One thing has stayed consistent throughout John PetrucciÆs long and successful career: the DiMarzio« pickups in his guitars. John has been pushing the envelope of progressive metal since the late eighties, and the new DiMarzio« Crunch LabÖ Bridge Model ensued from our most recent collaboration with John. He used it throughout Dream TheaterÆs tenth studio album, ôBlack Clouds & Silver Liningsö. John swears this is the best live and studio sound he has ever had, and the name says it all ù ôcrunchö is what itÆs all about with a big, tight sound thatÆs neither muddy nor thin.\n\nThe Crunch LabÖ is noteworthy (bad pun alert) for what it doesnÆt do: itÆs not a screamer, and itÆs not about thundering lows. Its physical appearance is identical to the D SonicÖ, but the internal design is a lot different. ItÆs louder, and the highs have more depth. The lows and mids are more open, and this is crucial for playing chords with body and presence through a gained-out amp. The voicing of the pickup is also different enough to the point that John prefers the Crunch LabÖ to be installed in almost all of his guitars (including the JP Bari) with the solid bar toward the neck, regardless of the guitarÆs tuning.
