Tosin Abasi Pedalboard
Full effects breakdown — core pedals, signal chain order, and budget alternatives
Tosin Abasi's signal chain centres on 2 essential effects: EQ, Delay. The resulting sound: Ultra-tight high-gain on an 8-string, with clean passages that use percussive thumb tapping to create a bell-like resonance. The eq shapes the signal before it reaches the amp.
Essential Pedals
These effects are non-negotiable for Tosin Abasi's tone. Skip any one and the signature sound is lost.
Optional / Contextual Effects
Tosin Abasi uses these situationally — great to have but not required for the core sound.
£1,000 Pedalboard Breakdown
Specific gear recommendations at the £1,000 budget tier.
Also used by: Marty Friedman
Also used by: John Mayer, Robben Ford, Guthrie Govan, Joe Bonamassa
Pedalboard at Every Budget
The effects chain scales with budget — budget tiers keep the essential categories intact with less expensive alternatives.
- EQEmpress ParaEQ
- DelayStrymon Timeline
- ReverbWalrus Audio Fundamental Reverb
Signal Chain Order
Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
- Guitar
- Delay (after modulation, before reverb)
- Amp
Related Gear
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FAQ
Tosin Abasi Pedalboard — Common Questions
Tosin Abasi's pedalboard includes: Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ, Strymon Timeline. The core effects in Tosin Abasi's sound are EQ, Delay.
The standard signal chain for Tosin Abasi's pedalboard follows the professional convention: guitar → tuner → wah (if used) → compression → overdrive/distortion → amp → modulation (chorus/flanger) → delay → reverb. Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
Tosin Abasi typically uses a transparent overdrive or boost to push the amp's front end rather than relying on a dedicated distortion pedal.
Building a Tosin Abasi-style pedalboard depends on budget. At £200 you can cover the essentials (~£298 for the full rig). At £500 the pedalboard includes . At £1,000 (full rig: ~£996) all the key pedals are covered.
Tosin Abasi uses the Strymon Timeline for delay. It sits after the overdrive in the signal chain, either in the amp's effects loop or at the end of the pedalboard.