Our columnist tells the story of his visit to a recording studio, interviews an Indonesian guitarist, and releases some of his prejudices about a rack-system-style rig.
Last month, I had the opportunity to do a recording session at a professional studio, or more precisely, the best recording studio in my city. As an amateur musician, I only brought my Marshall 6101 combo, Les Paul, and ’70s fuzz wah. The owner and engineer of the studio had said that I could use all the equipment in the studio, especially the rack system that was available there.
Of course, I wouldn’t waste that offer; my curiosity was clearly through the roof. However, using the rack system was not as easy as I thought. After tinkering with it for about an hour, I ended up deciding to stop, as it’s not my thing and I don’t like the way it looks. I tend to set up my rig scattered on the floor because I love to control it using my feet.
But that moment haunted me for weeks. As someone who started playing music as a teenager in the 2000s, for some reason, I was completely unfamiliar with the concept of the rack system. First, during that era, floor multi-effects were very popular, including the Korg AX series, Boss ME series, and of course, the Line 6 Helix. Second, the rack system was considered very expensive and bulky (and also seemed very serious), so typically only professional musicians could afford to use it. As a result, I had neither experience nor knowledge about it. I’m sure millions of amateur musicians like me on this planet also have curiosity and various questions about it.
That was until I met Dewa Budjana, a professional guitarist in Indonesia. Recently, he collaborated with John Frusciante, Jordan Rudess, and Mateus Asato. Budjana has been known as one of the users of the rack system since the ’90s. I was able to have a conversation with him, where I asked him about his knowledge and experience with the system.
Rack systems are out of my world. Can you explain why you use them?
Dewa Budjana: Growing up as a musician in the ’80s, the era of Mike Landau and Steve Lukather, of course I wanted a rack system. There was no direct system back then [such as Fractals, Kempers, etc.], and the only way to explore the equipment was by reading what was available in magazines.
I know it’s not easy to route a rack system. How do you do it?
DB: My first rack was routed by Dave Friedman [of Friedman Amplification], but I bought it from [guitar rig designer] Bob Bradshaw, whom I’ve been in touch with since 1996. At that time, Bob was on tour with Toto, so Dave did the routing. My friendship with Bob continues until today; [he helped me with] several of my albums that I recorded live in America. In 2013, I even made a smaller rack system, which I still use in the studio now.
Why do you think it’s so special, and how often have you used it?
DB: Using the rack system certainly has its own sound satisfaction, perhaps because I am really familiar with it. But since the early 2000s, I have rarely brought a rack [on tour with me] because of the difficulty of transporting it. Also since the mid 2000s, I have tried to explore using multi-effects with a direct system, especially on stage.From that conversation, I concluded that my prejudice about the sacredness of the rack system was not entirely correct. Over time and with technological advancements, a professional like Budjana eventually wasn’t confined to always using rack effects because as times change, so does the tendency of humans to always find new ways to do things, including creating music. Is the rack system merely a representation of a specific era? I don’t think so, because today, we can also find people using vintage stompboxes from the ’60s with all their limitations, such as no LED indicator or the ability to save presets.
In the end, any equipment we use can be considered a personal statement that represents our identity, just like John Mayer with a BluesBreaker, or Yngwie Malmsteen with his Strat and full-stack Marshall.
Budjana still uses the rack system today because in some contexts, it is indeed part of his sound, even though it’s so complicated. To use one, you need another person to operate it in order to make it just right, as well as proper accessories like the housing, power conditioner, and special patch cables. Even when faced with a variety of super advanced equipment, I still tend to crank tube amps and push them with fuzz—and that’s it! But Budjana taught me about the awareness of how “gray,” or not so black-and-white, equipment can be for creating.
Ernie Ball Music Man Launches Steve Lukather 30th Anniversary Guitar
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.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of their multi-awarded Echosex pedal, Foxgear unveils the Steve Lukather Echosex 3.
Steve has used the Echosex since the beginning, since 2014 he's used it on all of his songs in studio and live, with Toto and Ringo Starr, touring intensively all around the world.
Here’s what Steve says about it: “The Echosex 3° is the most important and used piece of gear i have, it’s always ON and it’s big part of my sound.” (S.Lukather 2023)
Looking to his pedalboard, and how Luke’s legendary Guitar Tech Jon Gosnell has marked the specific Luke’s settings on it with a green marker, Foxgear wanted to keep this detail into the new signature model and share Luke’s fav setting as well. Foxgear group and Luke, wanted to celebrate their long standing friendship and professional relationship with this new product, Plus we have involved the Ed Asner Family Center For Autism, a LA based Charity founded by legendary Actor Ed Asner, supporting autistic children and their families.
Gurus/Foxgear will proudly be donating part of the proceeds of the Luke’s Signature Echosex 3 to support this worthy charity.
Features
- latest version of our multi-awarded Echosex
- Hi-Voltage tube preamp section faithfully reproducing the Binson Echorec preamp.
- Simple use simulating only one Echorec playback head that can be adjusted in delay time.
- Self-calibrating Tap Tempo.
- 100% Analog signal path
- Relay assisted true bypass
- 10th Anniversary Edition
- Steve Lukather’s Signature
- Donating to Ed Asner’s Family Center for Autism
More info at foxgeardistribution.com. $429.00 USD.