<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Tosin-abasi ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/tosin-abasi Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:12:02 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “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 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tosin-abasi-guitar-design-journey XbmujMsj4NTpuVQvU224J7 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:12:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A brand-new guitar shape from one of the world’s oldest guitar companies. Will wonders never cease?” 10 things we learned at NAMM 2026 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/10-things-we-learned-at-namm-2026 LuFW4qBDuCdaed7SapjRyZ Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:30:32 +0000 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:28:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Modern, ergonomic, and unapologetically performance-driven”: Tosin Abasi’s long-awaited nylon-string is finally here – and he collaborated with another guitar company to make it a reality ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/acoustic-electric-guitars/abasi-concepts-cordoba-abasi-stage-7-nylon-string-electric-guitar dSkrFHFr8Bx7BxTLuezFMZ Thu, 22 Jan 2026 19:23:54 +0000 Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:35:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ “What’s Japanese for shameless?” Tosin Abasi's Animals As Leaders bandmate lambasts Ibanez's new Alpha guitar design ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/javier-reyes-lambasts-ibanez-new-alpha-guitar jXtPHKn35JPZvxeryULE2M Mon, 12 Jan 2026 17:56:01 +0000 Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:49:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Engineered from the ground up”: Ibanez issues its answer to Ernie Ball and Abasi Concepts with the Alpha Series – its most progressive guitar design to date ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/ibanez-alpha-series nndFPCDRiBb3TiXkc2TNw5 Fri, 09 Jan 2026 01:00:00 +0000 Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:35:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I kept seeing outdated business models that didn’t make sense in today’s social media-driven world”: The unstoppable rise of signature guitar companies, as explained by Ola Englund ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/the-unstoppable-rise-of-signature-guitar-companies-as-explained-by-ola-englund NVxxo9yR2HUiH4CBdMqn26 Mon, 29 Dec 2025 12:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We are big fans of tube amplifiers. There’s no substitute for playing an amp in a room”: From amps to plugins, Tosin Abasi teases the next evolution of Abasi Concepts ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tosin-abasi-teases-the-next-evolution-of-abasi-concepts Uuvu9d76F7au9mBWU4M6qh Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:29:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Tosin Abasi told me once, the first time he heard us, he said, ‘This music is broken’”: Meshuggah's Mårten Hagström reflects on changing the face of metal guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/meshuggah-marten-hagstrom-tosin-abasi-broken-music eU4ZzWanaWnRLtnmrtTi3R Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:18:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I thought it was the worst film I’d seen in my life! I was super-embarrassed. But that solo became part of the franchise’”: Stevie Salas on Bill & Ted, playing arenas with Rod Stewart then opening for Joe Satriani, and turning down both Van Halen singers ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/stevie-salas-back-from-the-living fqUMVt9mjmJMPh4K97GmGi Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:07:19 +0000 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 17:19:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Maybe I’m playing into the hate I get from how cold the hyper-modern stuff can be – but I will do a 180 at some point and make people cry”: Guitar heroes are hailing him as shred’s next big thing – but Spiro is already planning a blues left-turn ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/spiro-dussias-on-his-roots-in-the-blues kT38PYPynfTsAeqmhD6AJL Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:32:02 +0000 Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:10:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Scoring especially highly for its superb ergonomics”: Sterling By Music Man Kaizen 7 review ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/sterling-by-music-man-kaizen-7-string-review CdmXQgE8X4zLHcrmD7KcWo Thu, 16 Oct 2025 22:33:22 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:02:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’m seeing players compose something crazy-hard and pretend they can play it when they can’t. It’s dishonest”: How Hedras became one of today’s leading virtuosos by fusing shred smarts and boomer sensibilities ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/hedras-front-line paprkmgpn4Jv4dGiXSwx59 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:21:52 