COVER FEATURE
TONE HEROES
AMPS, PEDALS & EFFECTS
Get the secrets behind the sounds as TG dials in 10 of the most iconic guitar tones of all time
PHIL COLLEN A snapshot of Leppard’s axeman playing his Jackson PC1 Au Natural
Steely Dan – Reelin’ In The Years
Elliot Randall attributes the tone on Reelin’ to his 1963 Fender Strat equipped with a retrofitted 1969 Gibson humbucker in the neck position, which he played through a cranked 400 watt Ampeg SVT bass amp. Not exactly a traditional rig, and, unsurprisingly, an unusual guitar sound. To get close to Randall’s tone, select a neck humbucker and set your amp’s EQ on the trebly side. A fuzz pedal may help you get closer to the sizzling highs of that dimed Ampeg.
Def Leppard – Photograph
Phil Collen used his black Ibanez Destroyer alongside Steve Clark who played a Les Paul XR-1 (the forerunner to the Les Paul Studio). Still, these particular guitars aren’t essential – just make sure to use a bridge humbucker for the dirty sounds and solos, but switch to the middle position for the sparkling cleans. A dash of compression and chorus will help your cleans cut through and give you some of the classic glossy 80s production sound.