Tosin Abasi — £2,500 · Premium 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 £2,500 · Premium mark means Ibanez RG550 Genesis Collection into Marshall DSL40CR. The effects — Empress ParaEQ, Strymon Timeline — add the finishing texture. This build totals ~£2495 and captures the core character — a premium build targeting the most accurate recreation possible.
Build Tosin Abasi's £2,500 · Premium Rig
5 pieces · Total ~£2495
What guitar does Tosin Abasi use?
Tosin Abasi is primarily associated with superstrat style guitars. At a £2,500 budget, Ibanez RG550 Genesis Collection delivers the essential tonal character.
What to Buy
£2,500 · Premium — Complete Gear List
Why This Rig Works
How Tosin Abasi's gear choices create the signature tone
Ibanez RG550 Genesis Collection
The Ibanez RG550 Genesis Collection provides the tonal foundation for the entire rig — its character shapes everything that follows.
- EQEmpress ParaEQ
- DelayStrymon Timeline
- ReverbWalrus Audio Fundamental Reverb
Marshall DSL40CR
The Marshall DSL40CR converts the guitar signal into audible sound and adds its own tonal character — EQ shaping, natural gain, and the overall feel of the final 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 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 £2,500 budget, Ibanez RG550 Genesis Collection delivers the essential tonal character.
Tosin Abasi's amp is high gain voiced — high-gain with significant distortion from the amp itself. At the £2,500 level, Marshall DSL40CR is the closest match.
The £2,500 tier uses Tosin Abasi's actual gear choices or direct equivalents. Total: £2,495. The tonal step up from £1,000 is real but diminishing — worth it for regular performers and studio work.
Tosin Abasi's essential pedals include EQ, Delay. At the £2,500 tier: Empress ParaEQ, Strymon Timeline, Walrus Audio Fundamental Reverb. 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 £2,500, this is replicated through Marshall DSL40CR paired with Empress ParaEQ.
Tosin Abasi — £2,500 · Premium Complete Rig
~£2495Guitar
Ibanez RG550 Genesis Collection
EQ
Empress ParaEQ
Amp
Marshall DSL40CR
Delay
Strymon Timeline
Reverb
Walrus Audio Fundamental Reverb
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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