Riff Tone

White Lightning

Def Leppard

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarJackson Soloist (custom, Phil Collen signature, HSS or HH configuration likely)

AmpScholz Rockman X100 (primary studio amp for Hysteria era, including 'White Lightning')

PickupsJackson/DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge humbucker, likely), single coils (middle/neck, but bridge humbucker is most probable for riff)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid5.5

treble7

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusUnknown Chorus effect (Rockman built-in or rack, model unknown)

delayUnknown Delay effect (Rockman built-in or rack, model unknown)

noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (Rockman built-in or rack, model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1992 (Adrenalize album). All sources confirm Rockman X100 was the main amp for Hysteria and Adrenalize studio tones. Guitar is most likely Phil Collen's Jackson Soloist with bridge humbucker. No evidence of live/tour rig for this specific recording. Effects are mostly rack or Rockman built-in. No evidence of Marshall or other amps on this track in studio context.

Tone Character(10)

tight and compressedchorused shimmerbright and articulatemedium gain crunchstudio-polished claritylayered harmoniescontrolled sustainmodulation-richdefined attackprocessed, not raw

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, palm-muted rhythm playing with precise timing and clarity to match the layered, harmonized studio sound. The use of modulation and effects demands careful muting and articulation.

Sources

Def Leppard Amp Settings (gear and tone tips) - Guitar Chalk The Gear Used By Phil Collen and Steve Clark on Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’ | Guitar.com Def Leppard - Phil Collen Guitar Rig Gear and Equipment

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