Ernie Ball Music Man commemorates the 30th anniversary of partnership with Grammy award-winning composer and Toto guitarist/co-founder Steve Lukather, by introducing the 30th Anniversary L4 Guitar.
Steve Lukather L4 Maple Top 30th Anniversary
Featuring a Steamroller Walnut Burst satin finish, this anniversary edition combines a beautiful flame maple top seated in an exotic Black Limba body with a figured roasted maple neck and ebony fingerboard. The Ernie Ball Music Man designed HT HSS pickups deliver an incredibly dynamic and responsive playing experience and can achieve an ultra-high-output, powerful low-end response while retaining a distinctively clean, clear tone at lower volume levels. Also unique to this limited edition model is a Music Man double locking tremolo.
This anniversary L4 HSS shares many of the standard specifications of the previous Luke guitars, including a double-cut contoured body, a roasted maple neck with 22 nickel frets, 5-way switching, an adjustable 12dB boost, and Music Man's double locking tremolo. Each guitar includes a tremolo cover personally signed by Steve Lukather, a certificate of authenticity, and a Mono case.
L4 HH Maple Top
- Lightweight Okoume body and maple top double-cutaway design with polyester finish
- Crafted with a roasted maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and 22 nickel frets
- Equipped with an adjustable 12dB push push boost and 5-way switch for more tonal diversity
- HT humbucking bridge and custom neck pickups
- Premium roasted maple neck featuring a comfortable soft "V" neck profile
- Schaller Locking Tuners
L4 SSS
- Roasted alder body double-cutaway design with select hi-gloss polyester finishes
- Crafted with a roasted maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and 22 nickel frets.
- Equipped with an adjustable 12db push push boost and 5-way switch for more tonal diversity
- HT single coil pickups
- Silent Circuit
- Premium roasted maple neck featuring a comfortable soft "V" neck profile
- Schaller Locking Tuners
Ernie Ball Music Man: Steve Lukather 30th Anniversary L4 Guitar Collection
This very special limited edition anniversary model will be limited to only 150 instruments.
The Steve Lukather L4 Collection is available for purchase starting today. The HH and SSS models are available from authorizied Ernie Ball Music Man Dealers. The 30th Anniversary L4 is limited to 150 units worldwide, and is available from both authorized dealers as well as directly from the Ernie Ball Music Man Vault.
- Steve Lukather's Gear ›
- Rig Rundown: Toto's Steve Lukather ›
- Interview: Steve Lukather's Sensitive Side ›
- Steve Lukather's Top Hits on the 100 Guitarists Podcast - Premier Guitar ›
In the ’80s, Peter Buck’s clean, chime-y arpeggios defined the sound of alt-rock to come. From R.E.M's start, his post-Roger McGuinn 12-string style served as the foundation for the band’s simple, plain-spoken approach, offering a fresh take on what an independent band could be and inspiring generations of artists to come. Buck not only found his sound quickly, he evolved throughout the band’s career. By the ’90s, R.E.M.’s sound had evolved to incorporate organic, acoustic textures, and eventually leaning into a glam- and grunge-inspired, distorted-guitar-focused sound on 1994’s Monster.
This episode is sponsored by Voodoo Lab.
Last year’s Manning Fireworks was a breakout moment for Asheville, North Carolina’s MJ Lenderman, which is both the name of the band and the actual name of singer and guitarist Jake Lenderman, who also plays in the band Wednesday. The record topped plenty of year-end lists and drew favorable comparisons to the likes of Neil Young, Dinosaur Jr., and other stars of the pre- and post-’90s indie-rock boom.
On tour behind the record, the band stopped in at Birmingham, Alabama, joint Saturn on February 1. PG’s Chris Kies met up with Lenderman, guitarist Jon Samuels, pedal-steel player Xandy Chelmis, and bassist Landon George before the show to get the dirt on their dirt.
Brought to you by D’Addario.The SG
Lenderman’s main guitar these days is this 1979 Gibson The “SG,” which he bought in Birmingham while opening for Plains. It’s tuned to D standard, with Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky strings.
Do the Mascis Mash
It’s no surprise that Lenderman digs the Squier J Mascis Signature Jazzmaster. He’s a big Dinosaur Jr. fan and got to sit in with them in Los Angeles to play “In A Jar” in December 2024. From top to bottom, this one is tuned C–G–D–G–G–E for “You’re Every Girl to Me.”
Tele Time
This Fender American Vintage II 1977 Telecaster Deluxe comes out for cleaner needs in the set.
Original Jazz
This is Lenderman’s iconic 2008 Jazzmaster, which he bought back in Asheville.
Hi-Steppin'
Lenderman borrowed a Hiwatt to use at some hometown shows in Asheville and fell in love, so he brings this Custom 50 out on the road now. He’s working his way to a full J Mascis setup, “one cab at a time.”
MJ Lenderman's Board
Lenderman’s clean, easy board has a D’Addario tuner, Death By Audio Interstellar Overdriver Deluxe, a Dunlop wah which he uses as a subtle filter, and TC Electronic Flashback 2.
