Get the Guild Kim Thayil Polara at Sweetwater (US) - sweetwater.sjv.io/Kjbk6e Get the Guild Kim Thayil Polara at Thomann (EU) - thmn.to/thoprod/565206?offid=1&affid=288 Enter my latest Giveaway - elkqr.link/rmqj5

I bought the white version a month ago and absolutely love it. The fit and finish on mine is spot on.

The Truss Rod Cover isn't upside down. The shape of the TRC matches the shape of the headstock on a Guild. A lot of people flip them over because they're used to Gibsons, but it's not a Gibson. So now your TRC is on upside down. :) Edited to ad: As someone who writes guitar reviews, good job on the details! Most people don't bother opening the cavity and commenting on the electronics. I love that!

i'm rarely a fan of artist models. Your review has made me want one of these. The tata bounce strap test sealed the deal. Great job.

I got this guitar several months ago. It's very well built, and for some reason, always sounds dirty to me. Even playing clean. It just wants to Soundgarden for some reason :)

I'm glad you were able to review this guitar Andy. I bought mine last year and its my favorite and best playing guitar (and that's including my custom G&L). I did not realize it was Indonesian though, I thought it was Chinese (hope I didn't say that in my video on it). But it really does the job of being a Kim Thayil sig, especially if you're a Soundgarden fan. I'm kind of surprised Holy Water is your favorite riff of theirs, that's a fantastic deep cut!

Mmm guild makes beautiful instruments. This is no exception.

Great review..as always.

The gold dot markers for the knobs are really great. I have a small black dot on most of my guitars made with a sharpie for the same purpose! This looks like an excellent guitar!

Beautiful playing Andy

Very cool! I had the 2000 DeArmond S-73 version of the Polara that had U.S. Made Gold Tone pups. The guitar was MIK. I loved it for 20 years before trading it and a MIM Strat to my brother for an SG.

I played one of these in Nashville a couple of weeks ago and it was really cool. I want to get one of the white ones.

Ive had my guild polara for about 8 years and its by far one of my favorite guitars

I just picked up a Guild polara limited basically the same guitar except for a Fuze switch it has the push pull pots thing plays rock to blues those LB1 are really great

I really really really want that guitar! As soon as I saw them, I wanted it! They look amazing, and sound fantastic.

Just got the Tony Iommi Epi sg, but this one sounds pretty sick as well. 🤘🏻

Saw theres a yellow guild polara without stoptail, its string true, looked wicked cool. 😍

I got this guitar when they released it. It's the absolute best guitar I've ever owned. Beats Gibson every day of the week!

Nice thorough review. I'm not a diehard Soundgarden fan but I like how that guitar sounds.

I think, if this was given a cleanup and setup, by a guitar tech, then this would be amazing. For example, that onr switch needs some love.

I have a 2017 standard Polara which was made in Korea, and it's superb. The Polara is such a sleeper guitar that deserves more love than it gets 🙂

The DeArmond Gold Tone pickups from the later 90s-early 2000s have those type pickup rings with the tilt adjustment. If you can find any of those pickups, give them a try - they are great! Nice video!

That does look beautiful... almost makes me want an SG shaped object in my life

Love your channel GG! Your reviews are very thorough and I love that. You're the reason I bought my Walrus Audio Fable, one of the greatest pedals EVER imho. This axe sounds great. If it came in a seven string I'd probably buy one.

Nice job on this andy !!

guild are great, ive got a starfire 1 and its incredible, especially for the price point

I've been trying to decide between an Epiphone SG or Guild Polara Deluxe. I've been leaning towards a Polara. This video helps in my decision making. Thx!

Today i checked out this guitar and i absolutely loved it! The D shaped neck feels totally comfortable for my small hands, the sound of the HB-1s is always great, i also checked out the phase switch and it didn't sound as thin as yours, so probably is a factory error or something like that.

With love and respect, do not measure the DC resistance of pickups through a cable if you plan to open the control cavity anyway. Also, budget for an LCR meter (e.g. IET DE-5000 or Extech LCR200, testing at 120Hz) if you enjoy measuring pickups: inductance (L) is by far a pickup's most-important attribute with regard to its output level and general tonality (e.g. bright or dark).

Andy, Thanks so much for this review! I'm a long-time Guild fan, although originally it was all acoustics. Guild 12-string acoustics are glorious beasties. I also have a Guild hollowbody from the 60's called a "Slim Jim" with a Guild-branded Bigsby. I've considered selling it so some collector who could appreciate it properly. However, I can't find anything else that makes the same sound! Guilds are great underrated guitars.

