Watch the Episode: bit.ly/ACDCRigRundownPG Merch & Magazines: shop.premierguitar.com Don't Miss a Rundown: bit.ly/RIgRundownENL Subscribe to PG's Channel: bit.ly/SubscribePGUA-cam
Dude... I want that guitar tech to have his own UA-cam channel just talking about his job, gear, and expertise in the field. I would watch that everyday. The knowledge and passion oozing out of this guy is so wholesome and enlightening
@@inothome yes, you share with friends and family. If you're over exposing doing by putting it out on the internet, you sure have secondary gains from it.
And this is why ac/dc is one of the rare bands that sounds better live than in the studio. Because of the people behind the scenes that make it sound great
i can tell you for a fact that it’s impossible to hear the difference. from a physical standpoint alone this whole power supply setup is completely pointless.
This the kind of gear you can afford when you’re a classic rock group that everyone and their grandparents know about, and you’re named after electricity.
Man I tell you what, that has to be the most thorough explanation of a simplistic rig I’ve seen yet. Angus has a bad ass tech, my hats off to the tech. You can tell he really loves his job!
@Banter Maestro2 You're absolutely right- nothing simple at all- and it's a little silly to call it that. That said- he is right about David's rig anyway- I don't know about anyone else's. I've studied Gilmour's rig with a fine-tooth comb though- and it's very complex- even more so than this one. Imagine this- but then add a couple racks of effects to boot- that's Gilmour's rig back in the 80s. I would assume he's simplified now- I haven't checked into it- he may be hanging on to the old school rig. I still do- not really by choice though- just can't afford to go buy all that stuff. I saved most of my life to buy a good tube amp rig- and then everyone starts changing to digital modeling.
I had the chance to hire Trace (guitar tech) to record and produce a band that I was a part of several years ago. He’s the real deal. There isn’t a sound or texture that he can’t dial in...a true craftsman. It’s so nice to see so many positive comments about him because he really is a treasure in this industry.
I met Trace at a Mellisa Ethridge sound check ( long story. lol) in Belguim many many years ago. Super cool guy and was more than happy to talk gear and anything else! He is a legend in the biz and has worked with everyone. I bummped into him years later at a Cheap Trick show he was working , same cool dude and actually remembered me!
Never met him in person but I remember him from being in past rigrundown as Joe Perry´s tech. A guy that works with Aersomith and AC/DC for sure has to know his stuff. Allways seems a nice guy too.
I always thought Angus had a simple rig, but "simple" is relative when it comes to a stadium act. He may have a basic Angus kind of tone but keeping it consistent from venue to venue is anything but simple. Great rig rundown.
Oh definitely, even if I can dial in exactly the guitar sound I want in my living room, literally just moving the amp to a larger room and being a little further from the amps, changes the sound and feel drastically...
@@Ukraineaissance2014 ... that's part of the problem. What the guitar player hears while standing in front of his cabinet is not what you hear at 100 feet away. I have actually used headphones to feed the FOH line back to the stage so the player can hear the difference. It usually results in dialing the special effects back by a bunch, so the guitar doesn't get muddled in the mix.
Having attended hundreds of live shows, I now have an appreciation for the behind the scenes genius that makes the shows the spectacles they are. Very impressive!!!
you want to even THINK about breaking a string here? military grade is absolutely required, this is the very pinnacle of the game ua-cam.com/video/n_GFN3a0yj0/v-deo.html
funny you say that because i was just taking a piss after watching a bunch or newer amps demos etc and was thinking, this and that sound pretty decent, but it doesn't kill a marshall. there's just something about them. they just punch where guitars should be in a mix and live. it's the perfect "vanilla" amp to build your tone off of.
@@chickenbeek indeed they are. Every guitarist should try playing trough a Marshall full stack at least once in their lifetime, otherwise they’re doing themselves a huge disservice
@@wilhelmtheconquerer6214 So funny I come across this: I have been tweaking with my kt88 combo and making it more British. Finally I just threw a 1959 preamp plexi in the loop and called it a day. It's the tone I wanted anyway I just didn't want to accept it
@@markrushton1516 He's at the top because he (apparently) understands signal path well enough to connect and run the rig, and he's just ignorant enough to accept and promote all the mumbo jumbo surrounding amps, tone, etc in a way that allows him to keep his job.
@@fivestring65ify Should I just go along with all the nonsense he's slinging? There's a LOT of foolishness & misinformation in the guitar and amp world. If you're cool with being misinformed, there's not much I can do about that, dude.
@@fretbuzz59 Seriously bro if you think a guy like this is slinging nonsense you either have no clue what you are talking about, or no idea what you are talking about. Full stop, this guy is the top of the game. That's why he is AC/DC's sound tech. Just for one second think about how he got his job. "Because he doesn't know what he is talking about" isn't what got him the job. Like he said there is no second chance.
What a great guy to have in your corner. All guitarists know that it doesn't matter how Many people say your sound is great , if you don't think it sounds great , you don't feel it.
every guitar player should be made to stand 200 feet from the stage for doing their set up... and then they will know why the FOH people ask for changes.
I really loved seeing the Vandal shirt from U of I Moscow on the tech. The tech is really well spoken in explaining the rig. Congrats, Go Vandals.Trace Foster, nice work.
I have the greatest respect for Angus, one of my idols. But the rig is just ridiculous , one amp tech full time, 62 heads and than you add a master volume in it. Tubes blown every 3 shows, just make me smile...
AC DC purchased X Array system because they prefer the Look and Sound of the Large PA system… I read this a few years ago when most bands were using the single Line Array PA
@Tuukka Silventoinen That makes more sense because when i went for a hearing test and the assistant walking me to the booth to get the test done we got into a conversation and i asked him a question about concerts and ear plugs(i tend to forget to bring them a lot) and i asked him i saw aerosmith live my ears were only ringing for a couple hours afterwards but after seeing Disturbed my ears were shot for the next day and a half. The assistant told me that lower frequencies are the ones that are actually more damaging for your hearing than high pitched ones believe it or not. I guess it has to do with it moving in and out slower but for a longer length of time. I would imagine that a combination of the high pitch squeal of the cars going past with the rumbling of the car's engine would be a good combo to kill off your hearing.
