Went down a massive nerdy guitar history rabbit hole with this one, and nearly killed poor editor Jordan in the process lol. Hit like to show Jordan some love. 👍 and don't forget to join our Discord if you've got a question for a future ASKgufish episode! discord.gg/H9s8FGep5j
I had a Guild S-300 I bought used in 1985, it had the 2nd Kahler ever installed in the State of Maine by the previous owner. I had it set up my a Fender Master Tech in '93 and it never needed a thing done to it until I had it refretted in 2010. Played hundreds of gis with it and miss the hell out of it. They make great guitars. Thanks for the history lesson!
Billy Gibbons has a Gretsch signature custom guitar that looks kinda like the 1960 Guild polaras and a 1957 Chevy ! I Don't remember if it's called a Billy bo or of that was the name of the other square body Gretsch signature 😂
Bro thank you so much for not only doing a piece on Guild but talking about my favoritr band of all time, the mighty SOUNDGARDEN. Alice in Chains is 2nd to them only just because Chris Cornell had the voice of a god, a baritone who could stretch 5 octives. I was CRUSHED when we lost him so young, as I was supposed to go to that show THE DAY he was pronounced. I wept like a child who lost a hero and I am a young Soundgarden at only 34. Thank you Hunter, as a history minor in college I see you homey.
Sounds like someone can’t bust a proper solo…. If you have unplayed frets, it just a waste of real estate…. Been playing professionally for 30 years…. I use every fret, every gig…. And I get paid….
8:54 Marketing departements asked for headstocks to be huge in the 70s so people could see the branding better on television, that's where it's coming from, just a power move
My dad held his Guild in absolutely the highest regard. It was insanely heavy and pretty terrible looking, but it had its own charm to me when I was growing up. Rest in peace, pops.
The 17th inlay fret thing! Oh my god! My Epiphone Sheraton is the same and I had a local luthier put at least dots on the side, the Emily Wolfe one fixed it luckily tho…
I don't know personally but I googled it and got a few theories for the stopping of the markers after the 17th fret: theory one: the space between the frets is too small and it's difficult to drill there without risking cracking the board theory two: old timers didn't use frets that high up and so they didn't have them no idea if any of these have any truth to them but they seem plausible
I tried the white import Kim Thayl version at Guitar Center a couple of weeks ago and was very pleasantly surprised. Played a variety of Fenders, PRS SE, Epiphone, and Ibanez that day in the $500-1000 range and it was my second favorite. Decided to keep the brand on my radar after that.
@@michaelnugent9758 A used Fender Player Plus Stratocaster. Which honestly shocked me. I’ve never been drawn to strats and haven’t really enjoyed playing them that much. PRS SE CE was my third favorite. Couldn’t tell you after that.
Ive played a LOT of guitars but my new Polara is the absolute best out of the box guitar Ive ever gotten. Fit, finish are perfect. Frets, perfect. Sound is amazing. Moves from jazz to metal without blinking an eye. Im blown away and super glad I made the decision to give Guild a shot.
I checked out a Surfliner and was blown away. I’ve always liked the Polaras and would love to see another American historic guitar company make a comeback.
I would personally love it if Guild reissued the S-300/S-60 models - Patrick Stump has been playing those live recently, and they look sick. Maybe a signature model is in the works?
The 70’s S100 has some Heritage history to it. Ren Wall of Gibson and Heritage fame left in the 70’s and went to Guild. He helped design and launch the S100 back then.
@@TylerJohnstonGuitar I’ve been playing it nonstop for the last two weeks. Extremely light, slightly chunky yet very comfortable neck (that’s doesn’t dive like an SG), flat fretboard, and guild’s new humbucker is nicely voiced, imo. An inexpensive guitar to pick up and rock out. Looks and sounds great. I love it.
Man I love that Polara Tungsten Night Edition. Well gotta save up for that. What I heard about the 17th fret cut off is the inlay recesses are drilled into the board after the fret slots have been cut. The distance from the edge of the inlay recess to the slots on each side of it becomes too short past the 17th fret to drill cleanly without the danger of having chipping and tear out of the wood between the inlay recess and the adjacent slots.
We can thank Heritage Guitar's Jim Deurloo for "Guild SG"... He was headhunted by Guild from Gibson back in the day to run their shop for 5 years. What he came up with was basically an SG with a much stronger neck joint.
Heritage guitars are amazing! As a Kalamazoo native, born and raised here and having lived here most of the past 30+ years I definitely hope to eventually own one.
@@brendancleary9490 sadly, the shop is currently run by idiots and quality is pretty bad currently - nuts, binding, finish, frets, plastics, pickups...they are pushing out anyone with skill and if current management had their way, the last of the old timers (two currently left, Pete/jim) would be out tomorrow.
Got a vintage one many years ago. As an SG guy I thought I’d give it a try. Severe neck diver/headstock heavy. Strap button placement was part of the problem as I recall. Props on the Kim signature though.