Nice review. I got my one second hand off Colin the guitarista who was having a clear out - fab quality and a lot of fun

I love Guild. I've owned a couple of their acoustics and very much want to check out the electrics they've been doing lately. The Thayil doesn't have the edge carve like the SG. That may be why it feels thicker/more substantial.

As a Polara owner since 1996 let me inform you what you are in for if you buy one of these. First the good compared to an SG: I like how the input jack is not jammed so close to the tone knobs like on an SG. And that's about it for the pros, except maybe the added phase switch. And now the cons: It is a decidedly a slimmer neck, at least on the one I own. If you like that, well, this may be the guitar for you. After the 17th fret the real problems start. I thought the whole advantage of this type of guitar was the access to the upper frets compared to a guitar like a Les Paul. So why did Guild not put inlays and fret marker dots at the 19th and 21st frets? Are they challenging us not to get lost if we go shooting up there? Also while you're at it don't whack your lower thumb joint against that strap button that is mounted at the start of the neck heel. Also, you suddenly go from a slim neck to a massively thick neck heel that is flush with the back of the guitar, it's like hitting a speed bump in you car. A long time ago I had a luthier install the missing dots and inlays plus move the strap button into the body of the guitar and he did a fine job, but there is nothing that could be done about the slim neck and massive neck heel. You have been warned.

I was just listening to Super Unknown today…I really like that guitar…well done Andy👍

A former employee of Gibson helped design this model. Mr. Ren Wall went to Guild for a short time to create this model. He came back to Kalamazoo to help start Heritage guitars in 1984. The upside down truss rod cover is intentionally as it supposed to match the headstock.

Anyone hear Kim's Probot King Diamond solo. So rad!

Anything Guild is really great!!! My first Bass was a B 302! Sold it for a bag of smiles .

I always liked these nearly got in 1982 mahogany body

I already bought an SG but don't worry , liked and watched anyway.

I had a 2000 Guild Blues-90 (one of the last built in the old Guild factory, prior to Fender buying them) that I sold in a panic when Covid hit .. dumb move, great guitar.

I like the pantyhose fret end test. I'm sure my guitars would fail this test, yes even my M 1999 Strat. lol I'll have to start doing this when I'm building. Thanks! I love your videos!

I got my Gibbo SG '61 reissue a few years ago. It is absolutely brilliant. But that rig looks the bizz too. I want an SG with wrap-around bridge and P90s too. Then I am SG set for life. Not worried which maker makes it, set neck or bolt on, not worried. I'll buy it when it comes.

Andy, I was looking at buying either a Guild or a Gretsch. This is making me think more along the lines of a Guild...

I have 2014 reissue .it is the best guitar I've ever owned but not the most expensive one.

nice man i wonder how epi/gibson sg would sound like if they design the bridge pickup slightly away from the tom bridge :)

I picked up the dusk one and it really is amazing at how much it feels like an authentic gibson but it adds more dynamics with the low tones and mids. But if you want, you can replicate that Angus Young sound with it and thats all I need.

Build quality 👍👍

Funny, I bought an affinity squier Starcaster the other day and it was packaged in exactly the same way.

Still have one from 1975. Never get rid of it.

Oh I like this guitar very much! Very LesPaulish indeed. Great fat sound and appealing body shape (for me). Only the tilt back tailpiece is botherjng my eyes, would have it rather tilted dynamically forward complimenting the slight offset body shape. 21:41 "switch that switch" 😅👌 Thank you Andy for the great presentation! 👍

The only thing I would change on that guitar is i would move the jack to the side of the body and put a varitone in its place.

the rosewood fingerboard if that is rosewood has a knot down by the 19th fret, hi E side . .

I own this guitar. I play this guitar. I love this guitar.

Heard a local band 1 guild 1 prs...prs sounded fine the guild stood out warm but nice chime on top

Thanks for the video Andy, I always loce Guild guitar. Quality seems to be here (except for the tiny switch), not really surprised, Guild is owned by Yamaha ^^

I love Guild guitars. I had an S300 Polara in 1979. Different shape back then, but vastly underrated guitars.

I decided on a Polara Deluxe to save a couple hundred over the Kim Thayil version and have no regrets. I can add a phase switch if I decide I want it, and it has coil splitting.

