Steve Lukather Pedalboard
Full effects breakdown — core pedals, signal chain order, and budget alternatives
Steve Lukather's tone is primarily amp-driven — the guitar signal runs direct to the amp with minimal processing. The colour comes from the amp's own gain staging, speaker response, and the interaction between the guitar's pickups and the amp's input impedance.
£1,000 Pedalboard Breakdown
Specific gear recommendations at the £1,000 budget tier.
Pedalboard at Every Budget
The effects chain scales with budget — budget tiers keep the essential categories intact with less expensive alternatives.
- CompressionEmpress Effects Compressor
- ReverbElectro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano
- CompressionEmpress Effects Compressor
- OverdriveIbanez TS9 Tube Screamer
- ReverbStrymon BigSky
Signal Chain Order
For Lukather's signal chain, the order keeps the tone responsive at each stage — each effect receives the right input impedance and signal character from the preceding stage.
- Guitar
- Amp
Similar Guitarists
FAQ
Steve Lukather Pedalboard — Common Questions
Steve Lukather's pedalboard includes: Empress Effects Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano. The core effects in Lukather's sound are overdrive, delay, and reverb.
The standard signal chain for Steve Lukather's pedalboard follows the professional convention: guitar → tuner → wah (if used) → compression → overdrive/distortion → amp → modulation (chorus/flanger) → delay → reverb. For Lukather's signal chain, the order keeps the tone responsive at each stage — each effect receives the right input impedance and signal character from the preceding stage.
Steve Lukather typically uses a transparent overdrive or boost to push the amp's front end rather than relying on a dedicated distortion pedal.
Building a Steve Lukather-style pedalboard depends on budget. At £200 you can cover the essentials (~£298 for the full rig). At £500 the pedalboard includes . At £1,000 (full rig: ~£986) all the key pedals are covered.
Steve Lukather's delay is handled by a dedicated delay pedal placed at the end of the signal chain (or in the amp's effects loop). Common choices include the Boss DD series, TC Electronic Flashback, or MXR Carbon Copy.