Song Rig

Let There Be Rock

Angus Young · Let There Be Rock · 1977

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Maximum Marshall volume, zero polish — the most raw and aggressive AC/DC studio recording. Pre-Back in Black, the tone has more high-end energy and less bottom than the later recordings: a garage-band snarl elevated to arena scale. The live version on If You Want Blood (1978) is the definitive performance: 9 minutes of escalating intensity.

Signal Chain

1Gibson SG (early, dot inlays)
2Marshall Super Lead 100W (full volume)
3No effects

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume10

Bass5

Mid7

Treble8

Presence8

Everything turned up: the amp is running at full output. High treble and presence give the aggressive, nasal cut that the 1977 recordings are known for. Less bass than the Back in Black settings — this is not about stadium weight but about snarling attack. Do not try to clean this up: the rawness is intentional.

Technique

How to Play It

The extended live guitar solo section is Angus improvising over the riff for several minutes — blues-derived pentatonic vocabulary with bends, vibrato and repeated-note licks. Less technically precise than the studio track but full of feeling. The technique rewards blues vocabulary study over note-for-note transcription.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

SG or Les Paul (bridge humbucker) into Marshall or any high-gain British amp (Orange Rockerverb, Laney GH50) at maximum. Do not use a noise gate on this tone — the feedback and noise between notes is part of the sound.

Your Gear