“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

Tim Henson of the band Polyphia performs live on stage at the annual Rock Am Ring festival at Nuerburgring on June 09, 2024 in Nuerburg, Germany.

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.”