Question Could you pull off Timmons type tones on a Luke

[wolf5150]

Brownpants.. yes it is

The AT1 is quite a surprise... I usually avoid high output pickups and as Andy's well known for his love of the Duncan JB, I was nervous about it.

I must say I'm really happy with it, it's fat, has harmonics everywhere and superb string seperation, suits the acoustically bright tone of the Musicman very well.

Definately a keeper.

 

[whitestrat]

I swapped out the EMGs in my Luke for passive pickups. A few people on this forum thought I was mad...

Honestly, I would have done the SAME thing.

 

[jcm900]

I'm going to pipe in here again...

I swapped out the EMGs in my Luke for passive pickups. A few people on this forum thought I was mad... but I was happy with it. I found the EMGs to be awsome with my POD Pro into the PA system, but not so good with my amps and pedals. However, it is going to vary from amp to amp.

I've heard a few people use Lukes and get amazing fat tone- the single coils are overwound and fat sounding, not like the run of the mill EMG singles (and Dave Gilmour uses those on the Pink Floyd Pulse DVD- he has tone to die for...)

It would be so easy to get an amzing fat, smooth tone out of the Luke, but it really does depend on whether you will be happy with it.

I'm sure we have all been in the same situation- you want a piece of gear so bad, and when you get it, it doesn't sound or feel quite right. It gets better, and it grows on you. Or you get even more dispondant with it, and you feel post GAS guilt and sell it.

You have to spend time with a guitar to know if it is right... So.... Buy it, try it for 6 months, and if you don't like it sell it to a knucklhead on here! If you like it, then you have a friend for life!

What kind of pick ups do you use in that Luke?
I'm thinking about putting passive pick ups in my older Luke.

 

[wolf5150]

You need to remember that Gilmour uses the SPC control on his EMG set and always has it slightly on, to fatten up the EMG's.

He's gone on record to say that he was never happy with their tone and used them simply due to their lack of noise.

I've owned a few sets, inc the Gilmour set as I perform as a one man Pink Floyd Tribute Show. I will say that EMG's are hard to beat if you're after a very heavily processed tone.. it's when you get more organic that their shortfalls become evident.

For my Floyd show I use a Kinman loaded Suhr Strat but for the title of this thread, I'd say it depends on the rest of your rig.

If you use processors and a huge pedal board, then YES, EMG's will do it... if you're a guitar into amp kinda guy.. then NO.

 

[Random Hero]

You need to remember that Gilmour uses the SPC control on his EMG set and always has it slightly on, to fatten up the EMG's.

He's gone on record to say that he was never happy with their tone and used them simply due to their lack of noise.

I've owned a few sets, inc the Gilmour set as I perform as a one man Pink Floyd Tribute Show. I will say that EMG's are hard to beat if you're after a very heavily processed tone.. it's when you get more organic that their shortfalls become evident.

For my Floyd show I use a Kinman loaded Suhr Strat but for the title of this thread, I'd say it depends on the rest of your rig.

If you use processors and a huge pedal board, then YES, EMG's will do it... if you're a guitar into amp kinda guy.. then NO.

I'm the latter, with the odd pedal between. Seems like I need to keep looking.

 

[wolf5150]

I'm a bit of a pickup geek, what's your rig set up and guitar.?. I'll give my recommendation.

If it's Timmons you're after.. get the same set up as his ( as I did ). Provided your guitar's Alder and maple, same as his.

 

[Slingy]

I wouldn't discredit the EMG's and the Luke guitar. There are also advantages to the EMG's, higher output, low noise, very polished hi-fi sounding, and clean as a whistle. Maybe not a ringer for the Timmons tones, but it nails the Lukather tones.

 

[ba2m]

It seems almost ideal, the EMGs being the only thing holding me back. Are these type tones possible on the Lukather, with its EMG set?

Of course, I mean the fat, warm bridge humbucker tones, the glassy cleans, and the pseudo-single coil - fatter, darker, warmer - neck tones?

In my opinion, it's not difficult to get AT's tone in luke, i think it's basically a combination of strat-ish single coils sound with high output humbucker sound.. and luke has more than that i think..

I had an at300 (before i change to luke), and i found that the sound of luke's single coils is brighter.. maybe it's because the mahogany body of at300 .. i heard that at100 single coil sounds is brighter due to its alder body..

but i think it's very interesting to hear opinions from the people who own luke and AT in their hand so they can compare it side by side..

 

[Random Hero]

Yeah, Timmons has a kinda super fat, warm, single coil-ish neck tone. That's what I was curious about.

 

[brownpants69]

I fitted bareknuckles- the geoff whitehorn Crawler HB- and an Irish tour in the middle. I fitted a Duncan JB junior in the neck. Wired up with all noiseless selections. Not too happy with the neck pickup, or neck split and middle.

I'm going to put in another Irish Tour or a Slowhand in the neck, wired up to Wolf's5150s silent circuit.

I find the people at Bareknuckle very helpful on the phone.

Definitely agree with that about the EMGs- they really cut through when processed- couldnt get on with them straight into the amp. I actually loved EMGs when I was playing in close proximity to a PA rack and lighting rig- exactly the same reason gilmour used them!

One day I'll probably get another Luke and leave it with the EMGs intact- but thats not going to be for many years! Not until I have a rack system from hell! (have to save up for that triaxis)

 

[wolf5150]

The triaxis is stupid.... it has NO input on the front.

I hungered after one for ages and when I tried one it was a total nightmare...
had to reach round the back on the dark stage to plug my guitar in

Not everyone wants to use a wireless !

 

[brownpants69]

Yeah- that does suck!

By the way- have you seen the demo of the Stiletto and lonestar by timmons on the boogie website?

I know it's not MM related but it's a really good look into how he gets all of his tones- I was most suprised by the use of Electro Harmonix memory man pedals for his delay. I always assumed he would be one of these guys who used a rack full of gear.