NAMM 2026: Ibanez and Polyphia virtuoso Tim Henson have reprised their successful partnership with two new versions of his immensely popular electric-nylon signature guitars.
The TOD100N and TOD100FMN come waltzing with new Fishman pickup systems, tonewoods, and looks, looking to go one better with this next generation of guitars.
Henson’s first signature nylon-string electric acoustic, the Ibanez TOD10N, arrived in late 2022 and was crowned Reverb's best-selling acoustic of 2023.
It's since started a nylon-string revolution, with Tosin Abasi's namesake brand now throwing its hat into the ring with a jaw-dropping seven-string electric nylon. It’s clear the Ibanez-Henson partnership wants to remain ahead of the curve with this drop.
Cue upgraded electronics with the TOD10N's Ibanez AEQ210TF preamp ousted in favor of a Fishman Acoustic Matrix undersaddle pickup – prevalent across both new models – while sapele back and sides are replaced with okoume, a mahogany-like tonewood commonplace across the Ibanez range. The new pair is distinguished by their tops. That’s solid Sitka spruce for the TOD100N, and flame maple for the TOD100FMN.
It's not a complete refresh, however. Its rosewood binding and its C-shape nyatoh set-in neck survive the revamp, while its 22-fret fingerboards, decorated with Henson's gorgeous Tree of Death inlay, are now made of ebony, which comes in for rosewood.
That's the same tonewood trade for its bridge – rosewood out, ebony in – while both guitars share the same fan bracing and chambered body designs and come with D'Addario XTC45 strings, as opposed to Henson's signature set from Ernie Ball.
There’s no mention of price at the time of writing, but it would be surprising if they dwarfed the circa $700 price tag of its predecessor, which also got a left-handed release in July 2024. That means we might be looking at a similar wait for left paw-friendly models.
“I wanted an acoustic guitar I could play more technical riffs on with the same ease an electric guitar would provide,” Henson told Guitar World of the guitar's conception.
“I was extremely impressed with the craftsmanship, especially in comparison to its predecessor, the SCN500. It was a lot lighter and felt a lot more ‘alive,’ as it has a chambered body. The TOD10N uses Ibanez’s FR shape, so imagine a hollowed-out version with a classical headstock.”
The nylon-string beauty has been a barnstormer, with new editions more than welcome. But the wait for the previously teased Tim Henson eight-string electric goes on.
Keep your eyes on Ibanez for more information in due course.
