“I gave them a list of unreasonable demands... I think we found that balance”: Tim Henson put Ernie Ball’s skills to the test with his new signature strings

NAMM 2025: Ernie Ball has teamed up with Polyphia’s generational talent, Tim Henson, for two new signature string sets that epitomize the two sides of his playing.

Releasing as part of an official Tim Henson Signature String and Accessory Collection that also includes a fret wrap and a guitar cable, there are six-string sets for classical and electric guitars.

Currently, there is no extended range set to accompany it, which is a little odd considering a seven-string Ibanez sits amongst his score of signature releases.

Whether that’s a trick missed, or the demand for the set simply isn’t there remains to be seen. Luckily, his other signatures – the best-selling electric nylon TOD10NL and his Fishman Fluence-loaded Ibanez TOD10 are covered.

As to be expected from a collaborative release, the sets have been “designed to meet Tim’s unique specifications and versatile performance style”. The classical set pairs fluorocarbon trebles with silver-plated copper basses, resulting in a “dynamic, brighter response with a percussive quality.”

That is especially useful considering the twang Henson likes to get out of his nylon on tracks like their nuevo flamenco smash hit, Playing God. The set’s gauges are .24, .27, .33, .30, .36, .42 and it’s well-suited for finger-picking and attacking the strings with a pick.

Over to the electric side, Henson has gravitated towards a hybrid blend of Ernie Ball’s Cobalt and Paradigm tech. Here the strings, which are nano-treated for life-prolonging corrosion resistance, rock a Cobalt exterior with Paradigm’s core wire added for strength and muscle, and Cobalt exterior.

This, Ernie Ball says, offers “maximum output and clarity,” to accentuate every nook and cranny of his highly nuanced playing. The string gauges are: .09.5, .12, .16, .26, .36 and .46.

The fret wrap has been designed by Gruv Gear and features Henson’s cherub-style logo, but info on what makes the cable different is hard to come by. But it has Henson’s logo on it. So that’s cool.

Ernie Ball: Tim Henson Signature Guitar Strings & Accessories - Spring 2025 - YouTube

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“When I first started talking to Ernie Ball, I gave them a list of unreasonable demands,” Henson explains. “One of which being hitting the low string and harmonics [hard] and the low string not overpowering the harmonics.

“When we started the process of this, I was playing 10s so the riffs wouldn't go out of tune live, [the question was]: ‘Can you make a string that’s lighter than a 10 but still maintain that stability, that I can bend easier and keep an air of percussiveness without being shrill with too much top end?’ I think we found that balance.”

That’ll be why the electric set features a high .09.5 e string, and the nylon only goes as thick as .42, with a real nit-picking approach taken.

As Henson points out in the promo video, when he was approached for the collaboration, only Metallica’s James Hetfield and Slash had signature string sets with the firm.

John Mayer’s ultra-precise string set and Avenged Sevenfold's Synyster Gates strings have arrived since, with Henson's double-whammy adding fuel to the fire. That shows a clear intention from Ernie Ball to widen – and modernize – its signature string set range, so it will be interesting to see where else the firm is stretching to.

The Ernie Ball Tim Henson Signature String and Accessory Collection is due to arrive in the Spring with no price list currently revealed.

Head to Ernie Ball for more info.

Meanwhile, Polyphia’s recent Ernie Ball session revealed that Ibanez has built Henson a brand-new eight-string signature, with the band hard at work on their next album with a superstar guitarist and producer. They’ve also revealed their hopes for an all-star list of guest collaborators. No release date has been mooted.