The stage is not loud at all, at least not nowadays. The PA is out past the stage and that's what blasts the audience with the noise. The wall of amps most bands have are 90% fake, they only use a few and they're blasted out by the big PA speakers. Many bands don't have amps/cabinets on stage at all anymore, see Iron Maiden or Judas Priest's recent concerts. The loudest thing on stage is the drums
Me: early 80s sound city solid state 30w combo made in the federated german republic I got given free by a lady in a charity shop 5 years ago because she thought it didn't work but she had failed to turn it on at the plug socket/outlet and I could see that at the time. I'm a terrible person with the poor tone I deserve :(
But in the beginning, when he was developing his craft and still on his way to fame, he didn’t have all this gear and support team. Aspiring musicians, just keep that in mind.
Saw every tour from Blow Up Your Video to Black Ice. Black Ice was by far the loudest, my left ear still rings after that show, no joke. However, BB King at the Sleep Train Amphitheater was louder. Really.
One of my friend's fathers worked for Sunshine Promotions in Indianapolis and during summer breaks in high school around 1985/86 he would hook us up for work for Market Square Arena (long gone) as laborers. Basically we were working for the roadies of each band that would come through. Unloading trucks, assembling stages, lighting, etc. It was hard work but it was also fascinating because I was basically back stage and you felt like you were part of the band. They would always warn us about interacting with the bands and not to approach them like a fan. No questions, no autographs, no nothing. Ignore them. Well, that's not easy to do when your rock hero walks by like EVH or Angus or Steven Tyler and stops to look at you and what you're doing. I was on the setup crew of ACDC's Fly on the Wall tour. The day of the show there was always a handful of us present to handle any last minute problems or changes, like speakers being moved, cables being pulled, lights hung, etc. I went to the vending room to get a soda and there's Angus. He had 2 Hershey chocolate bars and a Coke and he was wolfing them down. I went to the machine and got me a candy bar and a Pepsi and looked Angus right in the eye and said "mind if I join you for dinner?" He did the smile with the full mouth, didn't say a word and continued to eat. He then gave me a quick wink and left. He never made a sound, but I know I made a connection with him on some level. I know this is a lot of talk for no dramatic ending, but it's my Angus story and it still stays with me. I can remember every detail
Keeping the AC mains' voltage consistent seems rather important in keeping the amp tones consistent as well. This is the first rig rundown I've ever seen wherein someone is doing this.
I was at Manheim/ Maimarkthalle Germany. It was the Ballbreaker tour. I was standing direktly in front of the stage. I think they start with back in black after the ballbreaker intro. That blew my head of. It was one of the loudest concerts i've ever heard but also the clearest sound.. Now i know why!
I started using a Tone preserver to keep my voltage between 110 and 112 volts. My 5E3 and 5F1 have never sounded so good ! I've been running it for a few months now , My tweeds now sound perfect ! My line voltage at the plug was 123 to 128 volts so...
Angus Young has PERSONALLY sold thousands of Marshall's and Gibson SGs. Its weird that AC/DC is so mainstream now, for a long time society tried to marginalize them, and us fans. Nothing could stop that music.
I've thought the same so long. Between back in black and razors edge ac/DC was certainly laughed at when described as the greatest hard rock band in the world...
@@jaydee6837 I'd say they were an iconic rock band, they didn't change much like others did, they're just being true to their values. FTATR was a great album even just for the title track.
Are you a fellow geezer? I remember when “Let There Be Rock” came out in ‘77. No radio stations would play any of their music. The majority of their U.S. fans were either guitar players or bikers. It wasn’t until “Highway to Hell” that they really broke in America.
My dad and I were lucky enough to see them in Melbourne 2008 on the Black Ice tour. No word of a lie, it took about 3 days before my hearing went back to normal. Angus' rig is loooooooud.
Hey, you've not lived until you've run an Eko "shotgun" guitar through an Eko amp that generates more internal random noise than the guitar signal itself. For reference, the producers of "cheap and cheerful" products back in the 70s were countries like Italy, home of the dreaded Eko. It was the only barely affordable equipment available in our local instrument store back then hehe. The shotgun referred to here was a headless design axe which was hopelessly imbalanced in favour of the neck. Thus I actually attached a heavy metal pencil sharpener to the body to bring balance back to my tiny universe haha.
im using a Marshall MG15FX (no head, i cant afford a big rig lol) with an Epiphone SG Standard and it sounds really good for an AC/DC tone, of course nowhere close to Angus' tone because i dont play that loud
Thank you for this video. The settings explained on this video 10:37 allowed me to have a good starting point to explore tones from multi effects pedals and have mostly useable tones.
@@1peanut you must be a special kinda stupid to say that the guy that works on this guitar rig is wrong and doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Unbelievable.
@@1peanut yes. I bet you have the tone 30 thousand people want to hear a night. Everyone knows your name, not like Angus Young or anything. He wouldn't correct his tech if he was doing something wrong. What do they know?
@@1peanut Maybe for preamp tubes this is true, but BS when it comes to power tubes. They last 1000's of hours just like the shocks on your car or truck. Yeah, they'll still expand and contract at 100k miles, but grow gradually weaker with every use. You'll know the difference as soon as you change them. The problem for us "regular" players, is knowing when to replace them, since the sound degradation is gradual. They affect the feel of your playing, and make a bigger difference the more they are pushed. If you regularly play at low master volume settings, your statement makes some sense, but not in an environment playing live at arena-volume levels, assuming the key ingredient in your tone comes from pushing those tubes.
