The TAM100 wasn’t Ibanez’s first eight-string, but in Tosin Abasi the brand found an ambassador who demonstrated its creative potential. Guitarists had tried bass-style slap and pop techniques before, but huge strings and 27” scale meant Abasi could do it with more authority. His stunning applications for tapping and rhythmic displacement made his music even more original, embracing both ends of the guitar’s extended range. Abasi silenced critics who thought eight strings were a gimmick.