[Polyphia] Tim Henson's Equipment [Amps, Guitars, Effects]

Timothy "Tim" Henson was born on November 1993, 11 in Texas, USA. As the guitarist of Polyphia, he has been attracting attention for his virtuoso technique and innovative guitar sound. His unique sound, which combines metal, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B, is at the forefront of the modern guitar scene.

Tim Henson first came into contact with music at a young age. There was always a wide variety of music playing in his home, and it was during this time that his musical foundation was formed. In particular, he says that he naturally became familiar with music theory, due to the influence of his mother, who played the piano.

He first picked up the guitar at the age of 10. He first learned classical guitar, then moved to the electric guitar, influenced by rock and metal. Some of his influences include John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Steve Vai, and Eddie Van Halen.

Polyphia was formed in 2010. Tim Henson founded the band with Scott LePage (guitar), Clay Gober (bass) and Clay Aeschliman (drums), and initially produced instrumental metal influenced music.

The band first gained attention after their single "Impassion" was released on YouTube in 2013. Their incredible guitar playing and unique sound quickly gained them an online fanbase.

In his 2014 album "Muse," he evolved into a more melodic and sophisticated band, winning over a wide range of listeners. His follow-up album "Renaissance" (2016) featured songs that incorporated classical and flamenco influences, showing new possibilities for guitar instrumentals.

In his 2018 album "New Levels New Devils," he boldly incorporated elements of hip-hop and established an innovative style in the guitar scene. In his subsequent album "Remember That You Will Die" (2022), he established himself as a world-class guitarist with more sophisticated song composition and a musicality that transcends genre boundaries.

Tim's guitar style is truly representative of the modern guitar scene.

• Slap technique (thumbing): A unique playing technique in which the thumb strikes the strings like a bass slap.
• Tapping: He makes extensive use of one-handed tapping phrases to create smooth melodies.
• Harmonics: Effective use of natural harmonics produces a unique, brilliant sound.

Polyphia's songs combine these techniques with meticulous arrangements. His playing incorporates a wide range of musical elements, including metal, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B, allowing him to express himself beyond the boundaries of existing guitar music.

Tim Henson's first signature model (known as "Black Beauty").

Released in 2019, this guitar is based on the Ibanez AZ series.

The body is made of American basswood, the neck and fingerboard are made of roasted maple, and it is equipped with 24 stainless steel jumbo frets.

The pickup configuration is HSS (mini humbucker in rear, single coil in center and front), co-developed by Tim and DiMarzio.NotoriousA pickup is installed.

It combines the delicacy of a vintage single coil with the thickness of a humbucker with moderately reduced output, and the five pickup selectors allow you to create a wide range of sounds from clean to lead.

The roasted maple neck has a satin finish for a smooth grip andGotoh tremolo (T1502)+ Locking pegs provide excellent tuning stability, providing full support for technical playing.

Ibanez TOD10 “Tree of Death” – Tim’s signature model, which has become his main guitar in recent years.

It will be released in late 2022 to 2023, and its famous color is classic silver.

While the basic design follows the aforementioned AZ style, the appearance is pickguardless, giving it a more sophisticated impression.

The fingerboard inlay is an ebony design that Tim called "Tree of Death," in contrast to the Ibanez signature "Tree of Life."

The biggest feature is the pickup, which is active.Fishman Fluence Tim Henson SignatureIt is equipped with a pickup set.

The voicing of the pickups can be switched by pushing/pulling the volume knob, covering everything from a thick and smooth humbucker sound to a sparkling clean tone like a single coil, and even a sound like an acoustic guitar.

In other words, it is a groundbreaking model that meets Tim's request by allowing you to use a wide range of tones, from clean to heavy, all in one instrument.

The body material is American basswood, which has easy-to-handle acoustic properties like the THBB10, and the neck is AZ Oval C-shaped roasted maple, with a high strength and thin grip that is ideal for high-speed playing.

The bridge is equipped with a Gotoh T1502 tremolo, which provides stable response even to intense arm movements.

This guitar is truly the core of the Tim Henson sound, incorporating the latest technology and design.

This is a unique nylon-string electric guitar.

It was used in the memorable intro of Polyphia's hit song "Playing God" and became a hot topic. At first glance, it looks like an electric guitar, but it has a thin, hollow body structure with a thickness of about 50 mm, and its insides are designed more like a classical guitar.

The top is made of solid Sitka spruce (fan bracing construction) for a rich sound, while the sides and back are made of warm Sapele wood.

The neck is made of AZ Oval C-shape nato wood, which provides an electric guitar-like feel, and the nut width of 46mm is intermediate between a gut guitar and an electric guitar.

The fingerboard is made of walnut and also features a "Tree of Death" inlay.

Equipped with a Fishman Sonicore piezo pickup and a dedicated preamp (AEQ210TF, with built-in 2-band EQ and tuner), it can output the lustrous sound unique to nylon strings from the amplifier.

