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Riff Tone
Holy Water (Remastered 2016)
Soundgarden
Guitarrock1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGuild S-100 Polara
AmpMarshall JMP50 (blended with Mesa/Boogie, but Marshall is primary for riff)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
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Notes
Studio recording, 1991 (Badmotorfinger sessions, remastered 2016). Kim Thayil primarily used the Guild S-100 into a Marshall JMP50 for heavy riff sections. Mesa/Boogie was sometimes blended for leads, but riff tone is Marshall-centric.
Tone Character(10)
thick and saturatedaggressive and percussivecrunchy midrangetight low end70s metal-inspired heavinessslightly scooped but present midsarticulate attackraw, unpolished distortionminimal ambiencefocused, riff-driven sound
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, aggressive picking and rhythmic precision, especially due to Soundgarden's use of odd time signatures and syncopation. Palm muting and dynamic control are essential for the heavy, percussive sound.
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGuild S-100 Polara
AmpMarshall JMP50 (blended with Mesa/Boogie, but Marshall is primary for riff)
Amp Settings
gain7
bass6
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 1991 (Badmotorfinger sessions, remastered 2016). Kim Thayil primarily used the Guild S-100 into a Marshall JMP50 for heavy riff sections. Mesa/Boogie was sometimes blended for leads, but riff tone is Marshall-centric.
Tone Character(10)
thick and saturatedaggressive and percussivecrunchy midrangetight low end70s metal-inspired heavinessslightly scooped but present midsarticulate attackraw, unpolished distortionminimal ambiencefocused, riff-driven sound
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, aggressive picking and rhythmic precision, especially due to Soundgarden's use of odd time signatures and syncopation. Palm muting and dynamic control are essential for the heavy, percussive sound.