New Lukeather tone

Maxxblade said:
I'm looking at the Luke guitars, which one do you like the best? Do they all have the preamp?
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Luke 1: This has 2 x EMG SA57 Custom Single coils and an EMG85 Humbucker. (9V battery inside). Only a volume knob (No tone control). It has a Gotoh Floyd rose bridge/locking nut.
Luke 2: This has 2 x EMG SLV Single coils and an EMG85 Humbucker. (9V battery inside). It has one master tone control. It has a vintage style 2 point pivot bridge with Schaller locking tuners.
LIII: This has a choice of either HH, or SSH Dimarzio Transitions. Both LIII options feature an internal preamp with a variable 12db boost (also with a 9V battery). It has the same bridge design as the Luke II.

For me, the LIII is way more resonant / zingy and a lot louder (higher output). This can be a good thing in some situations but not always. I personally still prefer the sound of the EMG's over the Dimarzio's, but I like the way both types offer something different. With the LIII I'd recommend the HH because it has the versatility of tones with the split coil options, so can cover a lot of ground tonally. The LI and II have a slightly smaller body than the LIII, and are a touch lighter overall, which makes a difference after a long gig or rehearsal!

To sum up, they are all so different that I can't pick a clear favourite, it's a case of what sound/feel I'm going for on any given day.
 
I absolutely love my LIII's which I have two of. Both models have the HH setup and stainless steel frets/mahogany body and roasted maple neck as they are limited editions. The tone is off the charts in my opinion and the playability second to none. I tried the Luke 2 side by side but it just didn't do it for me tonally.
 
I'm going to try and find one to play. From videos I'm leaning towards the HSS. I have a JEM777FP that I tapped the neck PUP and never use the humbucker in the neck position. Are the necks anything like the Wizard I have on the Jem? How tall are the frets?
 
No, the necks in my opinion are nothing like the JEM's. The JP6 is closer to the JEM/RG Wizard necks in my opinion. I used to exclusively use the RG Wizard necks but I've since switched to a narrower fatter neck which feels more comfortable to me. The Luke III neck has a bit of a soft V profile. The frets on the standard LIII are fairly low compared to my PDN LIII SS frets which are fairly tall.
 
That's correct, the frets on the LIII are low profile. A change from the higher frets on the Luke II. After a while, I've become used to the lower frets, and now I don't really notice the difference when I switch between the two guitars. Also, the Luke II I have has a less pronounced V neck, with a bit more shoulder. If I was to buy another Luke today, I'd definately lean towards another Luke II, probably a BFR one with the mahogany tone block.
 
Picked up a LIII HH used at guitar center. Less gain than my Jem w/o the preamp and a little more with. Modified some of my patches and I'm really starting to like it. A little more high endy than my jem which I think will be better in the mix when I play live. Really does get a large range of sound with the taps. Neck feels really good, I wish the frets were a smidge higher. Pots roll off real nice, do you know what type and brand they use?
 
I found a great deal on the Luke lll HH with solid rosewood neck, it's one of the best sounding guitars in the room! Looking for a HSS :)
 
I like the HH but I think I'm going to look for a SSH. On the HH I only use the bridge H and the neck S mainly and the bridge S once in a while. Any body have both? What are your thoughts.
 
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