Angus Young Rig

Estimated build cost: ~$12,754 (based on current listings)

Rock AC/DC Angus Young

Angus Young is AC/DC's lead guitarist, the schoolboy-uniform duckwalker whose sound is a Gibson SG Standard bridge humbucker slammed into a Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100-watt head with no pedalboard. From High Voltage through Highway to Hell and Back in Black he used late-1960s and early-1970s SGs — first a walnut 1970/71 Standard with a Maestro Vibrola, then cherry and black Standards including a 1967 ebony — into cranked Super Leads and Marshall 1960 4x12s. The Schaffer-Vega Diversity System wireless, adopted in 1977, doubled as an accidental compressor/boost on Powerage, Highway to Hell and Back in Black.

In the mid-to-late 1990s through Black Ice, longtime AC/DC amp tech Rick St. Pierre's Wizard Vintage Classic and Modern Classic 100-watt heads stood in when vintage Marshalls could not survive nightly stadium duty, while Gibson issued the Angus Young Signature SG (2000–2013) with lightning-bolt inlays taken from a John Diggins/Jaydee rebuild. After St. Pierre left around 2015 Young went back to Marshall Super Leads for Rock or Bust and the 2024–2026 Power Up tour, running a SoloDallas Schaffer Replica Tower plus Shure Axient wireless in place of the original Schaffer-Vega, still through Marshall 4x12s loaded with Celestion Greenbacks.

~$12,754 Estimated total
12 Pieces of gear
Rock Genre / style
Affiliate Disclosure
Angus Young Rig
Photo by Raph_PH / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Angus Young guitars, amps and pedals

Gibson SG Standard
Guitar
Gibson SG Standard
Super Rare 1982 Burny SG-75 AY Angus Young from AC/DC Artist Model - SG Standard - Cherry Red - Made in Japan by Kasuga (Navigator & Heerby) MIJ
Throughout 1970–present: first a walnut 1970/71 Standard with Maestro Vibrola (High Voltage–Let There Be Rock), then cherry factory-second and 1960s Standards on Highway to Hell, plus a 1967 ebony Standard that became the long-term stage #1. Touring SGs now wear wax-potted Seymour Duncan humbuckers (~7.8k); the original studio SG is mostly retired from the road.
$1,517
Buy on Reverb More Info
Marshall 1959 Super Lead
Amp
Marshall 1959 Super Lead
1978 Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watts
Throughout 1973–present (Wizard-heavy mid years excepted): the 100-watt 1959 Super Lead is the AC/DC lead sound on Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and the current Power Up stadium tour — channels jumped, volume 7–8, no master volume, EL34 power-tube crunch. Live he runs a wall of vintage heads and later Super Lead reissues, several of them modified with a master volume.
$2,827
Buy on Reverb More Info
Marshall 1960 4x12
Cabinet
Marshall 1960 4x12
Marshall 1960 4x12
Throughout 1970s–present: 1960AX/BX 4x12s (straight and angled) behind the Super Leads. Early records used Celestion G12M Greenbacks and G12-65s; later tours mixed Greenbacks, G12H-30s and Vintage 30s. Current Power Up backline is still a Marshall 4x12 wall, typically Greenback-loaded, with one cab miked and an isolated 2x12 for FOH.
$599
Buy on Reverb More Info
Classic / iconic era

The breakthrough pieces they are most associated with.

Other
Schaffer-Vega Diversity System
Classic 1977–early 1980s: Ken Schaffer's wireless, first used August 1977 and then on Powerage, Highway to Hell and Back in Black (live and in the studio). Its preamp/compander tightened the low end and added a slight boost — the only 'effect' in the classic signal path. Original production ended around 1980–81.
Not listed
Marshall JMP 2203
Amp optional
Marshall JMP 2203
Marshall JMP 2203 Mk2 Master Model Lead 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head 1980 - Black + Cab 1960 Lead
Classic late-1970s: 100-watt master-volume Marshall used alongside Super Leads on Let There Be Rock and Powerage, and later as a live backup when a no-master Super Lead was too loud. Same EL34 voice, extra preamp gain and a master volume the 1959 does not have.
$2,525
Buy on Reverb More Info
AI Rig Designer
Building your own setup?

Try our free AI Rig Designer — get a custom rig matched to your budget and style, with tones inspired by Angus Young. Answer 6 questions, get live listings.

