Tosin Abasi has carved out a space where technical mastery meets genre-defying creativity. His playing with Animals as Leaders demands a rig that delivers clarity, dynamics, and total control, and that’s exactly what his gear is built to do.
Whether it’s pristine cleans or surgical high-gain tones, every component in his setup is there to serve a highly specific function.
This guide breaks down his core equipment across guitars, amps, pedals, and effects units, focusing on how each piece works, its practical strengths and weaknesses, and why it earns a place in his evolving rig.
Guitars
Abasi Concepts Larada & Emi Series
Use: Main guitars for studio and live work
Features:
- Multi-scale (fanned fret) 7- and 8-string models
- Ergonomic body shapes, lightweight design
- Custom Fishman Fluence or moderate-output pickups
Pros:
- Exceptional clarity in low tunings
- Comfortable for extended, technical playing
- Easy access to upper frets for complex legato/tap work
Cons:
- Expensive and harder to find
- Fanned frets can take some adjustment
Why Useful: These guitars are designed specifically for Tosin’s playing style — they handle fast, expressive techniques while maintaining tonal balance and articulation.
Ibanez TAM Series (TAM100, TAM10, RG2228)
Use: Featured on early Animals as Leaders recordings and tours
Features:
- 8-string construction
- DiMarzio Ionizer pickups
Pros:
- Versatile pickup options
- Solid build quality
- Known for delivering Tosin’s earlier signature tones
Cons:
- Discontinued; increasingly hard to find
Why Useful: These guitars were central to shaping the early AAL sound, blending extended range chugging with melodic lead work.
Notable One-Offs and Collaborations
- Rick Toone builds: Experimental aluminum and fanned-fret guitars used for sonic exploration
- Ernie Ball Music Man “Goldie” (St. Vincent): Shows Tosin’s adaptability during genre-bending demos and collabs
Why Useful: These illustrate his openness to gear outside of traditional metal frameworks, expanding his tonal palette.
Amplifiers
Bad Cat Lynx & “Jet Black” Stereo Head
Use: Main high-gain amps in recent live and studio setups
Features:
- EL34-powered
- High headroom and detailed saturation
- Integrated noise gate
Pros:
- Extremely articulate — complex chords and fast runs stay clear
- Tight, focused gain that doesn’t smear detail
Cons:
- Boutique appeal may not suit everyone
Why Useful: Delivers precise rhythm tones and expressive lead voicings without sacrificing clarity.
Morgan SW Head
Use: Clean pedal platform
Features:
- Single-channel tube amp
- Very touch-sensitive and transparent
Pros:
- Excellent for running drive/modulation pedals
- Warm and articulate for fingerstyle and clean playing
Cons:
- No built-in channel switching
Why Useful: Offers a clean, rich foundation for Tosin’s effects-based tone shaping.
Other Amplification: Port City, Bogner, Modelers
Setup Notes:
- Port City Pearl and 2×12 cabs for live clarity and punch
- Bogner heads for extra tonal flavors
- Fractal Axe-Fx II/AX8 and Line 6 Helix used for processing and modeling
Pros:
- Fractal and Helix offer flexible amp/effect combos
- Reliable, consistent performance on tour
- Easy preset switching
Cons:
- Requires deep familiarity for optimal use
- Can sound sterile if not dialed in carefully
Why Useful: Offers consistent, pro-level tone with full control over switching and effects — ideal for the complex soundscapes Tosin builds live.
Pedals and FX Units
Signature and Key Pedals
Abasi Pathos (Drive Pedal)
Use: Main overdrive/distortion tone
Pros:
- High clarity, responsive to playing dynamics
- Great for both rhythm and lead
Cons:
- Not a vintage-style distortion — more modern voicing
Why Useful: Delivers amp-like gain that fits Tosin’s articulate playing without muddying the low end.