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:58:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I really like the look of Parker Flys, but I don't think I could find one to try in Australia”: Plini on the origins of his passion for Strandberg and headless guitars – and the models he might have otherwise played ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/plini-on-the-origins-of-his-love-affair-with-strandberg 5AwMkfvTSj4tEeV52P7dqc Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:19:13 +0000 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:09:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He's definitely trying to push what a guitar could be”: Misha Mansoor joins Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi in praising this emerging virtuoso – who’s changing the landscape of progressive guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/misha-mansoor-favorite-new-player cbRLBsi8rYUTVcNhyvDrTK Fri, 10 Oct 2025 11:38:17 +0000 Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:35:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I want the guitar to play fast, to wear close to the body, and communicate a degree of aggression”: Sterling by Music Man and Tosin Abasi bring the futuristic Kaizen to a new low price point – slashing nearly $3k off the original ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/sterling-by-music-man-tosin-abasi-kaizen ut8BqcWdWqWEKVYCgx98QX Wed, 03 Sep 2025 16:09:50 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:49:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I rarely do straight down strokes. I haven't played Metallica in a while”: Tosin Abasi and Plini give a masterclass in virtuosity after writing and recording a song in a day ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tosin-abasi-and-plini-give-a-masterclass-in-virtuosity-after-writing-and-recording-a-song-in-a-day wADLpFGQ5y96keSxdHaNTm Thu, 15 May 2025 16:11:01 +0000 Wed, 21 May 2025 10:27:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ “This gives me the sound I am after in my head”: Spiro – the virtuoso tipped for greatness by Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi – shares the secrets behind his speed picking technique that will help you play faster ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/spiro-right-hand-technique-explained SHMepsydPW5qbrmueQSMWB Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:09:57 +0000 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:04:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You may never want to live without this tone-shaping compressor on your pedalboard”: Abasi Concepts Micro-Aggressor review ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/effects-pedals/abasi-concepts-micro-aggressor-compressor-review PcrE8nsmVapYaoHebHnNjG Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:15:46 +0000 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:06:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We’re guitar players. The reason we’re designing gear is we’re making things that we wish existed”: Tosin Abasi is pushing the boundaries of progressive music and guitar gear on multiple fronts – and he’s got no plans to slow down ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tosin-abasi-abasi-concepts-namm-2025 GWhNKSxb9LB9yEF4Ygd2Yf Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:23:56 +0000 Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:29:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There’s amazing players like Josh Smith and Eric Gales, and I thought, ‘OK, I’ve been missing out. I’m learning the blues’”: Tosin Abasi said he wanted to release a blues album – is it still on the cards? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tosin-abasi-blues-album-update G9dBe3DjZfuxsN3AJQSv69 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:51 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:40:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Alien levels of precision. You can’t believe it until you sit in front of him and you’re like, ‘Whoa’”: We asked Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi who is blowing their minds right now. They both named the same guitarist ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tim-henson-tosin-abasi-favorite-emerging-player 3B47GNzpzv2gTuDCjkWCSP Mon, 17 Feb 2025 14:43:46 +0000 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:39:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I like seeing boundaries pushed. With these loops, I wanted to inject my identity”: Tosin Abasi’s playing is now available in GarageBand and Logic thanks to a high-profile new producer pack ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tosin-abasi-apple-logic-garage-band 4WLeXnyo82faCinXgK42cY Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:48:05 +0000 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:01:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The highly anticipated Sterling version has arrived – now with a standard scale”: Sterling by Music Man serves up an affordable take on Tosin Abasi’s Kaizen, plus Rabea Massaad and Fluff signature guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/sterling-by-music-man-signatures-rabea-fluff-kaizen