Blu Ray / DVD of The Astonishing tour

[TAC]

I'm calling it now: They want to keep all the fans happy/willing to spend money, so instead of just releasing an Astonishing blu ray, they're recording an I&W set to go with it. They'll package it together as 'Astonishing Images' or some shit. 'Dream Theater playing their newest album and also one of their oldest'. That way, even the people who didn't like TA will buy it for I&W, and maybe they'll change their minds about TA after seeing the visual experience that goes with it.

/wishful thinking

Damn! Nice job!!

[goo-goo]

That's a very possible way of doing it. Also, there's a couple of dates with back to back shows so that could also help with the recording

[cramx3]

I'm calling it now: They want to keep all the fans happy/willing to spend money, so instead of just releasing an Astonishing blu ray, they're recording an I&W set to go with it. They'll package it together as 'Astonishing Images' or some shit. 'Dream Theater playing their newest album and also one of their oldest'. That way, even the people who didn't like TA will buy it for I&W, and maybe they'll change their minds about TA after seeing the visual experience that goes with it.

/wishful thinking

Damn! Nice job!!

That would be quite a packaged set.  I'd love it.  While dreaming, might as well include the "and beyond" part of the I&W shows as bonus material. 

[rumborak]

I really can't see DT releasing an IAW DVD. How would that not be compared to Live in Tokyo?

[Evai]

I really can't see DT releasing an IAW DVD. How would that not be compared to Live in Tokyo?

JP: Wow, my guitar tone is so much better now

JR: Pull Me Under will sound so much better with unauthorized arpeggios

MM: Changing hi hats when the band changes keys will make a big difference

JM: ...

JL: *crying*

[mikeyd23]

I'm calling it now: They want to keep all the fans happy/willing to spend money, so instead of just releasing an Astonishing blu ray, they're recording an I&W set to go with it. They'll package it together as 'Astonishing Images' or some shit. 'Dream Theater playing their newest album and also one of their oldest'. That way, even the people who didn't like TA will buy it for I&W, and maybe they'll change their minds about TA after seeing the visual experience that goes with it.

/wishful thinking

Damn! Nice job!!

That would be quite a packaged set.  I'd love it.  While dreaming, might as well include the "and beyond" part of the I&W shows as bonus material.

That actually could be really cool. I&W in its entirety and TA in its entirety. All the other songs from the I&W tour could be bonus material along with the TA animations or something.

[KevShmev]

I really can't see DT releasing an IAW DVD. How would that not be compared to Live in Tokyo?

Live in Tokyo didn't have Metropolis or Learning to Live.

2/5 of the band is different now.

[TAC]

Live in Tokyo blows anyway. It's a chopped up incomplete show. Yeah the footage is great and all, but I don't even really consider it when discussing DT DVDs.

[gzarruk]

Live in Tokyo blows anyway. It's a chopped up incomplete show. Yeah the footage is great and all, but I don't even really consider it when discussing DT DVDs.

Also, we're discussing the possibility of full TA + full IAW + the "beyond" part of the set (a package of ALL that stuff would be INSANE, in a good way) VS Live in Tokyo, which comes with, wait for it... 5YIALT, which was, imo, their most disappointing live release ever. And that has nothing to do with the lineup, I really enjoy DS work, but somehow they (MP?) decided to offer some random shots from different periods over those 5 years, it just isn't cohesive and they even included those weird covers and all that stuff. A live video release od OIALT would've been much much better.

There's just no comparison point 

[cramx3]

I really like both live in Tokyo and 5yialt but neither of those are complete concert dvds, Tokyo is close, but they wouldn't directly compare to a new ta/i&w DVD released 15+ years apart

[Adami]

I don't think Rumby was talking about setlists. I think he was more referring to comparing the energy/performance of the band members, which would be night and day.

[cramx3]

I don't think Rumby was talking about setlists. I think he was more referring to comparing the energy/performance of the band members, which would be night and day.

So the band shouldn't release any live footage of the older songs because now that they are older, there will be differences?  I mean, they're always going to be compared to something else they've put out.  I really don't see how that is an issue, unless their performance is just "poor" now and not worthy of being on a recorded dvd.

[Chino]

So Ernie Ball unveiled this late last week. I'm going to be super optimistic and assume that The Astonishing wasn't yet filmed for a live DVD/Blu Ray because JP wants it to be filmed with him playing this. I've read only 20 were made to be sold at $10K a piece, and they sold out in an hour.

[erwinrafael]

THat's just beautiful. But is it just a noise machine? 

[BlobVanDam]

They look junky and fugly to me, the gold more so. I'm still mixed on the look of the regular Majesty guitar as it is. I wouldn't want to play one of these and mess it up though, definitely seems more of a collector's item than intended as a playable instrument.

[Chino]

They look junky and fugly to me, the gold more so. I'm still mixed on the look of the regular Majesty guitar as it is. I wouldn't want to play one of these and mess it up though, definitely seems more of a collector's item than intended as a playable instrument.

They made them in more than one color? I figured silver was the only one to match the Nomacs, and that gold hue was just due to shitty lighting.

[BlobVanDam]

They look junky and fugly to me, the gold more so. I'm still mixed on the look of the regular Majesty guitar as it is. I wouldn't want to play one of these and mess it up though, definitely seems more of a collector's item than intended as a playable instrument.

They made them in more than one color? I figured silver was the only one to match the Nomacs, and that gold hue was just due to shitty lighting.

