SYDNEY: Mourners bid farewell to AC/DC co-founder Malcolm Young on Tuesday, with his brother Angus carrying a guitar case as he led his coffin out of Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral.

The legendary guitarist passed away earlier this month aged 64 after suffering from dementia for several years.

Among the hundreds of mourners paying their respects were AC/DC singer Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams.

Those at the service were given guitar picks with their programmes, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said, with Malcolm's Gretsch guitar, which he called "the beast", resting on top of his casket throughout.

Young founded the group with Angus in 1973, and was a driving force in making it one of the biggest rocks acts in the world.

Best known for their hit song Highway to Hell, AC/DC produced 17 studio albums, selling more than 200 million records.

Young emigrated to Australia from Scotland with his family as a child, and was in his early 20s when the group released their debut album "High Voltage".

While Angus was the public face of the band, Malcolm was renowned for being behind the famous riffs that left fans thunderstruck.

He is survived by wife Linda and their children Ross and Cara.-AFP