This tech is great. The interviewer is great too, he’s staying in his lane and just getting the subject to talk. Not like the tall yappy guy who thinks he’s a star too.
Nice guy Angus is lucky / smart to have him. Saw in 1980 the "Back In Black" North American Tour, Boston, MA at the Orpheum Theater, it was my first concert ever, and set the bar very high for the rest of my concert-going days...
I have no idea what this guy is talking about but I can spot a genuine tech nerd a mile off and he seems the real deal. Strange pleasure listening to guys talk knowingly about their passion, even if it is all flying over my head.
You know I've been searching for that specific type of sound my whole adult life. I've actually run across it a couple times and let me tell you when I play my guitar through one of those older Marshalls it had that magical thing that happens between the strings and the tubes. You could just feel the raw power that creates that kind of magic that Angus does. Unfortunately I could never afford any of those older Marshalls that had that magic to it but I'd least I know what it is.
Lately I've seen several used ones for decent prices but- no one wants to ship- everyone wants to list them "Local pickup only" because they know shipping is outrageous right now and tube amps are heavy and bulky. Plus- they have to insure it because they're so easily damaged if thrown around- and we all know how USPS works. UPS and FEDEX are no better really. But I can't afford to travel across the country just to pick up an amp and every time I find a good one it's 100s of miles away.
Just get some parts and build one. I have some old Marshalls and they became too valuable for bar gigs so I built a new one. It sounds great. I used a Ceriatone chassis, Classic Tone transformers and a case from Mojo. Getting to build and then fine tune the circuit was fun and I learned a lot. The amp looks like a purple Plexi but the sound is more like that of a metal panel amp.
The KiKusui is a plain voltage regulator. We use them in the power industry all the time to keep your household voltage constant to a set narrow bandwidth...typically 120 Volts....
Most are not familiar with the tech's that are behind their bands. They are the unsung heroes and for the most part only people that are into music like us "watching these types of vids" know who they are and how important they are for people to see and hear their idols live. Cool vid.
On one of his recent 'Homeskoolin' episodes Uncle Larry discussed with Brian Sutton the hardships imposed by the pandemic. "It's like you take all the stuff you'd been dealing with before and you run it through Angus Young's rig."
I saw AC/DC in 1979 in a small venue in my hometown. My ears rang for 3 days. That was 42 years ago and Angus is still at it. It's a miracle I am not hearing impaired. He has to wear serious ear protection or he would be deaf for sure. Imagine how many hundreds of shows he has done.
@@grahamkey8496 It's no secret that most of those are empty boxes just for show. This guy is spewing a lot of BS. ACDC has the most simple guitar sound and it is loud and it is a Marshall sound but that's all. Very generically dialed in and not at all complicated. Many kids have the exact same sound in their bedrooms.
I would love to be able to run multiple stacks just for the shear power of it . I know people say it's unnecessary but I don't care it has to feel awesome to layer a bunch of stacks .
There was one occasion I was able to scrounge together a triple stack rig when I was goofing off one day. I think I used a Superlead, a Laney, and maybe a JCM? It really wasn’t as loud as you’d think, just a VERY full sound. I would LOVE to use a rig like that live, even if the amps are all turned down it still sounds downright incredible.. There was another occasion I ran sound for a somewhat popular AC/DC tribute, and they’ll cram as many stacks as the stage will fit for the exact same reason. I think each player had two stacks that night, bassist included. Absolutely incredible sounding band.
I run 2 2x12's and a 4x12. In my music room in my home. I LOVE playing LOUD. Love feeling my guts rumble. Love the fullness of the sound. Why? 'cause I can. 😉
@@calebkey2050 that's very cool. best ive had at my disposal was a full stack. I had that rig for about a year and it was great the difference was just like you said very full sound. I had a lot of fun wth that. thanks for the comment I have always wanted a realistic answer to that question . I'm gonna get to try it someday I hope lol
Angus has always been a lot cleaner than first impression would guess. Just punishingly loud. But damn, nine heads down from 62. Yeah, I’m going to stop collecting gear after hearing that
Yeah. I would think just replace the tubes, right? New heads get customized with prefered tubes anyways. But 62? Angus: Get me a new car. Manager: Whats wrong with the one you just got? Angus: The ashtrays are full.
Well he's only had 50 years and countless world tours as a head start... pun intended. Nah but really, I was pretty amazed at that number as well. And to have 9 running onstage at once seems a bit outrageous but when you're playing to 100,000 people, I guess its warranted.
@@siggyretburns7523 angus’ time must be very valuable today. Plus you don’t necessarily know it’s “just the tube”. Why not just swap out the whole amp when the tube goes bad and have your tech replace and test it for you? I think it makes sense. In fact, this happens in the automotive industry as well. That’s what core charges are for. If your brake caliper (or starter motor or alternator) goes bad, you buy a whole new caliper. They charge you extra money (a core charge) and refund it if you bring in your broken caliper, starter, or alternator. Then they’ll refurbish it and sell it to someone else.
First thing I noticed is that they're all vintage. I'm still kicking myself in the ass for getting rid of my vintage Marshalls in the late 70s. I had Marshall 100s, a 200 Major and a marshall 50
Thinking about "Enter Sandman" insomnia, sucks but, it did lead me here for some odd but, magical reason. Very good video. Excellent interview & incredible sound knowledge. Rest well, Y'all !
He says the wireless never failed but at the first Wellington, New Zealand show in 2015 Angus used the cable for Shoot To Thrill after having issues with the wireless due to thunderstorms in the area.
That's not actually an equipment failure then. Just because you don't drive your new Vette in the winter snow, that doesn't mean that the car is broken.
