series: newark st. collection

USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil

finish options:

Old-Growth Honduran Mahogany Body and Neck with Guild 70’s Headstock and Neck Shape

Hand-built utilizing one-piece bodies of old-growth Honduran Mahogany, a Guild 70’s neck shape and large headstock reflect Kim’s favorite features of his ’78 S-100.

Custom USA Guild HB-1 Humbuckers Handwound by Jason Lollar w/ Phase Switch

World renowned for his pickups, Jason Lollar worked with Guild and Kim to authentically reproduce Guild’s legendary, flagship HB-1 Humbuckers. Handwound by Jason himself, these humbuckers replicate the warm but 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.

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.

Soundgarden King Animal Truss Rod Cover and Badmotorfinger Back Cover Hand Signed by Kim Thayil

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 Indian Rosewood fingerboard with Mother of Pearl block inlays, reproduction Guild/Mueller style bridge & compensated stopbar tailpiece. Available in a White Nitrocellulose gloss finish with gold hardware. Ships in a custom hardshell case with Certificate of Authenticity Hand-Signed by Kim Thayil.

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) Old-Growth Genuine 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 Old-Growth Genuine Mahogany
Scale Length 24 3/4" (629mm)
Neck Shape Kim Thayil Slim C
Nut Width 1.65" (42mm)
Neck Thickness 1st Fret 20.5mm
Neck Thickness 9th Fret 21.8mm
Truss Rod Dual Action
Fingerboard Material Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius 12" (305mm)
Fingerboard Inlays Blocks - Mother-Of-Pearl
Fingerboard Inlay Location 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17
Frets Total 22
Fret Type Jescar 43080
Fingerboard Binding Ivory ABS
Finish
Color White (WHT)
Finish Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Hardware
Bridge String Spacing 2" (50mm)
Hardware Finish / Plating Gold
Bridge Guild Vintage Mueller
Tailpiece Guild Compensated Stopbar
Nut Material Bone
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 - Wound By Jason Lollar
Neck Pickup Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Neck - Wound By Jason Lollar
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 Guild Custom Kim Thayil Hardshell Case