Question: MM LUKE: New VS Old

[andrealuke]

Hello everyone! I'm new around here, so please be patient if my question is not new, I simply didn't find a good answer yet...
I have a first generation MMLuke, the one with Floyd-like bridge, single volume pot, and so on. Few days ago a friend of mine bought a new Luke, so we compared them to understand differences. I expect more tone due to vintage trem, SLV pickups, tone pot, and on, as you surely know better than me...
Same amp, same cable, same hand: shape is the same, so the general feel is the same, but what about tone? New one seem to have less voice, a compressed sound that in the first minutes made us think about bad batteries, less sustain, less personality... Not bad, man, we're talking about a great guitar, but generally I expected to feel a jump ahead in tone, while it seems to go back to a "common" good guitar...

Is it my only impression, or is there anyone who felt the same?
What do you think about it?

Thank to everyone!
Rock On!

[dwells]

I agree dude my Luke 1 still smokes my BFR Luke im not sure why by it just does every time i plug it in my band mates say that guitar ripps the other one, i still love the sound of the newer lukes, but i think they really had it right back ten years ago?

[beej]

I'm guessing that Luke likes the new configuration better, or he wouldn't have wanted the changes

[andrealuke]

I'm sure Luke asked for those changes, I'd like to know your own opinion

[bkrumme]

It's the tone pot. I can almost guarantee this.

Without the tone pot, the pickup is basically running "wide open" without any tone limitations. You get the full frequency response from it. With the tone pot, the freq. resp. gets limited by the pot and it may sound "thinner" but likely more focused.

I experience the same thing with a couple of my EMG equipped guitars. Same make & model guitar, but one has a tone pot and the other doesn't. The one without the tone pot completely SHREDS the one with the tone pot.

[jcm900]

also keep in mind that the older one has been played for over a decade. that also counts, when it comes to tone and feel.

[Craiguitar]

I can only concur with that

[guertzi]

Don't know about the Luke I, but what I can say is that my Luke II has kind of "opened up" in the last few months tonewise.
I bought mine new in June 2007 and I had the same impression like you, tone seemed somewhat compressed and a little... edgy, not yet a GREAT tone but already GOOD. Just like a new guitar normally does.

Up until now it has gone through some kind of evolution and the tone is much more rounded and somewhat fuller than in the beginning when I first got it! Tone now is GREAT and I receive many compliments for my guitar tone every time I play my Luke in front of a public audience!

So give it a little time and tell your buddy to play that thang as much as he can - then repeat the A/B test you did. I am sure it will yield a different result.

Rock on!

[bkrumme]

also keep in mind that the older one has been played for over a decade. that also counts, when it comes to tone and feel.

Definitely. Tonewoods only sound better with age. And there's nothing like a guitar you've been playing for 10 years (or more) for feel. It's probably mostly comfort of the instrument at that point since you're used to it, but there are going to be physical changes as well, especially to the neck.

[DrGonzo5150]

It's the tone pot. I can almost guarantee this.

Without the tone pot, the pickup is basically running "wide open" without any tone limitations. You get the full frequency response from it. With the tone pot, the freq. resp. gets limited by the pot and it may sound "thinner" but likely more focused.

I experience the same thing with a couple of my EMG equipped guitars. Same make & model guitar, but one has a tone pot and the other doesn't. The one without the tone pot completely SHREDS the one with the tone pot.

Luke 1 vs Luke 2 - The guitars have two completely different sets of pickups.

Plenty of people have disconnected the tone circuit of the luke 2 and BFRs and they still sound way way way off - I believe dwells may be able to comment on this... having tried it not so long ago if i recall correctly.

The Luke 1s Custom EMG pickups are substantially different to the current set which is an EMG-85 and EMG-SLV single coils. To my ears, the originals were hotter.. just more bite.

I read a story or interview or something and i'm paraphrasing HARD... But it basically said Lucious was in the studio with Jeff Beck who was busting out some super tasty cool s*** and using heaps of tone knob... by the end of the session or jam or whatever it was, he had decided to add a tone circuit and make some changes to the model.

Don't get me wrong, the new ones are still nice, just less aggressive. They rifined the guitar and it's obviously what Lucious was looking for.

Personally, I prefer the original p/ups. But it's just that, personal preference. I know others that say they dig the new ones and find it way better all-round now. Both good, but yes, both different.

Haha wow.. that was longer than expected haha winding down from a gig...
Next time i'll just say I agree 100% with andrealuke & dwells

[bkrumme]

Luke 1 vs Luke 2 - The guitars have two completely different sets of pickups. End of story.

AHA. I was unaware of that. So I take back what I said earlier.

Were the pickups the same models, the tone pot would make a substantial difference. Since they aren't the same models, there's your culprit.

[DrGonzo5150]

Were the pickups the same models, the tone pot would make a substantial difference.

Totally

Ps. ignore my 'end of story' thing.. Unnecessary.
Pumped gave way to tired and grumpy... I've got to stop this late night thread trolling
I'm off to bed...

[megaroel]

it might be simple, change the strings and place a newer battery in the
newer luke model. who knows how long that battery has been in there.

[andrealuke]

I can only thank you all for the answers, now I'm sure my ears still works!
The question indeed is what are the main effects in tone due to hardware changes... of course what do YOU think about that.
My old one is my pal since 1995, and it's been played almost everyday in plenty of situations, but didn't expect to feel the guitar "growing" in some more of a decade, thinking about buying a new one I HAD to do that test.
Thanks everyone again!

[dwells]

i have replaced both Bridge pickups with EMG 81s and my older Luke is still heaps hotter and has more balls But the Bfr Luke is more defined for Lead playing
so they both rule still"_