Thanks for doing this great retrospective of Guild. I've been a Guild owner since 1996. I have a Westerly, Rhode Island pre-Fender X-170 Jazz boat, a Fender Guild Blues 90 with Seymour Duncan P-90s and a 1996 Fender Guild S-100 Polara. The Blues 90 is like a overgrown chambered LP with a baseball bat neck and I love it. The Polara came stock with uncovered black bobbin Seymour Duncan '59 and JB humbuckers. No big deal, I put those HBs into a Big Apple Strat I assembled and put chrome cover Gibson 490R and 498T pickups in the the Polara. Observant that you pointed out the missing inlays and side marker dots on the Polara. It's okay, I guess, on an Epiphone Sheraton but totally inappropriate on this type of guitar where it's all about access to the upper frets. It bugged me so much I had a luthier install them and I love the job he did. Three more things to point out about the Polara that might be a deal breaker for some. It does have quite a slim neck, at least mine does, so check if you are okay with that, I like baseball bat necks like on my Blues 90. Next, the enormous neck heal that, unlike an SG, is so thick that it is flush with the back of the guitar body and is like hitting a speed bump when you're racing down a back alley at night. If that is not bad enough you hit that steel pylon called a strap button with your lower thumb joint and that does hurt. I had the luthier move it into the body where it belongs with no neck dive issues. So dumb that they would have put that button on the neck heal instead of the body. To sum up the Polara is a great guitar if you like the slim neck, but once you hit no man's land past the 17th fret you have the three problems of no inlays or dots (a skilled luthier's fix), an enormous neck heal (no fix that I would authorize) and an annoying and painful strap button placement (an easy fix). You have been warned.
They also made a limited run in 2023 of the S-100 with a Bigsby. I got the last one on Sweetwater for a discount demo price. They only made 25 of them exclusively sold on Sweetwater.
Guild offered an import S100 made in Korea under the DeArmond brand in the late 90's. The model name was the S73. It had American made DeArmond Gold Foil humbuckers. I bought one in 2000 or 2001 from GC for $180 when they were being discontinued. Fender kept making the design under the Squier brand, but with cheap import pups. I had mine for 20 years before trading it and a Mexican Strat for a Gibson '61 style SG. The S73 was a very good guitar.
There's a weird side story to the history of Guild. After Fender bought them, there were a few Squier guitars under the 20th anniversary line "Series 24" that were straight up S-100 copies
Many years ago I swapped an epi LP standard for an s100 polara to pay tribute to one of the most underrated guitarists (Kim) and I love it. Nice review, thanks for sharing! 😎🍻
Honestly a vid series of obscure guitar history would be awesome. I know you usually talk about manufacturer history when you showcase them, but having some vids on the lesser know events that shaped the guitar world would be really cool to see.
The new Zacky Vengeance model looks pretty sick, but I'm not sure why a $1500 Schecter doesn't have locking tuners (unless Zacky specifically didn't want them). Also, pickup rings on top of a pickguard is a strange choice.
I've owned my Guild Polara Deluxe for about a month, it's freaking GREAT. Better than my past two Gibsons, and I'm glad that someone released a decent video explaining this epic guitar.
i know its off topic, but I searched all over thomann and haven’t ever been able to find your guitar (the one in the background behind you). Was it limited run or don’t I know something else?
The reason of the 17th marker thing is a very simple one. It is only aesthetic. This way the frets "stays off" from the "territory" of the body's shape. As the vertical stripes wouldn't "bother" the body contour, no affairs with that and the simple, not too pointy (a bit "boring") body still stands out for itself. Depends on the sight of different people it is immediately clear... and once you have start to see this way you just can't let it go...And elegant I think. 🙂
Have a ‘75 standard carve (acorns) and a 90’s S-100. Both play very well. The S-100 pups are a little bright, def cut thru. They do sit a little forward if playing sitting down, tad awkward. Otherwise, the US made ones from yesteryear are a bargain vs the applicable Fendys and Gibbys.
I just bought the Guild Polara Standard in yellow. Great guitar, can sound like anything you want it to sound like, light as well so a gigging musician would love it. Build quality is tip top as well
I used to have those Kim Thayil guitar world ads on my wall in the 90s! Probably why i'm still obsessed with that shape today, even though i've never actually owned a Guild.
i assume the lack of inlays thing has to do with really old jazz boxes and acoustics, some of them would have the body join at the 17th, 15th, or 12th fret, might've been a precautionary thing as to not scratch up the beautiful top of those old jazz boxes, just my theory.
I want one like Chris Buck plays, it has P90 pickups and a wraparound bridge, his favorite design. All the stock Revstar guitars have tunamatic bridges with seperate tailpiece. Maybe they have a Chris Buck custom shop model, if so I probably couldn't afford it. I may get on anyways!
I actually have a Guild Starfire SC I got mainly because it was a semi-hollow and I was looking for that kind of tone. It's becoming my new main guitar. It's an amazing thing, and I am happy to learn more about Guild, and I'm honestly looking forward to the new Polaras.
A buddy of mine had a 90’s model and he still has it. Loves that thing. Finally Kim getting a much deserved fiddle worthy of his greatness. The Iommi of grunge. I said it. Fight me. SA-126 looks neat and could be a cool.
My Guild Polara is up there with my best guitars, Fender Vintera Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Special - and maybe just a smidge behind my Baum Wingman. The hardware on the Guild is really good too, same as it often is with Gretsch. But I think the Wingman is the best, because their luthiers do a final Q.C. finish and setup at Baum in Denmark, and it shows in how it plays. The Guild, Fender and Gibson were setup well, but still could benefit from a final pro setup. But, I'd also say, my Sire L7 is up there too, in playability - though I think the Guild sounds a little better and looks better.
5:31 JJN said in an interview once that they did it to save time and get his original demo model to him faster, but he thought it looked cool and told them to keep it in the production model as well.
When I was a teenager learning to play, my big brother's friend had a Guild S 300 that I used to play all the time. That thing was awsome! I never forgot it. And Kim was right, no other guitar feels like that. I've never found another guitar with that feel, and I've been playing for 35 years now.
