Question Luke 1 Prototype

[Tomas]

Hi guys, greetings from Argentina!
I'm about to own a Luke 1 Prototype from 93' and i've been looking in this forum and others information about this guitar, but i didn't find any concrete information of this guitar.
My matter is that it has Seymour Duncan pickups as you can see in the picture, and i've never seen those in this serie. You guy know if this model had originally those pickup's?, or maybe the previous owner switched the classic EMG's.
Also if any has an extra information about this guitar, i would love to read it.



Many thanks in advance.

 

[Mick]

Tomas? have you been to my shop in germany? Is it you?
I think the best way would be sending the serial number to the customer service.
Mick

 

[dibart77]

I see no reason to believe this is a "prototype". This looks like a stock Luke 1 whose pickups were swapped from EMGs to passives. I have a Luke with the same thing. It's a 1 hour job to swap the pickups. No big deal. If you look, the route for the humbucker has square slots for the mounting tabs, which is the route EBMM did for EMGs. If someone is trying to convince you that having different pickups in a 27-year-old guitar proves it's a prototype or pre-production, someone is trying to take advantage of you.

The easiest way is to enter the serial number at the EBMM Serial Number Database lookup tool and it'll give you the date of manufacture, etc. If it doesn't show up in the DB lookup, THEN reach out to customer service.

​

 

[kimonostereo]

While I think Luke did try out passive pickups, that was for the Luke II. I don't think passives were even considered for the Luke I. Luke was playing his Valley Arts "robot/android" with EMGs prior to EBMM.

Every now and then, I still think about owning or building a replica of his original VA sunburst…

 

[tbonesullivan]

I would also like to note that OEM Seymour Duncan pickups, like Dimarzios, are almost always unmarked. That the bridge pickup reads "Seymour Duncan" says to me that it's an aftermarket retail pickup. Looking inside of the wiring compartment should tell you all you need to know.

 

[Dcareaga]

That looks like a Luke 1 and someone swapped the pickups.
Lukather DID try Duncans, I believe, in the original Luke prototype as well as a maple fretboard and 24 frets.
See Below!

He went back to EMGs SA-57/SA-57/85 in the Luke 1 then to SLV/SLV/85 in the Luke II.

 

[kimonostereo]

I think that's a Silhouette.

 

[Dcareaga]

I think that's a Silhouette.

Yep, They started with that body shape, that picture is from a history of Lukathers gear through the years in Vintage Guitar Magazine in 2008, theres another picture that was in a thread here, from an open house at EBMM, that guitar hanging next to a JP proto with EMGs.

Everyone in that thread thought it was a Silo as well until Pete Dubaldo, who had the picture, clarified it was a the Luke Proto. Sadly the picture is gone.

Thread: http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-guitars/7170-couple-luke-questions.html
I am on there as well sounding like even more of a know-it-all than I do here... lol

They ditched the pickguard and tone knob from the silo and note the "V" route for the wiring tabs on the singles and no name on the headstock, Silo or Luke.

The version in is hands in the other picture is after they contoured the body and if I remember correctly the "V" routes were gone.
That picture was in Guitar World in spring 1993, in the actual issue you could see it much more clearly and he spoke about how he was using the prototype from that picture for his new Signature guitar with EBMM and they were still trying out pickups.

 

[Billy Tennessee]

Interesting that there is no battery compartment, if it was meant to have EMGs. Maybe it is a prototype.

 

[Dcareaga]

Interesting that there is no battery compartment, if it was meant to have EMGs. Maybe it is a prototype.

The first run of very early Luke 1s didn't have a dedicated battery compartment. I believe that was introduced in the second run/ first year but I could be wrong about the timing.
I remember playing the first two that Nadines music in Hollywood had and it was just the two back plates.
It also has the older Floyd Rose with the collar around the bar so its pre Pop-in bar.... thats what? 1995 or earlier? Not sure when that was changed. But it was on the Luke in 96-97.