Watch the Episode: bit.ly/ACDCRigRundownPG
Merch & Magazines: shop.premierguitar.com
Don't Miss a Rundown: bit.ly/RIgRundownENL
Subscribe to PG's Channel: bit.ly/SubscribePGUA-cam
Dude... I want that guitar tech to have his own UA-cam channel just talking about his job, gear, and expertise in the field. I would watch that everyday. The knowledge and passion oozing out of this guy is so wholesome and enlightening
Oh, 100% agreed !!
Great idea
Maybe he's getting paid handsomely to the point he doesn't need a youtube channel and to become someone popular and chase all those clicks.
@@CeceliPS3 It's not always about the clicks or money. Some people like to share their expertise and some people enjoy listening to them.
@@inothome yes, you share with friends and family. If you're over exposing doing by putting it out on the internet, you sure have secondary gains from it.
Biasing amps by ear until they’re on the verge of breaking. Replacing tubes every 4 shows, blowing up an amp every day. Wow. Love this.
And this is why ac/dc is one of the rare bands that sounds better live than in the studio. Because of the people behind the scenes that make it sound great
This guy has my dream job.
i can tell you for a fact that it’s impossible to hear the difference. from a physical standpoint alone this whole power supply setup is completely pointless.
This the kind of gear you can afford when you’re a classic rock group that everyone and their grandparents know about, and you’re named after electricity.
I think electricity was named after the band
marshall pays him to use them lmao
Against Christ Devil's Children... pathetic attempt to classify them as "Satanists" 🤦♂️
@@Twobarpsi I always heard After Christ Devil Comes 🤘😬🤘
@@daveg4236 lol! Another one 👍
Man I tell you what, that has to be the most thorough explanation of a simplistic rig I’ve seen yet. Angus has a bad ass tech, my hats off to the tech. You can tell he really loves his job!
Yes he loves his job, and damn good at it
You call that a "simplistic" rig???
@@bingobango4840 look at Robert Fripps or David Gilmourd rig, those are complex. Just because it's big doesn't mean it's complex.
@Banter Maestro2 You're absolutely right- nothing simple at all- and it's a little silly to call it that. That said- he is right about David's rig anyway- I don't know about anyone else's. I've studied Gilmour's rig with a fine-tooth comb though- and it's very complex- even more so than this one. Imagine this- but then add a couple racks of effects to boot- that's Gilmour's rig back in the 80s. I would assume he's simplified now- I haven't checked into it- he may be hanging on to the old school rig. I still do- not really by choice though- just can't afford to go buy all that stuff. I saved most of my life to buy a good tube amp rig- and then everyone starts changing to digital modeling.
PG learned the art of the UA-cam video titles.
This entire interview is worth the watch
Bill Burr did a great job!
I had the chance to hire Trace (guitar tech) to record and produce a band that I was a part of several years ago. He’s the real deal. There isn’t a sound or texture that he can’t dial in...a true craftsman. It’s so nice to see so many positive comments about him because he really is a treasure in this industry.
One Marshall head is already too loud imagine having 9.. wow .
I met Trace at a Mellisa Ethridge sound check ( long story. lol) in Belguim many many years ago. Super cool guy and was more than happy to talk gear and anything else! He is a legend in the biz and has worked with everyone. I bummped into him years later at a Cheap Trick show he was working , same cool dude and actually remembered me!
His nickname is "trace"
Hahaha
Electrical joke...
Never met him in person but I remember him from being in past rigrundown as Joe Perry´s tech. A guy that works with Aersomith and AC/DC for sure has to know his stuff. Allways seems a nice guy too.
Looks like he’s an Idaho Vandal too - awesome!
This is dangerously close to being a scene from Spinal Tap!
But it goes to 11
I was thinking the same thing.
Everybody thought: This one goes to eleven.... but it just goes to eight! I am deeply shocked!
He does have the Hair Style
@@alv9815 vanilla ice is at the door and he says hes got something for you
Angus is a lucky man,he actually has a sound guy that knows his work.
Money Talks
And you can tell that he genuinely enjoys his job. He's more than happy to talk enthusiastically.
The sound guy is actually the lucky one
Reverse story.
@@NewFalconerRecords that's a great point. Watching a guy like this is entertaining because hes so obviously passionate about it.
I always thought Angus had a simple rig, but "simple" is relative when it comes to a stadium act. He may have a basic Angus kind of tone but keeping it consistent from venue to venue is anything but simple. Great rig rundown.
Oh definitely, even if I can dial in exactly the guitar sound I want in my living room, literally just moving the amp to a larger room and being a little further from the amps, changes the sound and feel drastically...
@@sKraat528 just use a pa system
@@Ukraineaissance2014 ... that's part of the problem. What the guitar player hears while standing in front of his cabinet is not what you hear at 100 feet away. I have actually used headphones to feed the FOH line back to the stage so the player can hear the difference. It usually results in dialing the special effects back by a bunch, so the guitar doesn't get muddled in the mix.
Dude this is so nerdy and some deep gear knowledge and I freaking adore it
Half of what he says is horse shit.
@@fretbuzz59 And you know how?? This dude works for Angus, I'm sure he knows what he's talking about
@@fretbuzz59 Everything you say is.
Dudes been his tech for years...
Having attended hundreds of live shows, I now have an appreciation for the behind the scenes genius that makes the shows the spectacles they are. Very impressive!!!
Angus has come a long way from when AC/DC played at my mate's end of year High School social dance in suburban Melbourne back in 1975.
Nobody cares.
@@whocares8735 why so negative?
It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll
@@izhanarif1542 he is just a little jealous
that's a really cool perspective
This guy I’m in awe of. Best rig interview in years.
A japanese power supply is AC/DC's secret weapon in rock and roll. The only backup missing is another Angus
That's the same of Brian May's gear
Why do I see you everywhere? I have seen you in 10 completely random videos already
@@ItsKiroYT I know same for me I saw him twice today!😂
100th like
@Zaiden Hezekiah it's okay to be a little insecure but spying is pathetic Z Put down the phone and pic up the SG
I love that the guy who made the Shaffer replica made it essentially for fun to try and sound like Angus and now Angus uses them on tour.
