Riff Tone

It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)

AC/DC

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson SG Standard (early 1970s, likely 1970-1971 model)

AmpMarshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt head (Plexi, late 60s/early 70s, with 4x12 cabinet, likely Celestion G12M Greenbacks)

PickupsGibson humbucker (stock, likely T-Top or patent sticker humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1975. Angus Young's main rhythm/lead guitar for this era was a Gibson SG into a Marshall Super Lead, with no pedals or effects except possible Schaffer-Vega wireless preamp (not confirmed for this specific track/era). No evidence of pedals or amp-based effects used on the riff section. Signal path is guitar straight into amp. Settings are estimated based on era, genre, and typical AC/DC studio setup.

Tone Character(10)

British crunchmid-rangey and punchyraw and aggressivetight and percussivebright but not harsharticulate attackedge-of-breakupdynamic and responsiveopen and uncompressedclassic rock rhythm drive

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically straightforward but demands a strong, punchy attack and tight timing to capture the classic AC/DC feel. No advanced techniques, but requires discipline and energy.

Sources

Morgan seeks to nail classic Clapton, AC/DC and Hendrix tones with the KT66-loaded MVP66 head and combo | Guitar World Angus Young's guitars and gear: nail the AC/DC star's tone | Guitar World Morgan Amps Unveils the MVP 66 - Premier Guitar

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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