I bought one of the s-100 polara when they were being discontinued when the kim thayil import came out. I think it's a great guitar that has a different vibe to the SG. I also think the playability, sound, and build quality are better than many other brands offerings in the same price points.
I watched this video then about a month later i came across a yellow Polara and grabbed it up immediately and i love it. Thatnk you for introducing me to Guild. Im definitely gunna end up buying another one eventually.
I think the frets stopping at 17 originally came from acoustics. Not 17 specifically, but on old acoustics they didn't bother with fret markers past where the body and neck met (usually 12-14) unless it was a more ornate model. Guild has a pretty strong history in the acoustic world, so it would make sense that they adopt that ethos. Plus fret markers shouldn't really matter as much as a side dot.
Interesting stuff wasn’t aware of all that mentioned. Except I think Trogly mentioned him finally getting the signature after all the years of repping them since sound garden also wild how yahmaha is one of a few companies that has so many different types of things that they sell in so many different categories like more companies did back in the day.
I had an absolutely amazing Guild acoustic six string when I was a kid. Sorry I ever sold it. I have a Guild Pilot bass that I bought in '92 and I love that thing to death. It is a workhorse and sounds great. Guild make good stuff.
I don't normally go for SG style guitars but i saw that neon yellow guild in a store a few months ago and almost picked it up on the spot. such a fun and weird combo
We may have the same tech. Does he happen to work at Noll in Cranston (previously in Warwick) now? (Well, worked there a decade ago or so at least, I’ve moved states since). Anyway, love my polara. The new guild stuff is surprisingly good, and this is coming from an “i only want a vintage RI guild” guy
@@n.s.3812 Sorry, not the same guy. My guy has his own guitar store in downtown Westerly. What's nice is that he gets vintage Guild's on consignment in his shop so I get to play them! Unfortunately they're usually priced just out of reach for me. He did have a 1973 S-100 that was under 3K but at that time I couldn't swing it.
@@n.s.3812 Sorry, not the same guy. My guy has a guitar shop in Westerly. It's great because he often gets vintage Guild's in on consignment so I get to play them. Unfortunately they're usually priced just out of reach for me. He did have a 1973 S-100 priced just under 3K but at that time I couldn't swing it. That guitar was awesome!! He told me the guitar to own is a 1963 or older Starfire. I have a Surfliner Deluxe & it's a rocker!!
I have a guild hollow body from the fender era and it's an amazing playing vintage sounding guitar, i remember playing some of the old solid body ones in pawnshops, guild is quirky but they are great guitars
3:23 I remember like in 2016/17 there was a worldwide restriction for international trade of rosewood because of it becoming a threatened species. I guess musical instruments got restrictions lifted for but Fender and Gibson probably find Laurel cheaper and "close enough" lol
Ive got a 1980-1981 Yamaha SHB-400 Guitar..❤ It..Neck through..2 humbuckers,,coil split..3 way switch. Ive never done anything to it..all original..i only change strings..its still an Amazing guitar..plays and sounds great...Yamaha rules.
Hunter, thanks to that history lesson, this video has been the most informative that I have seen, and I've subscribed for years. Although I doubt I'll remember much of it, thank you for all that info. Whether I remember it or not, I enjoyed it!
The frets/fret markers stop at the 17th fret as a throwback to those vintage archtop guitars. We're talking like 1950s, etc. Also I own Guild Polaras (2 of them) and have owned many SGs. They are NOT the same animal. They feel different, play different, and sound different.
I had no idea that Guild wasn’t under Fender anymore. Always associated them with acoustics but nice to see electric models again. Yamaha seems like a really good fit for them and their electric models.
Had the previous version of the Polara in Black. incredible craftmanship and playability, and surprisingly excellent oem pickups. I've been waiting for them to reissue the s300 for like 4-5 years now, but it's too late now, I play Strandberg now hahaha also if you wanna have a laugh, check out the dearmond sevenstar, it's basically a 7-string T Bird
Haha... I was reading the text in that old ass ad with the Thunderbird, Polara, and Jet-star, and got a chuckle out of "specially engineered vibrato tailpiece." That tailpiece is actually made by Hagstrom. I've got one on my '64 Harmony H-19. They are indeed pretty sweet, but calling a part you've borrowed from another brand "specially engineered" is pretty hilarious nonetheless. Edit: Oh, and the inlays on that H-19 also stop at the 17th fret! Lol.
Luthier here, I recently picked up a Polara Deluxe in Canyon Dusk.. it's so well built it's unbelievable. Like nicer than new Gibsons I've been working on. Was worried about the tuners but they hold a tune fine. The nut is a weird composite but it sounds great. It's the best bang for the buck guitar I've ever come across.. total steal.
Just be very careful with them, those headstocks break super super easy. My band's guitarist dropped his bc of a strap failure and fell onto heavy carpeted soft floor and still exploded in a million pieces
I think the 17th fret marker thing has something to do with acoustics. Guitars didn't have fret markers in the beginning. So it isn't like a throwback or anything.
8:47 it was OK 👌. I played one and was kinda underwhelming. Other than the bridge being unique. You could just buy a used epiphone SG and call it a day.
