Having relaunched its Aurora model in 2023, co-designed by Billy F Gibbons, Cream T’s latest addition is the entirely new ‘super-S’ style Polaris Custom. But where’s the rockstar and the pickup swapping?
CREAM T POLARIS CUSTOM £2,499
An increasing number of smaller guitar makers seem to be making their own pickups in-house these days, just like the big guns have always done. Pickup makers more rarely step into the dusty world of guitar making –and Cream T is one exception. Although its production is quite limited, the guitars so far have been anything but. Along with pulling in big star names such as Billy FGibbons, the company has been championing innovative pickup-swapping with both of its models so far: the flat-topped single-cut Aurora and the offset Crossfire, originally made by UK Guitar Builders and now by anew UK-based manufacturing partner. As we reported back in issue 503, the clean, crisp build has been retained with the Version 2Aurora Custom and the Crossfire should be back shortly. In the meantime, the Cream Tteam, headed by Tim Lobley, has something new to share: the Polaris Custom.
Now, it doesn’t offer that pickupswapping potential –the pickups load from the back of the guitar, which means a Stratstyle vibrato with its rear-placed springs can’t be used, although we understand a hardtail version with pickup swapping will be available soon. Nevertheless, the Polaris is impressive from the off. The HSS super-S has always been a journeyman guitar and the Polaris cer
