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The recording
Back in Black followed the death of Bon Scott and introduced Brian Johnson, with AC/DC and producer Mutt Lange pursuing a stripped-down, immediate sound at Compass Point Studios. Tony Platt says the songs were tracked largely live with Angus, Malcolm, bass and drums, while Angus’s solos were the principal guitar overdubs; some solo work was later completed at Electric Lady. Platt used minimal processing, carefully balancing room leakage, microphones and changing Marshall combinations rather than building the sound in the mix. Malcolm’s locked rhythm and Angus’s right-channel lead create the record’s defining interlocking riff-and-solo architecture.
Signal chain · Riff
Showing the riff gear and shared equipment. Gear marked for the other part is not included.
Original gear
Gibson SG Standard
Guitar · Angus Young · Riff & solo
Angus used the SG for the lead lines and overdubbed solos, and also replayed rhythm after the solos where needed to preserve the arrangement’s dynamics.
Gretsch Jet Firebird
Guitar · Malcolm Young · Riff
Malcolm’s Gretsch supplied the left-channel rhythm foundation and the title track’s main riff accompaniment.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Keep your right hand locked into a steady, driving eighth-note strumming pattern for the rhythm work.
- 2.Use bridge pickups with medium output humbuckers to achieve the classic high-mid crunch.
- 3.Ensure your solos have plenty of energetic vibrato and dynamic phrasing without excessive gain.
- 4.Maintain tight timing interactions between the rhythm and lead guitars to capture the studio feel.
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Back in Black guitar tone?
The available research points to Gibson SG Standard. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Back in Black amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
How do I recreate the Back in Black tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
Sources
