazy wiring.
The sound was not even close to the JP6 I owned many years ago and it wasn’t an upgrade in tone in my opinion but it wasn’t terrible either, just not what I was hoping for.
Here is the thing that topped it all off though for why I really returned it and I’ve talked to several people who’ve encountered the same thing (even the Sweetwater reps told me it’s been an ongoing problem with the Majesty’s for quite some time and has only been getting worse)… it arrived with a major short in the volume knob and the preamp inside it was defective. I sent it back to get repaired and when it came back finally after them having to order a preamp from EBMM for it to just have another electronics issue arise soon thereafter.
Not worth $4,000, not even remotely close.
I will say the fit and finish was spectacular and it felt great to play but the whole debacle with the electronics and them telling me it’s a regular thing just did it in for me on it. (Notice how many returned Majesty’s go up for sale for discount on Sweetwater and other dealers, I regularly see them and I suspect that’s in large part why).
I ended up getting a Schecter USA Custom Shop KM7 Mkiii Pro which is an awesome guitar though very different than the Majesty. I changed the pickups in it but I’ve done that with most every guitar I’ve ever bought lol.
Anyways that was just my experience, good luck!
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That's a horrible experience; sorry you had to go through that

I have a km6 mkii and think the KM is actually more like the Majesty than unlike: compensated nut, volume control out of the way, neck through construction, HH configuration, active electronics
 
As a Parker player and fan boy, the Majesty is the next best thing. I have them both and each are top of the line instruments with no equal. The two best guitars ever made.
 
goodwill559 said:
That's a horrible experience; sorry you had to go through that

I have a km6 mkii and think the KM is actually more like the Majesty than unlike: compensated nut, volume control out of the way, neck through construction, HH configuration, active electronics
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The USA Custom Shop Mkiii’s come in a couple versions. Only the studio version has a neck thru on it, mine is the bolt on. They’re identical other than two things, the aforementioned difference and the studio comes with a rechargeable battery port for the Fishman active pickups.
Then there is the import version. The Diamond Series imports are still a good instrument but not even close to being in the same league as the USA Custom Shop ones.
Having owned both I can say for a fact that the Majesty 7 and Schecter USA Custom Shop Mk7 feel nothing alike. They both feel amazing to play, equally amazing actually I would say even BUT they do not feel even remotely close to like each other because of the shape of the necks being so drastically different. Also the Majesty is a glossed painted neck and whereas EBMM makes the best glossed painted necks anyone ever made it still can get somewhat tacky and even when it’s not is not the same as the wood on the Custom Shop Schecter.
Both have humbucking pickups but the Majesty has passives and the Schecter comes stock with actives.
The Majesty comes in Mahogany/Maple top or Alder/Maple top. The Schecter is Swamp Ash/Burl Maple top.
The Majesty has a Mahogany neck and the Schecter has a 9 piece Wenge/Purple Heart/Maple neck.
The Majesty has coil splitting push/pull, volume boost push/pull and Piezo. The Schecter has different selectable modes/voices for the Fishman Fluence pickups but not anything in common with the Illuminators, especially the tone not even same ballpark.
The Majesty has the more traditional style locking tuners and the Schecter has open gear hipshot tuners which aren’t in the same shape as normal tuners at all.
The Majesty has a floating bridge with piezo pickups built in and the Schecter has a plain hipshot bridge.
I could actually go on with more differences I’m sure but I won’t.
Also if you’re saying an import is anywhere near the league of an EBMM or Schecter Custom Shop guitar you’re wrong (I’m not sure if your Mkii is Diamond Series import or USA Custom Shop, nothing wrong with the import KM guitars they’re nice for imports much like the EB’s Sterling line).
I am still a huge EBMM fan including JP’s guitars in general and their others as well I always have been just to be clear to all, I just wasn’t happy with the Majesty for the reasons I spoke of so I decided to go a completely different direction. The two feel and sound completely unlike each other in pretty much every way but both are top of the line quality made instruments (except the garbage electronics they’re sticking in Majesty’s in my opinion and honestly I want a fan of the Fishman Fluence in the KM either so I went with passive pickups instead and I like it much better but that’s beside the point) and even both of their imports are nice for imports.
 
