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 versatile tone — built around classic amp 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 character without physical gear.
Full DSP Chain
Est. £1,076Epiphone SG Standard
£299
Archetype: Plini
≈ Modern versatile amp
£199
York Audio V30 Mix Pack (IR)
≈ Celestion Vintage 30 4×12
£29
Helix HX Stomp (drive channel)
£549
Hybrid Option
Est. £1,076Real guitar into a DSP amp chain — best of both worlds.
Epiphone SG Standard
£299
Archetype: Plini
≈ Modern versatile amp
£199
York Audio V30 Mix Pack (IR)
≈ Celestion Vintage 30 4×12
£29
Helix HX Stomp (drive channel)
£549