Next purchase - Luke or JP?

[Knox]

Some help please . . . Getting more and more into Luke's tone now after being introduced to Toto, Los Lobotomies, Carlton and Luke and Steve's solo efforts by Ali of this very fine forum about 2 years ago! Cheers mate

Thing is not so keen on the shape of the Luke or the rosewood? Used to Ibanez Jem's, Charvels, Kramers, my axis, Peavey Wolfgang etc. Love the contours of the JP over and above the silo shape of the Luke. Obviously this would not be the final selling factor but I do like my hot rod guitars, but at the same time am mellowing in my 30s!

Must have a floyd but open to considering the wilkinson system as on the Luke and JP? Did the original Lukes come floyd equipped? Are any of these available still?

Colour choice? Love the quilt on my axis. Would love something like a flip pearly paint? Mystic dream on the JP? Is there an autumn orange/gold pearl colour (lava) available for the Luke or JP? Like a bright orange/red flip paint scheme? Think Lambo Murchielago (typo?)

Would love a full bridseye neck with maple board but I don't think that is an option on the Luke or JP? My Jems have rosewood/ebony, but have steered toward the unfinished birdseye of charvels/kramers and the axis and peavey of late.

Twin humbuckers a must with no middle pup.

Not to keen on loads of knobs! Volume would do. What are all the knobs on the JP - is that the piezo system set up?

Tone wise - how does the Luke and JP compare ie what pickups are in both?

So many questions but where else to get the best advise......!!!!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Junior]

Well, as far as I see, there are a lot of things that you "demand" which the Luke doesn't catch up with.

 

[Knox]

Next.....

(Here's hopeing for some helpful responses... )

 

[CudBucket]

Have to agree with Junior. You seem to only like the tone of the Luke. This is good. I can assure they play unbelievably well. So, there's playability and tone. The only thing that really matters. I have a Pet and a Luke. Both are great guitars and supremely unique. Stop worrying about the look of the guitar.

 

[beej]

Yup, have to agree.

The necks are so completely different on the JP and Luke. So that would be my main concern. The Luke neck is small, sleek, and has a v-shape that fits your hand really well. The Pet is slick and much thinner.

Luke has a great sound and a KILLER rig. But it starts with his EMGs which you can put into any guitar you like.

If you need HH and a maple neck, maybe you should be looking at a Silhouette or an Axis. You could fit EMGs into either of them and that might get closer to what you want. Hey- what about the Limited Edition Silhouette? Gorgeous. And HH.

But yeah, I'd start by evaluating what you want in a neck. You can change the sound easily. Feel is harder.

 

[Knox]

I have an axis beej! And love it!

But I disagree.

When buying a car, a house or any major investment it has to be the complete package.

Yes compromises have to and will evidently be made - in colour choice, trim level, engine size, house location, garden size, number of bedrooms, price, finish etc.

I practice architecture and interior design and a building is not just about how it looks onthe outside but more importantly how it performs on the inside and how it relates to its surroundings and context and also how it affects its owners, its users and those who look upon it or enter in on it! Its about how it feels, how it breathes, how it performs from a maintenance point of view over its lifespan of 30 years for example.

The same can be said about any product that has been designed.

Yes the Luke and Petrucci have great tone that I am sure of, but its how they both feel, play and look and physically and emotiionally connect witht the user and those who listen and feel its acoustics and sonic qualities.

The design of any product is probably the most important selling factor. In some things the only selling factor. How good it looks and well it performs its function or purpose.

With a guitar, its in how it looks, its body contours, its control posiitons, pickup layouts, neck joint, neck profile, headstock design etc

Then we have its sound, tone, internals, electronics. The heart. Much like a car engine and its performance levels.

So yeah finish, colour, wood, body shape, contours, neck profile, type of trem and nut are all just as important to me as how it sounds and plays and ultimately affect how a guitar sounds and plays!

Its taken for granted that EBMM produce great sounding machines. I know that, as I have a beautiful axis. But I personally don't but anything on performance alone!

