Guild S-100 Polara

TOTAL GUITAR MARCH 2019
104
HEAD TO HEAD
Four SG-style beauties with
classic rock credentials
I
n terms of playability, the Gibson,
Yamaha and Guild guitars have a similar
feel. Only the LTD bucks the trend with its
ultra-skinny eff ort. Upper fret access on
all four contenders is great thanks to the
deep cutaways. Big frets equal easy string-
bending. The fl attish fi ngerboards help too
from the Gibson-approved 305mm [12"] radius
on the, er, Gibson and Guild to the even fl atter
‘Super Strat’ feel of the LTD and Yamaha.
Plugging in, you can hear why the mahogany/
humbucker partnership has been so enduring.
All four guitars have an agreeable level of
jangle when run clean. That’s especially
prevalent in the bridge Seymour Duncan JB on
the Viper. That pickup - usually nicknamed
‘the Jeff Beck’ - has bags of midrange punch.
Think of it as a great all-round classic rock pup
that sparkles clean yet likes to scream when
you pile on the fi lth.
Speaking of the heavy stuff , we love the
grunt of the Guild’s humbuckers. If you like
your dirt fat, thick and intense - like
Soundgarden for instance - you’ll get off on
these things.
The SG feels alive in your hands before you
even plug it in. It pumps out an impressive level
of sustain. It’s also brighter than we expected.
That could be down to the stiff maple neck but
whatever the reason for it, we like it. As with
the other guitars on review here, the SG’s neck
pickup comes over warm and jazzy but it’s
the bridge pup that takes you on a sonic
journey from mid-60s George Harrison to
70s Angus.
Given that three of these guitars have
all-mahogany bodies and full-blown
humbuckers, it’s left to the Yamaha RS620 to
off er some diff erent voices. For a start, the
maple top adds a frisson of treble to the mix.
Kick in the ‘dry switch’ and there’s your
authentic single-coil tones. That extended
tonal palette might just be enough to push it
ahead of the competition for you.
Kim Thayil of
Soundgarden used a
white Guild S-100
when the band
reunited
Shining star: Yamaha’s
Revstar’s finish makes it look
more expensive than it is
IF YOU LIKE YOUR DIRT
FAT AND THICK YOU’LL
LOVE THE GRUNT OF THE
GUILD’S HUMBUCKERS
THE TG TEST
TGR316.gear_test.indd 104 31/01/2019 19:19