What Amp Does Angus Young Use?
Angus Young has used Marshall amplifiers exclusively for his entire career. His tone philosophy is direct: a guitar, a cable, and a loud Marshall. No pedals, no modelling, no effects — pure signal chain simplicity producing one of the most recognisable guitar tones in rock.
Primary Amp: Marshall Super Lead 100W (Plexi)
Model: Marshall Super Lead 100W (1959 series) — colloquially known as the "Plexi" because of the plexiglass front panel used on units made from approximately 1965 to 1969.
Angus has used Marshall Super Lead amplifiers since AC/DC's formation in 1973. The specific units have changed over the years, but the circuit topology has remained consistent — the same fundamental design that defines British rock amp sound.
Why the Marshall Plexi? The Plexi's design produces a specific character when pushed hard: the preamp saturates with a compressed, harmonically rich quality before the output stage clips. Angus drives the amp at high volume (Volume 7–8 on both channels, in "jumped" configuration) — the amp itself does all the work.
The "Jumped" Channel Configuration
A technique Angus uses that is central to his tone: jumping the two channels.
The Marshall Super Lead has two separate channels — Normal and Bright. Each has its own Volume control but they share the EQ (Bass, Treble, Presence). By connecting a short patch cable between the Normal Channel input and the Bright Channel input, both channels process the signal simultaneously — producing more gain, more compression, and a more complex tonal character than either channel alone.
Configuration: Plugged into Bright Channel 1 input. Short cable from Normal Channel 1 to Bright Channel 2 (or vice versa). Both volume knobs active.
Settings
Classic AC/DC Lead Tone:
- Bright Volume (Ch 1): 8
- Normal Volume (Ch 2): 6
- Treble: 8
- Bass: 5
- Presence: 7
- Master (if present): N/A — original Plexi has no master volume
The high treble and presence settings produce the cutting, bright character. The high volumes drive the preamp into saturation.
Current Live Settings (estimated):
Angus's current live rig uses multiple Super Lead heads feeding custom-built Marshall 4×12 cabinets. The settings are broadly consistent with the above — small adjustments for different room acoustics.
Cabinet: Custom Marshall 4×12
Angus uses custom-built Marshall 4×12 cabinets. The specific speakers have changed over the years — Celestion G12M Greenbacks on early recordings, Celestion G12H-30 and Vintage 30s on later rigs.
The key is the cabinet size and configuration: Marshall 4×12 produces the "wall of sound" that defines Angus's live tone. The AC/DC backline of multiple stacked Marshall heads and cabinets is visually and sonically distinctive.
Era Notes
Let There Be Rock (1977) / Highway to Hell (1979): Marshall Super Lead 100W, vintage cabinets. This is the "pure" Plexi tone — no master volume, all gain from preamp drive.
Back in Black (1980): Recorded after Bon Scott's death with Brian Johnson. Same Marshall rig. "Back in Black" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" — arguably the most famous Marshall-driven recordings.
Black Ice (2008) / Rock or Bust (2014): Modern Marshall Super Lead reissues (1959SLP). Angus has consistently used Marshall's reissue versions of the original Plexi alongside original vintage units in his road rig.
Modern Marshall Plexi Equivalents
| Option | Price | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall 1959SLP (reissue) | £1,800 | Most accurate to original |
| Marshall DSL100H | £700 | More gain channels, less vintage |
| Marshall Origin 50H | £500 | Simplified Plexi-inspired, master volume |
| Dirty Shirley (Dr Z) | £1,500 | Plexi-influenced boutique |
Why the Jumped Channels Trick Is the Real Secret
Most players trying to replicate this tone focus on wattage and volume, but the jumped-channel configuration — connecting the Normal and Bright channel inputs with a short patch cable so both process the signal simultaneously — is arguably more important than raw loudness. It combines two slightly different circuit paths sharing the same EQ controls, producing a more complex, layered saturation than either channel alone, regardless of how loud the amp is running. A modern single-channel amp turned up loud, without this jumping technique, will sound noticeably simpler and less textured than Angus's actual setup, even at comparable volume and gain.
This is why the specific amp model matters here in a way it doesn't for some other artist tones covered on this site — you need a genuine two-channel, shared-EQ design (as vintage Plexi-style Marshalls have) to replicate this particular trick, not just any loud tube amp.
Common Mistakes
Turning up a modern single-channel high-gain amp expecting the same result. As explained above, the jumped-channel configuration is doing real tonal work beyond simple volume and gain — a single-channel amp, however loud, doesn't replicate the specific layered saturation of two channels combined.
Assuming Angus Young's tone is purely a function of extreme volume. While genuine amp volume matters, the treble and presence settings (both around 7-8) are equally important to the cutting, bright character — a loud amp with different EQ settings will sound notably darker and less piercing than his actual tone.
Overlooking cabinet and speaker choice as a minor detail. As the cabinet section notes, the specific Marshall 4x12 configuration and speaker type (Greenbacks on early recordings, Vintage 30s and G12H-30s later) genuinely shape the top-end character — a different cabinet size or speaker type changes the result even with identical head settings.
Assuming any Marshall reissue exactly replicates a vintage Super Lead. As the modern equivalents table shows, the 1959SLP reissue is the most accurate to the original design, while the DSL100H and Origin 50H are meaningfully different circuits inspired by the Plexi rather than close replicas — useful and practical, but not the same amp architecturally.
ToneStakr's Take
For players chasing this tone, prioritize finding an amp that supports the jumped-channel trick (a genuine two-channel, shared-EQ design like the Marshall 1959SLP reissue or a similar vintage-style circuit) over simply buying the loudest available amp — the channel-jumping technique is doing more distinctive tonal work than raw wattage or volume alone, and it's the detail most players chasing this sound overlook entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Angus Young use any pedals?
No — his signal chain is a Gibson SG straight into a Marshall Super Lead, with all distortion coming from the amp being driven hard at high volume. He has used a wah pedal occasionally in live performance, but it's not a regular or consistent part of his rig.
What speakers does Angus Young use?
Custom-built Marshall 4x12 cabinets, with speaker models varying by era — Celestion G12M Greenbacks on early recordings through the Highway to Hell and Back in Black period, moving toward Celestion Vintage 30s and G12H-30s in more recent decades.
How many Marshalls does Angus Young use live?
AC/DC's live shows typically feature multiple Marshall 100W heads stacked on multiple 4x12 cabinets — usually 3-6 heads visible on stage with 6-12 cabinets, though not every unit is necessarily active simultaneously; much of the visible backline serves a visual and volume-reinforcement role.
What is the practical difference between the original Plexi and a modern 1959SLP reissue?
The 1959SLP reissue is built to closely match the original circuit and component values, making it the most historically accurate modern option — genuine vintage units can vary somewhat unit to unit due to age and prior modifications, so a well-built reissue is often a more consistent and reliable choice for replicating the tone.
Can I get this tone from a lower-wattage amp, or does it need to be 100W?
A lower-wattage amp (20-50W) with a similar two-channel jumpable design can approximate the character at more manageable volumes — the 100W rating matters most for genuine large-venue stage volume, which isn't a practical requirement for home use or smaller gigs.
Is the "jumped channels" technique safe to try on any two-channel amp?
Generally yes on amps designed with genuinely independent channel inputs sharing common EQ, as classic Plexi-style Marshalls are — but it's worth checking your specific amp's documentation first, since not all modern two-channel amps are wired in a way that supports this jumping technique safely or usefully.