GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Hells Bells Solo Guitar Tone Settings — AC/DC
AC/DC · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1970 Gibson SG Standard
Pickups
Gibson T-Top humbucking pickups (bridge position)
Amp
Late-’70s Marshall 2203 JMP 100-watt head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M Greenbacks)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Back in Black' (1980). Angus Young used the bridge pickup, guitar volume and tone on 10. Effects chain included Schaffer-Vega Diversity System for wireless/boost. No pedals or amp reverb/delay used. Settings are for the studio recording, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain5.5
Reverb1
Treble6
Presence3
Effects Chain
- Schaffer-Vega Diversity System · boost
Guitar → Schaffer-Vega Diversity System → Marshall 2203 JMP → Marshall 4x12 cabinet
Tone Matcher
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Tone Character
- crisp treble and crunchy overdrive
- fat midrange and saturated distortion
- classic Marshall crunch
- tight, punchy attack
- singing sustain
- dynamic, touch-sensitive response
- bright and articulate
- not high-gain, but powerful
- open, uncompressed feel
- no time-based or modulation effects
Notes & Caveats
- All settings and gear are directly cited from Guitar World (Source 1), which provides specific amp and guitar details for the studio recording.
- No pedals or amp-based effects (delay, reverb, modulation) were used; the only effect in the chain is the Schaffer-Vega Diversity System, which acts as a wireless/boost/compression unit.
- No time-based or modulation effects are audible in the solo; the tone is dry and direct.
- Settings are for the studio recording, not live performances.
- No evidence of reverb or delay in the amp or pedal chain; reverb heard on the album is likely from studio ambience/mixing, not the guitarist's signal chain.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Angus Young's 'Hells Bells' solo tone is classic Marshall crunch—moderate gain, strong mids, and slightly boosted treble/presence for cut, with bass set for punch but not boom. The production is dry with minimal reverb, matching early 80s hard rock conventions and AC/DC's signature sound.