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Ernie Ball Music Man Luke III BFR HH Ball Family Reserve Tumescent Guitar - $3,625 (Livonia)
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Great guitar. Sound clips available.
Has a nick on the back and stress cracks in the clear coat at the neck joint. I spoke with two local luthier’s and Ernie Ball company and they all said it was no big deal and does not affect the guitar in any way shape or form and is common for bolt on necks. Please feel free to call Ernie Ball to have them tell you the exact same thing.
Has minor buffable marks here and there. This is a used instrument after all. The back plate was replaced by the previous owner and he lost the one with the autograph on it but it is confirmed as shown below in an email from Ernie Ball that it is authentic.
113 of only 300 made
Ernie Ball Music Man Limited-edition Luke III BFR HH Features:
Fresh pro setup to Lukather specifications.
Soundclips available.
Contoured Grain filled African mahogany body, “Tumescent” finish
body offers plenty of warm sustain
Honduran mahogany neck is capped with a sleek piece of ebony
MM hardened-steel vintage floating vibrato with bent-steel saddles
22 low-profile, wide frets
DiMarzio Steve Lukather signature Transition humbucker offers powerful output and clarity
Powerful 20+dB boost on a push-push volume control
Extensive electronic shielding eliminates pickup noise
Limited-edition finish and bound fretboard
If you're looking for the best Ernie Ball Music Man has to offer, this limited-edition take on the Luke III Ball Family Reserve solidbody electric guitar is the one for you. Built to Steve Lukather's exacting specifications, this superb axe was made to rock — and to look good doing it. A grain-filled mahogany body delivers a warm tone with plenty of sustain. And a duo of DiMarzio custom single-coils and a Lukather signature Transition humbucker boast an active 20+dB boost for when you really need to cut through. Grab this sleek-looking and playing Luke III BFR while you still can.
A Ball Family Reserve instrument
A Ball Family Reserve (BFR) instrument celebrates Ernie Ball Music Man's heritage with some of the finest tonewoods and finishes available. This limited Luke III is a superbly balanced instrument physically and tonally thanks to its sculpted mahogany body. Its ebony-capped mahogany neck gives you the ultimate in playability, and a DiMarzio Steve Lukather signature Transition humbucker and two custom single-coils serve up a massive tone arsenal suitable for any live or studio gig. Want even more power? A simple push of the volume control engages a 20+dB boost — perfect for punishing the front end of any amplifier.
Floating vibrato and Schaller locking tuners for perfect pitch
With the Ernie Ball Music Man floating vintage vibrato, you'll get in tune and stay there. The limited-edition Ernie Ball Music Man Luke III BFR vintage vibrato is constructed of hardened steel with bent-steel saddles. The headstock is adorned with Schaller M6 locking tuners that make string changing a cinch. Just insert the string, tighten the clamp screw, and tune it up to pitch. Strings won't be wound around the shaft so your tuning will be reliable, no matter how hard you play.
Below is information sent to me from Ernie Ball regarding the specific guitar:
G81707 - This Luke III Tumescent was completed on June 20th, 2017. These originally shipped from factory with a tremolo cavity cover that was signed by Steve Lukather and a certificate of authenticity with the number in series. This specific one is #113 of 300. It originally shipped to Sam Ash Music.
Based on the photo, that does look like it's just a finish crack. It's not uncommon for bolt-on neck instruments to get finish cracks through shipping as they are exposed to changing temperature/humidity environments. Wood is a pliable material that can slightly shrink or expand as it's exposed to different humidity, the neck and body are 2 different pieces of wood with different densities so if one expands slightly more, it can cause the finish to crack right at the pocket like that.