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 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.

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.

Specs:

• Body Type: Solid Body
• Body Shape: Guild Polara
• Body Wood: Mahogany
• Neck Material: Mahogany
• Scale Length 24 3/4" (629mm)
• Neck Shape: Vintage Soft "U"
• Nut Width: 1 11/16"
• Neck Thickness: 1st Fret 20mm
• Neck Thickness: 9th Fret 23mm
• Truss Rod: Dual Action
• Fingerboard Material: Indian Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 12.5" 
• 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
• Color: Black 
• Finish: Gloss Polyurethane
• Hardware Finish / Plating: Gold
• Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
• Tailpiece: Guild Compensated Stopbar
• Nut Material: Composite
• Tuning Machines: Grover Rotomatics
• Strap Buttons: Vintage Pawn
• Pickguard: Polara 5-Ply Black/White/Black/White/Black
• Bridge Pickup: Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Bridge
• Neck Pickup: Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Neck
• Pickup Switch: Switch 3-Way Toggle: 1. Bridge Pickup - 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups - 3. Neck 
• Controls: Neck Volume & Tone, Bridge Volume & Tone, 3-way Toggle Pickup Switch, and Phase Switch
• Strings: D'Addario EXL110 - Nickel Wound Regular Light (.010" - .046")
• Case: Not included