During his tenure with Soundgarden, Kim Thayil's heavy, thunderous riffing exemplified what would eventually become known as the "Seattle Sound." The Guild Polara Kim Thayil Signature is a high-octane grunge machine, able to tackle sludgy power chords and scorching leads with equal aplomb. This solidbody electric guitar's slightly offset mahogany body strikes an imposing profile, which is matched sonically by its Guild HB-1 humbucking pickups. Its Vintage Soft "U"-shaped neck offers extreme comfort, whether you're engaging in erratic riffage or unleashing pent-up pentatonics; its 22-fret, 12.5-inch-radius rosewood fingerboard facilitates the entire gamut of fleet-fingered fretboard workouts. The Kim Thayil Signature's Tune-o-matic bridge and Guild compensated stopbar tailpiece were tailor-made for palm muting, and its 18:1-ratio tuners ensure that your tuning remains rock solid in every musical situation. The Guild Polara Kim Thayil Signature boasts a King Animal truss rod cover and a Badmotorfinger back plate with a gold print signature.

Based on a classic 1970s Guild solidbody

Kim Thayil has wielded a Guild S-100 Polara throughout the majority of his career, and the Polara Kim Thayil Signature puts his unique spin on this '70s-era classic. This Polara is built around a solid mahogany body with a sleek offset design. Music Experience guitarists find that the Kim Thayil Signature's mahogany Vintage Soft "U" neck profile provides a slightly chunky yet eminently comfortable grip that brings to mind the Guilds of yesteryear. Lastly, it's topped with a rosewood fingerboard with a slick-playing 12.5-inch radius for maximum playing comfort.

Versatile humbucking pickups

The Guild Polara Kim Thayil Signature is primed for ultramega tone thanks to its Guild HB-1 humbucking pickups. When you plug this solidbody electric guitar into your favorite amplifier, you'll be rewarded with a wide range of classic tones. In the '70s, as music was evolving into harder and heavier sounds, Guild released these higher-output pickups to ensure players could get the most out of their axes. HB-1 humbuckers are quite capable of everything from articulate cleans to down-tuned riffing. To top it off, the Polara Kim Thayil Signature includes a phase switch, unlocking a myriad of otherworldly sonic textures.

Teeming with custom appointments

This Guild is loaded with elegant appointments from head to toe. Handsome ivory binding wraps around its fingerboard, giving the Polara Kim Thayil Signature a decidedly upscale edge. Its fingerboard is studded with beautiful pearloid block inlays, and its headstock is adorned with a pearloid Guild logo. Finally, the Kim Thayil Signature includes a custom King Animal truss rod cover and a Badmotorfinger back plate with a gold print signature. One thing's for sure: you'll never be outshined with the Polara Kim Thayil Signature in your hands.

What Guild Says...

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