AC/DC

AC/DC formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973, founded by Malcolm and Angus Young. The band relocated to London in 1976, where they found their commercial footing and recorded the albums that established their sound. Bon Scott served as vocalist until his death in February 1980; Brian Johnson replaced him and recorded Back in Black the same year, which became one of the best-selling albums in history. The AC/DC guitar sound is built on a deception. It sounds simple. It is not. Malcolm Young's rhythm tone — the specific percussive, midrange-forward crunch that drives every AC/DC record — came from a 1963 Gretsch Jet Firebird through a 1971 Marshall Super Bass, bass control rolled off, amp at the edge of power amp breakup, extra-heavy strings (.012-.058). One Filter'Tron pickup. No effects. The chambered mahogany body of the Jet Firebird combined with the Super Bass's mellower high-frequency response to produce a rhythm tone that has never been precisely duplicated. Angus Young's lead tone came from a 1971 Gibson SG Standard through Marshall 100-watt Super Lead stacks — but with a component most accounts miss entirely. The Schaffer-Vega Diversity System, an early wireless unit Angus wore built into the back of his SG, added more than 30dB of clean boost and a compander circuit that made the SG's signal fuller and more harmonically complex than a cable would have produced. The specific crackle and sustain on the solos in "Back in Black" and "Highway to Hell" came as much from the Schaffer-Vega as from the Marshall. Without it, the same rig would have sounded significantly different. Back in Black (1980), produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. It has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling album in history behind Thriller. The guitar tones on that record — Malcolm's rhythm foundation and Angus's lead work — remain the most widely studied and least successfully replicated sounds in hard rock. Malcolm Young retired in 2014 due to dementia and died in 2017. Angus has continued the band with various lineup changes, releasing Power Up in 2020 as a tribute to Malcolm. Key gear: Gibson SG Standard (Angus), Gretsch Jet Firebird (Malcolm), Marshall Super Lead 1959 (Angus), Marshall Super Bass (Malcolm), Schaffer-Vega Diversity System wireless unit.