What is it?
Every now and then, artists come along that mix things up in a way that evolves and inspires. It’s fair to say that for instrumental guitar music, Polyphia is one such band. But in my previous life as a guitar teacher, I had mixed feelings about this: I loved how the band inspired my students, but knew that whenever Polyphia came up, I was in for a tricky few hours of figuring out exactly what on earth Tim Henson and Scott Lepage were doing.
Their alternative and technical approach to guitar is what made this a difficult task, but it also makes the signature guitars they have both released with Ibanez all the more intriguing. Will their guitars be as unique as their playing styles? With Tim Henson's Ibanez TOD10 in hand, I am looking forward to finding out.
Specs
- Launch price: $1599/£1499/€1555
- Made: Indonesia
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: American basswood
- Neck: Roasted maple/AZ Oval C
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale length: 25.5"/648mm
- Nut/width: Graph Tech/41mm
- Frets: 24, jumbo stainless steel
- Hardware: Gotoh SG381 MG-T locking tuners, Gotoh T1502 tremolo bridge
- String spacing at bridge: 52mm
- Electrics: Fishman Fluence Tim Henson signature pickups, volume and push/pull tone control, 5-way pickup selector
- Weight: 7lb / 3.17kg
- Left-handed options: No
- Finishes: Classic Silver (as reviewed), Metallic Mauve
- Cases: Ibanez soft case
- Contact: Ibanez
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★☆
The Classic Silver finish of this test model is both bold and simple. It’s a bright choice that will stand out in any context, but its monochromatic nature keeps things classy.
Combined with the ‘Tree Of Death’ inlays - Tim Henson's take on the iconic 'Tree Of Life' pattern that decorates Steve Vai's signature models - the TOD10 is a striking guitar, particularly in the Metallic Muave (pink) alternative.
As good as it looks, the finish on our test model has a rough texture around the bolts at the heel joint, the pickup selector, and the pickups themselves. It’s nothing that draws the eye enough to be a deal breaker, but is disappointing to see.
However, that is the only real complaint here. The stainless steel fretwork is impeccable, and the guitar arrived well set up, with a low action; sitting at 1.25mm on the low E and 1mm on the high E at the 12th fret.
Through hours of playing and trying to remember some rather involved Polyphia riffs, the tuning remains solid, and the Gotoh SG381 MG-T locking machine heads with their 1:16 ratio feel smooth in use, as you should expect from the Japanese company./
Also courtesy of Gotoh is the T1502 floating bridge, which also holds the tuning steady, even after some considerable abuse of the tremolo arm.
We’ve all been on a sweaty stage where control knobs can get a little slippery; however, the TOD10 combats this with some nice, grippy gnurling. The push-pull tone pot also has a soft touch action, which I find profoundly satisfying in a way that is probably a little beyond reasonable.
Also well thought out is the placement of the output jack, recessed into the guitar and oriented at a roughly 45-degree upward angle, which helps keep the lead from clumsy feet or arms. In short, a solid and well-designed guitar build.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★★
It offers slightly more girth than the 17mm on some Ibanez RGs, as an example
With Ibanez’s form for making guitars built for all-out, wizard-level shred and Tim Henson's impressive level of technical ability on display on pretty much every Polyphia track, you would be forgiven for expecting a guitar with a flat radius and a paper-thin neck profile. However, the TOD10 stops shy of this.
Don’t get me wrong, the guitar still feels quick, as with a 22mm thickness at the 12th fret, the ‘AZ Oval C’ neck carve is on the skinnier side of things, but it offers slightly more girth than the 17mm on some Ibanez RGs, as an example. A small difference, but one that is noticeable.
There’s a slight flattening in the centre of the carve - a feel that to some may seem a little odd, but I find it to be a comfortable experience, keeping the thumb in the correct place.
Staying away from compound options and going for a 12” fretboard radius is a more traditional route relative to other Ibanez products, but flatter than a standard Fender 9.5"; it’s still plenty flat enough to allow for those flashy legato licks and feels familiar under the fingers.
Everybody needs a bit of wobble to complement those legato runs, and the jumbo frets make bullying the strings into big (some would say boomer) bends and wide vibrato a breeze.
Yet more wobble is provided by the whammy bar, which is smooth in use, aided by the guitar's excellent setup.
All this means that even with the 12" radius, the TOD10 feels modern in most respects. Where things get distinctly Ibanez-y is with that AZ Oval neck carve. It’s a comfortable shape that is speedy without being too skinny, making for a machine that delivers everything needed for kinetic, technical playing.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
For those new to a Fluence and five-way selector setup, the pickups may seem a little complicated in terms of switching, but the flip side is a wide variety of tones. The TOD 10 is equipped with Tim Henson's signature Fishman Fluence pickups, which are adorned with three voices. Voice one is a modern, high-output humbucker, two is a more traditional style bucker, and three gives us a single-coil flavour.