I love guild. My favorite acoustic was a guild knock off made by Ventura in the 70s. Even one of the earliest Kinks record has Dave Davies playing a guild star fire on the album cover
I have a 1978 Guild S300 - AD (A for Ash body and neck and D for Dimarzio Supper Distortion and PAF Pickups). It has 24 frets on an Ebony fretboard and plays better than any Gibson I've owned. I am currently using Ernie Ball SUPER SLINKY COBALT FLATWOUND ELECTRIC GUITAR STRINGS 9-42 tuned to C# standard. Getting those Tony Iommi type tones without sounding exactly like him.
The best guitars that I played in the 1970's and 80's were Guilds. The best guitar that I have ever played was a Guild X79. I'm glad that Guild is back.
The gigant 70s headstocks where made so you could see the brand on TV. It all started in 1965-ish when CBS took over Fender and wanted the logo to be seen on their broadcasts. If you didn't know, now you know!
Glad the guy finally got a Sig, awesome player, great band, but that Slash played Guild double-neck is the coolest. Wish they released that acoustic electric.
btw "distressed" schecter avenger doesn't work. Nobody wants a distressed avenger. lol at least i can't imagine anyone wanting it. No offense, it's an iconic guitar and awesome player.And schecter did the Polara better than Guild (except maybe the gloss black one they released, but no way it's spec'd the same as the schecter.)
Here is a short honest review. I was really looking forward to try the Polaras. It was a huge disappointment. The green one has a finish like it was dipped in thick plastic. The neck is this wide D shape like on a classical guitar. Just too bulky on the shoulders to play comfortably. Resonance was terrible. Then I tried the deluxe. One thing that was going for it was the ultra light weight. The pros stopped there. Both guitars felt like props, toys. So sad, because I like this shape and color scheme more that the Gibson. I guess the only way to go is the vintage Polara route. Cheers.
Guild was always bigger in the acoustic and arctop world. The company was in flux in he 70s and changed factories. I'm glad they are bringing back the USA built guitars.
I'm 99% sure the fret marker is a holdover from old hollow bodies. The first Guilds were hollow bodies where everything above the 17th fret is decorative. You can't actually reach them. A lot of old hollow body 'jazz' style guitars stop at 17.
They traditionally stopped at the 17th fret because at the time they did that the head designer’s attitude and understanding about electric guitars was that most guitarists played in a few typical guitar keys like E, A, D, G, C, and it was still a different time where electric lead guitar was not nearly as common to play as it is today Based on this he thought it was reasonable to stop the markers at the high A note, because the next marker would be at B, and C#- not common or necessary markers at the time I made all that up
Because they didn't make that night blacked out edition satin I may actually buy it! They look good for 5 seconds and then fingerprints take over forever imho.
The oversized headstocks in the 1970's was based on greed - it allowed them to flash their brand name on a larger "sign". Gibson and Fender had both been bought by big non-guitar corporations, who did everything possible to cut costs, push the product to make money. I like the larger Fender headstock, but on Gibson "3 x 3" headstock it creates a sharper angle at the nut on the 3rd and 4th strings especially - the problem strings. I liked the Guild "Bluesbird" Les Paul style guitars, and the Aristocrat, great bass guitars too!
Went down a massive nerdy guitar history rabbit hole with this one, and nearly killed poor editor Jordan in the process lol. Hit like to show Jordan some love. 👍 and don't forget to join our Discord if you've got a question for a future ASKgufish episode! discord.gg/H9s8FGep5j
I had a Guild S-300 I bought used in 1985, it had the 2nd Kahler ever installed in the State of Maine by the previous owner.
I had it set up my a Fender Master Tech in '93 and it never needed a thing done to it until I had it refretted in 2010.
Played hundreds of gis with it and miss the hell out of it. They make great guitars.
Thanks for the history lesson!
Billy Gibbons has a Gretsch signature custom guitar that looks kinda like the 1960 Guild polaras and a 1957 Chevy ! I Don't remember if it's called a Billy bo or of that was the name of the other square body Gretsch signature 😂
Bro thank you so much for not only doing a piece on Guild but talking about my favoritr band of all time, the mighty SOUNDGARDEN. Alice in Chains is 2nd to them only just because Chris Cornell had the voice of a god, a baritone who could stretch 5 octives. I was CRUSHED when we lost him so young, as I was supposed to go to that show THE DAY he was pronounced. I wept like a child who lost a hero and I am a young Soundgarden at only 34. Thank you Hunter, as a history minor in college I see you homey.
The fret markers stop at 17 to keep working musicians fed. Playing above the 17th you start to lose money gigging
😂 facts
Well said 😊
Chubby fingers (like mine) just can't fit in those itty bitty frets! So we pretend they're not even there!
Sounds like someone can’t bust a proper solo….
If you have unplayed frets, it just a waste of real estate…. Been playing professionally for 30 years…. I use every fret, every gig…. And I get paid….
“No one ever made money above the third fret.” - Merle Haggard
8:54 Marketing departements asked for headstocks to be huge in the 70s so people could see the branding better on television, that's where it's coming from, just a power move
ohhhhh that actually makes total sense!
@@agufishI think it started with CBS buying Fender and realizing how enlarging the logo would show more on TV
My dad held his Guild in absolutely the highest regard. It was insanely heavy and pretty terrible looking, but it had its own charm to me when I was growing up.
Rest in peace, pops.
Ty for sharing .. RIP Pops indeed.
Yeah, it was most likely made in the USA, too! This one is probably made in India by some ten year old kids.
Rip a good father
Indonesian guild and prs prices really giving a huge middle finger to Epiphone
And they're doing it the right way too.
These are killer guitars.
Anybody that doesn't give you 💩 laurel boards is shitting on Epiphone.
Anything that doesn't give you bullshit laurel shits on Epiphone.
