Riff Tone

Who Made Who

AC/DC

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson SG Standard (early 1970s, likely 1968-1971 model)

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

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, vintage output)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb0.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1986. Angus Young plugged straight into the Marshall amp, no pedals except possibly a Schaffer-Vega Diversity System wireless (used as a boost/compressor in studio). No evidence of additional effects or pedals for the riff section. All sources emphasize a direct, minimal signal path for the classic AC/DC rhythm sound.

Tone Character(10)

mid-rangey and vintage-soundingvicious crunchtight, punchy rhythmbright and articulatedynamic and touch-sensitiveraw, uncompressed attackpercussive, driving riffclassic Marshall crunchslightly compressed from amp saturationclear note separation

Difficulty

The riff requires solid palm muting and rhythmic accuracy, but uses straightforward power chords and open string riffs typical of classic rock. The main challenge is maintaining the tight, punchy feel at a medium tempo.

Sources

Angus Young's guitars and gear: nail the AC/DC star's tone Iconic Guitar Tones: AC/DC's 'Back in Black' - InSync | Sweetwater Angus Young's guitar setup. Nine marshals & a full time Amp ...TIL Angus Young's rig consists of an SG straight in to Marshall amps ...

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