This is a truly "new dimension" guitar that combines playability that electric guitarists can switch to without feeling unnatural and a natural nylon sound.

With this guitar, Tim is able to deliver flamenco-inspired phrases and delicate clean tones, adding new textures to Polyphia's music.

In the band's early days, both guitarists Tim and Scott used Orange tube amp heads.

A prime example of this is the Dark Terror, a lunchbox-sized, high-quality amplifier with 15W output.

The small black head on top of the orange cabinet (PPC412 type 4x12 inches) can be seen in live footage and Instagram photos, and it made a strong visual impact.

Dark Terror features a simple single channel design but intense gain and is renowned for its modern distortion sound.

On the other hand, if you turn down the volume, it has the versatility to produce crunch to clean sounds, making it an amp that can handle a wide range of musical styles, from Polyphia's clean to heavy.

The powerful mid-low range produced by the large cabinet was also an attractive feature, adding depth to the band's sound.

Nowadays, the sound is not produced from actual cabinets during live performances, but from the amps on stage.Decoration (appearance)However, Tim also acknowledges the advantages of tube amps like Orange amps, saying that they have "good response that digital equipment doesn't have" (from an interview in the 2020s).

Another example of his adaptation to digital technology is the software sound source named after Tim himself. Developed in collaboration with Finland's Neural DSP, Archetype: Tim Henson is a plug-in software that faithfully reproduces his studio's amp settings and effect chain. It is said to be able to reproduce his "brilliant" tones on a computer, from crystal clean crunch to deep reverb-filled ambient tones and edgy leads.

Tim often composes and practices using this plug-in at home or on tour, and is choosing equipment that is in line with the times. It is also expected to be compatible with Neural DSP's hardware Quad Cortex, and is expected to be used as a live profiler. In fact, in recent Polyphia live shows, it is said that the tube amps placed on stage are for performance purposes, and that the sound is actually sent directly to the PA from these digital units.

Digital multi-processors are key to Tim's sound-making. Polyphia used Line 6 POD Farm (amp simulator software) for the early EPs, but Tim has since moved to Fractal Audio Systems' Axe-Fx series of professional gear.

Among them, the rack-type Axe-Fx II XL can be seen in Tim's equipment rack in the studio tour video. The Axe-Fx is a powerful model that can digitally reproduce many famous amps and effects, and Tim uses it to create everything from clean tones to high-gain leads. For example, he revealed that his signature song "GOAT" was recorded using the Axe-Fx's preset tone (the factory preset "Boutique" amp) almost as is, and his stance seems to be "as long as it sounds good, I won't tweak it too much."

By introducing the Axe-Fx, he gained the convenience and high reproducibility of being able to reproduce a variety of sounds with just one unit, without having to carry multiple amp heads even during live performances. Tim says that the key to getting along well with digital equipment is to "trust the engineers who made the presets, and not worry too much as a user."

This compromise has paid off, with Polyphia achieving cutting-edge live sound through the use of a digital amp modeler.

MXRThis is an overdrive pedal that Tim uses to boost lead tones, etc.

This pedal produces a smooth distortion similar to that of a tube screamer. It can be used with the Axe-Fx or an amp's distortion channel to add gain and compression, and to bring the sound forward during solos. In fact, in a video of a session hosted by Jim Dunlop, Tim was seen playing with this GT-OD turned on.

The aim is probably to create a uniform texture for fast playing and also to extend sustain.

Supa-Puss features a warm delay sound created by the Bucket Brigade method and also has a tap tempo function. The reverberant lead phrases heard in the clean parts and arpeggios of Polyphia may have been created with such an analog delay. It is the supporting force behind Tim's magical sound, adding depth to the sound with deep delays and adding groove to phrases with rhythmic delay effects.

Although it may seem modest at first glance, Tim uses this kind of para-coil to boost or cut certain frequency bands, which is thought to be how he makes the tone during his solos so that the range doesn't clash with other instruments. For example, he uses it to make fine adjustments to the sound quality, such as boosting the midrange to improve clarity or reducing unnecessary low frequencies to make the sound tighter. This piece of equipment gives us a glimpse into his advanced sound-making techniques.

Unlike ordinary loopers, it can add various "blooper" effects such as reverse playback, filters, and stutter effects to recorded phrases. Tim uses this pedal to sample his own phrases during live performances, layering and modulating the sounds on the spot to improvise sounds. The strange loop sounds and glitch noise effects heard in Polyphia's songs may be born from such creative pedals.

Paradigm core for durability

• Ernie Ball's Paradigm technology is used in the core of the string to improve strength and durability.

Cobalt windings for rich tone

• Cobalt windings are used to enhance output, harmonics and sustain. Clear and clean high frequencies are achieved.

Custom Gauge Configuration

• Gauge configurations to Tim Henson's tastes: 9.5, 12, 16, 26, 36, 46.