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The recording
“Thunderstruck” is the opening single from AC/DC’s 1990 album The Razors Edge, with Angus Young on lead guitar and Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar. Angus said the signature figure began as an acoustic-guitar practice idea recorded on cassette; Malcolm then developed the supporting rhythm and, during Angus’s week away, added the large thunder choruses and chant. The album was produced by Bruce Fairbairn and engineered/mixed by Mike Fraser, with additional recording by Ken Lomas and Ian Taylor. On the master, Angus’s high-register hook and solo cut through Malcolm’s tightly locked, spacious rhythm foundation, creating the track’s instantly recognizable tension and propulsion.
Tuning Standard tuning
Signal chain · Riff
Showing the riff gear and shared equipment. Gear marked for the other part is not included.
Original gear
Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird
Guitar · Malcolm Young · Riff
Malcolm used this trademark Gretsch for the recorded rhythm/riff part; its chambered body, heavy strings, and bridge Filter’Tron contributed to the dry, resonant midrange character.
Marshall JMP Super Bass
Amp · Malcolm Young · Riff
This studio head supplied Malcolm’s largely clean, very loud edge-of-power-amp-distortion rhythm tone for the riff, rather than a saturated preamp distortion.
Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet
Cabinet · Malcolm Young · Riff
The cabinet completed Malcolm’s documented studio rhythm-guitar setup and voiced the riff through four Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Keep your right-hand picking extremely consistent and driving to maintain the rhythm anchor.
- 2.Use bridge pickups to get that bright, biting hard-rock midrange response.
- 3.Mute unused strings effectively to keep high-gain riffing clear and punchy.
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Thunderstruck guitar tone?
The available research points to Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird into Marshall JMP Super Bass. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Thunderstruck 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.
What tuning is Thunderstruck in?
The current research record lists Standard tuning. ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Thunderstruck 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
