AC/DC Back In Black gear

    

(last updated: 19/08/24)

AC/DC Back In Black gear

Musical gear

Guitars:

• Gibson SG: Angus Young’s
• Gretsch G6131 (1963): Malcolm Young’s main

Guitar amplifiers:

• Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-watt head: Angus Young’s main
• Marshall JMP 1987X Super Lead 50-watt head: Angus Young solos
• Marshall Super Bass head: Malcolm Young
• Marshall 4x12 cabinets

Bass rig:

• Fender Jazz bass
• Ampeg Portaflex (or SVT?)

Recording & studio equipment

Microphones:

• AKG:
• C414 EB: hi-hats, bass guitar amplifier
• C451E: hi-hats
• D-12: bass amplifier
• D-20: bass drum, bass amplifier
• Bruel & Kjaer (model unspecified): bells on “Hells Bells”
• Neumann:
• KM86: snare (top)
• U67: overheads, guitar amplifiers, vocals
• U87: occasional tom-toms, drum overheads, ambience, guitar amplifiers, vocals, bells
• Shure SM57: snare (bottom), bells
• Sennheiser MD421: tom-toms

Tape recorders:

• 24-track:
• 3M M79: Electric Lady
• MCI JH-114: Compass Point and Electric Lady
• Studer A800 24-track: Electric Lady
• 2-track:
• MCI JH-110: Compass Point
• Studer A80

Outboard gear (partial list):

• Dbx 160: vocals
• Eventide H910 Harmonizer: used for detuning snare
• EMT 140 plate reverb
• UREI 1176 compressor: vocals and possibly bass

Consoles:

• MCI JH536 36-in/32-out: Compass Point Studios
• Neve 8078 72-in/40-out: Electric Lady Studio A

Monitors:

• Tannoy Reds in Lockwood cabinets (Compass Point)
• Westlake HR-1 4-way (Electric Lady, mixing)

Sources

Classic Tracks: AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’ on SoundOnSound

Tony Platt Gearspace Q&A

Solodallas.com (additional Tony Platt comments)

Guitar World (Malcolm Young)

Billboard, 28 October 1978 (Compass Point information)

Music Week, 17 March 1979 (PDF page 66, Compass Point information)

Mix, April 1980 (PDF page 50)