“It’s incredibly light, almost like a toy. But it’s not a toy – it’s an incredible instrument I’m about to use to play to 50,000 people”: Polyphia’s Tim Henson on making his game-changing Ibanez that started a nylon-string revolution

After learning that his signature Ibanez TOD10N, which debuted in 2023, has been named one of our 50 most important pieces of gear of the past 25 years, Tim Henson tells us: “I’m honored! My guitar came from the necessity to evolve my sound. It’s amazing that it’s been so impactful to enough people that it made this list.”

Since its wide-scale release, the TOD10N has become not just a tool for Henson, but a hallmark. “It’s become a staple of my playing,” Henson says. “It also seems to have started a nylon-electric movement among other players, which is something I’m super-happy to have helped kickstart in the modern era.”

Henson has been playing his TOD10N on tour with Polyphia, which has seen the guitar clapping back at stadium-sized crowds. “If you were to get this guitar as a Christmas gift or something of that sort, you could take it from your bedroom all the way to stadiums,” he says.

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As for where he plans to take his signature line next, he says he wants to produce a whole line of different-tiered instruments. “I had no idea what the price of the guitar was going to be until announcement day,” Henson says.

“When I got the copy, I read ‘$700’ and thought, ‘Damn… this guitar is super-affordable; that’s incredible.’ To have so many wonderful qualities at that price made me realize it can only get better from here. For people who are looking for better electronics and higher-quality and craftsmanship, there are awesome things coming their way.”

What led to the creation of the TOD10N, and what was your goal?

I wanted an acoustic guitar I could play more technical riffs on with the same ease an electric guitar would provide. I realized a lot of our riffs that are based around the harmonic minor scale sound super-“Spanish” when played on a nylon-string. Another path I visualized for the instrument was to create my own guitar samples that I could make beats from.

Polyphia - Playing God (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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What experiences with previous guitars impacted how you designed your Ibanez?

I discovered the Ibanez SCN500 at a music store in Cologne, Germany. I had no idea a nylon-string S series existed, and my first thought was to try out some of our more technical riffs. It worked like a charm, so I bought it and then asked Ibanez to make me a modern version.

After presenting them with an early demo of our song Playing God, the fire was lit to create the guitar that prompted these questions.

The first time you played your signature Ibanez, what were your thoughts?

I was extremely impressed with the craftsmanship, especially in comparison to its predecessor, the SCN500. It was a lot lighter and felt a lot more “alive,” as it has a chambered body. The TOD10N uses Ibanez’s FR shape, so imagine a hollowed-out version with a classical headstock.

The result of that is very fast but acoustically loud, in comparison to a fully electric guitar – or even the SCN500. We went through a few prototypes before landing on the version that we brought to retail.

Why do you feel the TOD10N has resonated with so many people?

Number one, the aesthetics. It looks really beautiful. That alone will get it into the hands of a player. That’s where the magic comes. Number two is the guitar itself. It’s incredibly light, almost like a toy. And it’s fun to play, again like a toy.

But it’s not a toy; it’s an incredible instrument that I’m about to use today to play to 50,000 people in a stadium as we start our tour supporting System of a Down.

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.