 

[Junior]

Sorry if you think I wasn't helpful, but that was just the way I felt. You don't want a middle pickup, Luke has it, you want a maple fretboard, both JP and Luke don't have it, you want a Floyd, new Luke doesn't have it. (JP has something great instead)

Sorry, again.

 

[beej]

Ah, should have read your sig

It's tough, b/c you have to give something up there if you want the maple neck. From a design perspective, what do you think about the 20th Anniversary Silhouette?

You can have a maple neck, vintage trem (same as the Luke - and very solid), HH, simple controls, familiar body style, and if you don't like the p'ups you can put in EMGs.

 

[Knox]

That would be the piezo or the additional 7th string on the JP7 model maybe?
I am always open to compromise like I said I have a mix of maple and rosewood boards. I was enquiring whether it was possible to have a floyd or a maple board as an option. Thanks for confirming that it isn't!

I believe the wilkinson trem works as well maybe better as a floyd and this is the reason Luke and Petrucci both endorse this system. Both being previous floyd users. Are they more reliable? I assume the strings lock at the tuners and the bridge end also though?

 

[Knox]

Ah, should have read your sig

It's tough, b/c you have to give something up there if you want the maple neck. From a design perspective, what do you think about the 20th Anniversary Silhouette?

You can have a maple neck, vintage trem (same as the Luke - and very solid), HH, simple controls, familiar body style, and if you don't like the p'ups you can put in EMGs.

I think its beautiful. Very minimal and true to the original. Is this the standard body design for all sig models before the endorsees start tweeking things? (Axis aside!)

Not to sure about the soapbar pups though? Can these be swapped for something else?

Like the fixed bridge. Was thinki of another Ibanez (PGM Model) which has a fixed bridge so this wouuld be a much better buy I think? How about a few hollowed out F-holes though...!

 

[beej]

Not to sure about the soapbar pups though? Can these be swapped for something else?

Like the fixed bridge. Was thinki of another Ibanez (PGM Model) which has a fixed bridge so this wouuld be a much better buy I think? How about a few hollowed out F-holes though...!

I'm sure you can swap out the p'ups if you like. You could get the EMGs that match the Luke Bridge Pup (not sure what they offer for a neck, but sure you could find something good).

It's also offered with a trem btw. And the stability is excellent. I have it in the Axis, Luke and Albert and can really wail on it without a tuning issues. Not as stable as a Floyd, but pretty darn close with much more ease of maintenance.

 

[kbaim]

EMG sells the Luke pup set. Maybe put them in a guitar you already own (if possible) and save yourself about a grand.

 

[nocluejimbo]

I believe the wilkinson trem works as well maybe better as a floyd and this is the reason Luke and Petrucci both endorse this system. Both being previous floyd users. Are they more reliable? I assume the strings lock at the tuners and the bridge end also though?

To clear this up, neither model features a Wilkinson trem system. They are both of Ernie Ball/Music Man design. The Luke features a vintage-styled flat mount trem, and the Petrucci features a heavier duty floating trem.

The bridges don't lock, but they are fitted with locking tuners.

Not to sure about the soapbar pups though? Can these be swapped for something else?

Like the fixed bridge. Was thinki of another Ibanez (PGM Model) which has a fixed bridge so this wouuld be a much better buy I think? How about a few hollowed out F-holes though...!

The pickups are standard humbuckers in a uniquely styled pickup ring.

The PGM's (which were solid with painted on f-holes) did have a hardtail, but if you want a hardtail, I'd go for an Axis Super Sport or Silhouette over an Ibanez.

 

[brentrocks]

get a EVH

 

[fogman]

I practice architecture and interior design and a building is not just about how it looks onthe outside but more importantly how it performs on the inside and how it relates to its surroundings and context and also how it affects its owners, its users and those who look upon it or enter in on it! Its about how it feels, how it breathes, how it performs from a maintenance point of view over its lifespan of 30 years for example.

