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AC/DC sound out of an Epi?


Troy Martin

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Guest alanhindle
Posted

As long as you have good quality humbuckers and a nice tube amp (not turned up too much) I would say it's not make of the guitar or amp, but technique/playing style that matters.

 

Check out this great AC/DC cover band who sound just like the real deal with what looks like a Gretsch Jet and an Orange stack. This band have put all their effort in to looking and playing like AC/DC and it's really worked out well for them:

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yRQkT9ZSLR0

 

Uncanny isn't it?

Guest alanhindle
Posted

 

Are you saying that link is not AC/DC? Amazing.

 

English sense of humour I'm afraid.

 

The point I'm trying to make that equipment make and model has a lot less to do with reproducing an artist's tone and style than most people think.

Posted

Angus Young's technique is mostly in the fingers. Choke up to the end of the pick and dig in hard with light tube type distortion. Lots of pick harmonics created by raking your finger across the strings right behind the picking of a note will get you the sound. An Ibanez TS-9 or TS-808 will create the type of distortion you are looking for.

 

I watched AC/DC last night on Classic in Concert. Angus, during his solo part of the concert, reminded me very much of Jimmy Page at times.

Posted

Troy:

 

Use your bridge pickup (toggle switched to treble), turn the volume and tone knob all the way up. On your amp (if it has an eq), turn your lows about halfway, mid maybe a little over halfway, and your high around 3/4, don't use a LOT of pregain, but more post gain (if your amp has those settings). Turn the volume up on the amp, and give it a try!

 

Angus' tone is not really hard to get, as long as you have decent humbuckers, and a tube amp helps a lot (but isn't really needed if you're just playing around). As far as SOUNDING like Angus, well yeah that takes time and practice. Palm muting and heavy picking will get you started. Oh....and have fun! :D/

Posted

You can get almost anyones tone with any guitar and amp combo with a bit of experimenting. It would be very difficult to tell you how without actually being there to hear your set-up. Although I have never been one to use many effects a good muti-effects pedal may help you achieve the tones you are looking for.

Posted

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, I'll try setting my amp up that way. It's a pretty small thing (10) but it has decent high/low knobs.

 

As for the volume, cranking it up past 3 on the amp is earsplitting for such a tiny beast! I'm serious, I could probably give my deaf neighbours their hearing back if I went up to around 5 or 6 (but I might lose mine!)

Posted

Oh, and for those about to rock with It's a Long Way to the Top, play the standard AC/DC rhythm chords (E, A, D, G) while tuned half step up. It might be also good to use the Rhythm setting on the selector switch to get the true Malcolm tone. (a Fat Strat HSS works wonders too!)

Posted

Angus uses no effects whatsoever,just his favored '66 I think it is. I noticed he uses at least 4 during a concert- the one black one with the lightning bolts as markers ,the Heritage Cherry and 2 others that are probably just spares he grabs to let the others ones dry out , he sweats a lot and his p'ups get wet and don't want to work. He really doesn't even use hodrodded p'ups , most everything he uses on stage is "basically stock" .

Mal plays a Gretsch White Falcon ,and its pretty tore up in a way like EVH does with his stage used Kramers ,one humbucker pup and the rest are empty holes.

They both have a double stack of Marshall amps behind them , 5 for each in a bank of ten -on Mals side of the stage his are on the bottom so he can hear himself and Angus' are on top cuz he roams around ...a lot. The flipside is done on Angus's side- his are on the bottom and Mals are on top so they're cross mixing their sound. From personal AC/DC concert experience , its quite good.

Posted

the guitar is not so important - i can nail back in black on my epi casino:

bridge pickup vol pot on 10 - bridge tone pot on 10 - but that sound is really in the amp-

you'll need a jtm45 on the lead channel - amp volume depends on the guitar and the bias of the tubes

i usually have the tone pots on my jtm45 set to bass-2 mid-5 trb-8 - but it really depends on the OT

thanks!

billybob ](*,)

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