The 17th inlay fret thing! Oh my god! My Epiphone Sheraton is the same and I had a local luthier put at least dots on the side, the Emily Wolfe one fixed it luckily tho…
I don't know personally but I googled it and got a few theories for the stopping of the markers after the 17th fret:
theory one: the space between the frets is too small and it's difficult to drill there without risking cracking the board
theory two: old timers didn't use frets that high up and so they didn't have them
no idea if any of these have any truth to them but they seem plausible
I tried the white import Kim Thayl version at Guitar Center a couple of weeks ago and was very pleasantly surprised. Played a variety of Fenders, PRS SE, Epiphone, and Ibanez that day in the $500-1000 range and it was my second favorite. Decided to keep the brand on my radar after that.
What ended up being your favorite (For curiosities' sake)?
@@michaelnugent9758 A used Fender Player Plus Stratocaster. Which honestly shocked me. I’ve never been drawn to strats and haven’t really enjoyed playing them that much. PRS SE CE was my third favorite. Couldn’t tell you after that.
Ive played a LOT of guitars but my new Polara is the absolute best out of the box guitar Ive ever gotten. Fit, finish are perfect. Frets, perfect. Sound is amazing. Moves from jazz to metal without blinking an eye. Im blown away and super glad I made the decision to give Guild a shot.
I checked out a Surfliner and was blown away. I’ve always liked the Polaras and would love to see another American historic guitar company make a comeback.
I would personally love it if Guild reissued the S-300/S-60 models - Patrick Stump has been playing those live recently, and they look sick. Maybe a signature model is in the works?
Seconded. The build quality on those is unrivaled.
The 70’s S100 has some Heritage history to it. Ren Wall of Gibson and Heritage fame left in the 70’s and went to Guild. He helped design and launch the S100 back then.
Even Trogly made that Guild Deluxe sound good, I like the pickup sound.
I haven’t really seen a Guild that I’ve necessarily *wanted* until I saw that dark one with the single pickup. I’d take that thing.
Same. I saw it, and immediately bought it.
@@robertsilver5130 Let me know how it is! Would love to try one out.
@@TylerJohnstonGuitar I’ve been playing it nonstop for the last two weeks. Extremely light, slightly chunky yet very comfortable neck (that’s doesn’t dive like an SG), flat fretboard, and guild’s new humbucker is nicely voiced, imo. An inexpensive guitar to pick up and rock out. Looks and sounds great. I love it.
@@robertsilver5130 Hell yeah man, hoping one pops up in a store near me. Enjoy the new axe!
Man I love that Polara Tungsten Night Edition. Well gotta save up for that. What I heard about the 17th fret cut off is the inlay recesses are drilled into the board after the fret slots have been cut. The distance from the edge of the inlay recess to the slots on each side of it becomes too short past the 17th fret to drill cleanly without the danger of having chipping and tear out of the wood between the inlay recess and the adjacent slots.
We can thank Heritage Guitar's Jim Deurloo for "Guild SG"... He was headhunted by Guild from Gibson back in the day to run their shop for 5 years. What he came up with was basically an SG with a much stronger neck joint.
Heritage guitars are amazing! As a Kalamazoo native, born and raised here and having lived here most of the past 30+ years I definitely hope to eventually own one.
@@brendancleary9490 sadly, the shop is currently run by idiots and quality is pretty bad currently - nuts, binding, finish, frets, plastics, pickups...they are pushing out anyone with skill and if current management had their way, the last of the old timers (two currently left, Pete/jim) would be out tomorrow.
Got a vintage one many years ago. As an SG guy I thought I’d give it a try. Severe neck diver/headstock heavy. Strap button placement was part of the problem as I recall. Props on the Kim signature though.
Even worse dive than the gib SG?
@@papa_pt Much worse in my experience. Due to the offset contour of the body and strap pin placement.
Thanks for doing this great retrospective of Guild. I've been a Guild owner since 1996. I have a Westerly, Rhode Island pre-Fender X-170 Jazz boat, a Fender Guild Blues 90 with Seymour Duncan P-90s and a 1996 Fender Guild S-100 Polara. The Blues 90 is like a overgrown chambered LP with a baseball bat neck and I love it. The Polara came stock with uncovered black bobbin Seymour Duncan '59 and JB humbuckers. No big deal, I put those HBs into a Big Apple Strat I assembled and put chrome cover Gibson 490R and 498T pickups in the the Polara.
Observant that you pointed out the missing inlays and side marker dots on the Polara. It's okay, I guess, on an Epiphone Sheraton but totally inappropriate on this type of guitar where it's all about access to the upper frets. It bugged me so much I had a luthier install them and I love the job he did.
Three more things to point out about the Polara that might be a deal breaker for some. It does have quite a slim neck, at least mine does, so check if you are okay with that, I like baseball bat necks like on my Blues 90. Next, the enormous neck heal that, unlike an SG, is so thick that it is flush with the back of the guitar body and is like hitting a speed bump when you're racing down a back alley at night. If that is not bad enough you hit that steel pylon called a strap button with your lower thumb joint and that does hurt. I had the luthier move it into the body where it belongs with no neck dive issues. So dumb that they would have put that button on the neck heal instead of the body.
To sum up the Polara is a great guitar if you like the slim neck, but once you hit no man's land past the 17th fret you have the three problems of no inlays or dots (a skilled luthier's fix), an enormous neck heal (no fix that I would authorize) and an annoying and painful strap button placement (an easy fix). You have been warned.
i'm still waiting for the reissue of the Bluesbird. that is a beast of a guitar which went the way of the dodo a few years back
JJN said stopping the inlays was a throwback shoutout to old Gibson hollowbodies. The stinger too.