This is military level of preparedness.
you want to even THINK about breaking a string here? military grade is absolutely required, this is the very pinnacle of the game
ua-cam.com/video/n_GFN3a0yj0/v-deo.html
Even more than that; our Military doesn't even know what's for chow half the time ha
They tear down and load out over 100 artic trailers worth of stuff from an arena in a few hours.
It basically is a military level logistics operation.
This is far better than military level.
Fascinating. It is truly one of the greatest guitar tones, and to see how they reproduce it live in a big arena. Wow. Hats off.
Manufacturers, techs and engineers:
"hey guys! Here's this new technology that's real-"
AC/DC and Motörhead:
*Marshall*
funny you say that because i was just taking a piss after watching a bunch or newer amps demos etc and was thinking, this and that sound pretty decent, but it doesn't kill a marshall. there's just something about them. they just punch where guitars should be in a mix and live. it's the perfect "vanilla" amp to build your tone off of.
@@chickenbeek indeed they are. Every guitarist should try playing trough a Marshall full stack at least once in their lifetime, otherwise they’re doing themselves a huge disservice
@@wilhelmtheconquerer6214 So funny I come across this: I have been tweaking with my kt88 combo and making it more British. Finally I just threw a 1959 preamp plexi in the loop and called it a day. It's the tone I wanted anyway I just didn't want to accept it
I’m a tube amp freek. No matter what new great amps come out I gotta mix it with an old Marshall
@@wilhelmtheconquerer6214 I play since 35 years e guitar, but I Never did it ... but you are totally right ... I know what I need to do next ..
It is great to have such great knowledgeable staff to support you. What a privilege to have a guy like this in your team!
Hes previously worked with Joe Perry. But he is at the top of the tech game.
@@markrushton1516 He's at the top because he (apparently) understands signal path well enough to connect and run the rig, and he's just ignorant enough to accept and promote all the mumbo jumbo surrounding amps, tone, etc in a way that allows him to keep his job.
@@fretbuzz59 Dude stop the negative chatter.
@@fivestring65ify Should I just go along with all the nonsense he's slinging? There's a LOT of foolishness & misinformation in the guitar and amp world. If you're cool with being misinformed, there's not much I can do about that, dude.
@@fretbuzz59 Seriously bro if you think a guy like this is slinging nonsense you either have no clue what you are talking about, or no idea what you are talking about. Full stop, this guy is the top of the game. That's why he is AC/DC's sound tech. Just for one second think about how he got his job. "Because he doesn't know what he is talking about" isn't what got him the job. Like he said there is no second chance.
The electrician in me is shivering. Dialing in exact voltages is a treat!
What a great guy to have in your corner.
All guitarists know that it doesn't matter how Many people say your sound is great , if you don't think it sounds great , you don't feel it.
every guitar player should be made to stand 200 feet from the stage for doing their set up... and then they will know why the FOH people ask for changes.
You can tell some of these techs just love when they get their moment.
Why wouldn't they? This is what they love. Don't you enjoy talking about things you're interested in?
Dudes got a power supply of 236 while us mere mortals only get 234...lol
I really loved seeing the Vandal shirt from U of I Moscow on the tech. The tech is really well spoken in explaining the rig. Congrats, Go Vandals.Trace Foster, nice work.
That sound guy truly has passion for his job. Love the wall of cabinets, too. Great video!
I have the greatest respect for Angus, one of my idols. But the rig is just ridiculous , one amp tech full time, 62 heads and than you add a master volume in it. Tubes blown every 3 shows, just make me smile...
It's just pointless though, you can get a good sound from one good amp of any wattage, then plug it into the PA.
@@Ukraineaissance2014 I bet you listen to Bon Jovi
AC DC purchased X Array system because they prefer the Look and Sound of the Large PA system… I read this a few years ago when most bands were using the single Line Array PA
No wonder Brian Johnson lost his damn hearing. Stage volume must be insane...
@Tuukka Silventoinen That makes more sense because when i went for a hearing test and the assistant walking me to the booth to get the test done we got into a conversation and i asked him a question about concerts and ear plugs(i tend to forget to bring them a lot) and i asked him i saw aerosmith live my ears were only ringing for a couple hours afterwards but after seeing Disturbed my ears were shot for the next day and a half. The assistant told me that lower frequencies are the ones that are actually more damaging for your hearing than high pitched ones believe it or not. I guess it has to do with it moving in and out slower but for a longer length of time. I would imagine that a combination of the high pitch squeal of the cars going past with the rumbling of the car's engine would be a good combo to kill off your hearing.
Surprised Angus can still hear 😆
The stage is not loud at all, at least not nowadays. The PA is out past the stage and that's what blasts the audience with the noise. The wall of amps most bands have are 90% fake, they only use a few and they're blasted out by the big PA speakers. Many bands don't have amps/cabinets on stage at all anymore, see Iron Maiden or Judas Priest's recent concerts. The loudest thing on stage is the drums
@@smokesletsgo2374 you literally didn’t watch the video.
@@michealpersicko9531 If you forget your plugs, just use some wadded-up napkin or something. Not optimal, but makes a huge difference.
Angus Young: nine Marshall amps.
Me: line 6 spider. 😂
NO NO GOD NO PLEASE NO! NO!
Make sure and put a Metalzone MT-2 in front of it.
@@gavinvalentino1313 INSANE MODE!
Me: early 80s sound city solid state 30w combo made in the federated german republic I got given free by a lady in a charity shop 5 years ago because she thought it didn't work but she had failed to turn it on at the plug socket/outlet and I could see that at the time. I'm a terrible person with the poor tone I deserve :(
Kemper profiler?
@@user-qr7ee2cp4y my friend uses one in the band
the way he talk about this stuff,with passion. I can listen to this for hours....
