Photograph guitar tone

The rig Def Leppard used

Researched from interviews, production write-ups and gear histories — not guessed.

Signal chain

The order the original sound was built in. The exact settings get dialled for your own amp or modeller when you generate the tone.

1. Gibson Les Paul (Steve Clark); Ibanez Destroyer on solo

   1

   source

   guitar
2. Marshall JCM800 2203

   2

   amp

   amp
3. Marshall 4x12 (Celestion)

   3

   cab

   cab
4. Shure SM57

   4

   mic

   mic

Why we think this is right

Recorded 1982-1983 (Battery Studios, London area) produced by Robert John 'Mutt' Lange. The featured rhythm/intro riff is Steve Clark on a Gibson Les Paul into a 100W Marshall JMP/JCM800 2203, ruthlessly double- and triple-tracked and hard-panned in Lange's signature layered style; the fiery solo is Phil Collen (who replaced Pete Willis mid-sessions) on an Ibanez Destroyer into a Marshall JCM800 2203 (his Les Paul Custom often carried a DiMarzio Super Distortion). Equipboard's Pyromania album and Steve Clark gear pages confirm the JMP/JCM800 100W amps and Les Pauls; the crunch is amp-driven with minimal pedals, the width coming from layering.

Sources

• Equipboard — Def Leppard 'Pyromania' album gear
• Equipboard — Steve Clark / Phil Collen guitarist gear
• Guitar World — making of Pyromania / Mutt Lange guitar layering
• Phil Collen interviews — Marshall 100W (JCM800) for Pyromania, Ibanez Destroyer solo

More example tones

• Pour Some Sugar On MeDef Leppard
• AnimalDef Leppard
• OneMetallica
• BatteryMetallica
• Sad But TrueMetallica
• Summer of '69Bryan Adams