They also made a limited run in 2023 of the S-100 with a Bigsby. I got the last one on Sweetwater for a discount demo price. They only made 25 of them exclusively sold on Sweetwater.
Guild offered an import S100 made in Korea under the DeArmond brand in the late 90's. The model name was the S73. It had American made DeArmond Gold Foil humbuckers. I bought one in 2000 or 2001 from GC for $180 when they were being discontinued. Fender kept making the design under the Squier brand, but with cheap import pups. I had mine for 20 years before trading it and a Mexican Strat for a Gibson '61 style SG. The S73 was a very good guitar.
There's a weird side story to the history of Guild. After Fender bought them, there were a few Squier guitars under the 20th anniversary line "Series 24" that were straight up S-100 copies
Many years ago I swapped an epi LP standard for an s100 polara to pay tribute to one of the most underrated guitarists (Kim) and I love it. Nice review, thanks for sharing! 😎🍻
Honestly a vid series of obscure guitar history would be awesome. I know you usually talk about manufacturer history when you showcase them, but having some vids on the lesser know events that shaped the guitar world would be really cool to see.
The new Zacky Vengeance model looks pretty sick, but I'm not sure why a $1500 Schecter doesn't have locking tuners (unless Zacky specifically didn't want them). Also, pickup rings on top of a pickguard is a strange choice.
I have 2 Guild S-300 Deluxes. They're my favorite guitars ever. Really wish they would bring them back.
I've owned my Guild Polara Deluxe for about a month, it's freaking GREAT. Better than my past two Gibsons, and I'm glad that someone released a decent video explaining this epic guitar.
i know its off topic, but I searched all over thomann and haven’t ever been able to find your guitar (the one in the background behind you). Was it limited run or don’t I know something else?
The reason of the 17th marker thing is a very simple one. It is only aesthetic. This way the frets "stays off" from the "territory" of the body's shape. As the vertical stripes wouldn't "bother" the body contour, no affairs with that and the simple, not too pointy (a bit "boring") body still stands out for itself. Depends on the sight of different people it is immediately clear... and once you have start to see this way you just can't let it go...And elegant I think. 🙂
But all my guitars have fret markers all the way up the neck, it looks weird to me if they don't, plus I might lose track of where I am up there..?
I wish Guild would make left-handed models. I would buy a lefty Polara tomorrow if I could.
Have a ‘75 standard carve (acorns) and a 90’s S-100. Both play very well. The S-100 pups are a little bright, def cut thru. They do sit a little forward if playing sitting down, tad awkward. Otherwise, the US made ones from yesteryear are a bargain vs the applicable Fendys and Gibbys.
You should have look at the new Maybach Lester finish options, something in me says you will like them.
I just bought the Guild Polara Standard in yellow. Great guitar, can sound like anything you want it to sound like, light as well so a gigging musician would love it. Build quality is tip top as well
I used to have those Kim Thayil guitar world ads on my wall in the 90s! Probably why i'm still obsessed with that shape today, even though i've never actually owned a Guild.
i assume the lack of inlays thing has to do with really old jazz boxes and acoustics, some of them would have the body join at the 17th, 15th, or 12th fret, might've been a precautionary thing as to not scratch up the beautiful top of those old jazz boxes, just my theory.
I recently picked up a Yamaha RevStar and it is one of the nicest guitars I own. Very natural to play.
I want one like Chris Buck plays, it has P90 pickups and a wraparound bridge, his favorite design. All the stock Revstar guitars have tunamatic bridges with seperate tailpiece. Maybe they have a Chris Buck custom shop model, if so I probably couldn't afford it. I may get on anyways!
I actually have a Guild Starfire SC I got mainly because it was a semi-hollow and I was looking for that kind of tone. It's becoming my new main guitar. It's an amazing thing, and I am happy to learn more about Guild, and I'm honestly looking forward to the new Polaras.
A buddy of mine had a 90’s model and he still has it. Loves that thing. Finally Kim getting a much deserved fiddle worthy of his greatness. The Iommi of grunge. I said it. Fight me.
SA-126 looks neat and could be a cool.
The Iommi of Grunge is a good description.
My Guild Polara is up there with my best guitars, Fender Vintera Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Special - and maybe just a smidge behind my Baum Wingman. The hardware on the Guild is really good too, same as it often is with Gretsch. But I think the Wingman is the best, because their luthiers do a final Q.C. finish and setup at Baum in Denmark, and it shows in how it plays. The Guild, Fender and Gibson were setup well, but still could benefit from a final pro setup. But, I'd also say, my Sire L7 is up there too, in playability - though I think the Guild sounds a little better and looks better.
Best pocket rechargable practice amp/multi effects to use with low tuned guitars. I know some modelers struggle to handle extended range tunings.
5:31 JJN said in an interview once that they did it to save time and get his original demo model to him faster, but he thought it looked cool and told them to keep it in the production model as well.
Dude thank you
When I was a teenager learning to play, my big brother's friend had a Guild S 300 that I used to play all the time. That thing was awsome! I never forgot it. And Kim was right, no other guitar feels like that. I've never found another guitar with that feel, and I've been playing for 35 years now.