Abasi Concepts Compressor (Prototype)
Use: Enhances percussive attack
Pros:
- Fast attack, perfect for slap and thump techniques
- Tightens up transient-heavy phrases
Cons:
- Prototype, not available widely
Why Useful: Helps define complex rhythms and fast passages with punch and control.
Modulation, Delay, and Reverb
Strymon Effects (BigSky, BlueSky, Timeline)
Use: Ambient layers, spacious effects
Pros:
- Studio-quality sounds
- Deep programming options
Cons:
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- High cost
Why Useful: Essential for creating the immersive, ambient layers that define the melodic side of Animals as Leaders.
Tone-Shaping and Utility
Empress ParaEQ
Use: Tailors tone precisely across guitar and amp changes
Pros:
- Surgical control over mids, highs, lows
- Boosts or cuts without harshness
Cons:
- Requires time to dial in properly
Why Useful: Maintains tonal consistency across a complex signal chain.
ISP Decimator G String
Use: High-gain noise suppression
Pros:
- Keeps low-end tight and noise-free
- Works seamlessly with extended-range guitars
Cons:
- Needs proper routing to function optimally
Why Useful: Preserves articulation in aggressive passages without killing sustain or feel.
Other Pedals and Effects
- MXR Carbon Copy: Analog delay with warmth and character
- Boomerang Phrase Sampler / Ditto Looper: Tools for improvisation and live layering
- Carl Martin PlexiTone: British-style analog dirt
- Electro-Harmonix HOG2 / Boss OC-3 / Eventide H9: Pitch shifting, harmonization, synth-like textures
- Octa Switch, Fractal MIDI Controllers: Enable complex preset switching with zero downtime
Why Useful: These pedals give Tosin total control over tone layering and dynamic control, critical for his live show transitions and improvisational flexibility.
Tone Philosophy and Approach
Extended Range, Extended Expression
Abasi’s 7-, 8-, and 9-string setups aren’t just about tuning lower; they expand the expressive range, allowing for slap techniques, double-thumb picking, and cascading clean runs in one instrument.
Usually, there is a chord progression or a section, and I try to phrase and fill that space with what I hear, but I’ve actually had some sections where I came up with what sounds like a lead or a repeating single-note line and then you build the rhythm and harmony around that, which is fun.
“I don’t consciously decide that I’m going to work Phrygian or Dominant, or melodic or minor. I have a foundation of scales, but the idea is that in real time I try to choose from that foundation in an artful way that isn’t intellectual or predetermined.
Pedal Platform Philosophy
His clean amp foundation means dirt and effects are handled at the pedalboard level, letting him shape tone dynamically without switching channels mid-song.
Effects for Texture, Not Just Flavor
Rather than just coloring the sound, his effects pedals help define space, motion, and emotion in the music — from ambient washes to synthetic octave textures.
Analog Meets Digital, Seamlessly
Tube amps anchor the tone, while digital processors like Axe-Fx and Helix add flexibility and repeatability. This hybrid approach makes touring smoother and studio setups more efficient.
Practical Takeaways
- Everything Serves Clarity: Whether it’s an EQ pedal or a signature guitar, every piece of Tosin’s rig is focused on making sure his intricate playing comes through clean and defined.
- Effects Are Essential: Delay, compression, and EQ are not afterthoughts—they’re key to shaping the expression of each note.
- Built for Touring: Switchers, digital rigs, and modeling heads allow for rapid changes, reliable tones, and simple re-creation from studio to stage.
- Always Evolving: Tosin constantly updates his setup, balancing boutique builds with cutting-edge tools to meet the demands of modern progressive music.
Final Word
Tosin Abasi’s gear reflects not just a love for tone, but a deep understanding of how sound works in practice—live, in the studio, and in motion.
Every choice is driven by expression and precision, from his custom multi-scale guitars to a pedalboard stacked with utility and ambient power.
His rig is a template for modern players chasing versatility without compromising feel. Whether you’re building a tone for complex clean passages or locked-in djent riffs, there’s something to learn from how Tosin approaches gear.
