About the Guitar

Crafted with a Mahogany body and neck, adorned with a Guild 70’s headstock, the Polara Kim Thayil pays tribute to Kim’s favorite features from his ’78 S-100. Equipped with Grover Original Rotomatics® tuners for stability, Guild HB-1 Humbuckers with Alnico II Magnets for warm yet articulate timbre, and a phase switch accurate to vintage spec. The Polara Kim Thayil features the “Badmotorfinger” back cover and “King Animal” truss rod cover, emblematic of Soundgarden’s legacy. A bound Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid block inlays, Tune-o-Matic bridge & compensated stopbar tailpiece enhance playability. Celebrating Guild’s 70th anniversary, this model embodies Kim’s distinctive style and connection to the S-100 Polara.

Kim's Connection to the S-100 Polara

Born in Seattle, WA (but raised in Park Forest, Illinois), Kim Thayil picked up his first guitar in the mid 1970's. It was around this time that he bought a Guild S-100 guitar at his local guitar shop, which he notes "ultimately was the one I could afford to buy." Fast-forward a few years, Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden was born, which Kim co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Using his S-100, Kim created his own original style that helped propel Soundgarden to the top of the Seattle rock heap in the '80s & '90s - where they are still considered one of the greatest grunge bands of all time. With its Guild '70s large headstock, Mahogany construction and HB-1 pickups, the new Polara Kim Thayil captures the same magic Kim discovered while playing his first S-100 Polara.

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.)