Sterling JP100 STERLINGJP100
Dream Theatre’s ace shredder John Petrucci adds a third Sterling model to his arsenal of signature axes…
Words: Tim Slater
Sterling Guitars is Ernie Ball Musicman’s line of more affordable Far Eastern-manufactured guitars that has built up a formidable momentum in the three years or so since it launched. Sterling’s flagship JP-Series currently comprises three reasonably priced versions of John Petrucci’s US-made Ernie Ball Musicman JP6 signature guitar, with the new JP100 taking center stage.
Construction
The JP100 is based on the US-made ‘Ball Family Reserve’ JP6 model. The front forearm contour is much more subtle than the dramatic scoop carved into many of the JP series. The rest of the body contouring generally shares the smoothly flowing ‘sucked lozenge’ appearance that helps this guitar to snit snugly against the player’s body. Basswood forms the main body material, overlaid with a quilted maple top whose translucent green/black finish doesn’t disguise the fact that the maple laminate isn’t exactly a top quality piece of timber. Fair enough at this price, one might argue, but the quilt looks so flat and lifeless that it may as well be one of those ‘photo’ finish facsimiles.
Somehow one can’t help feel a wee bit disappointed. The overall quality of the construction and finishing is thankfully much more encouraging; Musicman’s distinctive five-bolt neck join and low profile neck heel offers the usual combination of strength and easy playability whilst the rosewood fingerboard’s very flat 16-inch radius presents a great platform for shredding! The stubby headstock positions the locking tuners in a unique four-above-two arrangement with the strings placed directly line between the tuners and the vibrato bridge, which should help to maintain better tuning stability during sustained whammy abuse. The locking tuners’ pearloid buttons look and feel quite luxurious and together with the chunky chrome strap buttons and reassuringly solid mass of the Strat-style vibrato bridge the JP100’s hardware doesn’t demonstrate any glaringly obvious cost cutting.
Sounds
The dual humbuckers fitted to the JP100 are linked to a standard three-way toggle switch, not a bad setup but maybe some kind of coil
tap option might have been nice. As it goes, though, the standard pickups give a fairly good approximation of the high-output DiMarzio’s favoured by JP himself, with that slightly nasal midrange kick that helps the guitar to carve itself a sizable space in the band mix. The middle position, used clean, delivers a brisk yet very neutral scooped tone that enables the JP100 to slot seamlessly into plenty of different musical situations. The neck pickup does the smooth legato thing very well when combined with plenty of hi-gain overdrive and in this context it can really sing. Clean, you can jazz it up or pull out some fat-sounding Hendrixian blues licks – although
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you’d never fool anyone listening that these are not powerfull humbuckers! With most of the action taking place down at the bridge, you’re gonna need something with plenty of bite and the JP100 shouldn’t disappoint. OK, some of the detail may be lacking that you get with a more expensive pickup but in terms of sheer ‘oomph’ the JP100 fairly explodes out of the gate like a dragster on hi-octane methanol. Big power chords? No problem. Machine gun-tempo lead runs? Bring it on! There is nothing that disappoints about the JP100’s tones. This is an extremely capable guitar that throws down a formidable gauntlet to other axes in this price range and class. PM
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
Ernie Ball Musicman guitars are some of the finest electric guitars out there and whilst nobody would try and kid you that the Sterling Petrucci can match its Musicman counterpart for sheer elegance, this Sterling still feels like a very ‘grown up’ guitar that overcomes the supposed limits of its price range by virtue of a solid uncomplicated design, powerful tones and superb build quality.
THE GOOD BITS: Well made, great finish.
THE NOT SO GOOD BITS: The price is starting to edge towards expensive.
SRP: £715.00 Contact: Strings & Things -
sterlingbymusicman.com
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