Show Full Spec Comparison
| Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil | Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Guild | Schecter |
| Year: | 2023 | 2019 |
| Configuration: | HH | HH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | South Korea |
| Series: | Newark St. Collection | Apocalypse |
| Colors: | White | Red Patterns |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | Yes |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Old-Growth Genuine Mahogany | Swamp Ash |
| Bridge: | Guild Vintage Mueller | Floyd Rose 1500 Series |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Set |
| Tuners: | Grover Rotomatics | Grover Rotomatic 18:1 |
| Fretboard: | Indian Rosewood | Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Old-Growth Genuine Mahogany | Maple/Padauk Multi-ply w/Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods |
| Decoration: | Blocks - Mother-Of-Pearl | Roman Numerals |
| Scale Size: | 24.75" | 24.75" |
| Shape: | Kim Thayil Slim C | Thin C |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.807'' (20.5mm) - 12th Fret: 0.858'' (21.8mm) | 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Nickel Silver | 22 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" | 12" to 16" |
| Nut: | Bone | Locking |
| Nut Width: | 41.9mm (1.65'') | 41.3mm (1.625'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Bridge Wound By Jason Lollar (Humbucker / Passive) | Schecter USA Apocalypse-VI (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Guild HB-1 Dual-Coil Neck Wound By Jason Lollar (Humbucker / Passive) | Schecter USA Apocalypse-VI (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 3 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Bell | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | None | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls: | 2 | 2 |
| Tone Controls: | 2 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Gold | Black |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil over Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign
Reasons to Get
Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign over Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil
Other Key Differences
Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil vs Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign
Shared Features
Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil vs Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- High-Quality Frets
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil Prices
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .
Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil:
Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign:
Beginner Friendliness
Both meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in the Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Woods Used in the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.
Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
The Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign pickups from a more specialized brand than the Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Only the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil compares to the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil is built in Indonesia while the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign is made in South Korea.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
On the other hand, the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign comes with a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
In this comparison, the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
The Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
On the other hand, the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil's are Grover Rotomatics while the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign's are Grover Rotomatic 18:1
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Retainer Bar
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in South Korea
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil has the wider nut with 41.9mm (1.65'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 0.6mm (0.025'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".
This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.
On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil and the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.
Fret Size
The Schecter Solo-II FR Apocalypse Red Reign has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Guild USA Artist Edition S-100 Polara Kim Thayil's Medium frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