R9w8Jn8Ts4UPHwHrJQGSTk Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:41:19 +0000 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:38:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “For me, it’s not how many are watching, it’s who is watching – Tosin engaging made me feel like I was doing something right”: Dante Swan is blurring the lines between djent and trap music – and he wants you to steal his riffs ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/dante-swan-eyeless Gp7pXsGAYBNPGvRVx4iF6j Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:02:36 +0000 Mon, 13 Jan 2025 10:55:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “For me to be so appreciated, I think I can start to feel guilty and pressured. But I guess it’s a good problem to have”: From playing Steve Vai's guitars to playing with him onstage, Tosin Abasi's rapid ascent made him one of the biggest names in guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/dear-guitar-hero-tosin-abasi-2014 L3ttYxhSduCWgy4eB3wRvh Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:37:02 +0000 Mon, 13 Jan 2025 10:45:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A new level of sonic excellence, several years in the making”: Tosin Abasi has released his own compressor pedal that promises to fix common compression complaints – and improve your tone ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitar-pedals/tosin-abasi-abasi-concepts-micro-aggressor adXLtGyCT4NFaBA9KiivTn Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:26:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A finish that’s a true work of art”: Tosin Abasi and Ernie Ball Music Man’s Kaizen has a new Gallium finish that features actual silver – and it uniquely oxidizes depending on how you play it ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/ernie-ball-music-man-tosin-abasi-kaizen-gallium-silver-finish uwuNQBmPkRWwv7rR3ueDjm Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:41:42 +0000 Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:19:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It creates the illusion of speed and intricacy”: Inside the evolution of selective picking – one of modern guitar’s most expressive techniques ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/what-is-selective-picking sC7GUqTBZnJ5HPRN6vzZVj Wed, 25 Sep 2024 11:46:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Expanding our signature aesthetics, ergonomics, and playability to a whole new audience of creators”: Abasi Concepts has debuted its first-ever Larada bass guitar – ushering in a new headless design in the process ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/abasi-concepts-larada-bass 9JvTKzMnYmsAWFLUtwnuUb Fri, 17 May 2024 10:53:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ “As soon as I heard the demo, I knew it would be crucial to add rock elements”: Justus West reveals how he sneaked Tosin Abasi and Plini onto the new Beyoncé album (sort of) ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/justus-west-beyonce-cowboy-carter-gear sh6yEQ3aCmCuLmRuCh4jHT Thu, 16 May 2024 16:00:25 +0000 Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:53:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Technical playing can get cleaner, and that’s possibly even more challenging than just being faster”: We met the academics who study shred guitar for a living – they explained why it’s changed dramatically since the ’80s, and the 3 ways it can develop ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/rock-guitar-virtuosos-study-interview VbQRUFu554TUUsckwtQnSh Fri, 16 Feb 2024 10:41:51 +0000 Fri, 16 Feb 2024 16:32:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s like an artifact from an ancient technological civilization”: Tosin Abasi and Music Man unveil two new eye-catching finishes for the Kaizen and tease some “exciting and progressive” updates in the near future ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/music-man-kaizen-metallic-finishes-2024 Yr8eGstWeDXwmtfG4ATCiX Thu, 08 Feb 2024 15:30:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ Tosin Abasi is one of modern metal's most forward-thinking and creative minds – and his groundbreaking selective picking technique will really test your abilities ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/tosin-abasi-guitar-technique-workshop tPEoeueW9JujhnAqAbdZFZ Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:00:16 +0000 Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:51:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If I’ve written a section for an epic ‘John Petrucci on a mountain’ solo, I’d rather do my best impression for the self-satisfaction”: Plini maintains he’s “still a greedy lead player at heart” – so why did he give a solo to Tosin Abasi on his new EP? