20th Anniversary JP6 photos – full circle?

It’s a longer read, but here’s the first 20th Anniversary JP6 model to arrive at DuBaldo Music Center – DOB Feb 2, 2021, Serial G92636 (one of the very first built for production). The subtle sparkle in the edges of the burst wakes up this color from the typical 2-tone burst, and matches the gold accents in the black hardware.

—Fun story time:
Back on March 29 of 2006 we (DuBaldo Music) hosted a John Petrucci guitar clinic sponsored by EBMM. I had gone to the hotel to pick up JP, and in the lobby UPS had just dropped off a suspicious looking box from the factory. Naturally John wanted to open the box before hitting the road with me, and when his tech slid the case out of the box and JP lifted the lid all 3 of our jaws hit the floor.

It was the first prototype that eventually became the “BFR JP. The guitar was based on the recently released 20th Anniversary Silhouette. The guitar had a quilted maple top on an alder body with mahogany tone block, complete with forearm scoop, pickup rings, and it was finished in a Caramel Burst color.

JP looked up at me, laughed, and said “I really thought it was going to have gold hardware”. He mentioned bringing it to the clinic, but I suggested his tech get it ready for the show that night (Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford CT). JP wound up using the guitar on several songs that night, and then it popped up again, and again, and again, on the tour, and was used on the SCORE DVD.

One of the great things about working with EBMM for all of these years is how things seem to come full-circle. From personally being there at the moment when JP first opened the case on the prototype, to my store getting one of the very first (if not the very first) production 20th Anniversary model built along a similar theme, it’s special!

Enjoy the photos!

Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci – 20th Anniversary JP6