Solo Tone

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1968 Gibson SG Standard

AmpMarshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt head with Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12-65 speakers, late 70s studio setup)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (likely T-Top, stock for late 60s SGs)

Amp Settings

gain5.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

boostSchaffer Schaffer-Vega Diversity System (preamp/boost function)

Notes

Studio recording, 1979. Angus Young plugged straight into the amp, no pedals except possibly a Schaffer-Vega Diversity System wireless (used as a preamp/boost in studio). No evidence of other pedals or effects used on the solo. Guitar World and multiple sources confirm minimal/no pedal use for Highway to Hell studio recording.

Tone Character(10)

classic British crunchtight, punchy attackbright and biting lead tonedynamic, touch-sensitive responsesinging sustain on single notesminimal compressionopen, uncompressed soundslight room ambience on solono audible modulation or delayarticulate, mid-forward presence

Difficulty

The solo requires solid intermediate skills: quick pentatonic licks, expressive bends, and tight timing, but does not feature advanced techniques or extreme speed.

Sources

Angus Young's guitars and gear: nail the AC/DC star's tone The Basics Of AC/DC-Style Guitar Playing

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

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