One of the best tones you managed to get…in my humble opinion. Great guitar, this over Epi for sure!

Oh man.. I wanted a s-100 sooo bad when I was in highschool - if these existed back in the day, I would've gladly taken this over my first decent guitar (a mim strat). Didn't know much about guitars back then and only found out about the s-100 through the free Fender catalogue that came with the strat (which I kept in my mom's car so I could re-read everyday on my way to school). The band I was in played Soundgarden back then too and a s-100 just felt so unattainable as a highschool student. Also with no internet back then... trying to play Soundgarden tunes with a strat that required drop D (let alone B!!) was a complete nightmare. The variety of gear available at different price points has really come a long way!

The bridge pickup on the SG looks closer to the bridge compared to the Guild. That will add to the difference in tone.

I have no idea who Kim is but would love one in color.

“Heaven send, Hell away, No one sings like you anymore” oh man I want one.

Andy bro you should do a gibson sg vs epiphone sg vs poloara vs revstar. This would be awesome to watch : )

Im proud of anybody clever enough to make money in the music bizz...its almost impossible. Check out some of Beatos programs....he lays it all out for us! And sir ..keep pushing gear..your real honest and entertaining.. Rock on!! PS..im 74...its all good...

The pickups on the guld are farther from the bridge like on a 70s Sg so it has more low end and low mid range .

I have several SGs. The 61 Standard blows all of these away (mine has the vibrola). Not that I’m against any of them. And why did Thomann stop carrying Maybach before I could order a couple of them I’ve had my eyes on?

7 lbs is not a bad weight but the Sg is one lb lighter which is quite a lot. A nice guitar nonetheless! Very good job showcasing this very nice instrument Andy!

The guild sounds like a typical Guild SG styke guitar . There isn't really anything specifically Kim Thayil about the soound of the guitar . The pickups are just standard guild pickups just like the stock guild pickups in Kim Thayils actull Guild guitars.

Is that bell cover for the bell end? 😂

If I wanted to tune the low E down to A (I like playing around with "More Than I Could Chew" by Mastadon), would that work on this. You mentioned the lower tuning seeming to give the guitar an issue and I just wanted to clarify.

When did you receive this? I ordered mine in November and still haven't gotten mine.

I got this exact model a little more than a month ago ... and all my other guitars are lonely now. It's sad...

sg neck pup too close to bridge woulda tried some peter green with that out of phase switch

I've got a guild sg in white and black, its not a Kim thayil Sig though. Got it in a pawn shop in mint condition with a gig bag.

Gibson sounds more Classic sound.I have 2 Tribute SG's, one HB the other P90.They sound excellent.And they are light !

I passed on one of these in the late 70s...shoulda bought it...for $175.smh

I bet it does Sabbath well.

I had a red one when they came with a case it was beautiful but had to move on

When I watch this channel .. I sometimes drift off and think I am watching Blue Peter like I did as a child. Is that good or bad?

Gretch packs their guitars in similar way. Are those two companies/brands related somehow?

Manufacturers must focus on SG style guitars more than in the last few years.

20:40

I was hoping somebody that I watched would review this! Edit: Just buy it! It's definitely affordable.

Is silica gel the new Tide Pods? 😂

Tailpiece on the US model is a lot further away from the bridge than on the import model.

The Gibson has more focused midrange and will sit better in the mix, I bet.

Where is this made?

I'm gassing hard for a non sig one in cherry.

My first good guitar was a sort of predecessor to this the oddly shaped Guild S-300. I had it for over 30 years until someone stole it in 2018. If anyone see one floating around with all the paint stripped off and an aftermarket Kahler added, hit me up....

Guild makes great guitars, but a bit too expensive for my budget right now.

Like the guitar but hate gold hardware it doesnt wear well.

I can’t wait to not be able to order this 😂😂😂😂

I mean, I think I'm still just gonna buy a Gibson SG anyway. Guild make great guitars, I love mine, but so do Gibson, and Gibson come with a little more prestige.

I watched this whilst sitting on the toilet

It looks goofy like the esp les pauls

Electric cleaner will cure that switch

Bit off Sabbath tone

all of a sudden everyone is into guild sg copy? it's like we are being marketed? lol

I hate to say it, but the horns on it just look wrong to me. It's the same problem I have with all non Gibson SG guitars. If I could get over that it would be awesome.

Kim tail 😂