series: newark st. collection

polara kim thayil Vintage White

finish options:

Mahogany Body and Neck with Guild 70’s Headstock

Utilizing Mahogany bodies and Guild 70’s large headstock reflect Kim’s favorite features of his ’78 S-100.

Soundgarden “King Animal” Truss Rod Cover and “Badmotorfinger” Signature Back Cover

Honoring the long-standing legacy of Soundgarden’s 1991 album, “Badmotorfinger” and their 2012 album, “King Animal,” these symbols are quintessentially grunge and pay tribute to Kim and his band mates.

Additional features include a bound Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid block inlays, Tune-o-Matic bridge & compensated stopbar tailpiece. Available in a Black and Vintage White gloss finish with gold hardware.

Grover Original Rotomatics® Tuners

Per Kim’s request, the signature model features Grover Original Rotomatics® tuners for stability and ease of use. Standard on vintage S-100 Polara models, these tuners are a reliable industry favorite.

Guild HB-1 Humbuckers with Alnico II Magnets

Guild’s flagship HB-1 Humbuckers replicate the warm yet articulate timbre of 70’s S-100 Polaras. A perfect match for Kim’s heavy tones, the added clarity of the HB-1’s allow the guitar to cut through the mix. Also equipped with a phase switch, accurate to vintage spec, these features are essential to recreating the magic of Kim’s favorite S-100 Polara models.

see the polara kim thayil in Action

pickup switching

1. Bridge – This position has the most bite and responds very well to distortion. Perfect for solos or in-your-face rhythm parts, the Guild HB-1 humbucker possesses the bold mid-range typical of standard humbuckers but with tighter lows and sparkling highs that don’t get brittle. Rolling down the volume on the bridge pickup produces a chiming single coil-like tone. (Phase switch does not function in this position.)

2. Bridge + Neck – In Phase – This position combines the tonalities of the neck and bridge humbuckers. Thick, creamy mids, big, round bass and clear trebles make this a great all-around tone. Vintage-style wiring allows for more interaction between the controls and a broad pallet of tonal options.

3. Bridge + Neck – Out of Phase – Flipping the phase switch entirely alters the interaction between the bridge and neck pickups. Gone are the thick, creamy mids, replaced by a hollow, thin, nasally tone. Great for funk, reggae, or anytime extra cut is needed. The interaction of the pickups can be adjusted by slightly rolling off either pickup’s volume control, bringing the pickups gradually back into phase.

4. Neck – This position produces a smooth, creamy tone great for anything from blues to singing lead tones. Where many humbuckers can get muddy in the neck position, the Guild HB-1 brings the neck position back to life with added clarity. (Phase switch does not function in this position.)

This guitar is available through any Authorized Guild Dealer. Find one near you by clicking the button above. If you have any troubles finding a dealer near you, please don’t hesitate to contact us and a Guild Representative will be happy to help. 

Body
Body Type Solid Body
Body Shape Guild Polara
Body Top N / A (Solid Body)
Body Wood (Solid Bodies) Mahogany
Top Bracing Pattern N / A
Soundhole / F Holes Binding N / A
Top Purfling Inlay N / A
Top Binding N / A
Body Sides N / A (Solid Body)
Side Purfling Inlay N / A
Body Back N / A (Solid Body)
Back Purfling Inlay N / A
Purfling N / A
Body Binding N / A
Neck
Neck Material Mahogany
Scale Length 24 3/4" (629mm)
Neck Shape Vintage Soft "U"
Nut Width 1 11/16" (43mm)
Neck Thickness 1st Fret 20mm
Neck Thickness 9th Fret 23mm
Truss Rod Dual Action
Truss Rod Wrench 4mm Allen Key
Fingerboard Material Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius 12.5" (320mm)
Fingerboard Inlays Blocks - Pearloid
Fingerboard Inlay Location 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17
Frets Total 22
Fret Type Narrow Jumbo
Fingerboard Binding Ivory ABS
Finish
Color Vintage White (VWT)
Finish Gloss Polyurethane
Hardware
Bridge String Spacing 2" (50mm)
Hardware Finish / Plating Gold
Bridge Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece Guild Compensated Stopbar
Nut Material Composite
Tuning Machines Grover® Rotomatic™
Strap Buttons Vintage Pawn
Pickguard Polara 5-Ply Black/White/Black/White/Black
Electronics
Bridge Pickup Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Bridge
Neck Pickup Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Neck
Pickup Switch 3-Way Toggle: 1. Bridge Pickup - 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups - 3. Neck Pickup
Controls Neck Volume & Tone, Bridge Volume & Tone, 3-way Toggle Pickup Switch, and Phase Switch
Other
Strings D'Addario EXL110 - Nickel Wound Regular Light (.010" - .046")
Included Case N / A
Upper Bout Width 11" (280mm)
Lower Bout Width 13" (330mm)
Body Depth Upper Bout 1.4" (35.5mm)
Body Depth Lower Bout 1.4" (35.5mm)
Body Length 17" (432mm)
Overall Length 40" (1016mm)