The same can be said about any product that has been designed.

Yes the Luke and Petrucci have great tone that I am sure of, but its how they both feel, play and look and physically and emotiionally connect witht the user and those who listen and feel its acoustics and sonic qualities.

The design of any product is probably the most important selling factor. In some things the only selling factor. How good it looks and well it performs its function or purpose.

With a guitar, its in how it looks, its body contours, its control posiitons, pickup layouts, neck joint, neck profile, headstock design etc

Then we have its sound, tone, internals, electronics. The heart. Much like a car engine and its performance levels.

So yeah finish, colour, wood, body shape, contours, neck profile, type of trem and nut are all just as important to me as how it sounds and plays and ultimately affect how a guitar sounds and plays!

Its taken for granted that EBMM produce great sounding machines. I know that, as I have a beautiful axis. But I personally don't but anything on performance alone!

Architecture & Interior Design!!! That's what I do as well.
In that case, you're probably going to drive yourself nuts on this decision since EBMM has a bazillion combinations!!! GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND!!!

 

[SteveB]

Must have a floyd but open to considering the wilkinson system as on the Luke and JP? Did the original Lukes come floyd equipped? Are any of these available still?

Colour choice? Love the quilt on my axis. Would love something like a flip pearly paint? Mystic dream on the JP? Is there an autumn orange/gold pearl colour (lava) available for the Luke or JP? Like a bright orange/red flip paint scheme? Think Lambo Murchielago (typo?)

Would love a full bridseye neck with maple board but I don't think that is an option on the Luke or JP? My Jems have rosewood/ebony, but have steered toward the unfinished birdseye of charvels/kramers and the axis and peavey of late.

Twin humbuckers a must with no middle pup.

Not to keen on loads of knobs! Volume would do. What are all the knobs on the JP - is that the piezo system set up?

Tone wise - how does the Luke and JP compare ie what pickups are in both?

Neither guitar has a floyd, nor an option for one. I think the older Luke models (Luke 1) had a Floyd but now they have a Music Man Vintage Trem. The Petrucci has it's own trem also designed by Music Man (and it is awesome!). EBMM doesn't sell the older Luke's so you'd have to find a used one somewhere to get a Floyd.

There's a color chart on the Music Man site where you can see the colors. There's also an options list that tells you which colors are offered on each model.

As Junior mentioned, no maple fingerboard option for either guitar. Both guitars have birdseye maple neck, though.

The pickup config you seek is only available on the Petrucci. The Luke comes with EMG active pickups, which in my opinion sound kind of 'fuzzy' compared to the passive custom DiMarzio's in the Petrucci.

The Petrucci comes with a 3-way toggle, one volume and one tone knob. If you add the piezo bridge, you get another 3-way toggle on the upper horn, and another volume knob for the piezo.

 

[Knox]

To all who replied I thankyou!

kbaim - I could put a set of the EMGS inone of my other guitars but I have them just as I like them! And that just wouldn't be as fun than splashing out on another lovely curvy guitar!

Steve B - very informative! The answers to the questions - straight up! Thanks

Fogman - lets talk sometime! Where are you based?

BrentRocks - You're just biased....!!! Te he...
But yeah I'd go for an EVH if I could find one at the money - especially in pink, candy apple or trans gold!
But the more I play my axis I think whats the point? Its only a signature... but I love history!

Nocluejimbo - thanks for clearing that up but aren't they based on the wilkinson design?

 

[thisispastrami]

I have a Luke and I recommended to everyone I havent use any of my other guitars its so awesome and so versatile it have a lot of tone options ; )

 

[edensdad]

I vote JP

P.S. - spring for the Piezo - it's worth it - like getting an acoustic/electric built in.

 

[glockaxis]

I agree w/ thisispastrami. The Luke is so versatile. I never really use the neck pickup on my axis, but use the single coils on my Luke a lot. But since I have the Axis, a Petrucci model doesn't pull on any of my heart strings.