Riff Tone

Lady Strange

Def Leppard

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s/early 1980s, used by Steve Clark)

AmpMarshall JMP 2203 (100W head, likely with 4x12 cabinet, classic for early Def Leppard studio recordings)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (likely stock PAF-style, passive)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1981 (High 'n' Dry album). No evidence of live or modern digital gear for this era. No evidence of pedals in the riff section; distortion is amp-based. Phil Collen was not yet in the band; Steve Clark and Pete Willis played the main riffs. No evidence of effects loop or rack gear for this album.

Tone Character(10)

classic British crunchtight and punchyclear note separationslightly saturated rhythmpercussive palm mutingupper-mid emphasisnot overly scoopedamp-driven distortionminimal ambienceraw, dry studio sound

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate skill due to its tight, syncopated rhythm, palm muting, and need for precise picking to maintain clarity at moderate tempo.

Sources

Def Leppard Makes the Switch to Axe-Fx III | Page 14 | Guitar Forum Phil Collen Achieving a Def Leppard Tone? - forum topic | Ultimate Guitar 42 YEARS AGO TODAY (July 6, 1981) DEF LEPPARD RELEASED ...

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