Steve Clark Gear Guide
Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark’s Gibson Les Pauls, Ibanez Destroyer and the band’s layered twin-guitar sound.
A period-by-period quick reference to guitars, amplification, effects and songs. Specific equipment varies by recording, tour and year.
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe | Cherry sunburst Deluxe used on the Pyromania tour. | Pyromania era |
| 1975 Gibson Les Paul Standard | Standard model carried alongside his Deluxe. | Pyromania era |
| Gibson Les Paul XR-1 | New XR-1 added to the touring guitar set. | 1983 tour |
| Gibson Les Paul Custom | Clark used Standard, Custom and Deluxe models across his career. | Career-wide |
| Ibanez Destroyer | Explorer-style solidbody used in early Def Leppard years. | Early albums |
| Gibson EDS-1275 doubleneck | Twelve/six-string instrument associated with the Hysteria touring era. | Hysteria tour |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall amplifiers | British rock amplification behind the band’s early hard-rock tone. | Early career |
| Modified Marshall heads | High-gain setups were part of the band’s later arena production. | 1980s |
| Studio amp layering | Multiple guitar tracks and studio processing create the polished record sound. | Pyromania / Hysteria |
| Road backup instruments | Several Les Pauls were kept ready for touring. | Touring |
Effects
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Seymour Duncan ’59 pickups | Installed in the bridge position of Clark’s Les Paul Deluxe. | Early 1980s |
| Grover tuners | Tuning hardware fitted to his Les Pauls. | Touring |
| Chorus and studio modulation | Layered studio production supplies width on selected tracks. | Recording |
| Reverb and delay | Effects and studio ambience vary by song; no single fixed pedalboard is established. | Session dependent |
| Twin-guitar harmonies | Clark and Phil Collen built the band’s interlocking guitar parts. | 1982 onward |
Song and era references
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Photograph | Les Paul rhythm and lead parts in the band’s layered guitar production. | Pyromania |
| Rock of Ages | Clark’s Les Paul parts combine with Collen’s lead and rhythm tracks. | Pyromania |
| Foolin’ | Melodic guitar arrangement and acoustic/electric contrast. | Pyromania |
| Pour Some Sugar on Me | Layered guitar production with touring Les Paul association. | Hysteria |
| Rocket | Long-form studio arrangement and multiple guitar layers. | Hysteria |