Really wanted a white polara like wino plays but they don’t make it anymore
I bought one of the s-100 polara when they were being discontinued when the kim thayil import came out. I think it's a great guitar that has a different vibe to the SG. I also think the playability, sound, and build quality are better than many other brands offerings in the same price points.
I watched this video then about a month later i came across a yellow Polara and grabbed it up immediately and i love it. Thatnk you for introducing me to Guild. Im definitely gunna end up buying another one eventually.
I just played the Kim Thayil model last weekend at GC, and I was really impressed. Killer price point for a signature model.
love this nerdy stuff!!!
when will your baritone drop?
I think the frets stopping at 17 originally came from acoustics. Not 17 specifically, but on old acoustics they didn't bother with fret markers past where the body and neck met (usually 12-14) unless it was a more ornate model. Guild has a pretty strong history in the acoustic world, so it would make sense that they adopt that ethos. Plus fret markers shouldn't really matter as much as a side dot.
Interesting stuff wasn’t aware of all that mentioned. Except I think Trogly mentioned him finally getting the signature after all the years of repping them since sound garden also wild how yahmaha is one of a few companies that has so many different types of things that they sell in so many different categories like more companies did back in the day.
I had an absolutely amazing Guild acoustic six string when I was a kid. Sorry I ever sold it. I have a Guild Pilot bass that I bought in '92 and I love that thing to death. It is a workhorse and sounds great. Guild make good stuff.
I don't normally go for SG style guitars but i saw that neon yellow guild in a store a few months ago and almost picked it up on the spot. such a fun and weird combo
If you can, compare ESP, Ibanez, and Schecter necks. Like how they feel, which is the thinnest, ect.
Big Gumbo Here! Thanks for answering the guild question.
I wish the deluxe came in black. They kept that for Kim's guitar.
I would say that, since Guild was primarily an acoustic guitar maker, the fret markets only go to 17 because that’s pretty standard for acoustics.
Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy also plays a few different solid body Guild guitars.
My guitar tech was a luthier at the last Guild factory in Westerly, R.I.
We may have the same tech. Does he happen to work at Noll in Cranston (previously in Warwick) now? (Well, worked there a decade ago or so at least, I’ve moved states since).
Anyway, love my polara. The new guild stuff is surprisingly good, and this is coming from an “i only want a vintage RI guild” guy
@@n.s.3812 Sorry, not the same guy. My guy has his own guitar store in downtown Westerly.
What's nice is that he gets vintage Guild's on consignment in his shop so I get to play them! Unfortunately they're usually priced just out of reach for me.
He did have a 1973 S-100 that was under 3K but at that time I couldn't swing it.
@@n.s.3812 Sorry, not the same guy. My guy has a guitar shop in Westerly.
It's great because he often gets vintage Guild's in on consignment so I get to play them. Unfortunately they're usually priced just out of reach for me.
He did have a 1973 S-100 priced just under 3K but at that time I couldn't swing it.
That guitar was awesome!! He told me the guitar to own is a 1963 or older Starfire.
I have a Surfliner Deluxe & it's a rocker!!
I have a guild hollow body from the fender era and it's an amazing playing vintage sounding guitar, i remember playing some of the old solid body ones in pawnshops, guild is quirky but they are great guitars
I just assumed this was the latest iteration in a long line of Thayil endorsed signatures, the fact this is his 1st ever in 2024 is MENTAL.
Looking awesome, love it!
3:23 I remember like in 2016/17 there was a worldwide restriction for international trade of rosewood because of it becoming a threatened species. I guess musical instruments got restrictions lifted for but Fender and Gibson probably find Laurel cheaper and "close enough" lol
I got into the Guild Polara around the time I saw Kim Thayill playing them. I have a few Gibson SG's too, but I've always liked the Guild a bit more.
How's the neck dive compared to an SG?
Ive got a 1980-1981 Yamaha SHB-400 Guitar..❤ It..Neck through..2 humbuckers,,coil split..3 way switch. Ive never done anything to it..all original..i only change strings..its still an Amazing guitar..plays and sounds great...Yamaha rules.
It’s a pipe dream but I wish guild brought back the s280, blade runner, and x88.
Yeah, my brother had an X-88 for many years. It was an excellent guitar and a great workhorse!😁😁
Got my s100 from a pawn shop a few years ago, I love Kim thayil so I always wanted one.
It did not disappoint, great guitar.
I think the new Polara line is amazing! Can't wait to get the Kim Thayil !
Hunter, thanks to that history lesson, this video has been the most informative that I have seen, and I've subscribed for years. Although I doubt I'll remember much of it, thank you for all that info. Whether I remember it or not, I enjoyed it!
The frets/fret markers stop at the 17th fret as a throwback to those vintage archtop guitars. We're talking like 1950s, etc. Also I own Guild Polaras (2 of them) and have owned many SGs. They are NOT the same animal. They feel different, play different, and sound different.
I had no idea that Guild wasn’t under Fender anymore. Always associated them with acoustics but nice to see electric models again. Yamaha seems like a really good fit for them and their electric models.
Had the previous version of the Polara in Black. incredible craftmanship and playability, and surprisingly excellent oem pickups. I've been waiting for them to reissue the s300 for like 4-5 years now, but it's too late now, I play Strandberg now hahaha
also if you wanna have a laugh, check out the dearmond sevenstar, it's basically a 7-string T Bird
I got my white Kim Thayil polara a few weeks ago. Plays and sounds so good, hard to pick up my other guitars 😜
Epiphone Sheraton has that last 17th fret marker, hated that.