Trace is a good guy. He used to be Joe Perry's tech. He is a top shelf tech
That’s one of the most beautiful scenery sites I have seen in a long time all those plexus lined up like that reminds me of back in the day
The Epitome of Redundant... great name for my new band
Title: Angus Young uses how many Marshalls? Answer: As many as he wants.
Answer: “All of them.”
Yep!!! 😁😁😁😁😁
Those stacks aren’t fake? Unlike other acts, cough Slayer cough
🤣 Throw another Amp on the Barbie!
11
But in the beginning, when he was developing his craft and still on his way to fame, he didn’t have all this gear and support team. Aspiring musicians, just keep that in mind.
From a rapper and rap/hip-hop producer (and computer nerd and gear enthusiast), this is so amazing and intreaguing 😌😌😌
Saw AC/DC on the Black Ice tour. Still the loudest most powerful show I’ve ever been too.
Saw every tour from Blow Up Your Video to Black Ice. Black Ice was by far the loudest, my left ear still rings after that show, no joke.
However, BB King at the Sleep Train Amphitheater was louder. Really.
This man is a goddamn genius. What a conversation over coffee or a few drinks would lead to with this dude.
Sexual relations?
@Jimmy Plumber you can lead a horse to water...
@@thedevilsadvocate5210 if it meant meeting Angus Young, perhaps.
One of my friend's fathers worked for Sunshine Promotions in Indianapolis and during summer breaks in high school around 1985/86 he would hook us up for work for Market Square Arena (long gone) as laborers. Basically we were working for the roadies of each band that would come through. Unloading trucks, assembling stages, lighting, etc. It was hard work but it was also fascinating because I was basically back stage and you felt like you were part of the band. They would always warn us about interacting with the bands and not to approach them like a fan. No questions, no autographs, no nothing. Ignore them. Well, that's not easy to do when your rock hero walks by like EVH or Angus or Steven Tyler and stops to look at you and what you're doing. I was on the setup crew of ACDC's Fly on the Wall tour. The day of the show there was always a handful of us present to handle any last minute problems or changes, like speakers being moved, cables being pulled, lights hung, etc. I went to the vending room to get a soda and there's Angus. He had 2 Hershey chocolate bars and a Coke and he was wolfing them down. I went to the machine and got me a candy bar and a Pepsi and looked Angus right in the eye and said "mind if I join you for dinner?" He did the smile with the full mouth, didn't say a word and continued to eat. He then gave me a quick wink and left. He never made a sound, but I know I made a connection with him on some level. I know this is a lot of talk for no dramatic ending, but it's my Angus story and it still stays with me. I can remember every detail
Guy: "this entire rig is the easiest I've ever been associated with"
Me: "Yeah, I have a practice amp and a metal zone. It's complicated as hell."
He said this EXACTLY when I read this...
Theres a dude whose job is to rebuild heads after angus’s shredding literally destroys the internals and soldering.
I think the guys name is Simon, trace Foster said something about it in the rig rundown man
Didn’t one of them catch fire during the recording of Whole Lotta Rosie?
Amp Tech: How many Marshall Lead heads do you want us to run for tonight’s show Angus?
Angus: Yes.
Keeping the AC mains' voltage consistent seems rather important in keeping the amp tones consistent as well. This is the first rig rundown I've ever seen wherein someone is doing this.
Most use some kinda of power conditioner. I've never seen a tour without one.
Brian May's guitar tech does the same thing
The craziest part about this is that is a fan designed the modified Schaffer Tower preamp and Angus loved it so much he added it to his setup.
Jesus Christ, I always new they have the best sound ever, I’ve seen them live, but I had no idea how much work goes into it! awesome stuff
I am a drummer but I find this quite fascinating and mind-blowing on a geeky level
Cool! Just like I geek out watching Portnoy or Gavin Harrison videos.
I was at Manheim/ Maimarkthalle Germany. It was the Ballbreaker tour. I was standing direktly in front of the stage. I think they start with back in black after the ballbreaker intro. That blew my head of. It was one of the loudest concerts i've ever heard but also the clearest sound.. Now i know why!
Man I love these videos. Angus is a amazing and Marshall is the tool of the trade for sure.
Listening to an expert who is so passionate about his field is so enjoyable, no matter what he is talking about. Amazing video!
I started using a Tone preserver to keep my voltage between 110 and 112 volts.
My 5E3 and 5F1 have never sounded so good !
I've been running it for a few months now , My tweeds now sound perfect !
My line voltage at the plug was 123 to 128 volts so...
Love and admire the passion of sound! Great vid for the gear head
SG - cranked Marshalls - 25wt Greenbacks... Got it!
Great tone!
Angus Young has PERSONALLY sold thousands of Marshall's and Gibson SGs. Its weird that AC/DC is so mainstream now, for a long time society tried to marginalize them, and us fans. Nothing could stop that music.
Personally?
I've thought the same so long. Between back in black and razors edge ac/DC was certainly laughed at when described as the greatest hard rock band in the world...
@@jaydee6837 I'd say they were an iconic rock band, they didn't change much like others did, they're just being true to their values. FTATR was a great album even just for the title track.
He tried really hard to get me to buy an SLP way back when, I just wasn't feeling it.
Are you a fellow geezer? I remember when “Let There Be Rock” came out in ‘77. No radio stations would play any of their music. The majority of their U.S. fans were either guitar players or bikers. It wasn’t until “Highway to Hell” that they really broke in America.
I was waiting for "but this goes to 11.""
It goes to 236!
My dad and I were lucky enough to see them in Melbourne 2008 on the Black Ice tour. No word of a lie, it took about 3 days before my hearing went back to normal. Angus' rig is loooooooud.
“this is the arena setup, not the stadium setup” 😱
I've got a Squier Telecaster that runs into a Boss Katana via an instrument cable!!
Whoaaa...dude...
Hope it’s butterscotch.