Try It Free
Mid-career

A real in-between era or endorsement — not what they use now.

Guitar optional
Jaydee Custom SG
Mid 1981–mid-1980s: custom SG built by John Diggins and handed to Angus hours before Donington Monsters of Rock 1981. Red finish, gold hardware, Jaydee Hooligan pickups and the lightning-bolt fretboard inlays Gibson later copied for the signature model. Used sporadically through the 1980s; Diggins also rebuilt one of Angus's Gibsons with the same lightning board.
Not listed
Wizard Vintage Classic
Amp
Wizard Vintage Classic
Wizard Vintage Classic 100 2020s - Vader
Mid mid-1990s–c.2015: 100-watt Plexi-style heads built by AC/DC amp tech Rick St. Pierre (Vintage Classic and the hotter Modern Classic) when vintage Super Leads could not survive nightly stadium duty. Documented on Black Ice-era tours. Not the current tour amp — after St. Pierre left around 2015, Angus returned to Marshall Super Leads for Rock or Bust and Power Up.
$3,500
Buy on Reverb More Info
Gibson Angus Young Signature SG
Guitar
Gibson Angus Young Signature SG
Super Rare 1982 Burny SG-75 AY Angus Young from AC/DC Artist Model - SG Standard - Cherry Red - Made in Japan by Kasuga (Navigator & Heerby) MIJ
Mid 2000–13: Gibson's only commercial Angus signature — extra-slim neck, lightning-bolt inlays, '57 Classic neck pickup and Angus Young Signature humbucker. First USA run 2000–09 (batwing/'68 style), then a 2009 Custom Shop replica of his rebuilt SG and a 2010–13 USA 'Thunderstruck' run. Used on the Stiff Upper Lip tour and later in Power Up videos. Discontinued; he still tours on vintage SGs, not a current-production signature.
$1,517
Buy on Reverb More Info
Current / most recent

What they tour or record with now, or the newest signature line.

SoloDallas Schaffer Replica Tower
Pedal
SoloDallas Schaffer Replica Tower
SoloDallas The Schaffer Replica BassX 2026 - Black
Current 2015–present: Fil Olivieri's rack recreation of the Schaffer-Vega preamp, gifted to Angus for Rock or Bust and used on that tour and on Power Up sessions. Replaces the discontinued original wireless as the only tone-shaping box in the modern chain; paired with a modern wireless rather than the 1970s Vega transmitter.
$230
Buy on Reverb More Info
Shure Axient Digital Wireless
Other
Shure Axient Digital Wireless
Shure AXIENT DIGITAL WIRELESS SYSTEM, B band, worldwide shipping
Current Rock or Bust–Power Up: the transparent wireless that replaced the original Schaffer-Vega transmitter. Tone coloring now comes from the SoloDallas Replica in the rack, not from the radio link.
$2,559
Buy on Reverb More Info
Other optional
Kikusui PCR4000M
Current later-tour rig: programmable AC power source that feeds the Super Lead wall at roughly 236V. Overvolting the Marshalls increases gain and projection (and tube wear). Documented in the 2015–16 Premier Guitar rundown and still part of the high-voltage live setup.
Not listed
Ernie Ball Super Slinky
Other
Ernie Ball Super Slinky
Ernie Ball Super Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings 9-42
Throughout (Dean Markley earlier, Ernie Ball Super Slinky .009–.042 for decades and on current tours): light strings changed daily. Paired with Fender Extra Heavy 351 picks — the older hot-stamped ones for grip. Same set on every touring SG.
$5
Buy on Reverb More Info
Estimated build total ~$12,754
Rig Overview
Estimated total ~$12,754
Pieces of gear 12
Genre / style Rock
Classic / iconic era 2 items
Mid-career 3 items
Current / most recent 4 items
Research This Gear
Reverb Price History Sold prices for Gibson SG Standard Gear Value Lookup Market value for Gibson SG Standard Deal Desk Spot flips across Reverb & eBay Gear Alerts Get notified when gear goes live
Share

Spot an inaccuracy? We research every rig carefully, but gear details can change or slip through. If you know this artist's setup better, drop us a note and we'll get it updated.

Comments

No comments yet — be the first!

First time here?

Every listing has free built-in tools — AI deal analysis and instant gear alerts. Takes 30 seconds to learn.

See how it works →