John Petrucci’s 2023 Guitar Universe camp will feature Tosin Abasi, Lari Basilio, Tim Henson, Scott LePage, Jeff Loomis and more

John Petrucci has announced the fourth edition of his semi-annual Guitar Universe camp.

John Petrucci’s Guitar Universe 4.0, to give it its full name, will take place from August 3 through August 6, 2023 at the W hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

This edition of the camp will feature an impressive list of guest instructors, among them Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi, Fredrik Åkesson, Lari Basilio, Tim Henson, Scott LePage, Jeff Loomis, Rena Petrucci, Plini and Jason Richardson.

Camp-goers can attend classes taught by each of these guest instructors, and witness special events – among them instructor jams and solo sets – at night. The final night of the camp, Petrucci says, will feature a set from his solo band.

Furthermore, the Dream Theater electric guitar hero says that players of all skill levels can attend the camp.

"It’s really important to me to feature guitar players of different genders and different styles," Petrucci wrote in a statement on the camp's website. "It’s important to show different angles, to not only have people whose music I highly respect but also a diverse, international presence as well. 

"The span of the players in this camp – stylistically, age, gender, nationality – represents a cross-section of the guitar community all in one spot. From jazz fusion and instrumental prog to death metal and shred, they all share a common sensibility towards playing guitar – highly energetic, acrobatic, on fire."

Even if you can't attend the camp yourself, these all-star gatherings tend to produce some fascinating musical moments that eventually make their way onto the internet. 

At the most recent edition of the Guitar Universe camp, for instance, Petrucci treated campers to a funk rhythm guitar masterclass while neo-soul A-lister Mateus Asato got his shred on. 

Similarly, this summer, a video of Steve Vai and Yvette Young jamming at the former's Vai Academy camp was posted by Young on social media.

For more info on the camp, and to register, visit John Petrucci's Guitar Universe.