Haha... I was reading the text in that old ass ad with the Thunderbird, Polara, and Jet-star, and got a chuckle out of "specially engineered vibrato tailpiece." That tailpiece is actually made by Hagstrom. I've got one on my '64 Harmony H-19. They are indeed pretty sweet, but calling a part you've borrowed from another brand "specially engineered" is pretty hilarious nonetheless.
Edit: Oh, and the inlays on that H-19 also stop at the 17th fret! Lol.
Luthier here, I recently picked up a Polara Deluxe in Canyon Dusk.. it's so well built it's unbelievable. Like nicer than new Gibsons I've been working on. Was worried about the tuners but they hold a tune fine. The nut is a weird composite but it sounds great. It's the best bang for the buck guitar I've ever come across.. total steal.
Just be very careful with them, those headstocks break super super easy. My band's guitarist dropped his bc of a strap failure and fell onto heavy carpeted soft floor and still exploded in a million pieces
I own a Kim Thayil Polara (import) and it's awesome. I want one of the new Deluxe Polaras next.
I think the 17th fret marker thing has something to do with acoustics. Guitars didn't have fret markers in the beginning. So it isn't like a throwback or anything.
8:47 it was OK 👌. I played one and was kinda underwhelming. Other than the bridge being unique. You could just buy a used epiphone SG and call it a day.
Agufish, It’s time for the 100W Dual Dark amp to make an appearance on your channel. Seeing as a LTD edition is about to surface!
I love guild. My favorite acoustic was a guild knock off made by Ventura in the 70s. Even one of the earliest Kinks record has Dave Davies playing a guild star fire on the album cover
I have a 1978 Guild S300 - AD (A for Ash body and neck and D for Dimarzio Supper Distortion and PAF Pickups). It has 24 frets on an Ebony fretboard and plays better than any Gibson I've owned. I am currently using Ernie Ball SUPER SLINKY COBALT FLATWOUND ELECTRIC GUITAR STRINGS 9-42 tuned to C# standard. Getting those Tony Iommi type tones without sounding exactly like him.
The trend of the big head stocks in the 70's was to see the logos better in the midst of the competition! Bigger headstock, bigger logo !
that yellow goes so hard it's unbelievable
The best guitars that I played in the 1970's and 80's were Guilds. The best guitar that I have ever played was a Guild X79. I'm glad that Guild is back.
I want them to redo the star fire line up as a good alternative to 335
The gigant 70s headstocks where made so you could see the brand on TV.
It all started in 1965-ish when CBS took over Fender and wanted the logo to be seen on their broadcasts.
If you didn't know, now you know!
Glad the guy finally got a Sig, awesome player, great band, but that Slash played Guild double-neck is the coolest. Wish they released that acoustic electric.
btw "distressed" schecter avenger doesn't work. Nobody wants a distressed avenger. lol at least i can't imagine anyone wanting it. No offense, it's an iconic guitar and awesome player.And schecter did the Polara better than Guild (except maybe the gloss black one they released, but no way it's spec'd the same as the schecter.)
Here is a short honest review.
I was really looking forward to try the Polaras. It was a huge disappointment. The green one has a finish like it was dipped in thick plastic. The neck is this wide D shape like on a classical guitar. Just too bulky on the shoulders to play comfortably. Resonance was terrible. Then I tried the deluxe. One thing that was going for it was the ultra light weight. The pros stopped there. Both guitars felt like props, toys. So sad, because I like this shape and color scheme more that the Gibson. I guess the only way to go is the vintage Polara route. Cheers.
Guild was always bigger in the acoustic and arctop world. The company was in flux in he 70s and changed factories. I'm glad they are bringing back the USA built guitars.
Dermond who is owned by fender, also make a version of this too. Offset SG type guitar
I'm 99% sure the fret marker is a holdover from old hollow bodies. The first Guilds were hollow bodies where everything above the 17th fret is decorative. You can't actually reach them. A lot of old hollow body 'jazz' style guitars stop at 17.
I wish they would rerelease the X-88 Motley Crew Mick Mars model! The X-79 is cool also.
They traditionally stopped at the 17th fret because at the time they did that the head designer’s attitude and understanding about electric guitars was that most guitarists played in a few typical guitar keys like E, A, D, G, C, and it was still a different time where electric lead guitar was not nearly as common to play as it is today
Based on this he thought it was reasonable to stop the markers at the high A note, because the next marker would be at B, and C#- not common or necessary markers at the time
I made all that up
Guilds are sick, really want one!
Because they didn't make that night blacked out edition satin I may actually buy it! They look good for 5 seconds and then fingerprints take over forever imho.
Hmm my second electric was/is a 74. Very small neck n roller bridge.
Still rocking a 90's Guild DeArmond (Seven Start) 7 string...
I got a '98 DeArmond jet star deluxe bass, that "gumby" shape looks silly but its very well balanced
@@jasondorsey7110 yeah they look a bit weird... I got used to it though
YAMAHA Drums are some of the absolute best kits on the planet also.
The oversized headstocks in the 1970's was based on greed - it allowed them to flash their brand name on a larger "sign". Gibson and Fender had both been bought by big non-guitar corporations, who did everything possible to cut costs, push the product to make money. I like the larger Fender headstock, but on Gibson "3 x 3" headstock it creates a sharper angle at the nut on the 3rd and 4th strings especially - the problem strings. I liked the Guild "Bluesbird" Les Paul style guitars, and the Aristocrat, great bass guitars too!
Tailstock on the custom shop Thayil is about an inch further behind the bridge compared to the production model. This is bogus.