Dunno, you might be right. I much prefer the silver look to the apparent gold look either way, so I'd rather that be the case.

[mikeyd23]

I saw a couple videos about this guitar from NAMM, I believe they were only made in silver, the lighting in that one picture is just weird.

I thought they were really cool, but seem like much more of a collectors item than a gigging guitar.

[hefdaddy42]

I would love to have one, but I would probably just hang it on a wall and never touch it, which seems a sad fate for a guitar.

[BlobVanDam]

I just looked up some footage from NAMM, and the one in the case is definitely the silver. Must just be some wonky colour balance on those particular photos.
In silver, it looks ok, but it has a bit of a plastic toy look. I'm sure it would look much better in person though.

I would love to have one, but I would probably just hang it on a wall and never touch it, which seems a sad fate for a guitar.

I'd say that's really the target market for this particular model.

[mikeyd23]

I would love to have one, but I would probably just hang it on a wall and never touch it, which seems a sad fate for a guitar.

I'd say that's really the target market for this particular model.

Absolutely, and I guess it worked. According to what Chino said, they sold out of that (very) limited run already.

[rumborak]

I think they look cool actually, but yeah, that much stuff in the middle of the body will probably mean they won't sound all that great.

[Architeuthis]

That is awesome! I like the other JP models just as much. However I think PRS makes the prettiest guitars in existence.

[bosk1]

I think they look cool actually, but yeah, that much stuff in the middle of the body will probably mean they won't sound all that great.

You never know.  Depends whether it is carved into the wood or is some other material inlayed.  And if the latter, depends on what kind of material and how it is inlayed.  Right?  Just because a guitar body is carved to have a very nontraditional shape or texture doesn't necessary mean it won't sound good.  For example, I have always thought that Lynch's Mr. Scary guitar sounded pretty great. 

[rumborak]

Yeah, it's all a question of how far into the wood they went with these adornments. If they're just on the surface, yes, that probably won't affect too much. If however they went deep into it, now you essentially have a hole in the middle of the body, and that just has to affect things.

[bosk1]

I'd be curious to know whether the approach from EBMM was:  (1) Let's just make sure this looks as cool as possible, and who cares what it sounds like; or (2) Let's make this look as cool as possible, but let's really spend some time to make sure it sounds good too, which will be a challenge. 

Any bets on whether any of these 20 actually get played for more than the first 5 minutes of ownership after being permanently put in a case? 

[rumborak]

I highly suspect that none of them will ever see a change of strings, that's for sure.

Very likely at least one of them will find its way to a Meet & Greet I think.

[hefdaddy42]

I highly suspect that none of them will ever see a change of strings, that's for sure.

Very likely at least one of them will find its way to a Meet & Greet I think.

I think that both of those are highly likely.

[bosk1]

IF I had the disposable income to buy one of those, there is no way I would want it marred by a Sharpie.  It already has JP's signature on the backplate and the headstock anyway.

[gzarruk]

IF I had the disposable income to buy one of those, there is no way I would want it marred by a Sharpie.  It already has JP's signature on the backplate and the headstock anyway.

A thousand times this. If I had one, I would take it to the M&G only for a pic with JP and the guitar, but never an autograph like that.

Also, I think the concept behind this is really cool, even though the guitar itself looks a little weird. I expect JP to use it on the TA songs for the upcoming tour (unless he plays some of the 7 string songs, just like he did with his BAI guitar on the ADTOE tour, very cool.

That is awesome! I like the other JP models just as much. However I think PRS makes the prettiest guitars in existence.

Have you heard of Kiesel? They're killing it on the market right now. Much better quality, sound and looks than most stuff out there at a very reasonable price.

[ToT-147]

Back on topic, I hope this is the reason why they have been delaying the annoucement of the DVD, if that's gonna happen at all.. They can't waste this whole "TA live" thing and missing this chance to make an spectacular filmed show.. I'm not expecting nothing more than they playing the entire album, that alone would make it spectacular..

[Kotowboy]

I think they look cool actually, but yeah, that much stuff in the middle of the body will probably mean they won't sound all that great.

You never know.  Depends whether it is carved into the wood or is some other material inlayed.  And if the latter, depends on what kind of material and how it is inlayed.  Right?  Just because a guitar body is carved to have a very nontraditional shape or texture doesn't necessary mean it won't sound good.  For example, I have always thought that Lynch's Mr. Scary guitar sounded pretty great.

Kirk hammett played a guitar on stage once that was made PURELY for tone at the expense of looking good.

It looked like a NERF gun but sounded amazing so...

And i've never liked PRS. They always sound compressed or dry to me. That Santana sound. really muffled and toneless.

[mikeyd23]

And i've never liked PRS. They always sound compressed or dry to me. That Santana sound. really muffled and toneless.

PRS makes incredible guitars of all sorts, they have signature models for a lot of heavy rock/metal artists and have far diversified their product line to fit in different genres beyond that original Santana sound they became known for in some circles. If something sounds compressed or dry that strikes me as more of an amp/pedal thing than a guitar thing. Seriously though, I own 2 PRSs and love them to death, great sounding, great play-ability, well-made guitars.

[gzarruk]

I just want JP to release a Majesty guitar with the same picasso paintjob his old Ibanez guitars had. That would be perfect.

[rumborak]

I somewhat doubt JP has as much nostalgia for his Ibanez as we do