Welcome back to Guitardoor.com, where we celebrate the innovators who are actively writing the next chapter in the story of the guitar. Today, we focus on one of the most creative, influential, and talked-about guitarists of the new millennium: the brilliant Tim Henson. As the lead guitarist and primary creative force behind the groundbreaking instrumental band Polyphia, Henson has completely redefined what a modern guitar hero can look, sound, and feel like, masterfully blending jaw-dropping technique with the sounds, aesthetics, and swagger of modern hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music.
The Sound of the Future
The musical style of Tim Henson and Polyphia is a brilliant deconstruction and reassembly of instrumental rock. It is a “post-genre” sound that is as sophisticated as it is catchy. Their music takes the technical complexity and virtuosic DNA of progressive metal and shred and fuses it with the slick production, melodic sensibilities, and, crucially, the rhythmic framework of modern trap and hip-hop. Their songs are built not on long, meandering solos, but on tight, intricate, and incredibly memorable melodic hooks, often featuring the rhythmic patterns of trap hi-hats and the deep boom of 808-style bass drops. This, combined with a strong visual aesthetic drawn from high fashion, streetwear, and internet culture, has made Polyphia a true phenomenon.
Anatomy of an Innovator
Tim Henson’s playing is a visually and sonically stunning showcase of modern, forward-thinking guitar technique. He has synthesized a variety of disciplines into a style that is completely his own.
The “Henson” Technique: His playing is a fluid and intricate dance on the fretboard. He is a master of hybrid picking, which he uses to execute his complex, arpeggiated riffs. This is seamlessly blended with intricate two-handed tapping, percussive “thump” techniques on the low strings, and beautiful, cascading harp harmonics that create a shimmering, almost synthesizer-like texture.
The Nylon String Revolution: One of his most signature sounds is his use of a nylon-string acoustic guitar to play the main melodic guitar hooks on some of their biggest songs. This brings a beautiful, classically-inspired, and organic texture to their modern, highly-produced sound.
The Digital Rig: Henson is a true child of the digital age. His tone is not built on traditional tube amps. He is a primary ambassador for Neural DSP, using their advanced amp modeling plugins—including his own signature Archetype: Tim Henson—to craft his entire sound. His tone is clean, articulate, and highly produced, a perfect fit for the band’s modern aesthetic.
The Ibanez Signature: His main tools are as unique and stylish as his playing. He has a celebrated partnership with Ibanez Guitars on his iconic signature models. These include the TOD10N, a thinline, solid-body nylon-string guitar, and the electric TOD10. Both are famous for their stunning and intricate “Tree of Death” fretboard inlay, a beautiful and dark twist on Steve Vai’s classic “Tree of Life” design.
Essential Henson: The New Canon
Polyphia’s music has created a new canon for modern instrumental guitar, generating viral hits and racking up hundreds of millions of streams. To understand Tim Henson’s groundbreaking approach, these three tracks are essential.
“G.O.A.T.”
This was one of the band’s major breakout hits and a perfect introduction to their sound. “G.O.A.T.” is built on an incredibly catchy, yet technically demanding, hybrid-picked main riff, all set against a hard-hitting trap beat. The track is a stunning display of their unique fusion, culminating in a solo that is a masterclass in modern shred.
“Playing God”
This track, which went massively viral online, is the definitive showcase for Henson’s innovative use of the nylon-string guitar. The main melody is a beautiful and incredibly intricate piece of music that blends classical-style fingerpicking with modern, harmonically complex ideas. It’s a sophisticated, beautiful, and utterly unique piece that redefined what a “hit” guitar instrumental could sound like.
“ABC (feat. Sophia Black)”
A perfect example of the band’s more recent, pop-focused direction, “ABC” demonstrates their incredible versatility. It’s a catchy, vocal-driven track that still manages to be packed with the mind-bendingly complex and creative guitar interplay between Henson and fellow guitarist Scott LePage that their fans love. It proves that their sound is not limited to just instrumentals.
Tim Henson is undeniably one of the most important and innovative guitarists of his generation. He has forged a new path for the instrument, one that is perfectly in sync with modern music production and internet culture. He is a new kind of guitar hero who has proven that instrumental music can be fresh, exciting, visually compelling, and hugely popular with a new wave of listeners, securing the guitar’s place in the sound of the future.
Cover Photo Credit “Tim Henson, Polyphia, Shepherd’s Bush Empire (52942364417)” by Drew de F Fawkes from Guildford, United Kingdom is licensed under CC BY 2.0
