Riff Tone

Rosanna

Toto

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1970s Valley Arts Custom Strat-style (Steve Lukather's main studio guitar for Toto IV)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, Toto IV era)

PickupsEMG SA single-coil (active, noiseless, mid-boost circuit)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble6

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for Toto IV (1981-1982). Lukather used his Valley Arts Custom Strat with EMG SA pickups and a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp for the riff/rhythm section of 'Rosanna'. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; effects are likely from the amp or studio. Settings are estimated based on era, genre, and available amp setting references.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivecrunchy but not high-gainwarm and slightly compressedarticulate single-note claritystudio-polishedclear attackminimal breakupactive pickup brightnessmedium outputno audible modulation

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced rhythmic precision, tight muting, and clean single-note articulation at a shuffle groove, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Steve Lukather guitar lesson: his must-learn licks Lukather: What amp was he using for Toto IV ? | The Gear Page Early Steve Lukather/Toto gear discussion

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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