DSP Rig
Kim Thayil Tone — Plugins & Amp Sims
Gibson Les Paul or SG into a Marshall head, often with a Boss DS-1 for additional gain. The key to Soundgarden's heaviness is the tuning — frequently in drop B, C, or open D — rather than pedal gain. Thayil uses open strings ringing against fretted notes to create the dissonant, droning quality of songs like "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman."
Kim Thayil's signature high-gain tone — built around Marshall voicings — can be replicated in the box using modern amp sim plugins and IR cab loaders. This page maps the full DSP signal chain: guitar sim → amp sim → FX → IR, so you can dial in that dark, heavy character without physical gear.
Full DSP Chain
Est. £2,077Gibson SG Standard
$1,904
HX Stomp (JCM800 model)
≈ Marshall JCM800
$697
Helix: Double Tank Reverb
Helix: Transistor Tape Delay
York Audio V30 Mix Pack (IR)
≈ Celestion Vintage 30 4×12
$37
Hybrid Option
Est. £2,077Real guitar into a DSP amp chain — best of both worlds.
Gibson SG Standard
$1,904
HX Stomp (JCM800 model)
≈ Marshall JCM800
$697
Helix: Double Tank Reverb
Helix: Transistor Tape Delay
York Audio V30 Mix Pack (IR)
≈ Celestion Vintage 30 4×12
$37
Tone DNA
Gain Structure
high-gain
Amp References
Marshall
Key FX
Reverb, Delay
Tonal Character
dark, heavy, feedback, riff-driven
Where to Buy
Browse amp sims, IRs and FX plugins at these retailers: