The Luke is a signature preamp boost pedal made by ToneConcepts and developed in collaboration with Steve Lukather, the Toto guitarist it is named after. Guitar World announced it in January 2015, describing it as "an innovative and musical tone-shaping preamp boost with unparalleled power, transparency and tonal flexibility that takes any guitar and amp combination to the next level of musical bliss"1. It sits in the preamp boost corner of the pedal world, alongside other designs covered on the site's Preamp Pedals and Boost Pedals pages.
Where it came from
The Luke was announced at NAMM 2015 as ToneConcepts' signature pedal for Steve Lukather. MusicRadar's report quotes Lukather on its origins: "I went straight to them to develop an enhanced version for my first-ever custom pedal"2. The circuit it enhances is The Distillery, ToneConcepts' earlier pedal, so players familiar with that design will recognize the starting point.
ToneConcepts' PedalPedia listing credits the sound design to Steve Lukather and Uli Rodenberg3.
What it does
Guitar World's announcement describes The Luke as a tone-shaping preamp boost, and says it "features hand-selected components for an open and refined sound"1. The pedal also has what the announcement calls an improved control layout with custom pot tapers, aimed at improved control, fine tuning and usability1.
The pedal is housed in an octagonal, pedalboard-friendly, roadworthy case that features a unique cartoon by 'Astro'1.
The Luke Launch Edition and the ICON series
The Luke is the first pedal in ToneConcepts' upcoming ICON series of signature pedals1. At launch, a limited production "Luke Launch Edition" of just 100 units was available for pre-order directly from toneconcepts.com1. The pedal then became available to dealers worldwide in March 201512.
The 100-unit Luke Launch Edition was a limited pre-order run at launch. Pedals reaching dealers from March 2015 are the standard production version, so early units and later dealer stock may differ in badging.
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Questions
Who designed the ToneConcepts The Luke?
The Luke was developed in collaboration with Steve Lukather, the Toto guitarist it is named after. ToneConcepts' PedalPedia listing credits the sound design to Steve Lukather and Uli Rodenberg, and Guitar World reported the pedal as Lukather's signature preamp boost when it was announced in January 2015.
What is The Luke based on?
The circuit is an enhanced version of The Distillery, ToneConcepts' earlier pedal, developed for Lukather's first-ever custom pedal. Lukather said he went straight to the company to develop that enhanced version, and the result was announced at NAMM 2015 as The Luke.
How many Luke Launch Edition pedals were made?
A limited production Luke Launch Edition of just 100 units was available for pre-order directly from toneconcepts.com when the pedal was announced. The pedal then became available to dealers worldwide in March 2015.
Is The Luke part of a series?
Yes. Guitar World reported that The Luke is the first pedal in ToneConcepts' upcoming ICON series of signature pedals, a series built around artist signature designs.
Sources (3)
- ToneConcepts Launches Steve Lukather's Signature Preamp Boost Pedal, The Luke, Guitar World, 2015-01-30
- NAMM 2015: ToneConcepts releases signature Steve Lukather pedal, The Luke, MusicRadar, 2015-01-21
- Luke OD by Rodenberg, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
Steve Lukather