Riff Tone

Hold the Line

Toto

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1974 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (mini-humbuckers, likely with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge mod)

AmpMarshall 100W Super Lead (Plexi, late 1970s, likely JMP era, cranked for distortion)

PickupsMini-humbucker (stock) or DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge, likely modded for recording)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1978. Steve Lukather used a Les Paul Deluxe (with probable DiMarzio Super Distortion in bridge) into a cranked Marshall Plexi. No evidence of pedal overdrive/distortion for the riff; distortion from amp. Effects like chorus and delay are not audible in the riff section; reverb is likely from amp or studio. Settings are estimated based on period-correct gear and forum consensus for the riff section, not the solo.

Tone Character(10)

tight and punchyBritish crunchaggressive attacksustain with note claritymidrange-focusedarticulate power chordsslightly compressedbright but not harshpercussive rhythmfull-bodied

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate-level control of rhythm, palm muting, and dynamic accents to achieve the punchy, articulate sound of the original recording.

Sources

Hold the line guitar tone | The Gear Page Early Steve Lukather/Toto gear discussion Steve Lukather guitar lesson: his must-learn licks | Guitar World Why Toto's Steve Lukather is one of rock’s top guitarists | Guitar World 4 guitar tricks you can learn from Steve Lukather | MusicRadar

This tone has been researched 8 times by the community

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