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/plini-mirage-ep 3MvQE62m6RrdLACewbbENa Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:06:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ Ernie Ball Music Man and Tosin Abasi have treated their radical Kaizen model to five of its finest finishes yet – including a limited-edition Honey Suckle burst ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/ernie-ball-music-man-kaizen-2023-finishes YBA56sHq6vFoRQ8zxZWDWV Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:10:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ Tosin Abasi revives one of John Petrucci's most iconic guitar finishes ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/john-petrucci-abasi-concepts-custom-model JPLkKvVTav9rXAKgFyrrc8 Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:04:57 +0000 Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:07:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The biggest challenge for digital products is not the tone”: John Petrucci, Tosin Abasi and Devin Townsend explain what modelers don’t do as well as amps – yet ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/john-petrucci-tosin-abasi-devin-townsend-digital-modelers-vs-real-amps UEFxepJvFSMGhZWaAXyLyc Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:11:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ Joe Bonamassa called him his new favorite player and Steve Vai hailed him as the evolution of guitar: how Matteo Mancuso developed a technique like no other ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/matteo-mancuso-technique-like-no-other 7mNbAcvjJQyLk7Fvro5ABg Fri, 23 Jun 2023 16:11:17 +0000 Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:57:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I hadn’t heard such clarity and definition before”: Tosin Abasi overhauls his backline with new stereo tube amp rig ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/tosin-abasi-bad-cat-amps 4eV5eaepGKEQnLVZGoJj9a Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:56:04 +0000 Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:06:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch John Petrucci and Tosin Abasi lock fretboards for spellbinding harmonies on Dream Theater's The Spirit Carries On ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/john-petrucci-tosin-abasi-dream-theater-the-spirit-carries-on pnpJzxG2CrPEjcQ3veuzKb Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:55:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ Abasi Concepts finally launches the Emi 6 – an ergonomic reinvention of the classic Stratocaster design ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/abasi-concepts-emi-6-release 34XBcseSFbFYidHeo3xSwL Mon, 22 May 2023 14:12:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch two bassists shred-off using Tosin Abasi's selective picking technique ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/watch-two-bassists-shred-off-using-tosin-abasis-selective-picking-technique A7xhNXk86vCD3Zpj7rePeB Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:30:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ Abasi Concepts Emi 7 Master Series review ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/reviews/abasi-concepts-emi-7-master-series-review gzv8KhcJwkvthmNu6nHphm Tue, 25 Apr 2023 09:56:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2023: Ernie Ball Music Man expands its Tosin Abasi-designed Kaizen range with eagerly awaited six-string model ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/ernie-ball-music-man-tosin-abasi-kaizen-6-string Q5sfFZxK7yuHGH8dquB5i5 Thu, 13 Apr 2023 13:00:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ John Petrucci’s 2023 Guitar Universe camp will feature Tosin Abasi, Lari Basilio, Tim Henson, Scott LePage, Jeff Loomis and more ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/john-petrucci-guitar-universe-2023 z86o6DnkQurzju2xZ4v3pZ Fri, 16 Dec 2022 22:47:23 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Tosin Abasi demo his futuristic new Ernie Ball Music Man Kaizen with an all-new song ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/tosin-abasi-demos-ernie-ball-music-man-kaizen h5eQ4JB27YxmbEGA8RqoHB Wed, 16 Nov 2022 10:37:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Andy Wood recruits Tosin Abasi, Mark Lettieri, Greg Koch and more for 2022 Woodshed Guitar Experience ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/andy-wood-tosin-abasi-mark-lettieri-woodshed-experience XHYwSQfKZ5XYxEGcDeWMQ7 Fri, 29 Jul 2022 21:02:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ Meshuggah’s Mårten Hagström and Animals As Leaders’ Tosin Abasi on the expansive possibilities of the 8-string ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/meshuggah-martin-hagstrom-animals-as-leaders-tosin-abasi TGPaWQ7rgVRFALdnTFkAQ7 Fri, 15 Jul 2022 09:13:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ Abasi Concepts expands its Larada Legion series with its most affordable six-string electric guitar to date ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/abasi-concepts-larada-legion-6 h6YodD57BfaDH7eg9FqEuh Tue, 21 Jun 2022 14:09:20 +0000 Tue, 21 Jun 2022 14:21:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2022: Tosin Abasi discusses the genesis of his radical Ernie Ball Music Man Kaizen model, and why guitarists might be surprised by its capabilities ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/namm-2022-tosin-abasi-ernie-ball-interview AhYTPBBzabBqFm35SmErQA Sat, 04 Jun 2022 17:15:31 +0000