Solo Tone

The Razors Edge

AC/DC

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson SG Standard (early 1970s, Lyre Maestro tremolo, PAF pickups)

AmpMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (modded, or Wizard Modern Classic, studio recording)

PickupsGibson PAF humbuckers (stock, medium output)

Amp Settings

gain4

bass5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

boostSchaffer/SoloDallas Schaffer-Vega Diversity System (wireless/boost, or SoloDallas Schaffer Replica)

Notes

Studio recording, 1990. Angus Young used his main Gibson SG with PAF humbuckers. Amp was likely a Marshall Super Lead 100W (possibly Wizard Modern Classic, as Wizard amps were used from this era onward). No explicit pedal use confirmed for the studio solo, but Schaffer-Vega Diversity System (wireless/boost) or SoloDallas Schaffer Replica may have been used as a boost. No modulation or time-based effects are audible or documented for the solo. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and typical AC/DC studio approach.

Tone Character(10)

edge-of-breakup crunchbright and articulatesinging sustaintight, punchy attackclear note separationminimal compressiondynamic response to pickingclassic British crunchmoderate amp gain, boosted for solono excessive saturation

Difficulty

The solo requires fast picking, clean articulation, and expressive bending/vibrato at a brisk tempo, making it challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Complete Guide to AC/DC 'Thunderstruck' | Ultimate Guitar The Secrets Behind Malcolm Young's Guitar Sound on AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck' | Guitar World ACDC Tone: 70's vs 80's vs 90's+ | Guitar Forum - The Gear Page Angus's guitar tone : r/ACDC - Reddit

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