Adding to the list of things that should never be attempted by a human being... this week's Tale of Two Tones focuses on the guitar player you've probably heard on the radio over the course of the past 4 decades more than any other... it's Mr Steve Lukather!
As one of Jack's favourite guitar players in the whole world, the challenge to interpret just two of the man's amazing catalogue of tones came as both a sweet relief AND a twisted challenge... with a list of recording credits and guest appearances as long as our Luke's arms, it's no small feat to boil down some of the greatest guitar tones ever put to tape in to one video, but that's what we're here to at least attempt!
For this Two Tones episode, Jack focuses on his two most prominent Lukather tones - from the earliest days of Toto and a session career that would go on to inspire millions of radio-dependent, hungry musicians. Lukather soon joined a heavy-hitting artist roster for upcoming amp designer Paul Rivera, using many of his modified Fender amps, coupled with his famous Gibson Les Paul '59 Burst. These tones were truly electrifying, and showcased a purity that catapulted the iconic sound of Lukather's guitar to the final mix of many a hit record throughout the course of the late '70s and '80s. We supplemented the already stellar tone of a Fender '68 Custom Series Deluxe Reverb & Gibson 60th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul, with an Xotic EP Booster and BB Preamp to get as close as we could.
Many fans will know Lukather for his continued pioneering of epic rock guitar tones to present day, so to counter the classic '70s rig, Jack pieced together a close interpretation of what the Toto axe-slinger has been plugging in to in more recent years. This rig comprises of the stunning Music Man LIII signature model guitar, a few choice effects on the floor and of course, the monstrous Soldano SLO-100 amplifier. This tone is so huge, it can often be known to break in to the fourth dimension, where every single note that leaps off the fretboard offers a punch right to the gut!
Between these two inspired tones, as well as the rest of Lukather's incredible assortment of on-stage and on-record sounds, he proves himself as one of music's all-time greatest and most important guitar players, not just for the notes he chooses, but also the great guitar tones we are all chasing to the present day.
Enjoy this week's Tale of Two Tones, and please show your support by liking the video, commenting below with your thoughts on the tones and the main man himself, and also ensure you're subscribed to the channel AND ring the bell, to be notified of all videos we make in the future!
Check out gear used here:
Music Man Luke III HH Luscious Green Quilt Figured Roasted Neck - https://bit.ly/34YrJIY
Soldano SLO-100 Classic Super Lead Overdrive - https://bit.ly/318KhFe
Fender Tre-Verb Digital Reverb/Tremolo - https://bit.ly/3lY9IBz
Full Strymon stock here - https://bit.ly/3lSpEVP
Boss Chorus CE-2w Waza Craft - https://bit.ly/2FxxaWv
Jam Pedals TubeDreamer 88 - https://bit.ly/37c2LZt
Gibson Custom 60th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul V2 Tomato Soup Burst - https://bit.ly/2T1mAue
Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb - https://bit.ly/2SWKwij
Xotic BB-Preamp Andy Timmons Limited Edition - https://bit.ly/3lK1Sv8
Xotic EP Booster - https://bit.ly/2H9wXcy
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