DREAM THEATER's JOHN PETRUCCI On Graduating To 8-String Guitar - "It Helped Open Up A New World Of Dimension And Range With The Instrument"

During a recent interview with Iron City Rocks, found below, Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci discussed graduatimg from a seven string to 8-string guitar. 

Petrucci: "So when it was time to kind of consider, what would an eight-string bring to the table? What would an even more extended range do? I purposely didn't play eight-string at all - I never played one - until I got the prototypes of my Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty eight-string. And then I really had the same kind of experience. We wrote the song 'Awaken The Master' that's on A View From The Top Of The World; that was the first thing I wrote on it. And just because it was one of my signature guitars, it felt really familiar. The extended range and the things about it that are different didn't throw me, but it kind of just helped open up a new world of dimension and range with the instrument. It's so much fun."

Dream Theater, recently launched the first edition of Dreamsonic, taking place in North America throughout June and July and celebrating the summer’s ultimate progressive metal lineup. The tour kicked off on June 16th in Cedar Park, TX, and Dream Theater is joined by special guest Devin Townsend, and Animals As Leaders on what is sure to be one of the hottest tickets of the summer.

Check out fan-filmed video of Dream Theater's set below, which included Devin Townsend and Animals As Leaders joining the band for the encore, "The Spirit Carries On".

Dream Theater's setlist was as follows:

"The Alien"
"Sleeping Giant"
"Caught in a Web"
"Answering the Call"
"Solitary Shell"
"About to Crash" (Reprise)
"Losing Time / Grand Finale"
"Pull Me Under"
"The Count of Tuscany"

Encore:
"Act II: Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On"