Riff Tone

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson SG Standard (late 1960s/early 1970s, likely 1967-1971 model)

AmpMarshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt head (Plexi, late 60s/early 70s) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, late 60s/early 70s spec)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb0

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1979. Angus Young played straight into the Marshall Plexi, no pedals for the clean/riff section. Guitar volume and tone rolled back for cleaner sound. No evidence of pedals or effects in the clean riff section. Rhythm section is drier and cleaner than many expect. All info is for the original studio recording, not live.

Tone Character(10)

clean and punchydynamic and touch-sensitivebright but not harshtight low endmid-forward presencearticulate chord definitionslight natural breakup when played hardno audible reverb or delaydry and directclassic British rock clean

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically straightforward but demands tight timing, dynamic control, and clean chord transitions to sound authentic.

Sources

How do i get the highway to hell guitar tone?Angus Young's guitars and gear: nail the AC/DC star's tone | Guitar World This Is the Gear Angus and Malcolm Young Used on AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' Album Angus settings for last couple tours : r/ACDC

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