Riff Tone

Hysteria (Live)

Def Leppard

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarJackson Pro Series Soloist SL2

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203

PickupsJackson stock humbucker (neck position, likely J-50N or similar from late 80s)

Amp Settings

gain5.5

bass5.5

mid6

treble7

reverb2.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusBoss Boss CE-2 Chorus

Notes

Settings and gear confirmed for the original 'Hysteria' album and live performances in the late 1980s. This profile is for the riff section of 'Hysteria (Live)'. Chorus pedal (Boss CE-2) is always on for the clean, layered riff sound. Pickup selector is set to neck. Studio and live tones are nearly identical for this section, with live rigs often using rackmount preamps or simulators for reliability but aiming to match the original JCM800+CE-2 sound.

Tone Character(10)

clean and glassylush chorus shimmerwarm neck pickup tonebright and articulate highstight and precise attacklayered, processed sounddynamic response to pickingslightly compressednot harsh or brittlesubtle low-end support

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, clean picking with chorus shimmer, dynamic volume control, and precise timing to match the layered, processed sound of the original recording.

Sources

Hysteria Guitar Tone Settings — Def Leppard | ToneMirror Def Leppard – Hysteria - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album Steve Clark, Def Leppard Guitarist Gear | Equipboard Def Leppard Amp Settings (gear and tone tips) - Guitar Chalk

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