DSP Rig
Steve Clark Tone — Plugins & Amp Sims
Gibson Les Paul Standard and Gibson ES-335 into Marshall and Rockman amp units (on the Hysteria sessions). Clark's tone is warmer and bluesier than Collen's — the Les Paul provides mid-range emphasis and natural compression that suits his more feel-based playing style. On recordings, the guitar sounds were heavily processed through the Rockman headphone amp, which contributed to the distinctive 1980s Def Leppard compression.
Steve Clark's signature high-gain tone — built around Marshall and Rockman voicings — can be replicated in the box using modern amp sim plugins and IR cab loaders. This page maps the full DSP signal chain: guitar sim → amp sim → FX → IR, so you can dial in that arena-rock, thick character without physical gear.
Full DSP Chain
Est. £2,527Gibson Les Paul Standard
$2,920
Archetype: Soldano
≈ Rockman / Marshall JCM800
$253
Helix: Cosmos Chorus
Helix: Transistor Tape Delay
York Audio V30 Mix Pack (IR)
≈ Celestion Vintage 30 4×12
$37
Hybrid Option
Est. £2,527Real guitar into a DSP amp chain — best of both worlds.
Gibson Les Paul Standard
$2,920
Archetype: Soldano
≈ Marshall JCM800
$253
Helix: Cosmos Chorus
Helix: Transistor Tape Delay
York Audio V30 Mix Pack (IR)
≈ Celestion Vintage 30 4×12
$37
Tone DNA
Gain Structure
high-gain
Amp References
Marshall, Rockman
Key FX
Chorus, Delay
Tonal Character
arena-rock, thick, chorus-driven, melodic
Where to Buy
Browse amp sims, IRs and FX plugins at these retailers: