Song Rig
Photograph
Steve Clark · Pyromania · 1983
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The Pyromania album's signature track — Clark's guitar tone on the Pyromania album is slightly rawer than the ultra-polished Hysteria, with less studio layering and a more direct Les Paul/Marshall relationship. The main riff's clean-then-distorted approach is a Clark signature.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson Les Paul Standard
- 2Marshall JCM800 (Pyromania era, less processing than Hysteria)
Amp Settings
The Pyromania tone has less studio processing than Hysteria — more natural amp character comes through, making it slightly rawer and more dynamic.
Technique
How to Play It
Clean verse, distortion chorus contrast — Photograph moves between clean, measured verse guitar and the full distortion chorus, a common 1980s rock dynamic device that Clark used effectively throughout Pyromania.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Les Paul → Marshall JCM800 → the clean verse requires lowering the guitar volume to 5 while the chorus requires full volume 10. Using the guitar volume knob for dynamic switching rather than separate amp channels.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
More from Steve Clark
Other Song Rigs
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Hysteria · 1987
Def Leppard's biggest single and a masterclass in 1980s arena rock guitar produc…
View rig →Love Bites
Hysteria · 1987
Def Leppard's most successful power ballad — Clark's clean, sustained guitar pro…
View rig →Rock of Ages
Pyromania · 1983
Clark and Phil Collen's twin-guitar Pyromania sound at its most iconic — thick, …
View rig →Bringin' On the Heartbreak
High 'n' Dry · 1981
Clark at his most melodic — a power-ballad tone that predates the Pyromania laye…
View rig →Foolin'
Pyromania · 1983
Full Pyromania production — the acoustic guitar intro gives way to a massive twi…
View rig →