Signature Guitar

The heavy and powerful sound of Soundgarden is above all that of Kim Thayil and his faithful Guild S-100 Polara. Today, the Polara Kim Thayil Signature opens the doors to this exceptional sound universe. This guitar is an exact replica of Kim's favorite instruments: mahogany body and neck for rich sound, HB-1 pickups for saturated, articulate tones, and a phase switch for even more nuance. Everything is there to find the legendary grain of grunge. The glossy black finish, the gold tuners, the "King Animal" and "Badmotorfinger" logos... Every detail celebrates Soundgarden's musical heritage.

ARTICLE N° 92923
  • Guild Polara Kim Thayil Black
  • Electric guitar
  • Polara Signature Series
  • Signature model Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
  • Color: black
  • Finish: Glossy polyurethane
  • Scale: 24.75" (629 mm)
  • Body shape: Guild Polara
  • Construction: Solid Body, glued neck
  • Body: Solid mahogany
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Shape: Vintage Soft “U”
  • Fingerboard: Indian rosewood
  • Radius: 12.5" (320 mm)
  • Frets: 22, Narrow Jumbo
  • Inlays: Pearloid Blocks
  • Truss Rod: Double action
  • Nut: 1.145" (43mm)
  • Mechanical: Grover Rotomatics oil bath
  • Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
  • Tailpiece: Stopbar
  • Crossing ropes
  • Gold hardware
  • Pickguard: Black
  • Bridge Pickup: Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Humbucker, Splittable
  • Neck Pickup: Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Humbucker, Splittable
  • Controls: 2x Volume, 2xTone, 3-position Toggle Switch, Mini Toggle (Bridge Phase)
  • Strings: D'Addario EXL110 .010 / .046
  • Cover provided
Kim Thayil, the cult guitarist of Soundgarden, left his mark on the history of rock and grunge. His favorite guitar? The Guild S-100 Polara.
Today, Guild and Kim offer you the chance to play the same instrument with the Polara Kim Thayil Signature.

Mahogany body and neck, large headstock typical of the 70s, HB-1 pickup with warm and precise tones... Every detail of this guitar has been designed to reproduce Kim's legendary sound.
And to go further, it has a phase switch and a Tune-o-Matic bridge faithful to vintage models.

But the Polara Kim Thayil isn't just about sound. Its look is just as legendary, with its glossy black finish, gold tuners and "King Animal" and "Badmotorfinger" logos paying homage to Soundgarden's seminal albums.

Play the legendary riffs of "Spoonman" or "Black Hole Sun". With the Polara Kim Thayil, you will have his feeling, his tone and his style.
It's up to you to keep the legend alive!
Type of guitar
 Electric guitar
Body
 Solid body
Number of strings
 6
Body shape
 Type SG, Double cut
Body material
 Mahogany
Construction
 Set neck
Pickup setup
 HH, Split coils
Type of tuners
 Die cast
Hardware color
 Gold
Instrument size
 4/4, standard
Number of frets
 22
Nut width
 43,00 mm (1,693")
Neck material
 Mahogany
Fingerboard material
 Rosewood
Scale length
 628 mm (24,72")
Pickup type
 Passives
Fingerboard radius
 320 mm (12,60")
Bridge configuration
 6 saddles
Finish
 Brilliant
Electronic
 Passive
String gauge
 010 - 046
Instrument type
 Electric guitar
Artist
 Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
Homage to Kim Thayil, the Polara Kim Thayil Signature, the grunge heritage

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, Guild presents the Polara Kim Thayil, a signature model dedicated to the Soundgarden guitarist and his connection to the S-100 Polara for over 30 years.
A pioneer of the “Seattle sound”, Kim embodies the grunge timbre of the 80s and 90s, shaped by his S-100.

The guitar is inspired by two of Kim's signature instruments: his 1978 S-100 Polara and his white stage guitar with gold accents.
With its '70s headstock, mahogany construction and HB-1 pickups, the Polara Kim Thayil captures the magic of Kim's original S-100.


- 3-position Toggle Switch + Mini Toggle Bridge Phase:

1. Easel
This position has the most bite and responds very well to distortion. Perfect for solos or front-end rhythm parts, the Guild HB-1 humbucker has the bold midrange typical of standard humbuckers but with tighter bass and sparkling highs that don't become brittle. Lowering the volume on the bridge pickup produces a sound similar to that of a single coil. (The phase switch does not work in this position.)

2. Bridge + Neck (In Phase)
This position combines the tones of the neck and bridge humbuckers. Thick, creamy mids, big, round bass, and clear highs make this a great all-around sound. Vintage-style wiring allows for more interaction between controls and a wide palette of tonal options.

3. Bridge + Neck (Out of Phase)
Reversing the phase switch completely changes the interaction between the bridge and neck pickups. Gone are the thick, creamy mids, replaced by a hollow, thin, nasal tone. Ideal for funk, reggae or whenever an extra cut is needed. Mic interaction can be adjusted by slightly lowering the volume control of either mic, gradually bringing the mics back into phase.

4. Sleeve
This position produces a smooth, creamy sound ideal for everything from blues to vocal leadtones. Where many humbuckers can get muddy in the neck position, the Guild HB-1 brings the neck position back to life with greater clarity. (The phase switch does not work in this position.)