Muse Gear Guide - Matt Bellamy's FX Pedals
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When Muse hit the top of the charts in 14 different countries, with their latest album 'The Resistance' they confirmed their position as one of the biggest acts in the world. And, naturally, Matt Bellamy is one of the most admired guitarists of his generation. Let's have a look at his gear!
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If an older generation admires guitar heroes of the past such as Jimmy Page or Eric Clapton, Matt Bellamy is perhaps one of the most revered guitar heroes today. Total Guitar readers voted Bellamy 29th on a list of the top 100 guitarists, and Bellamy's riff from "Plug In Baby" was 13th in Total Guitar's poll of the Top 100 Riffs above riffs such as Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love".
It's not surprising then, that many guitarists look up to Matt Bellamy and want to know what's the secret of his tone. Well...we don't want to dismiss his talent, but his biggest secret can be summed up in just two letters: FX, FX, FX!!!
Yes, Matt Bellamy is a total gear head, and he uses effects (be it effect pedals, rack units or built in his guitar) in a creative and... "effective" way, shall we say!
The ultimate Matt Bellamy fx must be the Z-Vex Fuzz Factory, which he had installed in his custom-made Manson guitar.
The Z-Vex Fuzz Factory is one of the best fuzz pedals in the world and even if you don't have it installed in your guitar like Matt Bellamy does, it's still great fun to play with and you'll easily get mad, mad sounds like Matt Bellamy's. For Muse fans, this is the pedal to get. But the Fuzz Factory should also be considered a must for any fuzz-loving guitarist, really!
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For Muse-Style Fuzz Madness: Fuzz Factory!
The ultimate FX for Muse fans: Z-Vex Fuzz Factory...ideal for Muse-style madness! |
Other effects/units that are known to have been built into some of Bellamy's Manson guitars besides the Z-Vex Fuzz Factory include: Z-Vex Wah Probe, MXR Phase 90, Kaoss Pad and Tronical PowerTune Automatic Guitar Tuning System.
Effects wise, Bellamy's rig has evolved from a more traditional pedal board into amp set up, into a technological beast.
In the early days, during the Showbiz/Origin of Symmetry era, his pedal board included a Digitech Whammy, Line 6 DL4, Roland V-Synth, DOD Equalizer, Zvex Fuzz Factory, Electro Harmonix Micro Synth.
Of course, we can't forget to mention the Korg Kaoss Pad, which Matt has had famously installed on his main guitar. If you're on a budget, the smaller, cheaper Korg Kaossilator is a good option.
For a guitarist whose sound is so mad and modern, his choice of head amp couldn't be more traditional or elegant - the classic Vox AC30 Head. He also uses a Marshall head, so we can only assume the Vox AC30 is used for clean tones.
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Muse: Lots of rack effects and lots of custom-built guitars... |
To view more Matt Bellamy / Muse related gear, check the Muse Artist Page at Dolphin!
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