I agree with the Parker Fly players as they are stellar guitars, I used to have one of those too and they feel fantastic.
I can say without a doubt though that the USA Custom Shop KM Schecters have effortless access to upper frets no discernible difference between them and the EBMM or Parker Fly’s. Also just as comfortable of a body as the EBMM, the JS Ibanez or a Parker Fly. The KM may even be thinner than any of them actually, it’s super thin. It is so thin that normal 3 way or 5 way pickup selector switches won’t even come close to fitting inside of it and it was a tight fit even to get the capacitor in it lol.
The Parker I had had a nice fishman piezo in it like the EBMM JP guitars do as well though so leg up for Parker there.
My USA Schecter has a top on it that’s absolutely top notch, it’s not a veneer like a lot of guitars (though at the price point of around $4,000 I guess very few if any would be veneers like imports get) one of a kind and that’s a nice feeling. When I had the EBMM Majesty it was not the same feeling even though it looked awesome (only it looks exactly the same as everybody else’s Majesty, with a few exceptions for a higher price). With something like my custom shop Schecter people may be able to buy one with the same finish but they still look drastically different and unique each one. Plus the Majesty has the only thing I’ve always hated about all JP guitars…that they have to have that huge signature on the headstock (I had an ESP I actually got signed by JP for real, that’s different lol) and the Majesty adds to it the DT symbol which looks cool on the one hand but it is not desirable to me personally I’d rather have a clean look like my Schecter. No signature, no graphics so unless someone knows a KM guitar by sight they never guess it’s a signature model.
Just wanted to share some more plus’s and minuses in my opinion as I went through a lot of this stuff while trying to figure out if I wanted to keep the EBMM (I had it for a few months though, they gave me a lot of extra time with it to make up my mind because of the experience I had) or get something else.
 
guitarzen said:
Would like feedback on the pros and cons of the Ernie Ball Petrucci Signature Majesty 6 string guitar from those of you who own or have played one. What do you like / dislike about it? How is the tone? Tuning stability using the whammy? Ergonomics? I'm looking at a top of the line model for modern hard rock / prog rock type playing.
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I bought a Peavey EVH in 2000. I didn’t want to buy at first because I thought it was because it was an EVH. I tested a lot of guitars and kept coming back to the EVH. ended up buying the EVH because I liked it so damn much. Still my go to and have purchased the Fender model as well. If you love playing the Petrucci, get it. Don’t let someone else decide for you. Just my opinion.
 
Beecher said:
I bought a Peavey EVH in 2000. I didn’t want to buy at first because I thought it was because it was an EVH. I tested a lot of guitars and kept coming back to the EVH. ended up buying the EVH because I liked it so damn much. Still my go to and have purchased the Fender model as well. If you love playing the Petrucci, get it. Don’t let someone else decide for you. Just my opinion.
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The EVH guitars are killer! I’ve always loved them too!
 
I feel like I should say if you feel like you’re always going to wonder if you should’ve bought a Majesty then go ahead and buy it you might love it and if you’re buying it new you should have a decent window to make up your mind about whether it’s the one or not. At least you’ll know.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it. I'm going to try a few out at my local GC which has good availability and see if I bond with the ergo, neck, pickups, etc. The electronics reliability still scares me a bit but if I like it after playing a while then I may give it a go, we'll see.
 
Would you be interested in a 20th Anniversary model? I love the Majesty so much I bought a 2nd one, but as it turns out, it was really an impulse purchase, and since I don't gig, I really don't need 2 of the same guitar. Very very little play time on it, it stays in the case, and it's mint.

I haven't had any electronic issues with either, the trem on my Enchanted Forest stays in tune just fine as long as I put Nut Sauce in the nut slots. I expect the 20th would be no different, but the one time I changed the strings I didn't bother with the lube, and I really haven't even used the trem on that guitar.

It is hands down the finest guitar I've ever owned or played, and has inspired me so much that I've improved dramatically as a player since getting it about 4 years ago. I play it practically every day for an average of 3 hours. So I'd say my opinion is pretty valid.

The tone is not only phenomenal, but these PU's have such rich harmonic content that they morph into overtones, that if I wasn't playing through headphones, I'd swear it's like mild natural feedback.

Fantastic guitar!
 
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