An amazing chance to get a brilliant guitar despite some transit damage which has caused some lacquer cracking around the nut. Kim's guild signature comes with a host of brilliant appointments listed below and at full value was retailing for £999, so a heavy reduction to accommodate for the damage. Despite the areas notified the guitar will come fully setup and serviced and already plays exceedingly well already! If you want to grab a bargain for a guitar that's going to handle some gain, drive and an angrier approach to playing, with crunching, dirty riffs and a channel for tension and energetic playing - this could be a great choice!

The transit damage which has occurred is cosmetic in nature and hasn't had an effect on on the stability of the headstock or the nut and while you can feel it slightly, it has minimal if any impact on playability. It could be filled in and sanded down by anyone who is a dab hand with guitar repair/tech/luthier work.

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.

pickup switching

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.)

Body

Body Type	Solid Body
Body Shape	Guild Polara
Body Top	N / A (Solid Body)
Body Wood (Solid Bodies)	Mahogany
Top Bracing Pattern	N / A
Soundhole / F Holes Binding	N / A
Top Purfling Inlay	N / A
Top Binding	N / A
Body Sides	N / A (Solid Body)
Side Purfling Inlay	N / A
Body Back	N / A (Solid Body)
Back Purfling Inlay	N / A
Purfling	N / A
Body Binding	N / A

Neck

Neck Material	Mahogany
Scale Length	24 3/4" (629mm)
Neck Shape	Vintage Soft "U"
Nut Width	1 11/16" (43mm)
Neck Thickness 1st Fret	20mm
Neck Thickness 9th Fret	23mm
Truss Rod	Dual Action
Truss Rod Wrench	4mm Allen Key
Fingerboard Material	Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius	12.5" (320mm)
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

Finish

Color	Black (BLK)
Finish	Gloss Polyurethane

Hardware

Bridge String Spacing	2" (50mm)
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

Electronics

Bridge Pickup	Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Bridge
Neck Pickup	Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Neck
Pickup Switch	3-Way Toggle: 1. Bridge Pickup - 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups - 3. Neck Pickup
Controls	Neck Volume & Tone, Bridge Volume & Tone, 3-way Toggle Pickup Switch, and Phase Switch

Other

Strings	D'Addario EXL110 - Nickel Wound Regular Light (.010" - .046")
Included Case	N / A
Upper Bout Width	11" (280mm)
Lower Bout Width	13" (330mm)
Body Depth Upper Bout	1.4" (35.5mm)
Body Depth Lower Bout	1.4" (35.5mm)
Body Length	17" (432mm)
Overall Length	40" (1016mm)

Guild Guitars 2024 Collection

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Guild Kim Thayil Signature POLARA - Black - (B-stock/Transit Damage)