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Autograph

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Turn Up The Radio - Guitar Lesson

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Band Overview

Autograph burst out of the Los Angeles hair metal scene in the early 1980s, delivering hook-laden Hard Rock anchored by seriously skilled guitar work. Formed in 1983 and signed to RCA Records, the band rode the Sunset Strip wave alongside Ratt, Mötley Crüe, and Quiet Riot, but brought a slightly more polished, melodic approach that made their riffs instantly memorable. Their 1984 debut album 'Sign in Please' produced the anthemic 'Turn Up the Radio,' a track that remains a staple of 80s rock radio and a genuinely fun song for electric guitarists to learn. The guitar duties fell to Steve Lynch, one of the most underrated players of the 80s shred era. Lynch was a two-handed tapping pioneer who had refined his technique independently of Eddie Van Halen, and his style blended flashy legato runs with strong melodic sensibility. Unlike some shredders who prioritized speed over musicality, Lynch always served the song first, layering catchy riffs underneath his more technical passages. His rhythm work is tight and groove-oriented, making Autograph's catalog excellent practice material for guitarists who want to bridge the gap between solid rhythm playing and lead fireworks. For guitarists looking to learn Autograph songs, the difficulty ranges from intermediate to advanced. The rhythm parts in songs like 'Turn Up the Radio' are accessible for players comfortable with power chords, palm-muting, and basic open-position riffing. However, Lynch's lead work introduces two-handed tapping, wide vibrato, pentatonic-based shred runs, and tasteful use of the whammy bar, pushing the difficulty up several notches. If you are working on your 80s lead chops, tapping accuracy, and phrasing within a melodic hard rock context, Autograph is an excellent and often overlooked band to study. Steve Lynch proves that you do not need to be in a mega-selling band to be a truly innovative guitarist.

What Makes Autograph Essential for Guitar Players

Steve Lynch was a genuine two-handed tapping innovator. His tapping technique involved complex patterns across multiple strings, often incorporating melodic intervals rather than simple octave shapes. Studying his solos is a great way to expand your tapping vocabulary beyond basic Van Halen-style licks.
Autograph's rhythm guitar tone sits in a sweet spot between crunchy palm-muted power chords and open, ringing chord voicings. Practicing 'Turn Up the Radio' will sharpen your ability to switch between tight, muted downpicking sections and more relaxed, sustained chord passages.
Lynch's vibrato is wide and controlled, a hallmark of great 80s lead playing. He applies it consistently at the end of held notes and bends, giving his phrases a vocal quality that separates good solos from forgettable ones.
The lead work frequently uses the A minor pentatonic and natural minor scales with chromatic passing tones, making it ideal study material for guitarists wanting to add color to standard pentatonic box patterns without jumping straight into modes.
Lynch incorporated whammy bar dips and dive bombs tastefully rather than as a gimmick. His use of the tremolo system adds expression to sustained notes and punctuates phrases, making it a good reference point for learning musical (not just flashy) whammy bar technique.

Did You Know?

Steve Lynch developed his two-handed tapping technique before he ever heard Van Halen's 'Eruption,' working it out independently during his studies at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Hollywood.

'Turn Up the Radio' was reportedly written in about 15 minutes, yet its main riff became one of the most recognizable guitar hooks of the entire 1984-1985 MTV era.

Lynch performed an instructional video in the 1980s demonstrating his two-handed tapping approach, which became a sought-after resource among aspiring shredders before the internet age made such content widely available.

Autograph opened for Mötley Crüe on the 'Shout at the Devil' tour, exposing Lynch's guitar work to arena-sized audiences and proving his technique could translate to a massive live setting.

Despite being categorized as hair metal, Autograph's guitar arrangements were notably more sophisticated than many of their peers, incorporating harmonized guitar lines and layered overdubs that rewarded close listening on headphones.

Steve Lynch used a relatively simple rig compared to other 80s shredders. He relied heavily on his amp's natural overdrive rather than stacking multiple gain pedals, which gave his tone a more dynamic, organic feel.

The band reformed in 2013 with a new lineup, but Lynch's original recordings remain the definitive reference for studying the Autograph guitar sound.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

This is the essential Autograph album for guitarists. 'Turn Up the Radio' teaches you a classic 80s riff with solid rhythm fundamentals, while deeper cuts like 'Send Her to Me' and 'Night Teen' showcase Lynch's tapping, legato runs, and melodic soloing. The album is a masterclass in balancing accessibility with technical flair.

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That's the Stuff 1985

The sophomore album pushed Lynch's guitar work further into shred territory while maintaining catchy songwriting. Tracks like 'Blondes in Black Cars' feature more complex lead passages and tighter rhythm tones. It is a great album for intermediate players ready to step up to more challenging 80s lead guitar material.

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Loud and Clear 1987

The most polished production of the original trilogy, with a slightly more modern (for 1987) guitar tone. Lynch's solos on tracks like 'Dance All Night' demonstrate mature phrasing and advanced whammy bar technique. It is useful for studying how a guitarist can evolve their tone and approach across albums.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Steve Lynch was primarily associated with Charvel guitars during Autograph's peak years, particularly Charvel superstrat-style models with Floyd Rose tremolo systems. These guitars featured slim, fast necks ideal for his two-handed tapping technique. He also used various custom instruments over the years, always favoring bolt-on neck designs with locking tremolos for dive bombs and expressive whammy work.

Amp

Lynch ran through Marshall amplifiers, primarily JCM800 series heads, which were the go-to rock amps of the era. The JCM800's natural overdrive when pushed to higher gain settings provided that crisp, cutting 80s lead tone with plenty of harmonic content. He kept the settings relatively straightforward: mids scooped slightly, treble up for clarity during tapping passages, and enough gain for sustain without losing note definition.

Pickups

Lynch used hot-output humbuckers typical of 80s shred guitars, likely in the 12-16k ohm range. The higher output ensured enough drive to sustain tapped notes and legato lines while still articulating fast passages clearly. The bridge humbucker handled the heavy lifting for both rhythm crunch and lead work, with the extra output pushing the Marshall's front end into smooth saturation.

Effects & Chain

Lynch kept his effects chain relatively minimal by 80s standards. A chorus pedal (likely a Boss CE-series or similar) added width to clean and semi-clean passages, and a delay unit provided slapback echo for solos. He occasionally used a noise gate to keep things quiet during pauses given the high-gain setup. The core tone came from the guitar straight into the Marshall, with the Floyd Rose tremolo serving as his primary 'effect' for expressive pitch manipulation.

Recommended Gear

Amp

Marshall JCM800

Steve Lynch's Marshall JCM800 delivered the crisp, cutting 80s lead tone essential for his tapping passages, with natural overdrive that pushed clean note articulation while maintaining harmonic richness for sustain-heavy solos.

Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

The DigiTech Whammy provided Lynch with pitch-shifting effects beyond his Floyd Rose's capabilities, adding experimental texture to Autograph's synth-rock influenced arrangements and expanding his expressive possibilities during lead work.

Pedal

ISP Decimator Noise Gate

Lynch used the ISP Decimator noise gate to control feedback from his high-gain Marshall setup during fast legato passages and pauses, keeping his complex tapping work clean without losing natural sustain.

How to Practice Autograph on GuitarZone

Every Autograph song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Turn Up The Radio - Guitar Lesson