AC/DC
Iron Man 2 · 1990
Amp settings (as recorded)
The recording
The song was recorded in 1990 for the album 'The Razor's Edge' at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, produced by Bruce Fairbairn. The opening riff originated from a warm-up exercise Angus Young learned from his brother George. While the sound is often perceived as high-gain distortion, it is actually the result of cranking high-wattage Marshall Plexi amplifiers to extreme volumes; the 'secret' boost is provided by the Schaffer-Vega Diversity System, which Angus used in the studio to replicate the harmonic excitement of his live rig.
Tuning
StandardRecording Signal Chain · 4 items
1970/1971 Gibson SG Standard
Gibson
Main instrument
Equipped with vintage-style humbuckers.
Schaffer-Vega Diversity System
Schaffer-Vega
Wireless/Preamp processing
Used in the studio for tonal coloration, compression, and boost.
1959 Super Lead 100W
Marshall
Amplification
Non-master volume head driven to natural power amp distortion via high volume settings.
1960AX/BX 4x12
Marshall
Speaker output
Loaded with Celestion speakers.
Tone Characteristics
ToneTwin