If it brings the cops over you're there.
Hey, you've not lived until you've run an Eko "shotgun" guitar through an Eko amp that generates more internal random noise than the guitar signal itself.
For reference, the producers of "cheap and cheerful" products back in the 70s were countries like Italy, home of the dreaded Eko. It was the only barely affordable equipment available in our local instrument store back then hehe. The shotgun referred to here was a headless design axe which was hopelessly imbalanced in favour of the neck. Thus I actually attached a heavy metal pencil sharpener to the body to bring balance back to my tiny universe haha.
Most excellent interview. Presence 1 Bass 3 Mid 3 Treble 3 Volume 6 Preamp 8. I’ll have to try it.
im using a Marshall MG15FX (no head, i cant afford a big rig lol) with an Epiphone SG Standard and it sounds really good for an AC/DC tone, of course nowhere close to Angus' tone because i dont play that loud
Love it!! People won’t understand that this is a LIVE RIG, to play in front of 10’s of thousands of people
Or maybe at home. If the neighbors are being a pain in the ass.
I'm moving next door to Angus!
Thank you for this video. The settings explained on this video 10:37 allowed me to have a good starting point to explore tones from multi effects pedals and have mostly useable tones.
"The tubes last 3 or 4 shows" - he ain't lying about the biasing lol
If you could look inside the amp head during a show, the plates of the tubes are glowing orange from the radical bias they use on the tubes.
Tubes last for 100s upon 100s of hours. this guy is full of it
@@1peanut you must be a special kinda stupid to say that the guy that works on this guitar rig is wrong and doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Unbelievable.
@@1peanut yes. I bet you have the tone 30 thousand people want to hear a night. Everyone knows your name, not like Angus Young or anything. He wouldn't correct his tech if he was doing something wrong. What do they know?
@@1peanut Maybe for preamp tubes this is true, but BS when it comes to power tubes. They last 1000's of hours just like the shocks on your car or truck. Yeah, they'll still expand and contract at 100k miles, but grow gradually weaker with every use. You'll know the difference as soon as you change them. The problem for us "regular" players, is knowing when to replace them, since the sound degradation is gradual. They affect the feel of your playing, and make a bigger difference the more they are pushed. If you regularly play at low master volume settings, your statement makes some sense, but not in an environment playing live at arena-volume levels, assuming the key ingredient in your tone comes from pushing those tubes.
Amazing to see how much work the dryest Sound ever actually is. Great Interview, could Listen to this guy a lot longer.
This tech is great. The interviewer is great too, he’s staying in his lane and just getting the subject to talk. Not like the tall yappy guy who thinks he’s a star too.
John Bollinger is a true gentlemen, a great guitar player and he would never put shit on somebody he doesn't even know. Grow up W⚓
@@bluespig1 What’s a John Bollinger?
Nice guy Angus is lucky / smart to have him. Saw in 1980 the "Back In Black" North American Tour, Boston, MA at the Orpheum Theater, it was my first concert ever, and set the bar very high for the rest of my concert-going days...
“I did blow up three heads in one show.”
- Trace Foster, 2020
Hahah yeah, in any other gig I guess that would get you fired hah
The video was done in 2015
Dude you are awesome, so much information about all the sickest acdc stuff, peace and happiness for you in the new year
"I did blow three heads in one show.”
-Sheela (Le Girls cabaret venue)
I have no idea what this guy is talking about but I can spot a genuine tech nerd a mile off and he seems the real deal. Strange pleasure listening to guys talk knowingly about their passion, even if it is all flying over my head.
You know I've been searching for that specific type of sound my whole adult life. I've actually run across it a couple times and let me tell you when I play my guitar through one of those older Marshalls it had that magical thing that happens between the strings and the tubes. You could just feel the raw power that creates that kind of magic that Angus does. Unfortunately I could never afford any of those older Marshalls that had that magic to it but I'd least I know what it is.
Lately I've seen several used ones for decent prices but- no one wants to ship- everyone wants to list them "Local pickup only" because they know shipping is outrageous right now and tube amps are heavy and bulky. Plus- they have to insure it because they're so easily damaged if thrown around- and we all know how USPS works. UPS and FEDEX are no better really. But I can't afford to travel across the country just to pick up an amp and every time I find a good one it's 100s of miles away.
the marshall sv20h is damn close
Just get some parts and build one. I have some old Marshalls and they became too valuable for bar gigs so I built a new one. It sounds great. I used a Ceriatone chassis, Classic Tone transformers and a case from Mojo. Getting to build and then fine tune the circuit was fun and I learned a lot. The amp looks like a purple Plexi but the sound is more like that of a metal panel amp.
It’s awesome that Premier Guitar is still making awesome videos
Imagine just casually changing your tubes every 3-4 shows.
The KiKusui is a plain voltage regulator. We use them in the power industry all the time to keep your household voltage constant to a set narrow bandwidth...typically 120 Volts....
Most are not familiar with the tech's that are behind their bands. They are the unsung heroes and for the most part only people that are into music like us "watching these types of vids" know who they are and how important they are for people to see and hear their idols live. Cool vid.
This is truly a very nice chap. Very professional and down to earth at the same time.
I remember a guitar magazine cover of Angus. A box had a ✔️ check mark : LOUD.
That was interesting to learn about his amp settings! Extremely cool video!
Just put your wives to watch this video, who think we have enough gear already.
FACT.
This!
and she'll say; "oh for how many people are you going to perform?"
@@needmorespaceformyna my answer: 5000 (shows her gig video and she shuts up)
@@Deauxtje The fact you'd need to show her a vid says a lot about your relationship xD
On one of his recent 'Homeskoolin' episodes Uncle Larry discussed with Brian Sutton the hardships imposed by the pandemic. "It's like you take all the stuff you'd been dealing with before and you run it through Angus Young's rig."
