Convince me to buy a Luke

[Red Scare]

Yeah, Keith, VERY late to the party I wasn't even considering a JP. I bought a Luke FROM JP Buttercream. And since he is just across the border, I will have it in less than 24 hours. I'll let everyone know what I think.

 

[JeffreyB]

can't wait for the pics...how about some video or sound clips, too?????

 

[d-bone]

I had my luke for a week now and I love the neck and feel of the guitar and how it plays.

Did not like the EMG's at first, or my amp did't like em (marshall 6100LE - a killer amp!) There was no low end and they sounded hard and lifeless but I found a solution...

I can't believe how much of a difference raising the bridge and neck pickups did to the tone on my luke, that and disconecting the tone control made my luke sound so much better!!

Now it shines, very glassy, sustaining & alive tone, and it got bass response.

Easy 'stock' modification that made a huge difference, you don't know what your missing if you have not tried this.

 

[kbaim]

Yeah, Keith, VERY late to the party I wasn't even considering a JP. I bought a Luke FROM JP Buttercream. And since he is just across the border, I will have it in less than 24 hours. I'll let everyone know what I think.

Ooops! I gotta read more carefully.
Side note -- I let an old highschool buddy borrow an LE Blue Dawn Luke with piezo I got a couple months back. He's been a Les Paul player for like 30 years but I know he's played Lukes before.

Anyhow, last month I brought it over to his house to jam and he plugged in his Les Paul to my amp with a bit of delay and chorus...then I let him plug in the Luke. The Luke just sounded so much more colorful it was hilarious. He had this I-HAVE-TO-RETHINK-EVERYTHING look on his face.

And it's not even the best sounding Luke I own!

 

[roburado]

you would think in a city as big as Detroit someone would have one, but NO ONE carries EBMM except for Elderly in Lansing, and they only have a couple. Detroit is all Gibson and Fender. Oh, and a lot of guns...

I know it's far for you, but the Guitar Center in Southfield had a Luke for a long time recently. I was there last weekend, but I didn't see it. You might call them to see if they still have it. They also had a fully loaded JP6 there for a couple of weeks until it was sold. Perhaps, closer to you is the Canton GC at which I saw a Rosewood ASS. Royal Music in Royal Oak has a SUB. The last time I checked Motor City Guitars in Waterford had a SUB guitar.

I've had lousy experiences with Huber & Breese in Fraser, and I'll never give them any of my money. Likewise, I won't do business with Elderly either. However, H&B have had and have been reported to have some EBMM guitars lately. They reportedly had a JP6 or two as of a few weeks ago. They are supposed to be getting a BFR JP6. You can see that in the Official BFR picture sticky thread.

That Luke at the Southfield GC was a guitar that I had my eye on. I was hoping no one was going to buy it so that I could swoop in and rescue it when they had one of their big sales. It's gone through one of those "List" sales without being purchased. The price was good enough that if I find a Luke at that price again, I'm buying it. Just didn't have the money at the time.

As far as the whole EMGs=metal thing, look at David Gilmour. He's played EMGs forever. I don't consider his sound anywhere close to metal. I hardly ever play the Luke with a distorted tone in the stores. I just love plugging that sucker into an F-brand or Mesa amp and playing it clean. I love it like that. That's my favorite sound out of the Luke. Just love the sound out of the neck and middle pickups.

 

[vinnas]

Hi evrybody! I´m a EBMM player since year 2000, but had never posted that much here.

I got a Luke some months ago and I am still getting used to it.

I had never used active p-ups and low frets before.

Regarding all people who put bigger frets into their Lukes, I´d like to know if there were any issues concerning the nut. Because new (taller) frets would require a nut elevation or replacement also, am I right?

Thanks and cheers from Brazil!

Vinnas

 

[Jamie M]

Do it, you wont regret it

 

[Roberto Rivera]

try the Luke III, if you don't want the EMG pickups

 

[Roberto Rivera]

Hi evrybody! I´m a EBMM player since year 2000, but had never posted that much here.

I got a Luke some months ago and I am still getting used to it.

I had never used active p-ups and low frets before.

Regarding all people who put bigger frets into their Lukes, I´d like to know if there were any issues concerning the nut. Because new (taller) frets would require a nut elevation or replacement also, am I right?

Thanks and cheers from Brazil!

