Tosin Abasi — £1,000 · Pro-Level 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. Replicating that layered and compositionally bold sound at the £1,000 · Pro-Level mark means Jackson JS22 DKA Dinky into Boss Katana 100 MkII. The effects — Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ, Strymon Timeline — add the finishing texture. This build totals ~£996 and captures the core character — a serious investment that brings you within touching distance of the real thing.
Build Tosin Abasi's £1,000 · Pro-Level Rig
4 pieces · Total ~£996
What guitar does Tosin Abasi use?
Tosin Abasi is primarily associated with superstrat style guitars. At a £1,000 budget, Jackson JS22 DKA Dinky delivers the essential tonal character.
What to Buy
£1,000 · Pro-Level — Complete Gear List
Why This Rig Works
How Tosin Abasi's gear choices create the signature tone
Jackson JS22 DKA Dinky
The Jackson JS22 DKA Dinky provides the tonal foundation for the entire rig — its character shapes everything that follows.
- EQBoss GE-7 Graphic EQ
- DelayStrymon Timeline
Boss Katana 100 MkII
The extra headroom lets you push the clean channel harder before it breaks up, essential for loud-amp technique. More speaker excursion gives a fuller, more three-dimensional clean.
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 Tips
Getting the Sound Right
- High-output Ibanez humbuckers into a Dual Rectifier high-gain channel: the output level of the pickup directly affects how the amp's gain structure reacts. A pickup with DC resistance above 15kΩ can push the amp into uncomfortably saturated territory — try the neck pickup before the bridge for comparison
- Humbuckers in a superstrat give more sustain than single coils but less natural compression — the amp's gain character becomes more critical
- Tube screamer or similar "tight" boost before the high-gain channel adds definition to the low end — the midrange hump focuses the signal hitting the amp input
- At high gain settings, picking technique controls all the dynamics — the amp compresses hard, so lighter picking gives a cleaner, smoother sustain and harder picking is the only way to get aggressive attack
- Mix level matters more than repeat count — 2-3 repeats at correct mix level is more musical than 8 repeats at low mix
- Djent palm muting is extreme — the picking hand should mute almost at the bridge saddles for maximum tightness
Avoid These Pitfalls
Common Mistakes When Chasing This Tone
- 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.
Budget Alternatives
Same Tone, Different Budget
FAQ
Tosin Abasi Tone — Common Questions
Tosin Abasi is primarily associated with superstrat style guitars. At a £1,000 budget, Jackson JS22 DKA Dinky delivers the essential tonal character.
Tosin Abasi's amp is high gain voiced — high-gain with significant distortion from the amp itself. At the £1,000 level, Boss Katana 100 MkII is the closest match.
The £1,000 tier adds noticeably better build quality and tonal nuance over the £500 rig. This build totals £996 with Jackson JS22 DKA Dinky, Boss Katana 100 MkII, 2 effects. This is the tier where the tone becomes genuinely convincing for gigging and recording.
Tosin Abasi's essential pedals include EQ, Delay. At the £1,000 tier: Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ, Strymon Timeline. EQ is the most important pedal — the others add nuance.
Tosin Abasi's tone is defined by animals-as-leaders, extended-range, percussive-tapping. The combination of superstrat guitar and high gain amp creates a sound that is immediately recognisable.
Tosin Abasi's gain approach is high-gain — dedicated high-gain amp channels or heavy drive pedals with significant distortion. At £1,000, this is replicated through Boss Katana 100 MkII paired with Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ.
Tosin Abasi — £1,000 · Pro-Level Complete Rig
~£996Guitar
Jackson JS22 DKA Dinky
EQ
Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ
Amp
Boss Katana 100 MkII
Delay
Strymon Timeline
Tone Match
Closest Real-World Tone Match
If you like Tosin Abasi's tone, these players use a similar approach — same gear philosophy, comparable sound characteristics.
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