1994 Luke no battery compartment:
NEW Photos Music Man Luke 1 Signed 1994 Candy Blue | | Reverb

there are a few out there.

 

[DrKev]

My thoughts (and please do correct me if I'm wrong)...

1) I don't recall many non-JP prototypes that had all the final production headstock logos.
2) Guitars that have the battery box have a smaller back plate and cavity routing. The cavity backplate is larger to accommodate the battery that was originally installed.

Odds are this is not a prototype. Without offical word from Music Man themselves, I would say not. Did you try calling them?

 

[Dcareaga]

My thoughts (and please do correct me if I'm wrong)...

1) I don't recall many non-JP prototypes that had all the final production headstock logos.
2) Guitars that have the battery box have a smaller back plate and cavity routing. The cavity backplate is larger to accommodate the battery that was originally installed.

Odds are this is not a prototype. Without offical word from Music Man themselves, I would say not. Did you try calling them?

Yep, the bigger cavity is for the battery.
I think you are correct about the logos.
I never saw a Proto Luke 1 in either of the production colors. Only in variations of blue or purple/blue.
Doesn't mean they didn't make them, I have just never seen one.
The Luke 1 was my main guitar and favorite guitar from 1994 to 2010.
IN all that time, countless hours finding every piece of information I could
from every source I could access I never saw a Red proto.
t would be super cool if this is an actual proto but I agree that odds are it isn't.

 

[Yairiman]

The first run of very early Luke 1s didn't have a dedicated battery compartment. I believe that was introduced in the second run/ first year but I could be wrong about the timing.
I remember playing the first two that Nadines music in Hollywood had and it was just the two back plates.
It also has the older Floyd Rose with the collar around the bar so its pre Pop-in bar.... thats what? 1995 or earlier? Not sure when that was changed. But it was on the Luke in 96-97.


1994 Luke no battery compartment:
NEW Photos Music Man Luke 1 Signed 1994 Candy Blue | | Reverb

there are a few out there.

The guitar below is an "Artist" division "Luke" 1(Serial#: G03672), to be exact, and was used in a You Tube demo by Steve in the also attached photo. Signed by Luke in 2006 prior to the Gavin Menzies, "Tech To The Stars", auction and my ownership. I purchased it from the auction buyer. Subsequently, Luke, and Joe Williams, were on a Virtual Meet and Greet on November 17, 2020(During COVID) with me and my son and Steve saw the Luke Blue 1 on the wall behind us, along with a rare Luke 1 Flame Hawaiian Koa "Ball Family Reserve" I was privy to since I owned one of Luke's actual guitars!!.

Serial Number Database

www.music-man.com

***See all photos below

Steve asked about it and remembered signing it in 2006 and The You Tube Video demo. He also said EBMM was "throwing" guitars at him trying to get the "right fit and feel" and that Gavin was probably storing some that eventually were in his possession. Fast forward past all the original members, on February 27, 2023, I took the guitar to Charleston, SC, one of my previous residences, to have the band sign and Luke resign. It worked! Jon Gosnell, Luke's tech, saw my case and asked what was in it. When I showed him the guitar, he said, "You want the band and Steve to sign, right?, OF COURSE. He took it into the Charleston Music Hall, site of that concert, and the band signed it after sound check and it was waiting for me when I return from a short meal.

I bought the guitar because of the opportunity to have one of the absolute "GREATS" actual guitar. The opportunity for the Luke Flamed Koa, book matched, and stunning with the gold floating trem, came as a result of contacting EBMM with this original, doing my research for authenticity and then getting the opportunity to purchase, at very much reduced price, Luke Flamed Koa below(Serial # G57545). In the case of the "Signed Luke", was a leather strap, many Luke guitar pics and a two page list, in descending order, of Gavin Menzies "artist worked for" and any special projects ENJOY!!!

Update: I have been asked why the head stock back photo says "Pussy # 2" in writing. Steve used to name his guitars and this happened to be the name he gave this one. He also confirmed that on our Meet and Greet mentioned above. That really got a laugh out of him and Joe!!!