Riff Tone

Rock 'N' Roll Damnation

AC/DC

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1971 Gibson SG Standard

AmpMarshall Super Lead 1959 100W (Plexi, non-master volume, late '60s/early '70s)

PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (early '70s T-Top humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass4.5

mid5

treble7

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1978. Angus Young used his main 1971 Gibson SG Standard into a Marshall Super Lead 1959 head, likely with a matching Marshall 4x12 cabinet. Malcolm Young (rhythm) used a Gretsch Jet Firebird into a Marshall Super Bass, but this entry focuses on the clean riff section, which is Angus's part. No evidence of pedals or effects used in the clean riff section; AC/DC are known for a direct guitar-to-amp approach in the studio for this era.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatetight and percussive attackclear chord definitionminimal breakupdynamic and touch-sensitiveopen and uncompressedslightly edgy but not distortedno audible reverb or delayclassic Marshall clean with bitedirect, unprocessed amp sound

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, consistent rhythm playing with dynamic control and clean chord voicings. While not technically advanced, it demands precision and articulation to maintain the classic AC/DC groove and clarity.

Sources

Angus Young's guitars and gear: nail the AC/DC star's tone | Guitar World Malcolm Young's guitar gear: how the AC/DC rhythm machine perfected high-voltage rock 'n' roll tone | Guitar World how can i get a tone close to AC DC tone - forum topic | Ultimate Guitar

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