Riff Tone

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Def Leppard

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarJackson Soloist (silver and black crackle finish) for intro riff, Fender Stratocaster ('Felix', black 1978 with Ibanez Destroyer humbucker) for main riff

AmpTom Scholz Rockman X100 Headphone Amp (studio recording direct to desk)

PickupsIbanez Destroyer humbucker (bridge position, retrofitted into Stratocaster)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid5.5

treble7

reverb3.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1987. The main riff was tracked with 'Felix' Strat (humbucker bridge), direct into the desk via Rockman X100. No traditional amp/cab used. The intro riff was double-tracked with a Jackson Soloist and a Telecaster. No evidence of live Marshall or other amps on the original studio recording.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveprocessed and compressedchorused stereo widthbright and articulatesinging sustaincrisp top endmulti-tracked for thicknessdigital-sounding distortionarena rock punchlayered, produced sound

Difficulty

The riff requires tight palm muting and precise timing to match the produced, layered sound, but uses straightforward power chords and moderate tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Sources

Riff writing artist masterclass | MusicRadar Def Leppard – Hysteria - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Phil Collen | Equipboard

This tone has been researched 4 times by the community

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