Ernie Ball Music Man Luke III review

The continued evolution of Steve Lukather's signature electric matches effortless playability with incredible tones

Ernie Ball Music Man Luke III review
(Image: © Ernie Ball Music Man)

Guitar World Verdict

Steve Lukather’s decades of guitar wisdom are evident in Music Man’s latest Luke III model, which boasts a distinctive midrange voice perfect for soloists and a wide range of tonal possibilities for any musical application.

Pros

  • +

    Incredible playability.

  • +

    A top-drawer build.

  • +

    Onboard boost function.

  • +

    Both HSS and HH options.

  • +

    Cool finishes.

Cons

  • -

    Price.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

As one of the most recorded guitarists of all time with a few thousand sessions on his résumé, Steve Lukather certainly knows great guitar tone. Since 1994 he’s put that know-how to good use in collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man on his signature Luke solidbody electric model.

The latest version – the Luke III – was introduced back in 2012, but, like most Music Man models, changes, tweaks and upgrades are often made along the way after the initial release.

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Chris Gill

Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.