Vinnas

don't do that... leave it as it is... you'll get used to... and you won't ruin the guitar

 

[dwells]

Dream Theater- Wither solo + Improvisation by Dean Wells / TERAMAZE - YouTube

 

[gtrman66]

Hi evrybody! I´m a EBMM player since year 2000, but had never posted that much here.

I got a Luke some months ago and I am still getting used to it.

I had never used active p-ups and low frets before.

Regarding all people who put bigger frets into their Lukes, I´d like to know if there were any issues concerning the nut. Because new (taller) frets would require a nut elevation or replacement also, am I right?

Thanks and cheers from Brazil!

Vinnas

I recently had a refret done on one of my Lukes using gold 6150 (medium jumbo...similar to modern USA strats)fret wire. The tech said it was a little bit harder to work with than nickel but not as hard on his tools as stainless. And he didnt have to replace the nut which kept the cost down. And it plays, sounds, and feels awesome! If you went with 6100 jumbo frets odds are you would need to have a new nut installed and cut....but your results may vary lol

 

[gtrman66]

And as long as the frets aren't worn out i would leave it alone until it needed a refret. I spent years playing USA strats and quickly adapted to the different frets. Now I can't play anything else lol....the more you play it the more you'll get used to the feel.

 

[vinnas]

Tks for the different views, guys!

The Luke I got is a 2001 ands it is mint-condition, fretwire is original and still perfect. I think I´ll try to adapt to them 1st, so...

 

[DrKev]

Regarding all people who put bigger frets into their Lukes, I´d like to know if there were any issues concerning the nut. Because new (taller) frets would require a nut elevation or replacement also, am I right?

Yes, you are right. But anybody who can do a good job re-fretting an instrument is also perfectly capable of raising the existing nut to match. It's not an issue if they know what they are doing.

 

[aaroa]

Never too into the EMG pickups but the Luke III would be at the top of my list for a new ball.

 

[PY38]

"Waves Hand" These arnt the droids your looking for, but you will buy a Luke.............

 

[vinnas]

"But anybody who can do a good job re-fretting an instrument is also perfectly capable of raising the existing nut to match. It's not an issue if they know what they are doing."

I see, but there is such a thing like 'raising a nut'? I mean, to my knowledge only a replacement nut will do the job, and making a new nut seems not that easy for a luthier. Are they capable to make a copy of the new EBMM nut? I have my doubts.

 

[DrKev]

Removing the nut and then shimming underneath to raise it will work. Easy job for a good guitar tech or luthier.

If ever you need a new compensated nut you'll have to have call customer service. They don't sell them as aftermarket parts, usually only available if a replacement part is needed (e.g. original is broken or chipped).

 

[Craiguitar]

It took me years to finally try and buy a Luke. Why?

1. I hate EMG pickups. That is until I tried the Luke. Totally different story then any EMG I ever tried or heard, so just forget it has EMG pu's. You won't even know they are there.

2. The neck is so sweet! The geetar is super comfortable to play.

3. Very versatile soundwise.

I bought my Luke 1 in April 1994. I had never tried any Musicman guitar before. Loved it straight away. I liked EMG pickups anyway, as I had retrofitted some into my first guitar ( a cheap and nasty strat copy). But I realised the single coils were different to standard SA's. They had more power and clarity. They are SA57's. However when I bought my Luke II I realised the SLV's in that were much more vintage and overwound sounding, a lot more stratty, but without all the inherant noise issues associated with passives. Either way the single coils in both guitars have a beautiful sound. I play mainly clean & low gain, no metal music or anything like that.

I'd recommend them to anyone, and tell them to forget any preconceptions, as EMG's get a real bad rap on forums like this, and that might put a lot of folk off, without ever actually trying them. A mind is like an umbrella. It only works when it is open.

 

[guitardan]

you would think in a city as big as Detroit someone would have one, but NO ONE carries EBMM except for Elderly in Lansing, and they only have a couple. Detroit is all Gibson and Fender. Oh, and a lot of guns...

The Southfield GC has them. And I've seen EBMM's at the Canton GC as well, but no Luke the last time I was there. Motorcity guitar in waterford has EBMM as well, but I'd call a head to see if they have a Luke.

I have an 08 Luke, and go back and forth about changing the pups to passives.
But not sure how much improvement I'll see for the ~$250.00 cost of changing them out.
Note: you'll have to change the pots over to 500K (according to DiMarzio) for passives....
I'm a classic rock player and the EMG's are fine for what I'm doing, they are well balanced and great clean to heavy.....

- Dan