[TOTO] Steve Lukather's equipment [Amps, guitars, effects]

Steve Lukather was born on October 1957, 10 in the San Fernando Valley of California. His first encounter with music was as a child, when he was captivated by a Beatles song playing on the radio. He himself has said, "When I heard 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)', my life changed," and this fateful encounter with rock music became the starting point for him.

He taught himself to play guitar and his talent quickly blossomed. By the time he was in junior high school, he had already joined a local band and absorbed various styles in a session-like manner. His early devotion to the instrument and his strong interest in not only guitar but also music theory and arranging created the foundation for his later career as a "versatile session musician."

Together with fellow high school friends David Paich (keyboards) and Jeff Porcaro (dr), he formed the band Toto in 1976. They released their debut album Toto in 1978 and quickly released hits such as "Hold the Line," and went on to become a global band with hits such as "Rosanna" and "Africa."

In Toto, Lukather not only played lead guitar, but also arranged songs, sang choruses, and even sang lead vocals, fully demonstrating his versatility. The wide range of Lukather's musical talents was a major factor in Toto's recognition around the world as "sophisticated pop music + advanced performance techniques."

He is the only original and active member of TOTO, and has continued to support the band despite it having disbanded and reunited many times.

Another aspect that has made Lukather a household name is his career as a session guitarist.

From the late 1970s to the 1990s, he appeared on recording sessions of all genres, mainly in Los Angeles, including pop rock artists such as Boz Scaggs, Cher, Alice Cooper, and Lionel Richie, as well as participating in Michael Jackson's album "Thriller," where he made his name with his masterpieces such as "Beat It."

He has been credited as a guitarist on over 1500 albums in total, which is an unprecedented record worldwide. He was a popular choice among producers, regardless of genre, because he was trusted to "leave a perfect track in one take."

Steve Lukather's guitar playing style places great importance on "singing." He places great importance on melodic and emotional phrases, without relying on unnecessary fast playing or techniques.

His musical roots are a "hybrid" style that is influenced by rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck, as well as the complex harmonic nuances and fast playing of jazz/fusion musicians such as Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin.

His playing is filled with a deep understanding of music theory, and he demonstrates his "craftsmanship" in freely improvising outside chord tones.

In addition, his thick, sticky vibrato and control of picking nuances are what make his guitar playing so recognizable as "Lukather's style" at first glance.

Since releasing his first solo album, "Lukather," in 1989, he has released nine solo albums to date, pursuing his own musicality through more personal and experimental music that is different from that of TOTO.

He is also known as a Beatles fan, and has been involved in several Beatles tribute works, including as a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

In recent years, he has changed his style of sound creation to "clean and direct tones" and "simple effect configurations," but he continues to tour around the world. He remains at the forefront of the guitar scene as a true "active legend."

Lukather's current main amplifier for both live performances and in the studio is the German-made high-end Bogner Ecstasy 101B.

The Ecstasy is a 3-channel, 120W-class vacuum tube head that can cover a wide range of sounds from clean to extreme distortion, and has been loved by professional guitarists since its release in 1992.

Lukather has a stereo setup running the Bogners, and when touring he links two Ecstasy heads together to create a three-dimensional sound.

The red channel (high gain) of the Bogner Ecstasy is Lukather's favorite solo sound, and it is responsive enough to be used for backing if the volume is turned down, and it has excellent dynamic reproduction.

In the 1980s, I mainly used the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+.

This is a legendary machine that was behind Lukather's sticky distortion and thick lead tones, and its tones are featured in classic songs such as "Rosanna" and "Africa."

The clean channel also received high praise, and was used to produce transparent arpeggios on Toto ballads and other songs.

From the late 80s to the early 90s, he was a fan of the Soldano SLO-100.

The amp has a thick, harmonically rich, high-gain sound, and the smoothness of the lead channel was ideal for Lukather.

He described the Soldano's leads as "like a violin," and he could cover a wide range from clean to lead just by adjusting the volume.

In the past, he used a rack system by Bob Bradshaw (CAE) and introduced studio-quality equipment such as TC 2290 and Lexicon reverbs into his live performances.

It was a luxurious setup befitting the top players of the time, including the Tri-Stereo Chorus on Dyno My Piano.

In recent years, they have also shown an understanding of digital modelers such as the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx.

Use: Clean tone correction and improved sound clarity during solos

CharacteristicsNatural and smooth compression. Small but allows fine adjustment of attack, sustain and blend with internal DIP switches.

How to use Lukather: Used to improve the clarity of chord backing and arpeggios. Rather than excessive compression, it is often set to "push out just a little bit."

Use: Add depth to clean arpeggios and solos

Characteristics: A vintage-like analog chorus with a warm, thick swaying sound. Made in Japan, high quality and suitable for live use.

How to use Lukather: He used to be such a chorus lover that he was called "Tri Stereo Chorus Addict," but in recent years he has mainly used this simple chorus. It creates a natural spaciousness with a slow speed and shallow depth.

Use: Gives a full, spacious feel to your solos

Characteristics: Equipped with three modes: Plate/Spring/Room. Hi/Low Damp and Pre-Delay adjustments are also possible.

How to use Lukather: Mainly in plate reverb mode, the pre-delay is set somewhat long, and the setting is often such that the sound "leaves" a tail in the background without interfering with the performance.

• Use: Short delay/stereo space creation
• Characteristics: Reproduces the sound of the 1980s classic "TC 2290." Features clear delay with modulation.
• How to use Lukather: Two delays (one 2ms single, the other 300ms or longer) are used in stereo. The delay sound spreads left and right, adding a three-dimensional feel to the guitar solo.

Use: Lead intonation, funky expression

Characteristics: Warm sound with a vintage feel. Featuring variable Q and a wide frequency range, it's smoother than the previous CryBaby.

How to use Lukather: A traditional style that uses more pressure when necessary. Making use of the thickness of the midrange, it produces a singing wah solo.

Use: A fluctuating spatial presentation, adding spice to solo performances

Characteristics: A psychedelic swaying feel like Jimi Hendrix. Slow down the speed to create a sense of space, and speed up to create a sense of groove.

How to use Lukather: Used as an accent in the intro or before a solo. Don't use too much, but adjust it to suit the mood of the song.

Use: Boosting gain and enhancing lead tones

Characteristics: A mid-hump that boosts the midrange. A versatile OD that has been loved for a long time.

How to use Lukather: Used before a distorted amp or pedal to create a clear lead sound. Press lightly to add a "push" feel like a booster.

Use: Increased sound pressure during solos, adjustment of distortion texture

Characteristics: Developed under the supervision of Lukather himself. A versatile pedal that adds thickness and warmth to the sound and can be used as both a booster and a drive.

How to use Lukather: It's always on during live performances. It's the pedal that is at the core of the sound, so to speak, and it smooths and deepens the texture of the lead tone.

Use: Current main OD, powerful lead boost

Characteristics: Rich midrange and dynamic response design. Wide range of tone gain control allows for versatile settings.

How to use Lukather: In the latest touring setup, this pedal is the center of distortion. It provides consistent high-quality distortion from clean to crunch to lead.