Sale Pending-Padalka Polaris - Maple & Spanish Cedar

The Padalka Polaris in Maple and Spanish Cedar feels like an instrument shaped as much by imagination as by craft, the kind of guitar that carries the quiet certainty of a luthier who knows precisely what waits on the far side of bold ideas. Simon Padalka has long been one of the most forward leaning modern builders, an artist whose instruments blur the boundaries between sculpture and function. His roots trace back to years spent refining structure, carving tone from intuition and engineering, studying how wood breathes and how resonance can be directed like a current. Over time he has become a voice of his own in the boutique world, a builder who invites musicians to explore new shapes of expression rather than rest inside the familiar.

This Polaris stands as a signature of that philosophy. Its semi hollow body seems to hold a luminous air within it, wrapped by a hard rock maple top that feels both radiant and articulate. Beneath it lies the warmth and responsiveness of Spanish cedar, a wood that lends the instrument a graceful balance between depth and immediacy. The one piece Spanish cedar neck is joined to the body in a secure set neck construction and strengthened through full length carbon fiber rods that keep the playing feel unwavering and true. An ebony fingerboard arcs gently at a fourteen inch radius, smooth and dark like still water, guiding the hand along its twenty four stainless steel frets with satisfying clarity.

Fokin pickups sit beneath ebony and leather covers, a detail that speaks directly to Padalka's love for blending tone with visual poetry. They respond with a wide palette, animated further by a volume control, tone control and a five way switch that opens the guitar’s voice into many distinct shades. The neck is carved into a comfortable C profile that begins at nineteen millimeters and fills to twenty one, feeling natural and steady beneath the palm. Oversized ring side markers float along the edge of the fingerboard, glowing with quiet purpose. Stability comes from a GraphTech nut, while articulation and sustain flow through Padalka’s proprietary bridge. Schaller strap locks give the instrument a firm, road ready confidence.

Even the smallest elements bear the stamp of intention, from the roasted ash and leather knobs to the magnetic continuous wood rear panel that maintains the visual harmony of the instrument’s back. At a twenty five inch scale and a featherlike weight of five pounds two ounces, the Polaris invites long hours of play without strain, encouraging exploration and nuance.

A guitar like this feels less like an object and more like a conversation between player and maker, a shared belief that sound can be both grounded and otherworldly. In the Padalka Polaris, Simon Padalka offers a vessel for expression that is light, resonant and shaped by the hands of a luthier who refuses to stop chasing what is possible.

Other specifications include:

For more information about the Padalka Polaris, please contact us.

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