Ibanez TOD20FMN-BFL 4/4 Black Burst Fade Low Gloss Classical Guitar with Preamp

Nylon-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar for Modern Players

The Ibanez TOD20FMN Tim Henson Signature is a nylon-string acoustic-electric guitar that re-imagines the classical for electric-trained players. Co-designed with Polyphia's Tim Henson, this signature model debuted in the "Playing God" music video and has become a benchmark for the nuevo flamenco crossover. The instrument pairs a solid flamed maple top with a sapele body in an ultra-thin FRH hollow-body shape, delivering the warm nylon character of a traditional classical with the slim feel of a solidbody electric.

What Sets This Signature Nylon Apart

Most crossover nylon guitars borrow a classical top and stop there — this one adds traditional fan bracing, the same voicing architecture used on Spanish classicals. The "Tree of Death" fingerboard inlay nods to Ibanez's iconic "Tree of Life" motif. A side-mounted sound port feeds the player's ear directly, cutting the fight against stage-wedge feedback.

Body Construction and Tonewoods — Why Material Choice Matters

Flamed maple on the top brings a bright, focused character that cuts through a mix, while sapele back and sides add the warm midrange nylon players expect. Fan bracing keeps the top responsive to a light right-hand touch.

• Body Shape: FRH (modified FR hollow body) — deep cutaways for upper-fret access
• Top: Solid Flamed Maple — bright, focused attack with striking visual flame
• Back & Sides: Sapele — warm midrange with a hint of treble bite
• Bracing: Fan Bracing for FRH — classical-style voicing for nylon responsiveness

Neck Profile and Fingerboard Geometry — Built for Electric-Style Speed

A traditional classical neck is wide, deep, and flat — a barrier for players used to electrics. This neck is set-in nyatoh with a slim C profile, a 46 mm nut, and a 400 mm fingerboard radius, so chord shapes feel familiar to anyone coming from a Strat or Tele. Twenty-two frets and deep cutaways open the upper register.

• Neck Wood: Nyatoh, set-in construction — rich mid-low end with solidbody-style stability
• Neck Shape: C profile — slim and fast, 21 mm at 1st fret, 22 mm at 7th
• Scale Length: 648 mm / 25.5" — matches a standard electric for familiar tension
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, 400 mm radius — balanced tone with focused midrange
• Nut Width: 46 mm / 1.8" — narrower than a classical 52 mm, wider than a typical electric nut

Electronics and Hardware — Stage-Ready From the Gig Bag

Plugged-in nylon tone is notoriously hard to capture, and the electronics package here is built to solve that. A Fishman S-Core under-saddle pickup reads the strings accurately, while the Ibanez AEQ210TF preamp adds a 2-band EQ, a phase switch, and an onboard tuner. Gold classical tuners and D'Addario XTC45 strings round out the hardware.

• Pickup: Fishman S-Core under-saddle — accurate translation of nylon-string voice
• Preamp: Ibanez AEQ210TF with onboard tuner — Volume, Treble, Bass, Phase controls
• Tuning Machines: Gold Classical tuners — stable tuning with classical-style gears
• Factory Strings: D'Addario XTC45 (.028/.032/.040/.028W/.035W/.044W) — half-tension nylon set

Who Should Play This Guitar

The Ibanez TOD20FMN is the right choice for electric-trained players stepping into nylon-string territory without giving up the speed of a slim neck. It suits progressive rock, jazz fusion, ambient, and percussive fingerstyle players who need upper-fret access, low feedback, and a pickup system that captures nylon dynamics honestly. Studio guitarists will appreciate the Fishman S-Core and AEQ210TF pairing, while home players benefit from the side sound port. It also fits fans of Tim Henson's work with Polyphia.

The Tim Henson Signature Story

The flagship of the Tim Henson signature line was developed with the Polyphia guitarist whose technical, genre-blending style has redefined what a nylon-string guitar can do on a modern stage. Polyphia — the American progressive outfit formed by Tim Henson and Scott Lepage — built their sound by fusing rock, hip-hop, jazz, and electronic elements, and needed an instrument that could keep up. The result is a nylon-string that looks and plays like an electric.