Riff Tone

Jailbreak

AC/DC

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1971 Gretsch Jet Firebird (modded, bridge pickup, no neck pickup, no tone knob, stop tailpiece)

AmpMarshall Super Bass 100 (model 1992, late 60s/early 70s, through Marshall 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12-65 speakers)

PickupsGretsch Filter'Tron-style humbucker (bridge only, original 1971 Jet Firebird modded as per Malcolm Young's main guitar)

Amp Settings

gain5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb0

presence4.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1976. Malcolm Young's rhythm guitar on 'Jailbreak' riff section. No pedals, straight into amp. No amp reverb or effects. Guitar volume and tone controls are bypassed/removed on this modded Gretsch. Pickup selector is bridge only. All evidence points to classic Marshall Super Bass setup, no effects, and the iconic 'dry' AC/DC rhythm tone.

Tone Character(10)

dry and punchytight and percussivemid-forwardclear note separationBritish crunchdynamic and touch-sensitiveno reverb or ambiencearticulate and uncompressedslight natural amp breakupraw, unprocessed rhythm sound

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires precise, punchy picking and dynamic control to achieve the iconic AC/DC groove and clarity. Muting and articulation are key to nailing the sound.

Sources

Rig Rundown AC/DC | The Gear Page Rhythm Is King: Malcolm Young's Rock-Solid Riffage - Premier Guitar What settings do I apply? : r/ACDC - Reddit

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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