These voices are accessed via the five-way pickup selector and the push-pull tone pot, to make for a total of eight different sounds (the push-pull affects no change in positions two and four).
The TOD10 page on Ibanez’s website presents a handy diagram that details exactly what voice is active and when, but the best thing here is to let your ears do the work, and use the diagram for a bit of context if you want it. And as a guitar geek, I definitely do.
I am using a Victory The Duchess MKII tube amp head and Victory Lunchbox 1x12 guitar cab that I happen to have in for testing to give me some glassy cleans, and my own Tonex pedal, along with the Tonex Cab and a JCM800 profile for the driven stuff. A quick play through and I’m already smiling - the variety of sounds here is astounding.
Position two brings in some single-coil snap that sounds like the out-of-phase strat thing with an extra helping of mid range - I'm a big fan
The modern humbucker sound in position one is that high-output, rounded sound as expected from the description. Perfect for the heavier side of things, with the downside being that this sort of tone can lack a bit of cut in some mixes. In which case, Fishman has you covered with Voice Two, which brightens things up and keeps the low end even tighter.
Position two brings in some single-coil snap, and I’m immediately reminded of Polyphia’s The Worst with a tone that sounds like the out-of-phase Stratocaster thing with an extra helping of mid range - I'm a big fan.
Interestingly, position three with the push-pull in the up position is the same configuration as position two, but with it down, we are back into humbucker land, activating both the pickups to give us all the punch and girth needed for fat leads.
The voices here are genuinely different, allowing for two distinct flavours of humbucker and a single coil that sounds much more convincing than coil splits or taps usually do
Three out of the five positions in, and we already have a ton of tonal diversity. The fourth takes a step into the more familiar, with a brighter, modern version of that stratty position four sound. I know I should probably stay within the land of modern technical music, but what I really want to do here is bust out some Nile Rodgers riffs.
The neck pickup in voice one delves into typical warm humbucker vibes, but with a clarity on the high strings that keeps things sounding modern. Voice two is more interesting. It is a humbucker, but with a snap that sounds almost single coil, and provides a glassy sound that is heavenly within a clean context.
These pickups are giving out much more than the average, coil-split-equipped humbucker tones you may find elsewhere. The voices here are genuinely different, allowing for two distinct flavours of humbucker and a single coil that sounds much more convincing than coil splits or taps usually do, making for an impressive variety of usable tones.
Certain configurations result in no change when the selector is moved or the push-pull pot is used. This is a little confusing at first, but the complicated switching is worth it to get the myriad of sounds.
Underneath all of it, though, what is apparent is their modern character. The sound is bright, as is often indicative of active pickups, but in this case, in a pleasing way.
It’s not necessarily a sound that will suit the traditionalists, but it is perfect for those complicated chords and flashy lead lines that require clarity from a guitar tone.
Verdict
Needless to say, then, the TOD10 is indeed as interesting as Polyphia’s style of music. The distinct AZ Oval C neck gives it a quick feel that facilitates all that is needed for the technical wizard, whilst stopping short of wafer-thin and retaining a touch of familiarity with the 12” fretboard radius, making for a playing experience that is unique to some of Ibanez's AZ models.
Then, the sheer number of usable sounds facilitated by the Fishman Fluence Tim Henson signature pickups results in an instrument that is undeniably inspiring to play in the context of modern music.
The sheer number of usable sounds facilitated by the Fishman Fluence Tim Henson signature pickups results in an instrument that is undeniably inspiring to play
Present through all these sounds is a contemporary type of clarity. The Ibanez TOD10 is perhaps not for those chasing a guitar tone influenced by the originators of the rock genre through the likes of Les Pauls and Strats, but an obvious must-try for Polyphia fans looking to recreate those unique sounds, or for a guitarist after something a little different in the modern realm.
Guitar World verdict: The Ibanez TOD10 presents a wildly versatile sonic palette of the modern persuasion. It is a well-built, supremely playable guitar, perfect not only for the Polyphia enthusiast but also as a source of inspiration for anyone writing technical, guitar-based music.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
A solid guitar but with some imperfections in the finish that shouldn't be present at this price point. |
★★★★☆ |
Playability |
A comfortable neck shape complemented by an excellent set-up straight out of the box. |
★★★★★ |
Sounds |
An astounding variety available here, if a little complicated in the switching system. |
★★★★½ |
Overall |
A fantastic modern guitar with a wildly versatile tonal palette. |
★★★★½ |
