Steve Lukather Tambu/Mindfields tone on Helix

Kvaksalver

I've recently been listening to Tambu and would like to know if anyone have any pointers (of a file, even) to Lukes tone on that album. I know that he had EMGs in his guitar at that point and they're obviously a to some degree a part of his tone, but man, i love that fluid but still really raw sound...

bingefeller

Tambu was a lot less processed than previous Toto albums.  Luke was using his Rivera Bonehead amp at that point, TC1210 for chorus and  Eventide H3000S for detune at +9 / -9.  

Any delay was coming from his PCM unit.  Basically he uses three delays, which you hear in the left, right and centre.  

Say you have the first delay set to 292ms you will hear this on the right, the second one would be 584ms, on the left, and the final is 888ms and you hear this in the middle.  These are actual settings from the PCM 70.

If you're after cleans then either use a Fender Twin.  For dirty rhythm go with a Marshall sound, for lead go with a boosted Marshall.   

Good luck.  

  

Kebabkid

That he stripped things back on Tambu, yes, but I'm sure I read somewhere that he used something like an Ampeg on this...still searching for that on the web.

bingefeller

Kebabkid said:

That he stripped things back on Tambu, yes, but I'm sure I read somewhere that he used something like an Ampeg on this...still searching for that on the web.

Very little info on the web about that album.  I think that the tone nerds were less interested in the gear because it was stripped back and less processed.  

Some info about his Tambu tour gear at the bottom of this page.  Rivera released a Luke Bonehead sig amp in 97, I think it's quite rare and valuable these days.  

welshboyo

Actually, Tambu was recorded using a Knucklehead which was the basis for the Bonehead.

I've owned a Bonehead, strange sounding amp..

welshboyo

Kebabkid said:

That he stripped things back on Tambu, yes, but I'm sure I read somewhere that he used something like an Ampeg on this...still searching for that on the web.

Yes, I remember reading that too somewhere...

The only place that was fairly spot on was the HRI forum and it might have been on there that I read it.

Kvaksalver

Excellent info!

I knew he used a W/D/W-setup, but the triple delay thing was new. I think I have a couple of patches with the stereo harmonizer panned left and right, so that might be a good place to start. I'll share if I end up with something usable...

welshboyo

I use the Multi 4 Delay and turn off the 4th line (well, level at 0) to do this.

There's a vid on youtube for the AX8 for a PCM type delay and its just a case of translating it into Helix speak - works a treat.