Top 5SponsoredSeen using
Guild
Polara Kim Thayil“I stuck by the Guild because it has a personality and characteristics that work with how I play”
Seen in Guitar.com: Kim Thayil on how the Guild S-100 defined Soundgarden, September 2023
k
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Kim Thayil. Every item links to its public source.
22 items · Last checked What guitar does Kim Thayil play?
Kim Thayil plays Guild S-100 guitars and now has his own Guild Polara Kim Thayil. Premier Guitar has seen him with an Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, MXR CAE Boost/Line Driver and Boost/Overdrive, a Dunlop CAE Wah and Rotovibe, GHS Boomers strings and Dunlop .73mm nylon picks.
In stores now
Shop Kim Thayil's setup.
Top 5
Where to start with Kim Thayil's gear.
01
02
Top 5Seen using
GHS Strings
BoomersSeen in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
03
Top 5Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
04
Top 5Seen using
Electro-Harmonix
Micro POGSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Chris Cornell and Ben Shepherd, February 2013
05
Top 5Seen using
What gear Kim Thayil uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
SponsoredSeen using
Guild
Polara Kim Thayil“I stuck by the Guild because it has a personality and characteristics that work with how I play”
Seen in Guitar.com: Kim Thayil on how the Guild S-100 defined Soundgarden, September 2023
Seen using
GHS Strings
BoomersSeen in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
Pedalboard
Seen using
Electro-Harmonix
Micro POGSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Chris Cornell and Ben Shepherd, February 2013
Seen using
Has said they use
“I might've used a T-Rex Dr. Swamp double distortion or the MXR CAE MC-402 boost/distortion during the solos.”
Said in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
Seen using
Dunlop
CAE Wah MC404Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Chris Cornell and Ben Shepherd, February 2013
Seen using
Dunlop
JD-4S RotovibeSeen in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
Has said they use
Ibanez
Tube Screamer“I would dial out most of the low end and put in quite a bit of high end with an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a chorus”
Said in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Interview, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, October 2012
Records he loves
Has said they love
Nirvana
Bleach“I'm picking Bleach for this list on the strength of "Negative Creep”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Green River
Dry as a Bone“Of all the Green River records, I liked Dry as a Bone the best.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Melvins
Gluey Porch Treatments“I could pick almost anything by Melvins, but I'm going to say Gluey Porch Treatments”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Skin Yard
Hallowed Ground“By the time they put out Hallowed Ground, they were getting into the groove”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Mudhoney
Superfuzz Bigmuff“I'm putting Superfuzz Bigmuff on this list for no other reason than the song "In 'n' Out of Grace,”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
TAD
God's Balls“That album was so important because it helped establish Tad as an influential and significant artist”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Screaming Trees
Clairvoyance“I like Clairvoyance for the song "Clairvoyance,”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Alice in Chains
Facelift“I wish I'd written it, and that's why I love that album”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Pearl Jam
Ten“Ten was a super album with the super hits.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Meat Puppets
II“We'd play Fugazi, Margin Walker; Meat Puppets II; Neil Young, After the Gold Rush; and Nirvana, Bleach, all the time on a cassette player in our van.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Has said they love
Neil Young
After the Gold RushSaid in Rolling Stone: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, My Favorite Grunge Albums, April 2019
Questions
About Kim Thayil's gear.
What guitar does Kim Thayil play?
His main guitar has long been a Guild S-100. In 2023 Guild released his signature Polara Kim Thayil, and he told Guitar.com he stuck by the Guild because its personality works with how he plays.
What pedals does Kim Thayil use?
Premier Guitar's King Animal era Rig Rundown and interview list an Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, MXR CAE Boost/Line Driver and Boost/Overdrive, a Dunlop CAE Wah, a Dunlop Rotovibe, a Boss NS-2 and a Boss TU-3.
What strings and picks does Kim Thayil use?
Premier Guitar's 2012 gear list shows GHS Boomers in .009-.046 and .011-.050 sets and Dunlop .73mm nylon picks.
What are Kim Thayil's favorite grunge albums?
For Rolling Stone in 2019 he picked Nirvana's Bleach, Green River's Dry as a Bone, Melvins' Gluey Porch Treatments, Mudhoney's Superfuzz Bigmuff, TAD's God's Balls, Alice in Chains' Facelift and Pearl Jam's Ten, among others.
Related gear guides
Setups that share gear with Kim Thayil.
Rise Against
Punk
44 itemsSee Rise Against's gear →
Bones UK
Alternative
26 itemsSee Bones UK's gear →
Carmen Vandenberg
Alternative
25 itemsSee Carmen Vandenberg's gear →
Soundgarden
Grunge
24 itemsSee Soundgarden's gear →
Train
Pop
69 itemsSee Train's gear →
The Devil Wears Prada
Metalcore
48 itemsSee The Devil Wears Prada's gear →
Named in this guide
KT
Kim Thayil
About this guide · Last checked
Kim Thayil is the Soundgarden guitarist behind Badmotorfinger and Superunknown, and later played with 3rd Secret. This guide covers his Guild Polara, the pedals, strings and picks from Premier Guitar's King Animal era interview and Rig Rundown, and the Seattle records he told Rolling Stone are his favorites.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Kim Thayil didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
Report an error or ask for removal. We fix or remove within 72 hours. You don't need to sign up.
Are you Kim Thayil?
Claim this page to make it yours: verify with your Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, keep what's right, drop what isn't, and add your own.
Claim this pagetruerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Kim Thayil isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.