As part of Guild's 70th anniversary, Guild is excited to introduce the Polara Kim Thayil, an all-new signature model celebrating Soundgarden's iconic lead guitarist and his connection of over 30 years to the S-100 Polara. A pioneer of the "Seattle Sound,” Kim is synonymous with the iconic grunge tone of the '80s & ‘90s, all of which originated from his Guild S-100.
This signature model takes its specs from two of Kim's most iconic guitars. His favorite, a 1978 Guild S-100 Polara in Natural and his go-to stage guitar, a white model with gold hardware. The all Mahogany body and set neck, Guild 70s large headstock, and flagship HB-1 Humbuckers with phase switch were pivotal to creating Kim's signature guitar.
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 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.