Angus Young's Thunderstruck Tapping Intro Tone

The most iconic rhythm guitar tone in hard rock. Angus Young's tone on Back in Black is deceptively simple: a Gibson SG plugged straight into a cranked Marshall Super Lead 1959 (Plexi) with nothing in between. No pedals, no effects, no tricks. The entire sound comes from the interaction between the SG's bridge humbucker and the amp pushed to the edge of breakup. The bright, biting attack of the SG cuts through the mix, while the Plexi's warm British overdrive provides just enough grit without losing note clarity. Malcolm Young's identical rig on rhythm creates the massive wall of sound.

The definitive Texas blues shuffle tone. SRV's tone on Pride and Joy is built on an incredibly simple signal chain: a Stratocaster with absurdly heavy strings, a Tube Screamer used as a clean boost, and a cranked Fender Vibroverb. The magic is in the player's hands and the amp being pushed hard. The Tube Screamer is not set for distortion; it's adding mids and pushing the amp's front end into breakup.

Arguably the most famous guitar solo tone ever recorded. Gilmour's tone on the second solo of Comfortably Numb is built on a Big Muff Pi fuzz into a cranked Hiwatt, with delay adding depth and sustain. The Hiwatt provides clean headroom while the Big Muff does the heavy lifting for gain and sustain. The result is a singing, vocal-like lead tone that sustains endlessly.

The ultimate wah-fuzz guitar tone. Hendrix's Voodoo Child (Slight Return) opens with one of the most recognizable wah licks ever recorded. The tone is built on a Cry Baby wah into a germanium Fuzz Face, slamming a cranked Marshall Plexi. The wah isn't just an effect here; it's an integral part of the voice of the guitar, used as a tonal filter that shapes every note. The Fuzz Face provides thick, singing sustain that cleans up dynamically when Hendrix rolls back his guitar volume.