Riff Tone

Photograph

Def Leppard

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (exact model not specified, likely late 1970s or early 1980s, used by Phil Collen for the clean arpeggiated riff)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 (studio recording, Pyromania era, 1982-1983)

PickupsSingle-coil pickups (stock Stratocaster configuration, possibly with DiMarzio Super Distortion for overdubbed root notes)

Amp Settings

gain5.5

bass6

mid6

treble7

reverb2.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionBoss Overdrive/Fuzz pedal (model unknown, likely Boss)

Notes

Studio recording, 1982-1983. The main riff features a clean Stratocaster part (Phil Collen) and a dirtier overdubbed root note (likely with a Boss pedal for fuzz/drive). Steve Clark likely used a Les Paul through a Marshall for the heavier rhythm layers. All details pertain to the original studio recording, not live or later performances.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatecountry-clean jangletight and punchypolished yet drivingrich, powerful tonedynamic layeringslightly fuzzy root notesharmonious guitar blendcrisp attackclean-yet-dirty fusion

Difficulty

The riff requires clean, precise picking and tight timing to blend with the overdubbed root notes, but does not involve advanced techniques or high speed.

Sources

Phil Collen on how – by accident and design – Def Leppard reinvented rock guitar on classic album Pyromania | Guitar World Def Leppard Members, Gear & Sound | Equipboard

This tone has been researched 5 times by the community

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