“At this point, we’re even being emulated by other companies”: Tosin Abasi never planned to be a guitar designer – he explains how Abasi Concepts became one of the biggest names in progressive guitars

Not content with merely reinventing technical guitar playing with Animals as Leaders, Tosin Abasi has also ended up changing the face of the instrument itself.

His own brand, Abasi Concepts, has staked new territory with its bold reimaginings of extended-range electric guitars via its Larada and Emi outlines. But the virtuoso has also collaborated with Ernie Ball Music Man on the angular chic of the Kaizen, and now with Cordoba for the Abasi Stage 7 – his long-awaited, groundbreaking ergonomic nylon-string design.

But, as he told Guitar World during a Q&A on his new Cordoba acoustic at NAMM 2026, he had no intention of ever designing instruments. It was necessity – namely the shortage of quality extended-range guitars – that ultimately forced his hand.

“It was never really part of the plan,” he says. “But once you start playing eight-string guitar, especially if we go back 10-15 years, you didn’t really have options. I cut my teeth on the design aspect by having to commission these custom-built guitars, and it really forced me to think about what was important to have in an extended-range instrument, and what wasn't.

“There’s a lot of extended range guitars that basically take an existing six-string and just add strings, and I don’t think that hits the mark, as far as how comfortable and playable these instruments can be.”

Tosin Abasi on Designing the Ultimate 7-String Nylon Guitar - YouTube

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Although he’s always had an interest in fashion and design, Abasi has been surprised by the impact he’s had on the industry – something that was perhaps best exemplified last month when his former flame Ibanez dropped its ergonomic new Alpha Series.

Fans – and Abasi’s own bandmate – were quick to point out its similarities to the AAL leader’s efforts. As he says, with a twinkle in his eye, “At this point, we’re even being emulated by other companies…” Imitation, of course, being the sincerest form of flattery.

It’s a mark of how far Abasi has come as a designer, especially as creating guitars has taken on a whole new meaning for the guitarist. It’s no longer just a means to an end. It’s a way to fulfil the musical ambitions of a new generation of players. And he feels like a proud parent.

“There's almost a paternal quality to making an instrument for another musician. It's one thing to make music that people consume. It's another thing to make instruments that other musicians use to make their music.

“There's a totally different relationship when it comes to making instruments, because your guitars go out into the world, and then you see someone producing their own music on it. It's a sense of pride or something.”

You can watch the full Q&A with Tosin Abasi, in which he details the design process for the Cordoba Abasi Stage 7, as well as his classical guitar and design journey, above.