I saw AC/DC in 1979 in a small venue in my hometown. My ears rang for 3 days. That was 42 years ago and Angus is still at it. It's a miracle I am not hearing impaired. He has to wear serious ear protection or he would be deaf for sure. Imagine how many hundreds of shows he has done.
My ears have never stopped ringing when they let off the cannon in Let there be Rock.
@@peterarbouin8895 you mean "for those about to rock"?
@@chriss2452 that's the one.
Wow thank you for taking the time to share this!
The real title should have been: "Angus Young Blows How Many Tubes?!"
How many was it
@@ajdemillio2827 He once blew 3 in one show. They take 62 Marshall heads on tour and it's one guy's full-time job to repair them!
@@grahamkey8496 It's no secret that most of those are empty boxes just for show. This guy is spewing a lot of BS. ACDC has the most simple guitar sound and it is loud and it is a Marshall sound but that's all. Very generically dialed in and not at all complicated. Many kids have the exact same sound in their bedrooms.
This was so interesting. I am so glad Trace Foster took the time to get deep in the weeds here.
If you read this, Trace. Thank you! This was awesome.
WOW...I THOUGHT I WAS A TONE SEARCHER,BUT THATS QUITE THE FUCKIN SETUP MATE...AWESOME MAN...
WHY ARE YOU YELLING !!??
@@chopperking007 EASIER TO READ
@@fasteddie8782 my ears are bleeding...
Bro this content is complete 🔥🔥🔥
I would love to be able to run multiple stacks just for the shear power of it . I know people say it's unnecessary but I don't care it has to feel awesome to layer a bunch of stacks .
There was one occasion I was able to scrounge together a triple stack rig when I was goofing off one day. I think I used a Superlead, a Laney, and maybe a JCM? It really wasn’t as loud as you’d think, just a VERY full sound. I would LOVE to use a rig like that live, even if the amps are all turned down it still sounds downright incredible..
There was another occasion I ran sound for a somewhat popular AC/DC tribute, and they’ll cram as many stacks as the stage will fit for the exact same reason. I think each player had two stacks that night, bassist included. Absolutely incredible sounding band.
I run 2 2x12's and a 4x12. In my music room in my home. I LOVE playing LOUD. Love feeling my guts rumble. Love the fullness of the sound.
Why? 'cause I can. 😉
@@calebkey2050 that's very cool. best ive had at my disposal was a full stack. I had that rig for about a year and it was great the difference was just like you said very full sound. I had a lot of fun wth that. thanks for the comment I have always wanted a realistic answer to that question . I'm gonna get to try it someday I hope lol
Today I ran a wet dry rig with a fender princeton and my 12 inch blackstar kt88 creamback on leads
It was seriously loud but an incredible experience
@@alexmurphy5289 Princeton Chorus Red Knob is one of my favorite Fender Amps.
What a great interview about Angus & Marshall Amps 🤘🇭🇲
"I think he could go to another city and it'd still be working." - description of Angus' wireless rig.
1:57 Gotta respect the spontaneous honesty here
A friend of mine has a whole room of Super Lead Plexi 100's and rents them out to famous bands when they play the Twin Cities.
So cool Chris Robinson is now Angus’ amp tech!
That is a BTW rig right there. Man, that must be insanely loud.
Great informative interesting interview I really enjoyed it, saw AC/DC back in the 90s one of my favorites, thanks again!
Angus has always been a lot cleaner than first impression would guess. Just punishingly loud. But damn, nine heads down from 62. Yeah, I’m going to stop collecting gear after hearing that
Malcolm's sound had even less gain, and still it all sounds so badass! 💪
Slightly distorted but great sustain. Not the easiest sound to get and most people put in too much distortion in an attempt to get the sustain.
Yeah. I would think just replace the tubes, right? New heads get customized with prefered tubes anyways. But 62?
Angus: Get me a new car.
Manager: Whats wrong with the one you just got?
Angus: The ashtrays are full.
Well he's only had 50 years and countless world tours as a head start... pun intended. Nah but really, I was pretty amazed at that number as well. And to have 9 running onstage at once seems a bit outrageous but when you're playing to 100,000 people, I guess its warranted.
@@siggyretburns7523 angus’ time must be very valuable today. Plus you don’t necessarily know it’s “just the tube”. Why not just swap out the whole amp when the tube goes bad and have your tech replace and test it for you? I think it makes sense. In fact, this happens in the automotive industry as well. That’s what core charges are for. If your brake caliper (or starter motor or alternator) goes bad, you buy a whole new caliper. They charge you extra money (a core charge) and refund it if you bring in your broken caliper, starter, or alternator. Then they’ll refurbish it and sell it to someone else.
Great rig rundown. I have one of those '88 1959 reissues. There's one on the top, stage left. Mine is stock.
First thing I noticed is that they're all vintage. I'm still kicking myself in the ass for getting rid of my vintage Marshalls in the late 70s. I had Marshall 100s, a 200 Major and a marshall 50
Thinking about "Enter Sandman" insomnia, sucks but, it did lead me here for some odd but, magical reason. Very good video. Excellent interview & incredible sound knowledge. Rest well, Y'all !
He says the wireless never failed but at the first Wellington, New Zealand show in 2015 Angus used the cable for Shoot To Thrill after having issues with the wireless due to thunderstorms in the area.
That's not actually an equipment failure then. Just because you don't drive your new Vette in the winter snow, that doesn't mean that the car is broken.
Super breat inside scoop . Thanks for posting this, love ac dc
I've been up front for ACDC once Highway To Hell tour I was deaf for 2 days
Same here saw them 7 times and I swear my hearing is permanently damaged from just those shows.
@@steve4321able what a bad trade. Youre hearing for a GAY experience.
Thats ok because Dimebag Darrell was second. But I'm sure your Adam Levine experience was much better. 😆
Spectacular Quality ! Thanks
I'm not a musician but this video is supremely interesting.