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AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell” Older Tutorial

06 Nov AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell” Older Tutorial

This video was shot in my former recording studio, Studio58a.

Guitar used here was my 1970 Gibson SG Standard played on a reissue Marshall head and cabinet, being a 1987XL Modified by David Bray and a 1960B cabinet with reissue (at the time) G12Ms.

In the key of A. chords A, D and G. The solo uses alternating licks from the A major and A minor pentatonic scales, a great variation used in blues based rock. This record is tuned down from standard, tuning tip: during the A chord of the chorus tune your 5th string open to this pitch, then tune the other strings to it.

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Fil "SoloDallas" Olivieri
sd@solodallas.com

We Are Rock 'N Roll People.

24 Comments
  • avatar
    ramurel
    Posted at 18:19h, 22 March

    Hello, Fil !
    Please tell me, Angus use sometimes A5 chord also on Highway to Hell, like in Back In Black do ?
    Thank you

  • avatar
    ACDC BORIS
    Posted at 17:46h, 12 March

    What happens SoloDallas? wanted to ask about injuries ACDC guitar he had before

  • avatar
    guitarlord26
    Posted at 02:53h, 07 November

    Wow! You sound JUST like Angus in this video (like, more so than your other videos)!

    I always thought Highway to Hell had a much less “bass” kid of sound. I thought angus might have turned down the bass and brought up the mids or treble?

    I dunno, can you please enlighten me, Fil?

    Cheers,
    Jimmi.

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 00:31h, 10 November

      I think you are right. I was rehearsing today a few songs from HTH, and I think most of them were played with… master volume amps. Yes. Either 2203s or 2204s. Or both. I tried a 2203 at full blast, with a great attenuator I just got today that blew the other two I have off the water. And I had to take the bass all out and also, take bass response away on the microphones. I think I nailed “If you Want Blood” tone. Was recording it, then the power converter blew (I am using 110v amps through a power converter rated 300w, but my 100w 2203 blew it just the same). Amp is safe though. Then I stepped on the plug of the computer and simply lost all with a snap. Oh what a wonderful moment that was. But anyway, I think you’re totally right!

      • avatar
        banane
        Posted at 08:15h, 10 November

        Is the amp hardwired to 110V, or do you operate it at 110V for another reason?

        • avatar
          SoloDallas
          Posted at 09:23h, 10 November

          Yep Franz, hardwired to 110v. That’s how I blew the 5mA fuse in fact, the moment I plugged it in having changed the faulty mains selector from 110v to 220v. That doesn’t work anymore. So I put it back to 110v and used a 300w mains converter. Still, the beast (the 2203, the modded one) sucks a whole lot, since I am now running it (since yesterday) on an Aracom attenuator, which is the best attenuator I have ever heard/seen. Since the Aracom works great with tone, I had pushed the master to 6 and pre to 8. The Mains converter heated so much I could cook an egg over it, and at a given time, it self-shut off for protection. At first, I thought I had blown the 2203 and shit in my pants. Right after I realized it was just the mains converter self shutting for heat. So all’s fine, but I need another more powerful one, or I can only make perfect sessions of 20 mins with it… kid of stressing when you’re recording 😛

          • avatar
            SGACE
            Posted at 09:32h, 10 November

            The VA value is the important factor for the right converter not the watts.. the converter has to have almost double the VA value of that that amp has..

          • avatar
            banane
            Posted at 09:53h, 10 November

            Ah, I see. Yeah, would shit my pants too when this happens here 🙂 Seems that these mains selectors get broken often. There are so much voltage hardwired JMPs around.
            And will note down the Aracom for later, may become useful info. Which one do you have?
            Yeah, having all done until the power converter shuts down sucks. Hope, you’ll get a better one.

            • avatar
              SoloDallas
              Posted at 10:03h, 10 November

              Franz, George, I am fairly convinced that Angus on HTH (the album, the whole album) is 2203/2204. I have been listening to “If You Want Blood, You’ve Got It” and I can definitely hear pre-amp sound in at least the rhythm sound (Angus’, maybe even Malcolm’s?).
              I will be showcasing the Aracom (I got the Pro model) within this week. I am was planning yesterday to do a “If you want blood you’re got it” tune while introducing the Aracom along with it.

              • avatar
                banane
                Posted at 10:14h, 10 November

                I suspected this a bit, but I was far away from being sure of that. Thanks for the info! And I’m looking forward to the Aracom showoff.

              • avatar
                SGACE
                Posted at 10:30h, 10 November

                Aracom is one of the two best attenuators. I wait fora lengthy review..

                HTH and Powerage albums both have MV amps..

  • avatar
    deni91
    Posted at 22:19h, 06 November

    I cannot even reply 😀
    Then, never mind 🙂
    And thanks!

    Denes

  • avatar
    deni91
    Posted at 22:17h, 06 November

    Sorry, I’ve written my previous comment some days ago, now I can see you’re gonna upload the tutorials, so excuse me, for asking it again, it was just a mistake, I would like the other videos, but I have to use “hidemyass” to write a comment, so it was because of that.
    So if you have these “trying” videos please, post them too.

    Good night!

    Denes

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 22:18h, 06 November

      No reason to be sorry, I am actually happy you have some favorite videos of mine that you like and want: thank you Denes 🙂

      • avatar
        raiderflores
        Posted at 23:42h, 06 November

        hey solo when u used to play with guitar rig 4 how much did the software cost? And is it any good?

        • avatar
          SoloDallas
          Posted at 00:01h, 07 November

          Yep I still do from time to time, though for solodallas.net I basically decided to revert to real amp playing. I found it a great software. I am not sure of its cost currently, I think they have several offerings. I think that for a modeler, and a software one, it’s really good and it has several real different sounds.

  • avatar
    deni91
    Posted at 22:09h, 06 November

    Fil!
    Unfortunately I’ve formatted some of your old videos from my pc. 🙁
    Do you have the “Trying out a 1967 Gibson SG Standard” , “Testing an Angus Young Signature Pickup”, “Messing around with a 195? Les Paul Custom” (the black one with 3 pickups), “Comparing a 1964 VOS Reissue and a 1968(1970) SG Standard” – videos somewhere?
    There was more old youtube videos, tutorials, etc, but these was my favourites, just soloing with awesome guitars, I’d love to watch these, but I don’t have these anymore.
    Please post these somewhere, if you have these videos!

    Thanks

    Denes

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 22:13h, 06 November

      Some of those I do have, yes, will upload ALL I have, so wait and see 🙂

  • avatar
    TheRazor'sEdge727
    Posted at 21:45h, 06 November

    oh i missed this tutorial. Will you be redoing the hoot to thrill tut soon?

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 22:02h, 06 November

      yes!

      • avatar
        TheRazor'sEdge727
        Posted at 22:10h, 06 November

        Sweet! are also gonna put up the amp settings that you use? cause when i play the song i cant get my amp to start scmreaming like angus does when the song first starts.

        • avatar
          cupcake
          Posted at 09:52h, 07 November

          Yes! Please Fil 😀 i always wanted amp settings with the songs, because i just can’t nail some tones (Highway To Hell being one). And it would be different to see how some of the “newer” songs like Highway To Hell are different in comparison to some of the “older” songs like TNT 😀

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