Black Hole Sun Amp Settings
by Soundgarden
Black Hole Sun blends psychedelic atmosphere with grunge heaviness. Kim Thayil's tone shifts between shimmering cleans and massive, detuned distortion — a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier and Fender Twin combination that captures the song's otherworldly mood.
What Makes This Tone Iconic
Soundgarden's tone on Black Hole Sun is grunge at its most cinematic. The combination of clean Fender shimmer and Mesa Rectifier sludge creates a dynamic range that mirrors the song's surreal, apocalyptic imagery. Thayil's detuned guitar through the Rectifier's thick saturation creates a sound that's simultaneously beautiful and menacing.
Key Tone Elements
- Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier for heavy, saturated sections
- Fender Twin Reverb for clean, shimmering passages
- Drop D tuning (or lower) for heavier detuned sound
- Dynamic shifts between clean and heavy throughout the song
- Thick, liquid sustain on lead passages
Original Recording Settings
Original Gear
- Guitar
- Guild S-100 / various Telecasters and Strats
- Pickups
- Guild humbuckers / various (bridge and neck (layered))
- Amplifier
- Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier / Fender Twin
- Channel
- Clean for verses, high gain for heavy
- Tuning
- Drop Db (Eb standard with low string dropped to Db)
- Pickup Selector
- varies
- Strings
- Not documented
Different amps for different sections.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
Playing Technique
Clean arpeggiated verses contrast with heavy power chord sections. Alternative tuning creates unique voicings. Kim Thayil's atonal leads.
Sources+
- Guitar World: Soundgarden interviews
- Equipboard.com - Kim Thayil
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