How to Sound Like Tosin Abasi
Why does Tosin Abasi sound like Tosin Abasi? Custom 8-string Abasi Concepts guitar through a Mesa Boogie — Abasi's Animals as Leaders playing combines aggressive djent-style riffing with percussive thumb tapping and intricate polyrhythmic arrangements. Replicating that layered and compositionally bold tone requires understanding the signal chain — guitar first, then amp, then effects — and dialling in each stage correctly. This guide works through the process in order.
Based on the £500 rig · Total: ~£478
To sound like Tosin Abasi, you need a Ibanez RG421 EX (guitar), a Boss Katana 50 MkII (amp). Follow these 3 steps: Choose your guitar: Ibanez RG421 EX; Dial in your amp: Boss Katana 50 MkII; Fine-tune your tone. Total budget: ~£478.
⚡ Quick Answer
Custom 8-string Abasi Concepts guitar through a Mesa Boogie — Abasi's Animals as Leaders playing combines aggressive djent-style riffing with percussive thumb tapping and intricate polyrhythmic arrangements
Step-by-Step Guide
Building Tosin Abasi's Tone
- 1
Step 1 — Choose your guitar: Ibanez RG421 EX
The foundation of Tosin Abasi's layered and compositionally bold sound is the guitar. For this budget build, a Ibanez RG421 EX provides the right tonal character — the pickup configuration and body resonance both point in the right direction.
- 2
Step 2 — Dial in your amp: Boss Katana 50 MkII
The amp is where much of Tosin Abasi's character lives. A Boss Katana 50 MkII at this budget level gives you the clean headroom or natural breakup needed to start shaping the tone. Set the gain and EQ to match the characteristic sound before adding any effects.
- 3
Step 4 — Fine-tune your tone
Spend time with the amp EQ and guitar volume knob. Tosin Abasi's layered and compositionally bold sound lives in the dynamics — guitar volume rolled back gives cleans, dug in harder drives the amp naturally.
£500 Reference Rig
Complete Parts List
Why This Rig Works
How Tosin Abasi's gear choices create the signature tone
Ibanez RG421 EX
The Ibanez RG421 EX provides the tonal foundation for the entire rig — its character shapes everything that follows.
Boss Katana 50 MkII
Its 'Brown' amp character at low gain is an excellent approximation of the Fender-style clarity that Hendrix, Mayer, Gilmour and SRV all relied on. Built-in effects mean you're a few knob turns away from the right tone.
The Combined Tone
Custom 8-string Abasi Concepts guitar through a Mesa Boogie — Abasi's Animals as Leaders playing combines aggressive djent-style riffing with percussive thumb tapping and intricate polyrhythmic arrangements.
Tone Science
Why This Combination Works
The guitar's pickup configuration contributes directly to the tonal character — body resonance and pickup type define the raw material before the amp shapes it further.
The Boss Katana 50 MkII digitally models classic amp circuits — the key is selecting the right model and keeping the gain at a level that matches the original's dynamics. The tone is in the model selection more than the physical amp topology.
Shred and instrumental tone prioritises sustain and note clarity at speed. The high-output humbuckers provide the sustain for legato passages, while the amp's gain structure needs enough compression to smooth out string noise but enough clarity to articulate fast runs.
Reference Listening
Songs to Study Before Buying
Listen to these specific tracks to hear the target tone before you shop. Each song demonstrates a different aspect of the rig.
CAFO— Animals as Leaders
8-string guitar into high-gain amp: the djent blueprint — polyphonic tapping, percussive slap technique, and complex odd-time signatures combined.
Physical Education— Weightless
The djent technique in a more melodic context — extended range guitar at its most compositionally developed.
Tooth and Claw— The Madness of Many
Fastest Animals as Leaders track: the 8-string tapping at its most aggressive — technique and tone in the harshest presentation.
Avoid These Pitfalls
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗
Running the Dual Rectifier's gain channel at maximum — above 8 on most high-gain channels, palm mutes lose note separation and become an indistinct wall. The target is the minimum gain for the target saturation, not maximum
- ✗
Forgetting to adjust technique for the different neck profile — thinner, faster necks require less grip pressure. Playing with the same pressure as on a thicker neck causes note choke.
- ✗
Not using a noise gate — self-noise at metal gain levels is continuous between notes. A gate is not stylistic; it is required for professional-sounding silence between riffs.
- ✗
Maximum gain on the amp channel — this is the most common mistake in high-gain playing. The clarity and note separation that makes fast playing readable degrades at maximum gain.
- ✗
Not setting delay to song tempo — a delay that doesn't match the song tempo creates a rhythmic clash that builds and becomes increasingly obvious. Tap the tempo every time.
- ✗
Ignoring down-tuning — trying to achieve dropped-tuning riff character at standard pitch produces a thinner, less aggressive result regardless of EQ.
Tosin Abasi — £500 · Sweet Spot Complete Rig
~£478Guitar
Ibanez RG421 EX
Amp
Boss Katana 50 MkII
Tone Match
Similar Players to Tosin Abasi
If you like Tosin Abasi's tone, these players use a similar approach — same gear philosophy, comparable sound characteristics.
Related Guides
Similar Players
FAQ
How to Sound Like Tosin Abasi — Common Questions
The guitar body type (superstrat) and amp character (high gain) are non-negotiable. Technique — specifically animals-as-leaders — accounts for 30% of the sound.
Yes. Tosin Abasi's exact gear (Ibanez RG421 EX, Boss Katana 50 MkII) is one path, but any guitar and amp in the same tonal family will work. The tone is defined by pickup type, amp voicing, and gain structure — not the brand on the headstock.
The gear side is immediate — the right setup delivers the signature tone from day one. The technique side (vibrato, pick dynamics, phrasing) takes 6-18 months to develop meaningfully. Most players underestimate how much Tosin Abasi's actual playing style contributes to the sound.