When we first started and started hitting new places for the first time, you kinda didn't know, because we were new. Sometimes we played tiny little clubs and sometimes we'd play a larger place. John Petrucci More Quotes by John Petrucci More Quotes From John Petrucci I wanted something different. I'd been using the C+ amps for a long time, and I love them - they're one of my favorite amps ever. But on this album [Road Kings] I wanted - there were a couple reasons, actually. One is that I wanted a more aggressive sound, some more teeth and hair. John Petrucci couple kings hair Many times we talk about the people that have come to enjoy the show. They went through a lot to get here, whatever they needed to work out in their lives; they got babysitters, they traveled, and purchased the tickets. So it's up to us to deliver the goods! John Petrucci tickets work-out people Obviously [Black] Sabbath is definitely a huge name and of course deserving with Ozzy coming back. John Petrucci coming-back black names It's a balance between getting the right string gauge that's thick enough where it sound good, and not rubber bands - but not too thick where your hands start to get real tired. John Petrucci tired real hands When we came out, the kind of music that was popular was Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, all that stuff. That was when we released our second album, 'Images And Words', and it was something people werent used to hearing maybe, and it sort of rose above all that somehow, being progressive, or whatever. John Petrucci albums rose people I've always said that there's a huge progressive rock, progressive metal audience out there, in the world. John Petrucci progressive rocks world In Japan they're definitely more over the top. They had four Boogie stacks and 20 guitars. But otherwise it's pretty much the same thing, except there's a translator. It's really nice. John Petrucci japan guitar nice We used to rehearse and that's where the roots of Dream Theater formed. Y'know, we used to play cover songs and jam to [Iron] Maiden and stuff but we were writing songs and it was this metal, loud style and we'd constantly get knocks on our door, because the rehearsal rooms were right next door to each other, and these jazz guys would be like, "Can you guys turn it down a little?" John Petrucci dream writing song I'm realizing this more and more that it's one thing to get involved with your own political beliefs and stand behind you believe in personally. John Petrucci behind-you political believe I started playing guitar when I was 12, and I started getting into more metal, like Maiden and Metallica... Of course, as I kind of got better and better in the guitar, I was listening to more guitar players, so then I got into, I guess, more of the prog side. John Petrucci guitar player listening I'm a hopeless tone chaser!I love it and get into the whole thing. John Petrucci chasers tone hopeless I have to say that our fans have been absolutely wonderful all across the world. John Petrucci fans wonderful world I almost rely on other people to say, "Hey, you ever hear of this band?" And I'll say, "Oh, I've never heard of that!" And I listened to them and thought, "What the hell?" John Petrucci hey band people I experimented a bunch with Ernie Ball in getting the strings to not flop around too much, but at the same time not to be too thick to where you're playing telephone cables. John Petrucci telephones balls too-much I would say the more the better when it is comes to development and marketing. It's actually fun. For some it can be a frustrating thing. John Petrucci marketing development fun Sometimes I'll hear a certain approach that kinda cathes my ear, like „It's kinda cool what that guy's doing there", or maybe an effect that somebody's using, or a guitar sound, or something that kinda makes me open up. But the funny thing is i realise over time how sort of traditional i am. John Petrucci funny-things guitar guy Even with Dream Theater, we track in a big studio and everything. But when it comes to doing leads, I don't really require a lot of studio to do that. I need a good sounding room and a Pro Tools rig, and some Neve mic-pres, and I'm good. John Petrucci track dream needs With all tools at my disposal, I'm 100% into chasing tone and checking out new equipment and "geeking" out during sound check by taking too much time. John Petrucci too-much tools sound I wanna go in the studio and just go back to the same amps and stuff I'm so comfortable with the sound of. Which I think is important to stay original. John Petrucci important sound thinking I know we play a part in the story of progressive music, but for us those influences are the real fathers, the ones that we were interested in. John Petrucci real play father