Loan from Lenderman
Lenderman recorded plenty with this Fender Player Telecaster, but now Samuels puts it to work
Hartzman's Hot Rod
Another loaner, this Hot Rod DeVille combo is on long-term borrow from Wednesday’s Carly Hartzman.
Jon Samuel's Board
Samuels’ board, which is a hybrid of his own pedals and even more borrowed units, carries a Hardwire HT-6 polyphonic tuner, Death By Audio Fuzz War, JHS Double Barrel, Dunlop wah, J. Rockett Archer Clean Boost, Joyo Tremolo, EHX Nano Small Stone, and TC Electronic Flashback 2.
Xandy's ZB
Chelmis, also a member of Wednesday, plays this 10-string ZB Custom, made in the early ’70s with a proprietary pickup. It stays in E9 tuning, and Chelmis makes it sing with a steel he bought from a pawn shop. It runs through a Fender Twin Reverb outfitted with a single 15", and a Goodrich H-120 volume pedal handles swelling duties. From time to time, Chelmis adds in a Guyatone SD2 sustainer for some fuzzy fun.
Precision Vision
George’s go-to is this 2006 Fender Mike Dirnt Precision Bass, strung with Ernie Ball medium-gauge flatwound strings.
Better Beta
George runs through a Sunn Beta Bass head into an Ampeg SVT810E cabinet.
Landon George's Board
On his board, George packs a Korg Pitchblack tuner, Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass, Boss DD-7, Darkglass Electronics Alpha Omega, and a Noble Amplifier Company utility box: It’s a tube preamp, DI box, and power supply, all in one.
CIOKS DC-7
This power supply features a 1" profile, seven DC outlets with four switchable voltages (9, 12, 15 and 18V) on each outlet, plus a 5V USB outlet and can be expanded for even the most power-hungry boards.
$259 street
cioks.com
Strymon Zuma
Strymon Zuma is the quietest and most powerful pedal power supply of its kind, capable of powering a huge number of guitar pedals silently and reliably with a staggering 500 mA.
$279 street
strymon.com
Mission Engineering 529i
This powerful power supply offers eight 9V isolated outputs and an internal rechargeable battery. It powers your pedalboard for four hours on a single charge via USB port or 12V input. It also includes a doubler cable that allows two 18V outputs.
$199 street
missionengineering.com
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 3 PLUS
From standard battery-operated stompboxes to high-current DSP effects, the expandable 12-output Pedal Power 3 PLUS combines cutting-edge technology and time-tested analog engineering to ensure any pedal will sound its best.
$179 street
voodoolab.com
D’Addario XPND Pedal Power Battery Kit
If you need portable, wireless power, this unit offers 10,000 mAh that can last up to 10 hours on a single charge. It also includes a USB-C power supply and a patent-pending Gateway hub for ultra-quiet operation.
$169 street
daddario.com
Introduced on Smith’s birthday, February 18, the Charcoal Phoenix Limited Edition is part of the PRS Guitars 40th Anniversary celebration. Only 150 of these instruments will be available worldwide, with each including a 40th Anniversary certificate hand signed by Paul Reed Smith himself.
"When we released the Private Stock John McLaughlin Limited Edition in 2023, I was inspired by its exceptional sound and playability. For the Charcoal Phoenix, I wanted to create something equally remarkable but with a stoptail bridge," said PRS Guitars Founder & Managing General Partner, Paul Reed Smith. "Using chaltecoco for the neck and ziricote for the fingerboard, I achieved an instrument that sustains beautifully and rings with clarity. The deep crimson back and the charcoal microburst top inspired the name ‘Charcoal Phoenix,’ evoking the imagery of a phoenix rising from fire and ashes.”
Over the past year, Smith has road-tested this guitar, refining its design and tone. Most recently, he played this model on stage at the late-January 2025 PRS Guitars 40th Anniversary concert at the House of Blues in Anaheim. A deep crimson back contrasts with the Private Stock-grade figured maple top in a charcoal microburst finish. The ripple abalone “Old School” bird inlays on the ziricote fingerboard add a vintage touch.
The Charcoal Phoenix also features the PRS TCI pickups, newly updated for 2025, and EQ mini-toggle switches. The TCI pickups are crafted with American Alnico magnets and slightly modified winding, wiring and electronics specifications. Based on Smith’s experience playing this guitar live and in the studio for more than a year, these pickups offer clear tones from spanky single coils to full soapbars. The EQ mini-toggles act as tuned high-pass filters when engaged, removing shelved low end and allowing the high frequencies through for more clarity and musical highs.
Rounding out the details are the PRS Stoptail bridge and PRS Phase III Non-Locking Tuners. The bridge is engineered with curved string slots, brass inserts and steel studs. It is designed to maximize the transfer of the strings’ vibrations through the guitar. The lightweight tuners promote tone transfer for a louder, more resonant instrument.
PRS Guitars is planning a year full of new product introductions. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year at www.prsguitars.com/40 and by following @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
